1 Peter 5:2

5:1-4 The apostle Peter does not command, but exhorts. He does not claim power to rule over all pastors and churches. It was the peculiar honour of Peter and a few more, to be witnesses of Christ's sufferings; but it is the privilege of all true Christians to partake of the glory that shall be revealed. These poor, dispersed, suffering Christians, were the flock of God, redeemed to God by the great Shepherd, living in holy love and communion, according to the will of God. They are also dignified with the title of God's heritage or clergy; his peculiar lot, chosen for his own people, to enjoy his special favour, and to do him special service. Christ is the chief Shepherd of the whole flock and heritage of God. And all faithful ministers will receive a crown of unfading glory, infinitely better and more honourable than all the authority, wealth, and pleasure of the world.

{3} {a} Feed the {4} flock of God which is {5} among you, {6} taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; (3) The first rule: he that is a shepherd let him feed the flock. (a) (4) The second: Let not shepherd consider, that the flock is not his, but Gods. (5) The third: Let not shepherds invade other men's flocks, but let them feed that which God hath committed unto them. (6) Let the shepherds govern the Church with the word and example of godly and unblamable life, not by force but willingly, not for greedy gain, but with a ready mind, not as lords over God's portion and heritage, but as his ministers.

1 Peter 5:2 . Feed the flock of God — Both by doctrine and discipline; which is among you — Namely, the churches of Christ, which you are called to preside over; taking the oversight thereof — Greek, επισκοπουντες , discharging the episcopal office. By this it appears that those who are styled bishops, from their having the oversight of others, and also presbyters, or elders, are spoken of as the same persons. Not by constraint — Unwillingly, as if it were a burden; but willingly — “In the first age, when the profession of the gospel exposed men to persecution, and when the persecutions fell more especially on the bishops, it may easily be imagined that some who were appointed to that office would undertake it unwillingly; not only because they were not disposed to do the duties thereof diligently, but because they were not willing to suffer.” Not for filthy lucre — Which, if it be the motive of acting, is filthy beyond expression. The apostle means also, not for a maintenance; for the sake of which merely, or chiefly, no one should undertake the pastoral office. They that preach the gospel may live by the gospel, but no one ought to engage in such a work merely that he may live by it. “O consider this, ye that leave one flock and go to another, merely ‘because there is more gain, a larger salary!’ Is it not astonishing that men ‘can see no harm in this?’ That it is not only practised, but avowed, all over the nation?” — Wesley.

But of a ready mind — With a sincere desire to glorify God, and to save the souls of men. In the Syriac version, the word προθυμως , here used, is translated toto corde, with the whole heart. Dr. Benson’s observation on this verse is, “How severely are they here condemned, who feed themselves and not the flock; who take the patrimony of the church, and commit the care of souls to others, to whom they allow a very small share of that plenty which they have for doing little.”

Feed (ποιμάνατε) Better, Rev., tend, since the verb denotes all that is included in the office of a shepherd - guiding, guarding, folding, no less than feeding, which latter is expressed by βόσκω. There is, doubtless, a reminiscence in the word of Christ's charge to Peter (John 21:15-17). Both words are used there: "Feed (Βόσκε) my lambs" (John 21:15); "tend (ποίμαινε) my sheep" (John 21:16); "feed (βόσκε) my sheep" (John 21:17). The A. V. obliterates the distinction by rendering all three feed. Bengel rightly remarks, "Feeding is part of tending." See on Matthew 2:6. Taking the oversight The best texts omit. Rev. retains. By constraint (ἀναγκαστῶς) Only here in New Testament. Willingly (ἑκουσίως) Only here and Hebrews 10:26. For filthy lucre (αἰσχροκερδῶς) From αἰσχρός, disgraceful, and κέρδος, gain. Only here in New Testament. The word filthy is intended to convey the idea which lies in αἰσχρός, base or dishonorable; becoming such if it is made the motive of the minister's service. Compare 2 Corinthians 12:14. Willingly (προδύμως) Not strong enough. The word is compounded of πρό, forward, and θυμός, heart or spirit. Hence Rev., with a ready mind; a forward spirit; denoting not mere willingness, but zeal. Only here in New Testament. Compare the kindred adjective πρόθυμος, ready (Romans 1:15; Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38), and the kindred noun προθυμία, readiness (2 Corinthians 8:11, 2 Corinthians 8:12, 2 Corinthians 8:19; 2 Corinthians 9:2).

