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1 Peter 5:1–4
“I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (vv. 1–3).
Ephesians 4:7–14 reveals that our Lord Jesus, having ascended to heaven after purchasing our salvation, gave gifts to His church, including the gift of church offices. Some of these offices, such as Apostle and prophet, passed away after the church’s foundation was fully laid by the end of the first century AD. Others, such as the office of deacon, continue until the return of Christ, as we have seen (Acts 6:1–7; 1 Tim. 3:8–13). The other office that Jesus gave to His church until His second advent is the office of elder, sometimes called shepherd (Eph. 4:11) or overseer (bishop; Titus 1:7).
The titles shepherd and overseer help us understand the duties that belong to the office of elder. Commenting on today’s passage, Matthew Henry notes that as shepherds feed a flock of sheep physical food, elders feed the members of their congregations spiritual food by preaching and teaching the Word of God (see 2 Tim. 4:1–2). Elders also exercise oversight, governing the local church to which they are appointed and making decisions for the well-being of its people (see 1 Tim. 3:4–5). Finally, they are to be examples of godliness to the Christians under their charge (see 1 Peter 5:1–3).
A local church should be led by a plurality of elders. The old covenant church, where multiple elders helped oversee the people of Israel, followed this practice (Num. 11:1–30). The New Testament tells us that the Apostles ordained multiple elders to each church (Acts 14:19–23). A congregation should be governed by several qualified men who share authority. Passages such as 1 Timothy 5:17–18 suggest that it is wise for churches to pay some elders to engage in teaching and preaching. In the modern church, we typically refer to these elders as teaching elders or pastors. While these teaching elders work in vocational ministry, they do not have greater authority than those elders who do not.
Ultimately, church elders govern people who do not really belong to them but belong to the Lord Jesus Christ and must be shepherded with love and tenderness. As 1 Peter 5:1–4 notes, elders are to shepherd the sheep of Christ willingly and lovingly. Matthew Henry comments: “The pastors of the church ought to consider their people as the flock of God, as God’s heritage, and treat them accordingly. They are not theirs, to be lorded over at pleasure; but they are God’s people, and should be treated with love, meekness, and tenderness, for the sake of him to whom they belong.”
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
We see God’s wisdom in establishing the plurality of elders over local churches. Having multiple men with different skills and experiences as leaders in a church allows for different perspectives that can contribute to wise decision making. Let us pray for our elders and select godly men for that office when we are given the opportunity.
For further study
- Exodus 18
- Ruth 4:1–12
- 1 Timothy 3:1–7
- Titus 1:5–9
The bible in a year
- Lamentations 3–5
- Hebrews 9