I. CONTEXT

The book of 1 Peter attests internally that it was written by Peter (1:1). According to Jensen, as far as the genuineness of Peter as the author, "the epistle is one of the best attested books of the New Testament" (Irving Jensen, Jensen's Survey of the New Testament, 444). The book also attests to whom it was sent: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who reside as aliens, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, who are chosen" (1 Pet. 1:1). These Christians were most likely a mix of Gentiles and Jews with the former making up the majority (e.g. 1:14,18; 2:9,10; 4:3) [The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV (1997), 1936; Donald Guthrie, New Testament Introduction, 786). According to Jensen 1 Peter was written around 64 A.D. by Peter when he was an aged man (Ibid.). The MacArthur Study Bible dates the epistle shortly after July, a.d. 64 when the city of Rome was burned (1937). It makes good sense the use of the name Babylon in 5:13 as the place from which Peter wrote is symbolic of Rome in light of what had just happened in Rome. Nero was on a rampage against Christians as his scapegoats for the burning of the city. Guthrie seems to favor this view and says that this view is favored by the majority of scholars (Guthrie, New Testament Introduction, 794).

Nero was a psycho emperor who was totally unpredictable. Much like the leader of North Korea today, and the fire in Rome only stirred up his psycho imagination. The fire in Rome burned for 9 days and burned up most of the city, taking thousands of lives (Gayla Visalli, ed., After Jesus, The Triumph of Christianity, 68. Tacitus states that after the burning there was suspicion that Nero had been involved so he used the Christians as scapegoats. Tacitus writes that Nero "punished with every refinement the notoriously depraved Christians (as they were popularly called)" [quoted in ibid.]. Tacitus states that the Christians were convicted "not so much for incendiarism as for their antisocial tendencies" (ibid.). This may have mirrored the Greeks misanthropia ("hatred of mankind") label, which had been originally attached to the Jews (See ibid.).

The MacArthur Study Bible says, "According to tradition, Peter had to watch as his wife was crucified, but encouraged her with the words, 'Remember the Lord.' When it came time for him to be crucified, he reportedly pled that he was not worthy to be crucified like his Lord, but rather should be crucified upside down (ca. a.d. 67–68), which tradition says he was" (1937).

The purpose of the book, according to Guthrie, is living with hope: "Peter wishes to exhort these Christians to live in accordance with the hope they have received through Christ . . . [and] to endure suffering in a joyful manner for Christ's sake" (NTI., 794). Others such as our own Professor McDougall have called this "eschatological living." Hiebert points out that the book itself states its purpose: "'I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it'(5:12)" [D. Edmond Hiebert, 1 Peter, 28]. This is to be done all the more in the midst of sufferings.

Near Context

The paragraph immediately preceding Peter's "therefore" in 5:1 (4:12-19) discusses doing good in the midst of suffering because of God's sovereign hand over the refining judgment that isbeing worked out through suffering and because of the glory that will be revealed when Christ returns. In light of God being sovereign over all difficult times that His flock goes through, Peter makes a special plea to the elder shepherds to properly tend the flock of God. This is because of the difficult times in which they live and because judgment begins with the house of God (4:17). This means that the elders are accountable for tending the flock of God.

Immediate Context

Peter has just spent a paragraph instructing the elders of the churches in Asia Minor to be servant leaders to their flocks who have been troubled by religious persecution. This persecution has consisted mostly of verbal abuse, although this could change for the worse at any time with Nero as emperor over the Roman empire. Beginning at verse 5 he turns to the younger members of the church and instructs them on how they should act. Then he gives instructions for all the church members on how to treat each other and how to approach their trying times ahead.

