1 Peter
Chapter 5
To Those in Charge
I now turn to the elders among you; I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ, hoping to share in the glory that will be revealed.
Shepherd the flock of God entrusted to you, not out of obligation but willingly, for God’s sake; not seeking a reward but with a generous heart;
do not lord it over those in your care, but be an example to your flock.
When the chief Shepherd comes, you will receive a crown of glory that never fades away.
Similarly, let the younger among you respect the elders’ authority. All of you should wear humility in your interactions with one another because God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.
Bow your knees before God’s power so he may exalt you at the right time.
Trust him with all your worries because he cares for you.
Be sober and alert, because your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Stand firm in your faith and hold your ground, knowing that your brothers and sisters, scattered across the world, are facing similar struggles.
God, the giver of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you forever after you suffer a little.
To him be dominion forever. Amen.
Final Greetings
I have written these few lines of encouragement to you from Silvanus, our brother, whom I trust. I want to remind you of God’s kindness truly present in all this. Hold on to it.
Greetings from the community in Babylon, gathered by God, and from my son, Mark.
Greet each other warmly. Peace be with all of you in Christ.
Commentaries
To Those in Charge.
Before parting, he offers his spiritual testament. Peter’s disciple first addresses the “elders,” a term for leaders and overseers of the community—presbyters—not necessarily the oldest. Although he introduces himself with the title given by his apostolic authority, “witness of the passion of Christ” (1), he considers them equals, placing his authority on the same level as shared responsibility, as was common in the early Church. In a final call to vigilance, he compares the top enemy, the Devil, to a roaring lion prowling around its prey. All these instructions from the disciple reflect the reality of a Christian community that, enduring trials and persecution, lives in hope of the Lord’s coming to set them free, comforted by “the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ” (10).
Final Greetings.
Peter, or one of his disciples, mentions in his final greeting two well-known figures who played a crucial role in the early Church: Silvanus and Mark. Finally, he sends greetings from the community of “Babylon,” a symbolic name for Rome, which is the place of exile and persecution in a world hostile to God.