1 Peter 5:3 Study Bible: neither as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock.

◄ 1 Peter 5:3 ►

not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

not lording it over
The phrase "not lording it over" comes from the Greek word "katakurieuo," which means to exercise dominion or control in a domineering manner. In the historical context of the early church, leaders were often tempted to wield their authority in a way that mirrored the oppressive rulers of the time. This exhortation is a call to humility and servant leadership, reflecting Jesus' own teaching in Matthew 20:25-28, where He contrasts worldly authority with the servant leadership He exemplifies. The conservative Christian perspective emphasizes that true leadership in the church is not about power or control but about serving others in love and humility.

those entrusted to you
The phrase "those entrusted to you" highlights the responsibility and stewardship that church leaders have over their congregations. The Greek word "kleros" can be translated as "lot" or "portion," indicating that the people are a divine inheritance or portion given to the leaders by God. This underscores the sacred trust and accountability leaders have before God for the spiritual well-being of their flock. In a conservative Christian view, this trust is not to be taken lightly, as leaders are called to nurture, protect, and guide their congregations with the utmost care and integrity.

but being examples
"Being examples" is derived from the Greek word "tupos," which means a pattern or model. This calls leaders to live lives that are worthy of imitation, reflecting the character and teachings of Christ. In the historical context, the early church faced persecution and challenges, making it crucial for leaders to demonstrate steadfast faith and moral integrity. From a conservative Christian perspective, this is a timeless principle, as leaders are called to embody the virtues of the Christian faith, serving as living testimonies to the transformative power of the Gospel.

to the flock
The term "flock" is a metaphor for the church community, drawing on the imagery of shepherding found throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, God is often depicted as a shepherd caring for His people (e.g., Psalm 23), and Jesus identifies Himself as the Good Shepherd in John 10. This imagery conveys the idea of care, guidance, and protection. In the early church, leaders were seen as under-shepherds, serving under Christ, the Chief Shepherd. From a conservative Christian perspective, this emphasizes the pastoral role of leaders to nurture and protect the spiritual well-being of their congregations, following the example of Christ Himself.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Peter
The apostle Peter, one of Jesus' closest disciples, is the author of this epistle. He writes to encourage and instruct the early Christian communities.

2. Elders
The primary audience of this passage, elders are leaders within the early church responsible for shepherding the believers.

3. The Flock
This term refers to the congregation or the body of believers who are under the care of the elders.

4. Early Christian Communities
The recipients of Peter's letter, these communities were spread across Asia Minor and faced various challenges, including persecution.

5. Asia Minor
The region where the early Christian communities were located, which is modern-day Turkey.

Teaching Points

Servant Leadership
Elders are called to lead by serving, not by exerting authority or control. This reflects the heart of Christ's teaching on leadership.

Modeling Christ-like Behavior
Leaders should live in a way that others can imitate, demonstrating the character and love of Christ in their actions.

Responsibility of Stewardship
Those entrusted with leadership have a sacred responsibility to care for and nurture the spiritual well-being of their congregation.

Humility in Leadership
True leadership in the church is marked by humility and a willingness to put others' needs above one's own.

Accountability to God
Elders must remember that they are ultimately accountable to God for how they lead and care for His people.

Bible Study Questions

1. How does the concept of servant leadership in 1 Peter 5:3 challenge the traditional views of authority and power?

2. In what ways can church leaders today model the example of Christ to their congregations?

3. How does understanding the original Greek term for "examples" (typos) deepen our understanding of the role of elders?

4. What are some practical ways that members of a congregation can support their leaders in fulfilling the call of 1 Peter 5:3?

5. How can the principles in 1 Peter 5:3 be applied in other areas of life, such as family or workplace leadership?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Matthew 20:25-28
Jesus teaches about servant leadership, contrasting it with the worldly view of authority, which aligns with Peter's exhortation to elders.

John 13:14-15
Jesus washes the disciples' feet, providing a model of humility and service that elders are to emulate.

Hebrews 13:7
This verse speaks about leaders who set an example of faith, similar to Peter's call for elders to be examples to the flock.