II. SYNTHESIS

5. After instructing the elder leaders of the churches in Asia Minor, Peter instructed the younger members of the congregation to arrange themselves under these older leaders in the same way that the elder leaders submitted themselves to Christ. [He had already told them in 3:22 that all things are submitted to the power of Jesus]. Then he told all of the members in their relation to each other to do something that was frowned upon in their society as a sign of weakness, to have an attitude toward one another as that of a humble servant. Peter then explained that the reason why they should be this way was because it was a general principle that God arrays himself in battle against the high minded man who shows himself above his fellows and even above God. But just the opposite is true of the one who is humble. Peter told them that God would exalt those kind of people up.

6. Since that was the way it was Peter affirmed again that they should not waste any time about seeing to their responsibility of humbling themselves. This humbling he said was beneath the mighty hand of God [a phrase that most knew was used to describe the ways in which God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt]. The results he said would be that at an appointed time they would be exalted. 7. This was not to be a passive thing for the believers. Peter told them that the way to humble themselves before God was by heaving every single one of their distracting cares onto Him. Again Peter gave them the grounds for his command telling them to do this because God has a watchful care of interest over them.

8 Then Peter shifted gears and gave urgent orders to begin to see things differently by being circumspect and alert. Peter emphasized the urgency by shortening his explanation simply by saying that their adversary the devil (Satan himself) was continually walking about like one of the roaring lions [which they had seen in the arenas] seeking someone to devour. 9. The attacks of this one, he told them, they must withstand by being firmly united as regards the true doctrines of salvation in Christ. He then reminded them that their brothers elsewhere were going through the same kinds of trials which was accomplishing a purpose. A purpose which Peter has stated before is part of God's sovereign plan.

10. Peter went on to explain, in contrast to the Devil, that the God of all grace, the same One that called them to their eternal destiny in glory with Christ, would after their short time of suffering, perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish them.

11 Peter then assured them that this same One would have power and dominion forever and ever.

III. EXEGETICAL PROPOSITION

Peter calls the believers of Asia Minor to have a humble servant spirit amongst themselves and to be circumspect in the midst of their trials, recognizing that Satan wants them to fall, but that their almighty God will keep them and bring them to a glorious eternal destiny with Him.

IV. GRAMMATICAL INSIGHTS

5

Ὁμοίως – "likewise" – here speaking to the way in which the elders submit themselves as undershepherds to the Chief Shepherd. Likewise the rest of the congregation is to submit to the elders (McDougall, "A Commitment to Servanthood," part 3 (1 Peter 5:1-11) @ Community Bible Church, November, 24, 2002.

http://www.eternaltruthworldwide.com/sermons.cgi?page=1&ID=|0000000000&)

πρεσβυτέροις – "Unto the elder (presbuterois). Dative case. Here the antithesis between younger and elder shows that the word refers to age, not to office as in 1 Peter 5:1. See a like change in meaning in 1 Tim. 5:1, 17" (Archibald Thomas Robertson, Word Pictures, 132). Kelly makes a similar remark saying that the transition from the elders (officials) to the elders (older men) "is nothing so hard as alleged, for the leaders were naturally chosen from the older age-group of the community, and the term presbuteros had not yet acquired a fixed technical sense" (The Epistles of Peter and of Jude, 205).

πάντες - The “all of you” that follows, refers to the congregation generally; and it is likely that, like Paul, Peter should notice, previous to the general congregation, the subordinate ministers as well as the presbyters, writing as he did to the same region

(Ephesus), and to confirm the teaching of the apostle of the Gentiles (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown, "The First Epistle of Peter," Vol. 2, on Ages Master Christian Library, Version 7, p. 1313).

ἀλλήλοις – dative of relation constructed with "all of you" and the verbal phrase that follows (Kelly, 205). Hiebert comments, "The mutual character of the humility enjoined is stressed by the forward position of the reciprocal dative pronoun allelois, 'in relation to one another'" (D. Edmond Hiebert, 1 Peter, 310).

