Exhortation

Peter closes his first letter with exhortations to two generations within his churches.  He exhorts the elders who lead the church to shepherd the flock not as lords but as examples, following the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ.  To the younger people, he says “submit yourselves to your elders.”

For Peter and for all the apostles, there is an order to the church.  As the family, so the church: There are leaders and there are followers.

But then Peter seems to change course and undermine the hierarchy: “all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility.”  “ All be submissive”? What has happened to the distinction of leaders and followers?  Is Peter an egalitarian after all?

The answer to that last question is No, but it is important to hold together both sides of what Peter says.  Peter assumes there are leaders, but he teaches that humble service is the form of leadership, for elders in the church as for Christ.  Elders follow Christ by leading humbly, and younger people follow Christ by submitting humbly.

It’s essential for us to keep both sides of Peter’s double exhortation in mind.  To the elders, Peter says that we are not to be lords seeking our own way, but shepherds seeking the best for the sheep.  To the younger people, he says submit to your elders.  To all, he says, be submissive to one another, put on the garb of a slave and serve one another.