Acts 20:28
Paul instructs the Ephesian elders to shepherd the church of God, emphasizing the responsibility and care required of church leaders.

Sermons

A Witness and a Partaker	C. H. Spurgeon.	1 Peter 5:1-4
Address to the Young Elders	Dean Vaughan.	1 Peter 5:1-4
Elders Exhorted	John Rogers.	1 Peter 5:1-4
Feed the Sheep	Emily S. Holt.	1 Peter 5:1-4
God's Servants -- Their Ruling Motive	John Ruskin.	1 Peter 5:1-4
Gold a Contemptible Motive for Service	C. Kingsley.	1 Peter 5:1-4
Ministerial Authority	John Rogers.	1 Peter 5:1-4
Ministerial Oversight	John Rogers.	1 Peter 5:1-4
Not Lords		1 Peter 5:1-4
Partaking as Well as Preaching	Ralph Venning.	1 Peter 5:1-4
Peter Exhorting the Elders	J. J. S. Bird, B. A.	1 Peter 5:1-4
Power of Example		1 Peter 5:1-4
The Chief Shepherd	J. Stratten.	1 Peter 5:1-4
The Chief Shepherd's Appearance	G. Clayton.	1 Peter 5:1-4
The Conduct Becoming the Elders of the Church	C. New	1 Peter 5:1-4
The Discharge of the Ministry	Abp. Leighton.	1 Peter 5:1-4
The Faithful Minister	J. A. James.	1 Peter 5:1-4
The Office, Spirit, and Reward of a Faithful Ministry	J. Packard, D. D.	1 Peter 5:1-4
Too Much Money for a Clergyman		1 Peter 5:1-4
True Office Bearers in the Church	U. R. Thomas.	1 Peter 5:1-4
Concluding Exhortations	R. Finlayson	1 Peter 5:1-11
The True Pastorate	J.R. Thomson	1 Peter 5:2-4
True Office-Bearers in the Church (No. 2)	U.R. Thomas	1 Peter 5:2-5

People

Marcus, Mark, Peter, Silas, Silvanus

Places

Asia, Babylon, Bithynia, Cappadocia, Galatia, Pontus

Topics

Allotted, Becoming, Charge, Churches, Domineering, Ensamples, Entrusted, Examples, Exercising, Flock, God's, Heritage, Heritages, Imitate, Lording, Lords, Lordship, Making, Models, Patterns, Possessions, Proving, Yet, Yourselves

Dictionary of Bible Themes

1 Peter 5:3

8428 example
8449 imitating

1 Peter 5:1-3

     4065   orderliness
     5700   headship
     7026   church, leadership
     8210   commitment, to God's people

1 Peter 5:1-4

7720 elders, in the church

1 Peter 5:1-5

7797 teaching

1 Peter 5:1-6

5959 submission

1 Peter 5:2-3

     5220   authority, abuse
     5395   lordship, human and divine
     7021   church, OT anticipations
     7130   flock, God's
     7943   ministry, in church
     8349   spiritual growth, means of

1 Peter 5:2-4

     1220   God, as shepherd
     7024   church, nature of
     7789   shepherd, church leader

Library

Third Sunday after Trinity Humility, Trust, Watchfulness, Suffering
Text: 1 Peter 5, 5-11. 5 Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; 7 casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 whom withstand stedfast …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. III

Sylvanus
'By Sylvanus, our faithful brother, as I account him, I have written unto you briefly.'--1 Peter v. 12 (R.V). I adopt the Revised Version because, in one or two small points, it brings out more clearly the Apostle's meaning. This Sylvanus is, beyond all reasonable doubt, the same man who is known to us in the Acts of the Apostles by the name of Silas. A double name was very common amongst Jews, whose avocations brought them into close connection with Gentiles. You will find other instances of it …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

An Apostolic Testimony and Exhortation
'... I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.'--1 Peter v. 12. 'I have written briefly,' says Peter. But his letter, in comparison with the other epistles of the New Testament, is not remarkably short; in fact, is longer than many of them. He regards it as short when measured by the greatness of its theme. For all words which are devoted to witnessing to the glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ, must be narrow and insufficient as compared …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