ὑποτάγητε – from ὑποτασσw – when used as a military term it meant to place or rank under . Otherwise it is to subject or put into subjection (Abbott-Smith, 463). The same word is used of the Lord being subject to His parents in Luke 2:51. In Romans 13:1 Paul used to word to speak of being subject to the higher governing powers which are all in God's control. In 1 Peter 3:22 the same word is used to speak of all things being subject to the power of Jesus.

ταπεινοφροσύνην – "lowliness of mind, humility" (Abbott-Smith, 439). According to Trench "the very word . . . is itself a fruit of the Gospel; no Greek writer employed it before the Christian aera (sic), nor, apart from the influence of Christian writers, after" (Synonyms of the New Testament, 148). The Greek saw humility as a despised thing. Trench writes further: "the use by heathen writers of [words in this family]. . . shows plainly how they would have employed tapeinofrosuvnh, had they thought good to allow it. The instances are few and exceptional in which tapeinov" signifies anything for them which is not grovelling (sic), slavish, and mean-spirited" (Ibid.). [Trench's observation mentioned by Trevor Craigen in his sermon, "How God Calls the Players"].

Spurgeon said, "The higher a man is in grace, the lower he will be in his own esteem" - Charles Hadden Spurgeon, Gleanings Among the Sheaves). "After crosses and losses men grow humbler and wiser."

— Benjamin Franklin

ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐγκομβώσασθε - "gird on humility" – According to Davids humility "is a cardinal Christian virtue (Acts 20:19; Eph. 4:2; Phil. 2:3; Col. 3:12 . . .), indicating a servant's attitude toward others. It is something the NT values highly, in contrast to either Judaism or Hellenistic culture, due to the example of Jesus. Our author reinforces this teaching here (as in 2:21; 3:18; 4:8) by adding an OT citation, Prov. 3:34, which was likely a favorite in the early church, for it also appears in Jas. 4:6 (and later in 1 Clem. 30:2 and Ignatius, Eph. 5:3)" [Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, 185]. ἐγκομβώσασθε – according to Vincent this word only occurs here in the NT and is a combination of words: "It is derived from ko>mbov, a roll, band, or girth: a knot or roll of cloth, made in tying or tucking up any part of the dress. The kindred word ejgko>mbwma, from which the verb is directly formed, means a slave’s apron, under which the loose garments were girt up. Hence the figure carries an exhortation to put on humility as a working virtue employed in ministry. This is apparent from the evident reminiscence of that scene in which Peter figured so prominently — the washing of the disciple’s feet by the Lord, when he girded himself with a towel as a servant, and gave them the lesson of ministry both by word and act (318)." Paul actually tells us to put on the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 13:14).

ὅτι – introducing Peter's "theological ground for his ethical counsel" (Kelly, 206).

ἀντιτάσσεται – "'Resisteth' . . . A strong and graphic word. Lit., setteth himself

in array against, as one draws out a host for battle. Pride calls out God’s

armies. No wonder, therefore, that it 'goeth before destruction'" (Vincent, 318).

ὑπερηφάνοις- "A picturesque image serves for its basis, being, of course, derived from u&pevr, and faivnomai, one who shows himself above his fellows . . . the seat of u&perfaniva is the mind. He that is sick of this sin, compares himself secretly with others, and lifts himself above others, in honour preferring himself . . . and this lifting up of his heart may be not merely against man, but against God; he may assail the very prerogatives of Deity itself" (Trench, Synonyms, 142 or 117). Here it stands emphatically forward in the sentence (Hiebert, 311).

ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσι χάριν - See Isaiah 57:15 for OT picture of God giving the grace of reviving those who are humble and contrite.

