In 1 Peter 5, Peter turned his focus to the practical instruction of elders and younger men. Suffering is temporary, but life is eternal.
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In 1 Peter 5, Peter turned his focus to the practical instruction of elders and younger men. Suffering is temporary, but life is eternal.
Stay engaged with new and up-to-date content, including newsletters, articles, podcasts, etc. Download the Teach Me the Bible App from any app store or Apple TV/Roku device.
You're listening to Teach Me the Bible podcast, where we unpack the meaning of books, passages and themes from Scripture. Join us each week as Dr David Klingler walks us through God's Word and teaches the Bible. Each episode has a study guide available in the show notes. This is Teach Me the Bible podcast.
Speaker 2:Hello everyone, my name is Tim Webb and I'm here with Dr David Klingler for our Teach Me the Bible podcast and, as always, our desires for the people of God to know and understand the Word of God and David.
Speaker 2:We've been walking through 1 Peter and it's an incredible letter and it's a very difficult letter, I think, one that, as we've been walking through this, it's hard to imagine we're going to embrace this concept, this conviction of following Christ's example and suffering, and in this world we're going to have tribulation. It's just part of it. But our reward is in what's to come, the hope of the resurrection becoming like Christ, and so our reward, our blessing, is not in here now. There's going to be some good things in the body of Christ and pieces along the way, but it's that enduring, and so it's been good to see this, and I know it's just something hard for us to take hold of. But today, as we're moving into chapter five, there's just kind of a he's kind of bringing this together, and so, if you would, let's join back in the discussion with Peter and what he's saying to us. Yeah.
Speaker 3:One of the things that I think we're going to face maybe in our lifetime, is increased persecution in the church.
Speaker 3:And as we've gone, as the culture has moved to a post-Christian culture and even in some ways our church has moved to no longer believing Christianly that persecution is coming, and letters like this James 1, peter, 2, timothy, philippians, calls to suffering are going to be much more important to the just, to the encouragement of the church.
Speaker 3:And so at the end of chapter four, it is therefore let those also who suffer according to the will of God and trust their souls to the faithful creator in doing what is what is right and that's been really his argument through the whole book that that what good is it if you do evil and suffer for it, you deserve that, but if you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord and suffer for it, this finds favor. And you were called for this purpose and Christ also suffered for you that we've had these verses all the way through this book that have really been a call to suffering. And so now he turns to the, to the pastor, to the elders, to the overseers, and and you think that that's kind of a disconnect, but but really it's not because the the shepherd has to be the leader. He's got to be the, the one who sets the example.
Speaker 3:And so yeah, and so, therefore, and they and in in the, in the early church I mean, it was the they didn't go after just the average church goer, they went after the church leader and and you know, they were martyred. And there was many examples of that in church history. But but so he continues in chapter five. Therefore, I exert the uh, exhort, exhort, exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ. I have seen, you know, I've seen the sufferings of Christ, peter says, and a partatac are also of the glory that is to be revealed. Shepherd, the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God, and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness, nor let yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be an example to the flock. Well, there's just a lot right there.
Speaker 3:There's a lot there though, matt, that exercising oversight, not under compulsion and not for sorted gain, I mean I wished that every once in a while pastors would read the scriptures. You know we pay our pastors and we've had this discussion. You know I've had this discussion and kind of torn on that one. I mean the worker's worth his wage, certainly, but you know part of what Paul does with that passage. You know he says, yes, a worker's worth his, don't muzzle an ox while he's threshing. But even though that's right and I have the right to be paid, he says I worked, I labored among you talking about the Corinthians, so that I could offer the gospel free of charge. And so often our motives, sometimes the motives of leaders in the church, aren't pure. Other times they're not perceived as being pure, and so part of being above reproach is just presenting yourself in the church and the gospel in such a way that no one could ever charge you with any wrongdoing.
Speaker 3:The never questioning motives yeah, and so when you're, it's easier to do. When you're suffering for it, when you're being persecuted, when you're being martyred, nobody's going. Yeah, they're in it for the wrong reasons.
Speaker 2:It's very clear what their theology is.
