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First Peter, part 20

1 Peter 5:1-4 says,

¹ Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, ² shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God, ³ nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Peter does not appeal primarily as an apostle, but as a “fellow elder,” one who witnessed Christ’s sufferings and will share in future glory. This establishes authority rooted in experience, not hierarchy. It establishes leadership grounded in the same pattern of suffering to glory.

When Peter tells elders to “shepherd the flock,” this is a key term. It means to feed, guide, protect, and care for, not merely administrative leadership. This admonition, of course, was given to him by Jesus Himself in John 21:16, “Shepherd My sheep.” Leadership is pastoral, not political. By the time he wrote this letter, Peter had pondered the meaning and implications of shepherding and had come to a thorough understanding of its responsibilities.

“The flock of God” belongs to God, not to the leaders. Leaders are stewards, not owners. This guards against control, possessiveness, and personal kingdoms. “Exercising oversight” comes from the root of episkopos (overseer), “watching over, guarding, supervising.” It shows balanced leadership: Shepherd (care) and Overseer (responsibility).

In my own experience, when I established my first church in 1981, God pulled it apart, telling me that my calling was to be a teacher, not a pastor. One of my first revelations in that time was that I had been building my own kingdom inadvertently (as many do). Hence, years later, when God called me back into the ministry, I named it God’s Kingdom Ministries to show the contrast between the former and the present.

In the interim, I had to learn by experience what it meant to be an overseer and shepherd. The best teaching, as most people know, comes through failure, and I was no exception.

Three Contrasts in Leadership

In John 21:15-17, Jesus told Peter three times: “tend My lambs,” “shepherd My sheep,” and “tend My sheep.” Perhaps this was to overcome Peter’s earlier denial of Christ three times (Matthew 26:75). His failure was a bitter experience, but was humbled by it and grew from it later.

So Peter gives three “not this… but this…” contrasts. The first is: Not under compulsion, but voluntarily. It is not forced duty but willing service. True leadership flows from one’s calling and internal conviction.

Secondly, true leadership is not for sordid gain, but with eagerness. It is not driven by profit but by a genuine desire to serve. This addresses the problem of exploitation and ministry for personal advantage.

Thirdly: Not lording it over, but leadership by example. Unfortunately, the early church quickly degenerated into the idea that all Christians must believe everything that the church councils decreed—even though the bishops themselves could not agree. In fact, the reason for church councils was to gather the bishops to vote on established doctrine. Not a single council ever reached a unanimous conclusion, but the majority view was decreed to be the truth. Those who disagreed were either forced to comply or were branded as heretics.

“Those Allotted to Your Charge”

Each leader is assigned a specific stewardship, not universal control. This refers to divine distribution of gifts, callings, and responsibilities that come with each. It is measured authority.

In the first few centuries of the church, there evolved three main centers of power: Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome. The patriarchs of each of these churches were often called “popes.” It was not until the early seventh century that the bishop of Rome successfully claimed full jurisdiction over the other power centers and claimed the sole title of “pope” or “universal bishop.”

Ironically, Gregory the Great (bishop of Rome, AD 590–604) wrote against the Patriarch of Constantinople, John IV of Constantinople, who had begun using the title: “Ecumenical (Universal) Bishop.” Gregory strongly opposed this title. In his letters (Registrum Epistolarum), Gregory wrote:

“Whoever calls himself universal bishop, or desires this title, is, by his pride, the precursor of Antichrist” (Letter to John of Constantinople, Book 5, Letter 18).

In another letter he wrote,

“I confidently say that whoever calls himself universal priest, or desires to be called so, in his elation is the forerunner of Antichrist.” (Book 7, Letter 33).

Gregory’s concern was that no single bishop should claim supremacy over all others, because such a claim undermines the collegial nature of the episcopate and reflects pride and self-exaltation. In his view, universal supremacy was from a spirit aligned with Antichrist (self-exalting authority).

Gregory died in 604 A.D. Just three years later, in 607 AD, Boniface III of Rome received recognition from the Byzantine emperor Phocas, who declared that the bishop of Rome should be recognized as the “head of all the churches.” Ironically, what Gregory rejected in Constantinople began to be functionally transferred to Rome shortly after his death.

This is widely seen as the first official civil endorsement of Roman supremacy after Gregory’s time. Boniface III accepted a position that effectively elevated Rome above other bishops and laid groundwork for later papal supremacy. This marked a significant shift in tone and direction, departing from Peter’s own position as a “fellow elder” who did not presume to lord it over those allotted to them.

Instruction to Younger Men

1 Peter 5:5 says,

⁵ You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Peter now turns from elders to the younger men. “Be subject” (ὑποτάγητε) means “to arrange oneself under, to yield, not out of inferiority, but order and harmony.” This is not about domination by elders but about proper structure in the community.

Elders lead, not by force but by example; younger men respond, not by rebellion but by willing submission. Both sides are governed by the same principle: being clothed with humility.

Humility for All

Peter then broadens the command to “all of you,” not just younger submitting to the older but everyone “toward one another.” This is mutual humility, not a one-way hierarchy. When Peter says, “clothe yourselves” (ἐγκομβώσασθε), the word refers to a deliberate act of putting on a garment. Humility is not automatic—it is something you put on intentionally.

This may reflect how Jesus clothed Himself like a servant when he washed the disciples’ feet in John 13:8. Humility shows up in how we treat others, what we think of ourselves, and how we respond to correction or to differing views.

Peter quotes Proverbs 3:34 (from the Septuagint): “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

1 Peter 5:6, 7 says,

⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷ casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

Leaders must be humble; followers must be humble; the whole body must be humble. Humility is a prerequisite for glory; pride belongs to the old man (flesh); humility is the character of the new man (spirit). Humility is part of the death-to-self process. Grace is not random; it is channeled toward the humble.

Humility is the garment of the Kingdom—without it, God resists. With it, God supplies grace.