6

Ταπεινώθητε – "be humbled" or "humble yourselves." Selwyn sticks to the passive (Edward Gordon Selwyn, The First Epistle of Peter, 235) and Hiebert translates it in the middle sense (1 Peter, 311). The verb (a/p/imptv/2p) calls for a specific act and is emphasizing here a sense of urgency (Rogers and Rogers, 579). There are many examples in the OT of humbling oneself being a means to God's actions in their behalf (e.g., Ahab – 1Kings 21:29; Josiah – 2 Kings 22:19; Reheboam - 2 Chron. 12:7, 12; Hezekiah – 2 Chron. 32:26). In fact a lack of repentance is often referred to as not humbling oneself before the Lord (e.g., Pharoah – Ex. 10:3; Amon – 2 Chron. 33:23; Zedekiah – 2 Chron. 36:24). It is a tough call between Selwyn's view, which sees this as continuing to be humbled by those who persecute, or Hiebert's view which emphasizes more the believer's role in humbling himself. In light of the context it seems better to go with Hiebert. For the use middle use of the aorist passive in the NT Alford refers the reader to Winer, § 39. 2. (Henry Alford, Alford's Greek Testament, vol. 2, 384).

ὑπὸ τὴν κραταιὰν χεῖρα τοῦ Θεοῦ - Here Peter uses a very familiar phrase "used especially in connection with God's deliverance of Israel from slavery in Egypt" (Michaels, 295).

ἵνα ὑμᾶς ὑψώσῃ - "subjunctive with ἵνα . . . to express purpose or result. Aorist points to the event" (Rogers and Rogers, 579).

ὑψώσῃ - from u&yovw meaning "to exalt" or "lift up" (Abbott-Smith, 465).

en καιρῷ - not chronological time but a special time or event (Craigen, "How God Calls His Players"). Hiebert says this time is "general and finds partial fulfillment in this life; its true fulfillment awaits the second coming" (1 Peter, 312).

7

ἐπιρρίψαντες – Hannah "poured out her soul" in 1 Sam. 1:15. Here Peter speaks of casting or throwing out our cares. The same word is used in Luke 19:35 of throwing clothes on an animal. (cf., Psalm 55:22; Matt. 6:25-34; Phil. 4:6). "The aorist participle denoting an act once for all; throwing the whole life with its care on him" (Vincent, 318). "The verb denotes energetic action as compared with 'put, place' (cf. Lu. 19:35)" [TMS Exegetical Digest for 1 Peter for Greek II, L40]. The combination of this information might be illustrated well by a man throwing his big heavy saddle on his horse.

μέριμναν – The basic meaning of this word is "'to divide' and denotes the idea of worry, anxiety, and distraction. Here it connotes the distracting cares of this life which prevent the believer from being devoted to God" (TMS Exegetical Digest for 1 Peter, for Greek II for 1 Peter, L40).

πᾶσαν τὴν μέριμναν ὑμῶν ἐπιρρίψαντες – "All your cares" stands emphatically forward before the participle (Hiebert, 5:8). Wallace comments: "casting all your cares on him because he cares for you." This is how we learned the verse in Sunday school. . . The participle "casting" (ejpirivyantes) is sometimes translated as an imperative--e.g., as in the RSV, NRSV, NIV, etc. As good as these translations are (and they are very good), they often miss the point of the Greek for the sake of simpler English. The problem here is that the connection with the preceding verse is no longer explicit. But the participle really is dependent on the preceding verse (in particular on the imperative “humble”): 'Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time.' The specific relationship can be spelled out as follows: the way in which we humble ourselves before God is to cast our cares on him" (Daniel B. Wallace, "1 Peter 5:7 - A Brief Comment and a Special Request," at http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=1491.

Since we are commanded to humble ourselves then the instruction on how to do it is imperatival as well. Alford states that "all anxiety is a contradiction of true humility" (Alford's Greek Testament, 385).

"Technically, the participle in v 7 is a circumstantial participle, most likely of means (see Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996] 340, 629-30), subordinate to the main verb of v. 6, 'humble yourselves'"(Ibid).