1 Peter 5:2 . Ποιμάνατε , feed ) by discipline and doctrine.— τὸ ἐν ὑμῖν ) entrusted to you for your part .— μὴ ἀναγκαστῶς , not by constraint ) Necessity is laid upon them, 1 Corinthians 9:16 , but willingness prevents it from being felt. This is efficacious both in undertaking and in discharging the office. Those pastors are not undeserving of censure, who, if it were in their power, would prefer to be anything else.—[ ἀλλʼ — ἀλλὰ , but — but ) The motive and scope ought to be free from fault.—V. g.]— μηδὲ αἰσχροκερδῶς , nor for the sake of dishonourable gain ) The receiving of pay is not forbidden, 1 Corinthians 9:14 ; but there ought to be the absence of all that is dishonourable, and the presence of a noble promptness.— προθύμως , willingly ) So that the enjoyment consists in feeding the flock, and not in the pay.

Feed; teach and rule, Matthew 2:6 John 21:15-17 Acts 20:28 . The flock of God; the church. Which is among you; which is with you, or committed to your charge; intimating that the flock not being their own, they were to give an account of it to him that had set them over it. Taking the oversight thereof; or, being bishops, or acting as bishops over it, i.e. superintending, inspecting, and watching over it with all care, Acts 20:28,29 . Not by constraint; not merely because ye must: what men do out of compulsion, they do more slightly and perfunctorily, as those that would not do it if they could help it: see the like expression, 2 Corinthians 9:7 . But willingly; cheerfully and freely, as Exodus 36:2 Psalm 54:6 : compare 1 Corinthians 9:17 . Not for filthy lucre; not out of covetousness, or a design of making a gain of the work; it being a shameful thing for a shepherd to feed the sheep out of love to the fleece: see Titus 1:7 1 Timothy 3:3,8 . But of a ready mind; out of a good affection to the welfare of the flock, in opposition to the private gain before mentioned. He doth not do his work freely, and of a ready mind, who is either driven to it by necessity, or drawn by covetousness.

1 Peter 5:2 . The command laid upon St. Peter, shepherd my sheep ( John 21:19 ) became the charge delivered to succeeding elders ( v. Acts 20:28 ) and a familiar description of the Christian pastor ( e.g. , 1 Corinthians 9:7 ) who must copy the good Shepherd who obeyed where His predecessors fell short (Ezekiel 34).— τὸ ἐν ὑμῖν ποίνιον τοῦ θεοῦ . Christendom is God’s flock among you—not yours but God’s.— ἀναγκαστῶς . As a matter of constraint contrasted with ἑκουσίως , willingly —not as pressed men but as volunteers. In times of persecution lukewarm elders might well regret their prominence; hence the need for the aphorism if any aspire to oversight he desireth a noble work ( 1 Timothy 3:1 ). So of gifts of money St. Paul requires that they be μὴ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ( 2 Corinthians 9:7 ). It is possible that St. Paul’s words, ἀνάγκη μοι ἐπικεῖται ( 1 Corinthians 9:16 ) had been wrested.— αἰσχροκερδῶς . If the work be voluntarily undertaken, the worker has a reward according to St. Paul ( 1 Corinthians 9:16 f.). Base gainers are those who wish to make gain whence they ought not (Aristotle, Nic. Eth. , ver 1, 43).— προθύμως . The adverb occurs in 2 Chronicles 29:34 , LXX, where the Levites eagerly purified themselves; Heb. the Levites upright of heart to … The verb προθυμεῖν is used in Chron. to render נדב offer freewill offerings . 1 Peter 5:3 .

Application of the saying, the reputed rulers of the nations lord it ( κατακυριεύουσιν ) over them … not so among you; but whosoever would be great among you he shall be your servant … for the Son of Man came … to serve ( Mark 10:42 f.).— τῶν κλήρων , the lots, i.e. , the portions of the new Israel who fall to your care as Israel fell to that of Jehovah ( Deuteronomy 9:29 , οὗτοι λαός σου καὶ κλῆρός σου ). The meaning is determined by the corresponding τοῦ ποιμνίου . and supported by the use of προσεκληρώθησαν were made an additional portion in Acts 17:4 . So it is said of God’s servant that He κληρονομήσει πολλούς . ( Isaiah 13:12 ). The Vulgate has dominantes in cleris , and Oecumenius following the usage of his time explains the phrase likewise as equivalent to τὸ ἱερὸν σύστημα , i.e. , the inferior clergy.— τύποι γεινόμενοι , i.e. , as servants according to Mark l.c.; cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:7 ; 1 Timothy 4:12 .