The Church in Babylon
'The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you ...'--1 Peter v. 13. We have drawn lessons in previous addresses from the former parts of the closing salutations of this letter. And now I turn to this one to see what it may yield us. The Revised Version omits 'the church,' and substitutes 'she'; explaining in a marginal note that there is a difference of opinion as to whether the sender of the letter is a community or an individual. All the old MSS., with one weighty exception, …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

Marcus, My Son
'... So doth Marcus, my son.'--1 Peter v. 13. The outlines of Mark's life, so far as recorded in Scripture, are familiar. He was the son of Mary, a woman of some wealth and position, as is implied by the fact that her house was large enough to accommodate the 'many' who were gathered together to pray for Peter's release. He was a relative, probably a cousin (Col. iv. 10, Revised Version), of Barnabas, and possibly, like him, a native of Cyprus. The designation of him by Peter as 'my son' naturally …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

The Slave's Girdle
'... Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.'--1 Peter v. 5. The Apostle uses here an expression of a remarkable kind, and which never occurs again in Scripture. The word rendered in the Authorised Version 'be clothed,' or better in the Revised Version, 'gird yourselves with,' really implies a little more than either of those renderings suggests. It describes a kind of garment as well as the act of putting it on, and the sort of garment which it describes …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture Ephesians, Peter,John

A New Year's Benediction
I have this morning taken this text as a new year's blessing. You are aware that a minister of the Church of England always supplies me with the motto for the new year. He prays much before he selects the text, and I know that it is his prayer for you all to-day. He constantly favors me with this motto, and I always think it my duty to preach from it, and then desire my people to remember it through the year as a staff of support in their time of trouble, as some sweet morsel, a wafer made with honey, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 6: 1860

30TH DAY. A Crown of Life.
"He is Faithful that Promised." "When the Chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away."--1 PETER v. 4. A Crown of Life. What! is the beggar to be "raised from the dunghill, set among princes, and made to inherit a throne of glory?" is dust and ashes, a puny rebel, a guilty traitor, to be pitied, pardoned, loved, exalted from the depths of despair, raised to the heights of Heaven--gifted with kingly honour--royally fed--royally clothed--royally attended--and, …
John Ross Macduff—The Faithful Promiser

The Millennium in Relation to Satan.
In our last chapter we saw that Christ descends from Heaven to find an organized effort to prevent him coming back to the earth. Under the leadership of Anti-christ, the kings of the earth with their armies assemble together at Armageddon with the express purpose of making war upon the Lamb (Rev. 17:14). It is in connection with this impious revolt that we read, "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh" (Ps. 2:4), laugh at their folly and madness, "The Lord shall have them in derision." As well …
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

A Preliminary Discourse to Catechising
'If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled.' - Col 1:23. Intending next Lord's day to enter upon the work of catechising, it will not be amiss to give you a preliminary discourse, to show you how needful it is for Christians to be well instructed in the grounds of religion. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled.' I. It is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith. II. The best way for Christians to be settled is to be well grounded. I. It is the duty of Christians …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

The Royal Marriage Feast.
PART I.--THE WEDDING GUESTS. "And Jesus answered, and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of …
William Arnot—The Parables of Our Lord

Consolations against Impatience in Sickness.
If in thy sickness by extremity of pain thou be driven to impatience, meditate-- 1. That thy sins have deserved the pains of hell; therefore thou mayest with greater patience endure these fatherly corrections. 2. That these are the scourges of thy heavenly Father, and the rod is in his hand. If thou didst suffer with reverence, being a child, the corrections of thy earthly parents, how much rather shouldst thou now subject thyself, being the child of God, to the chastisement of thy heavenly Father, …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Exhortations to Christians as they are Children of God
1 There is a bill of indictment against those who declare to the world they are not the children of God: all profane persons. These have damnation written upon their forehead. Scoffers at religion. It were blasphemy to call these the children of God. Will a true child jeer at his Father's picture? Drunkards, who drown reason and stupefy conscience. These declare their sin as Sodom. They are children indeed, but cursed children' (2 Peter 2:14). 2 Exhortation, which consists of two branches. (i) Let …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Some Other Writers of the New Testament
[Illustration: (drop cap L) Ancient engraving of man reading scroll] Let us now look at the rest of the books which make up the New Testament. In the days when Paul preached at Athens, the old capital of Greece, much of the ancient splendour and power of the Greek people had passed away, for the Romans had conquered their country, and they were no longer a free nation. Yet, although the Greeks had been forced to yield to Rome, their conquerors knew that the Grecian scholars and artists were far …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making