πᾶσαν τὴν μέριμναν ὑμῶν – "'your total care' . . . The word 'μέριμναν' indicates worry, anxiety. It is the translation for the Hebrew bhy . . . in Psalm 54:23 (LXX) . . . The words are emphatic by their position in the clause" (Rogers and Rogers, 579). Hiebert comments on these cares: "whether due to memories of the past, pressures of the present, or fears concerning the future . . . none of those anxious distracting concerns, prompting fear and worry, is excluded from the directive" (1 Peter, 313). This is a great way to show that we are trusting in Him instead of being overly concerned with ourselves (See Hiebert's comments, Ibid.).

me>lei – He careth - "Meaning the watchful care of interest and affection" (Vincent, 318). His eyes are on the righteous and His ears open to their cries – Ps. 34:15 (cf., Ps. 40:17; Isaiah 46:4; 63:9; Matt. 6:26-33; 10:30 – hairs of our head numbered).

8.

νήψατε – "be of sober spirit" (NAS); "pay attention!" (Michaels); used metaphorically of moral alertness, "to be sober, calm, circumspect" (Abbott-Smith, 302-303) – Peter used this word two other times in this epistle (1:13; 4:7), both times referring to the coming of the Lord. (cf., 1 Thess. 5:6-8). Lenski calls this verb and the one that follows (γρηγορήσατε) "incisive aorist imperives" and puts exclamation marks after each (Interpretation of the Epistle of Peter, 225). Michaels says of the two that they "are both 'ingressive' and 'programmatic' in setting a new course of action once and for all" (J. Ramsey Michaels, 1 Peter, WBC, 297).

γρηγορήσατε – "Aorist imperative rings sharply: 'be alert!'" (Rogers and Rogers, 579). It means to "be awake" or "be watchful" (Abbott-Smith, 96). [cf. 1Thess. 5:6-8]. It is interesting that this same word was used by our Savior when he questioned Peter in the Garden of Gethsemane about his falling asleep at His hour of need: MAR 14:37 And He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch (grhgorh'sai) for one hour?

ἀντίδικος – adversary- "opponent in a lawsuit" (Kelly, 209).

ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος – There are no connectives between the preceding aorist imperatives and this clause which is a type of asyndeton which makes the appeal more forceful (Alford, 385). remember that one of the devil's strategies is to bring suffering into a believers life to the point where he denies the faith. Such was means Satan used against Job (Job 1,2). διάβολος - The word means calumniator, slanderer. It

is sometimes applied to men, as to Judas . . . In such cases never with the article. The Devil, Satan, the God of this world (oJ dia>bolov"), is always with the article and never plural" (Vincent, 24).

Kelly points out that the backdrop of this passage is the imminence of the End. He writes that "Christian apocalyptic, like Jewish, envisaged this as a period when the powers of evil would be particularly active and the elect would be exposed to extraordinary trials (e.g. Mt. xxiv. 4-28; 2 Thess. ii. 3-12; 2 Tim. iii. 1-9)" [The Epistles of Peter and of Jude, 209].

ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος – Craigen points out that the people would have known what a roaring lion looking for someone to devour was like because of the games in the arena which had hungry lions devouring believers (Trevor Craigen – "How God Calls the Players" (1 Peter 5:6-11) – TMS Chapel message given 9/21/2006).

9

ἀντίστητε – "The Rev., very judiciously, substitutes withstand; resist having been already used in ver. 5 for ajntita>ssetai. Withstand is, moreover, the more accurate rendering; as the verb means rather to be firm against onset than to strive against it. With in withstand is the Saxon wid, against, which appears in the German wider" (Vincent, 320). Michaels interprets it as "resist" but then explains it more in line with Vincent's comments stating that "to resist the devil is not to engage in hostile action against anyone, but to trust God" (1 Peter, 300).

στερεοὶ - "conveys also the sense of compactness, compact solidity, and is appropriate, since a number of individuals are addressed and exhorted to withstand the onset of Satan as one compacted body. Stereo>v" implies solidity in the very mass and body of the thing itself; steadfastness, mere holding of place. A rock is stereo>v", firm, solid; but a flexible weed with its tough root resisting all efforts to pull it up, may be steadfast. The exhortation is appropriate from Peter, the Rock" (Vincent, 320). This modifies the imperative, "withstand."