2. Feed—Greek, "Tend as a shepherd," by discipline and doctrine. Lead, feed, heed: by prayer, exhortation, government, and example. The dignity is marked by the term "elder"; the duties of the office, to tend or oversee, by "bishop." Peter has in mind Christ's injunction to him, "Feed (tend) My sheep … Feed (pasture) My lambs" (Joh 21:16). He invites the elders to share with him the same duty (compare Ac 20:28). The flock is Christ's. which is among you—While having a concern for all the Church, your special duty is to feed that portion of it "which is among you." oversight—Greek, "bishopric," or duty of bishops, that is, overseer. not by constraint—Necessity is laid upon them, but willingness prevents it being felt, both in undertaking and in fulfilling the duty [Bengel]. "He is a true presbyter and minister of the counsel of God who doeth and teacheth the things of the Lord, being not accounted righteous merely because he is a presbyter, but because righteous, chosen into the presbytery" [Clement of Alexandria]. willingly—One oldest manuscript, Vulgate, Syriac, and Coptic, add, "as God would have it to be done" (Ro 8:27). not for filthy lucre—(Isa 56:11; Tit 1:7). of a ready mind—promptly and heartily, without selfish motive of gain-seeking, as the Israelites gave their services willing-heartedly to the sanctuary.

2 . feed the flock of God ] The word for “feed,” here as elsewhere, implies the whole work of the shepherd—guiding, directing, protecting, as well as supplying food (comp. Luke 17:7 ; John 21:16 ; Acts 20:28 ; 1 Corinthians 9:7 ). The shepherd’s work had been from a very early period a parable of that of rulers and of teachers. Kings were to Homer the “shepherds of the people” ( ποίμενες λαῶν ). David was taken from the sheepfold to feed Israel as the flock of Jehovah ( Psalm 78:70-71 ). The sin of the kings and rulers of Judah had been that they did not feed the flock, but scattered and destroyed it ( Jeremiah 23:1-4 ; Ezekiel 34:2-31 ). In St Peter’s use of the word we note a reproduction of the words that had fallen on his ears with a three-fold, yet varied, iteration, “Feed my sheep” ( John 21:16 ). The comprehensiveness of the word must not be lost sight of. It includes more than preaching or teaching, and takes in the varied duties of what we rightly call the pastoral office. In the words “the flock of God” men are tacitly reminded who is the Chief Shepherd whom they serve, and to whom they will have to render an account (comp. Acts 20:28 ). It may be noted as a characteristic difference that in the Old Testament the shepherds of the people are always the civil rulers of the nation (e.g.

Psalm 78:71 ; Ezekiel 34:2 ), while in the New that thought falls into the background, and the shepherd of the flock is its spiritual guide and teacher. taking the oversight thereof ] The first three words are the English equivalent of the Greek participle of the verb formed from Episcopos , the “bishop,” or “overseer” of the Church. In its being thus used to describe the office of the elders of the Church we have a close parallel to St Paul’s addressing the “elders” of the Church as being also “overseers” ( Acts 20:28 ). The two terms were in fact interchangeable, and what is now the higher office of the Bishop in relation to the Presbyters was discharged by the Apostle or his personal representative. not by constraint, but willingly ] The words that follow indicate the three great conditions of true pastoral work. (1) It must not be entered on reluctantly and as under pressure. In one sense indeed the truest and best work may be done by one who feels, as St Paul felt, that a “necessity is laid” upon him ( 1 Corinthians 9:16 ), but there the necessity was that of a motive essentially spiritual. What St Peter deprecates is the drawing back from the labour and responsibility of the care of souls. The Nolo episcopari , which has been so often the formula of the pride or the sloth that apes humility, would have been in his eyes the sign of cowardice and weakness. Here, as in other things, the true temper is that of cheerful and willing service.