Speaker 3:And but one of the. Even from the beginning of the church there was this concern for the individual to lord their authority over the church and but that was never the heart of the early church pastors. Now that it's been abused of late certainly is, and throughout church history certainly I was gonna say that's been an ongoing battle To confront. But that's the exhortation right and the reminder that when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the unfraiding crown of glory. It's pretty important to remember the first part of that verse when the chief shepherd not until right, not now You're not gonna be crowned with a crown of glory now, you're not going to be heralded by the people now. Often we are asked to say things that aren't fun, that aren't popular, and that's okay, and they may persecute you for it, they may hate you for it, but the shepherd needs to say what needs to be said, not what the people wanna hear.
Speaker 2:One of the things. That's one of the reasons why you don't see the persecution in church today, because we're not pastors, aren't teaching the full counsel, knowing the word, and it's interesting when you bring the word forward, people don't like it.
Speaker 3:Oh, yeah, suffering's not popular.
Speaker 2:It's not, so stay away from it.
Speaker 3:Yeah particularly in a culture where we basically live out the Burger King commercial your way. Right away, you're the king of your own burger. It's just interesting, you rule. I think that's the one they're using now. Right, you rule, you get to rule over the making of your burger. It just we now reduce this down to Fast food theology. Fast food theology and really it's just our theology has so infiltrated what we believe all the way down to ordering a burger. I mean, it's just how far it's impacted us.
Speaker 3:And so it's good instruction for the pastor, the elder, but he continues younger men likewise, be subject to your elders. We were talking this morning in a men's study and basically, if we reduce this verse down to like five year old lingo, you're not the boss of me, and that goes back to the fall right God. You're not the boss of me. I am my own authority, our Western cultures. There is no authority above the individual. It just infiltrates everything that we think and do, and this be subject to isn't just that discussion always comes up when it's husbands and wives, and wives need to be subject to.
Speaker 3:Well, this is a be subject to. You are under assigned, as a younger man, to your elders and recognize that, be subject to your elders and all of you clothe yourselves with humility towards one another, for God is opposed to the proud we read past that so quickly. He's opposed. God is against you when you are prideful, but he gives grace to the humble. So humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he will exalt you. He may exalt you at the proper time. Our timing is off. You keep seeing this timing that when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive this unfading crown of glory as the pastor, or the proper time you will be exalted, but not until then.
Speaker 2:So the proper time is his return.
Speaker 3:His return, his absolutely is his return. Until then, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer, will be persecuted, and you're gonna have anxiety. I mean, in the early church they're killing him right and left. They're going to have anxiety. And so casting all your anxiety upon him because he cares for you. Now, how is he going? How is that anxiety magically dealt with? I cast it on him, I've turned it over to Jesus. Sounds good but doesn't work. What does he mean here? Well, it's recognizing the timing aspect, that they have nothing to threaten you with. It's what he's been arguing in this book. If you, even if you're persecuted for doing what's right in the eyes of the Lord, you're blessed when, when he returns right. And so our cure for anxiety is knowing who we are and when we are, and what's coming and who's coming you know. And so this restoration, casting your anxiety upon him because he cares for you.
Speaker 3:Be sober, be of sober spirit, be on alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion seeking to devour. But resist him. Firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. It's not be encouraged. God will rescue from your suffering. That's not what he's saying. He's saying be encouraged, you're not the only one suffering. Now, how is that an encouragement? Well, it's only an encouragement if you have the same hope, as you have a common hope and a common faith. Right that the devil is prowling about looking to devour, but resist him. Why? How can you resist? Because you know the timing and you know the day. Stand firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering, or sufferings, are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world. This has been going on for a while.
Speaker 3:If the writer of Hebrews was talking, he would say join in with the cloud of witnesses. Christ has run the race, the others who have come before have run the race, and so you join in and you run the race as well. It's not a fun race, it's not an easy race, but it's a great reward at the end. Right? And so, quote Paul run the race according to the rules. No one who runs a race doesn't win the prize unless they run the race according to the rules.
Speaker 3:And so the rules are suffer now, in the midst of harsh treatment, the devil on the prow, suffering, unjust suffering, but you endure. You endure because the king is coming. Reminded of one of our old professors, dr Pinnacle, used to say every time there's an exhortation in the Bible to holy living, within a verse or two there is a reminder of why the king is coming. And so if we don't know, if we don't have sound theology that says Jesus will fix all your problems at his return and we have a theology that says Jesus will fix all your problems today, we're gonna really struggle in the Christian life. So we've gotta get our theology right.