ᾧ ἀντίστητε στερεοὶ τῇ πίστει – the imperative (ἀντίστητε) being subordinate to "the devil" because of ᾧpreceding it (Robertson, Grammar, 949). "Resist him firm in the faith" – Kelly says that this faith, in spite of the article, is not "the faith" of the Christians nor just faithfulness, but is "your positive faith and trust in God" (Ibid., 210; cf. Michaels, 300). Lenski's argument seems to make better sense especially in light of the article preceding it. He translates it, "whom stand against, firm as regards the faith" (R.C. H. Lenski, Interpretation of the Epistle of St. Peter, St. John, and St. Jude, 226). He takes στερεοὶ to be a dative of relation, not locative ("in the faith"), and is translated "as regards the faith" (Ibid.). So the argument he is making is that the believer is not to deny the doctrine of Christianity for fear of a martyr's death (Ibid.). This makes the best sense especially since there was eventually a great controversy over whether or not the church should allow those who failed under persecution to hold to their testimony back into the fold. Hiebert takes a similar position saying "here the objective sense of 'the faith,' the true gospel message adhered to, is essential. Victory is not assured by the personal tenacity with which we cling to our personal beliefs" (1 Peter, 316).

εἰδότες –According to Michaels this is knowing that something is true, not "knowing how" or "being able," because the dative ἀδελφότητι would not make good sense otherwise (1 Peter, 300-301). He goes on to say that this "makes sense of 'brotherhood' either as a dative of respect ('with regard to' or 'in' your brotherhood . . .) or as the indirect object of the verb ἐπιτελεῖσθαι , 'accomplish' . . . 'laid upon' your brotherhood; the dative of agent, 'by' your brotherhood . . . is also possible" (Ibid.).

τὰ αὐτὰ τῶν παθημάτων – A partitive genitive where the part is taken for the whole (A.T. Robertson, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research, 502). The same sufferings – Robertson makes the following comment on this odd phrase: "An unusual construction with the genitive rather than the usual ta auta patheômata, perhaps as Hofmann suggests, 'the same tax of sufferings' ('the same things in sufferings'). Probably this is correct and is like Xenophon’s phrase in the Memorabilia (IV. 8. 8), ta tou geôroôs epiteleisthai (to pay the tax of old age)"[Word Pictures, 133-134].

ἐπιτελεῖσθαι- present tense, so process of being accomplished. Michaels makes a good observation stating that it is not likely "that ἐπιτελεῖσθαι implies a profound notion of a fixed amount of suffering that must 'be accomplished' (in the sense of fulfilled) before the end comes . . . 'Being accomplished' here means something more like 'happening' or 'taking place,' but Peter has chosen this verb (instead of givnesqai or sumbaivnein, as in 4:12) simply to include the notion, now well established by his argument, that the sufferings of Christian believers are not a matter of chance but a necessary part of God's purpose" (1 Peter, 302).

10

Θεὸς πάσης χάριτος – "of all grace" here is a qualitative genitive signifying that God is the source of all grace (Lenski, 227).

ὁ καλέσας ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον αὐτοῦ δόξαν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ - this clause is in apposition to "the God of all grace" and points to what "the God of all grace has already done in grace" (Ibid.). Peter is always turning the believer's hearts to the big picture and God's sovereignty. Earlier in 4:19 he made sure that they knew that their suffering was part of God's plan and there he called God the "faithful Creator" emphasizing His power. If He was powerful enough to create them and He had control of all that was taking place, then they could surely stand fast in their faith.