Its Source
Let us here review, briefly, the ground which we have already covered. We have seen, first, that "to justify" means to pronounce righteous. It is not a Divine work, but a Divine verdict, the sentence of the Supreme Court, declaring that the one justified stands perfectly conformed to all the requirements of the law. Justification assures the believer that the Judge of all the earth is for him, and not against him: that justice itself is on his side. Second, we dwelt upon the great and seemingly insoluable …
Arthur W. Pink—The Doctrine of Justification

The Scriptures
apo blefouV ta iera grammata oidaV Many Allusions to Scripture In the year 1729,' wrote John Wesley, I began not only to read but to study the Bible.' The results of that devoted study of the Word of God are to be seen in every page that he wrote. Both the brothers must have had a most profound, exact, and extensive acquaintance with the Scriptures. Indeed, it is only a close study of the Bible on our own part that can reveal to us the extent of their intimacy with it. There can hardly be a single …
Charles H. Kelly—The Hymns of Methodism in their Literary Relations

How the Gospels came to be Written
[Illustration: (drop cap B) Early Christian Lamp] But how did the story of the Saviour's life on earth come to be written? We have seen that many years passed before any one thought of writing it down at all. The men and women who had really seen Him, who had listened to His voice, looked into His face, and who knew that He had conquered death and sin for evermore, could not sit down to write, for their hearts were all on fire to speak. But as the years passed, the number of those who had seen Christ …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making

Some Gospel Truths Opened, According to the Scriptures; Or, the Divine and Human Nature of Christ Jesus;
HIS COMING INTO THE WORLD; HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, DEATH, RESURRECTION, ASCENSION, INTERCESSION, AND SECOND COMING TO JUDGMENT, PLAINLY DEMONSTRATED AND PROVED. AND ALSO, Answers to several Questions, with profitable Directions to stand fast in the Doctrine of Jesus the Son of MARY, against those blustering Storms of the Devil's Temptations, which do at this Day, like so many Scorpions, break loose from the bottomless Pit, to bite and torment those that have not tasted the Vertue of Jesus, by the Revelation …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

In the Dungeon of Giant Discourager
IN THE DUNGEON OF GIANT DISCOURAGER I feel very discouraged at times, and sometimes the spells of discouragement hang on for a long while. I wonder if I am sanctified. From unaccountable sources, bad feelings of every description depress my soul, and along with these bad feelings come doubts that cast gloom over me. I have prayed and prayed that these feelings of discouragement might leave me; but they have not done so. I despair of prayer bringing me the help I need. Really, I know not what to do. …
Robert Lee Berry—Adventures in the Land of Canaan

The Poor in Spirit are Enriched with a Kingdom
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:3 Here is high preferment for the saints. They shall be advanced to a kingdom. There are some who, aspiring after earthly greatness, talk of a temporal reign here, but then God's church on earth would not be militant but triumphant. But sure it is the saints shall reign in a glorious manner: Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.' A kingdom is held the acme and top of all worldly felicity, and this honour have all the saints'; so says our Saviour, Theirs is the …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

The Providence of God
Q-11: WHAT ARE GOD'S WORKS OF PROVIDENCE? A: God's works of providence are the acts of his most holy, wise, and powerful government of his creatures, and of their actions. Of the work of God's providence Christ says, My Father worketh hitherto and I work.' John 5:17. God has rested from the works of creation, he does not create any new species of things. He rested from all his works;' Gen 2:2; and therefore it must needs be meant of his works of providence: My Father worketh and I work.' His kingdom …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

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