Speaker 2:It sounds like you, peter's saying don't have a victim mindset, we're on the right team, this is what's gonna happen. Buckle up, let's go and in that suffering, as you were teaching earlier, that suffering brings about an opportunity to explain, to express why we're willing to love and live this way, and so-.
Speaker 3:Give a reason for the host that is within you.
Speaker 3:That's what he's already said in the book. That's exactly right. And so he finishes. And after you have suffered for a little while, for a little while we're doing a church history study, and at the church I'm just reminded of this quote, and it was Polly Karp who was threatened with wild beasts. He says go ahead, turn those wild beasts. Yeah, I won't repent, we'll throw you to the fire. And he says why should I fear fire that will only burn for a little while, and then it's extinguished, when there's an eternal fire and an eternal punishment that is much greater.
Speaker 3:Wow, what a percentage, what a concept. So his view was it's just a Great perspective. It's just a short time, it's just a little while. Fire only burns for a little while, but the fire that you're headed for Long time, it burns forever. It's an eternal fire. And so, after you've suffered for just a little while and in the internal perspective, suffering is just for a little while the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you. So to him be dominion forever and ever, through Sylvainus, our faithful servant, that's for so I regard him. I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. The true grace of God is the encouragement to endure suffering. Consider it all joy, my brother, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith works for endurance. Why should we be joyful in the midst of suffering? Because suffering is a short time, but reward is eternal, and so that's Peter's theology. She who is in Babylon this is an interesting verse she who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, mark, greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ. She who is in Babylon.
Speaker 3:There's a kind of a discussion here. Is Peter somehow ended up in Babylon? Babylon? Is that the city? Where is that? Or is he still in Jerusalem? And he is calling the church at Jerusalem. Become like Babylon.
Speaker 3:There's a debate here, but I think that's probably what's going on. And so we're writing to those dispersed, dispersed to our Pontius glace, dispersed from where, dispersed from the promised land, dispersed from the great city Jerusalem. And in the midst of the dispersion. They will only be gathered back up when Israel repents, when Jerusalem repents, when the people are restored and the temple is rebuilt and the king returns. And so, until then, jerusalem is like Sodom and Gomorrah, it's like Babylon, it's pagan, and so, yeah, I think that's what he's doing here and it's just an encouragement. You got to put yourself back in the position of these Jews who are dispersed and being persecuted by other Jews, and they've got to be wondering if they're on the right side of this deal. And so he writes this letter of encouragement, and so, while it's a letter to Jews in the first century, we can find a lot of encouragement from this letter for us today, because suffering's still happening and the call to suffering is still just as clear and needed as ever in the church.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think one of the best aspects of leadership in the church would be for the leaders to understand you go first. Oh yeah, I had someone in our church, that pastor. I hate to tell you this, but you go first, show us the way. I'm like. Well, you know that sounds great, but we go there you're coming to. I mean, it's just part of our lives. But I think if we're going to communicate God's word effectively as leaders, we have to grab hold of that first and demonstrate it.
Speaker 3:So it's just tough sometimes, yeah and just to not only state agreement, but, man, that was the theology of the leaders in the early church right Absolutely.
Speaker 3:You know, don't fear for me, don't threaten. They would set banquets for their arresters when they came and they'd pray for them and they gladly go. It was a privilege, it was part of discipleship to lay down your life for Christ. It was an honor. You see it in Peter, you see it in Paul, you see it in the early church, but, boy, you don't see it today. No. And so how did we get so far off the trail? Well, it's because we're no longer believing Christianly. To deny self, to take up the cross, to follow Christ, even to death, is and has always been foundational and fundamental to the Christian faith.
Speaker 2:So what a letter.
Speaker 3:Great letter.
Speaker 2:I'm great, great letter, all right. Well, david, thank you so much for today. And let's always remember we want to encourage our listeners, our viewers, to stay tied, connected to local gathering of believers. This is not to take away from that, it's just to supplement and encourage to our pastors and our brothers and sisters in the faith. Just, we just want to encourage them to stay in the fight, know God's word, be strengthened, resolved, live for Him because he's coming back. Amen, amen. Well, thank you, david.
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