“The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords 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 does not fade away.” (1 Peter 5:1–4)
Perhaps you might think that an article on this text would be better suited for a pastoral conference. After all, Peter is specifically speaking to pastors here. Yet, the Holy Spirit has preserved this word for all Christians to hear. So as we listen to Peter’s exhortation, we learn what kind of men pastors are, why they do what they do, and what benefits the Lord delivers to His people through them.
Pastors are men who are just like everyone else. We might be surprised to hear Peter lower himself to the position of “fellow elder,” but Peter recognizes that he is no better than anyone else. In fact, he notes that he is “a witness of the sufferings of Christ.” True enough, but what kind of witness was Peter? To put it lightly, he was a coward, one whose courage failed as he denied three times that he even knew Jesus (Luke 22:54-62).
Peter recognized himself as a sinner. But he also recognized himself as “a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed.” Recall how the risen Jesus appeared to some of His disciples in John 21, and how He restored Peter, commissioning Peter to care for His sheep (verses 15-17). Your pastor is a man like Peter—one who understands what it is to be a forgiven sinner.
Since a pastor is a man who understands sin and forgiveness, he understands how important it is to take that message to others. Remember that Peter is writing to Christians who are being persecuted. He’s about to warn them to “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8). So the Lord sends pastors to “shepherd the flock of God” because His people need shepherds.
In our culture today, there is a temptation to separate oneself from church and pastor. There is a temptation to say, “I’ll just watch the sermon on YouTube. I don’t actually need to go to church or be under anyone’s spiritual care.” But really, that is to trust one’s own ability to stay safe from all of the spiritual dangers out there, and none of us are up to that on our own.
So the Lord doesn’t leave you alone. Christ calls shepherds for His sheep. And those pastors care for their sheep. They don’t care for them because they’re being forced to, but because they have the privilege of being called to serve the Lord and His people in this way. They watch over them guarding them against spiritual thieves and wolves, false teachers and temptations that threaten to kill their people spiritually. And the pastor does all of this through that tool that God has given him—the powerful Word of God.
When the relationship of trust has been built up between pastor and congregation, blessings abound. The perfect God, “the chief Shepherd,” speaks to you through your imperfect pastor, but that Word of God is just as powerful and effective. So listen to and pray for your pastor(s) as you rejoice to receive the crown of glory that does not fade.
is pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Winter Haven, Florida, and a member of the CLC Board of Missions
