1 Peter 5 – The Listening Plan

Devotional

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 more than any other passage, 1 Peter 5:1-4 perfectly describes the shepherding work of the ministry of Christ. Peter, though he was no doubt well respected and honored by the early church, saw himself as a fellow elder in the church. And as an elder, he exhorts others, that also occupy the role, to shepherd God’s people in a way that glorifies the Chief Shepherd, and anticipates His reward in the future.