αὐτὸς καταρτίσει, στηρίξει, σθενώσει, θεμελιώσει – αὐτὸς here points out "God’s personal interest and energy in the work of confirming his children" (Vincent, 320). The future tenses are not wishful thinking but assuring words of God's will which He will accomplish. They are not so much focused on the chronological aspect ("shall equip") as much as the voluntative aspect ("will equip"), here being given for assurance (Lenski, 228). According to Michaels these future indicatives work together to "reiterate and reinforce the aorist subjunctive ὑψώσῃ, 'he will lift you up,' of v 6, and so complete Peter's interpretation of Proverbs 3:34 as cited in v 5" (1 Peter, 302).

καταρτίσει – "'put in order', 'make complete' : cf. 1 Cor. i. 10; 2 Cor. xiii. 11; Gal. vi. 1" (Kelly, 213). The preposition kata here is not used according to its root idea of "down" but is used in a perfective sense (Robertson, Grammar, 606).

στηρίξει – "'establish' . . . together [with καταρτίσει] they promise the firmness and courage which the harassed minority urgently needed" (Ibid.). "The word is akin at the root to stereo>"v, steadfast (ver. 9), and is the very word used by Christ in his exhortation to Peter, “strengthen thy brethren” (Luke 22:32). Possibly there is a reminiscence of this in Peter’s use of the word here" (Vincent, 320).

θεμελιώσει – "Shall settle (qemeliw>sei). . . From qeme>liov", a foundation. The radical notion of the word is, therefore, to ground securely. It occurs in Matthew 7:25, of the house founded on a rock; in Hebrews 1:10, of laying the foundations of the earth. In Ephesians 3:18, it is joined with rooted. The massings of these expressions, unconnected by conjunctions, indicates strong feeling" (Vincent, 320).

Χριστῷ - see comments in doctrines discussed about Peter's use of this title for Christ in association with suffering.

Sermons

Trevor Craigen – "How God Calls the Players" (1 Peter 5:6-11) – TMS Chapel message given 9/21/2006.

Donald McDougall, "A Commitment to Servanthood." Part 3 (1 Peter 5:1-11) @ Community Bible Church, November, 24, 2002.

http://www.eternaltruthworldwide.com/sermons.cgi?page=1&ID=|0000000000&).

V. DOCTRINES DISCUSSED

Most of the systematic theologies have little to say about 1 Peter 5:5-11, but 5:8 does often come up in discussions about demonology. Thiessen points out that since the passage says that the devil is roaming about he certainly cannot be chained as many in the covenantal camp would believe (Henry Clarence Thiessen, Lectures in Systematic Theology, 356). He also points out that this passage makes it obvious that demons cannot be in more than one place at a time since he roams about (Ibid. 135). Thiessen gives a helpful list of the various methods of the evil one:

"lying (John 8:44; 2 Cor. 11:3), tempting (Matt. 4:1), robbing (Matt. 13:19), harassing (2 Cor. 12:7), hindering (1 Thess. 2:18), sifting (Luke 22:31), imitating (Matt. 13:25; 2 Cor. 11:14f.), accusing (Rev. 12:10), smiting with disease (Luke 13:16; cf. 1 Cor. 5:5), possessing (John 13:27), and killing and devouring (John 8:44; 1 Pet. 5:8)" [Ibid., 147].

Although the devil has all of these skills he still may be resisted in faith (1 Pet. 5:9). Strong states "the power of evil spirits over men is not independent of the human will. This power cannot be exercised without at least the original consent of the human will, and may be resisted and shaken off through prayer and faith in God" (Systematic Theology: A Compendium and Commonplace Book Designed for the Use of Theological Students, 457-58). After citing 1 Peter 5:8 Strong writes, "The coals are already in the human heart, in the shape of corrupt inclinations; Satan only blows them into flame" (Ibid., 458).

