The Church’s Shepherds
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers – not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away 1 Peter 5:2-4
Whether you’re an elder in your church or not, you need to be protective of your leaders. Peter lists here three weaknesses to which elders would be prone and gives an antidote for each.
The first: ‘Be shepherds of God’s flock … not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be.’ No one should ever be an elder because “someone has to do it.” A true elder has freely chosen this valuable work. So the antidote is: God wants our willing service.
The second: ‘Be shepherds of God’s flock … not greedy for money, but eager to serve.’ Because ‘greedy for money’ is literally ‘shameful gain,’ Peter is saying no one should do church-related work to earn money with greedy or selfish motives or by dishonest or unfair practices. An elder has to be free from the love of money (1 Timothy 3:3; 6:10; Hebrews 13:5).
And the last: ‘Be shepherds of God’s flock … not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.’ The term ‘lording it over’ means ‘forcefully ruling over, subduing.’ Its usage in both the New Testament,(e.g. Matthew 20:25; Mark 10:42) and in the Greek Old Testament (e.g. Genesis 1:28; 9:1; Numbers 21:24) involves ‘bringing something or someone into subjection by the use of force, whether physical, military or political.’ So here Peter forbids the use of arrogant, arbitrary or excessively restrictive rule. This is not to take away from the general rule of submission to elders (5:5; Hebrews 13:7,17) because they have a genuine governing authority in the church and can give direction that the church needs to follow. The antidote for over-bearing behaviour is ‘being examples to the flock.’ The early Christians expected all their leaders to live in a way that others should copy.
‘And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.’ An elder who exercises their office well can expect to be rewarded in the age to come. The ‘crown of glory’ could describe a wreath given to an athletics winner, a golden crown given by a Roman General to soldiers who were exceptionally valiant in battle, or a crown worn by a king. In each case it was a sign of special honour.
Are you an elder? Fulfil your office well and your reward awaits you. If you’re not an elder, ask the Lord to help you grow in appreciation for the weight of the office. The devil targets all Christians but he knows that if he can take out an elder, others will usually turn way too. Be prayerful for your elders.
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