Another interesting note which is made by Enns is that when Peter uses the title "Christ" it is always closely related to suffering. He writes, "Peter preferred the designation Christ in his epistles, most often using the title Messiah to describe His sufferings. Peter writes that Christ shed His precious blood (1 Pet. 1:19), suffered as a substitute (1 Pet. 2:21), suffered in the flesh (1 Pet. 4:1), suffered in front of witnesses (1 Pet. 5:1), and died for sin once (emphatic) for all (1 Pet. 3:18). In the light of this, Peter encourages the believers to set apart Christ as Lord in their hearts (1 Pet. 3:15), to keep a good conscience amid sufferings for Christ (1 Pet. 4:13-14), because in the end God will call them to eternal glory through their union with Christ (1 Pet. 5:10)" [Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, 127.

5 Ὁμοίως νεώτεροι ὑποτάγητε πρεσβυτέροις, πάντες δὲ ἀλλήλοις

Likewise you younger men be subject to the elders; and all to one another,

τὴν ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐγκομβώσασθε· ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ὑπερηφάνοις ἀντιτάσσεται,

tie on the apron of humility, for God arrays Himself in opposition to the proud,

ταπεινοῖς δὲ δίδωσι χάριν.

but gives grace to the humble.

6 Ταπεινώθητε οὖν ὑπὸ τὴν κραταιὰν χεῖρα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἵνα ὑμᾶς ὑψώσῃ ἐν καιρῷ.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time,

7 πᾶσαν τὴν μέριμναν ὑμῶν ἐπιρρίψαντες ἐπ' αὐτόν, ὅτι αὐτῷ μέλει περὶ ὑμῶν,

casting all your cares on Him, because he cares for you

8 νήψατε, γρηγορήσατε· ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος

Be sober, be watchful, your adversary the Devil walks about as a roaring lion

περιπατεῖ ζητῶν τίνα καταπίei'n·

seeking whom he can devour.

9 ᾧ ἀντίστητε στερεοὶ τῇ πίστει, εἰδότες τὰ αὐτὰ τῶν παθημάτων τῇ ἐν κόσμῳ

Resist him firm in the faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering in the world

ὑμῶν ἀδελφότητι ἐπιτελεῖσθαι.

are being accomplished by your brethren

10 Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς πάσης χάριτος, ὁ καλέσας ὑμᾶς εἰς τὴν αἰώνιον αὐτοῦ δόξαν ἐν

But the God of all grace, who called us unto the ages of His glory in

Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ ὀλίγον παθόντας, αὐτὸς καταρτίσει, στηρίξει, σθενώσει,

Christ Jesus, after having suffered a little while, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen,

θεμελιώσει·

and establish you.

11 αὐτῷ τὸ κράτος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων· ἀμήν.

To Him be the might forever and ever, amen.

5:1-4 (Instructions to the elders)

Likewise

you younger men

be subject to the elders;

all to one another,

tie on the apron of humility,

for God

arrays Himself in opposition to the proud,

but

gives grace to the humble.

Therefore

humble yourselves

under the mighty hand of God

so that He may exalt you in due time,

casting all your cares on Him,

because he cares for you.

Be sober,

be watchful,

your adversary the Devil

walks about as a roaring lion

seeking whom he can devour.

Resist him firm in the faith,

knowing that the same experiences

of suffering in the world

are being accomplished

by your brethren.

But the God of all grace,

who called us

unto His eternal glory

in Christ Jesus,

will Himself

perfect,

confirm,

strengthen,

and establish you

after having suffered a little while,.

To Him be the might forever and ever, amen.

Bibliography

Abbott-Smith, George. 1937. A manual Greek lexicon of the New Testament. 3d ed. ed. Edinburgh : T. & T. Clark.

Alford, Henry. The Greek Testament. Rev. by Everett F. Harrison. Vol. 2 of 2. Chicago:

Moody Press, 1958.

Earle, Ralph. Word Meanings in the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House,

1986.

Enns, Paul. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Chicago: Moody Press, 1989.

Guthrie, Donald. New Testament Introduction. Downers Grove, Ill.: Inter-Varsity Press,

1990.

Hiebert, D. Edmond. 1 Peter. Chicago, Ill. : Moody Press, 1992.

Jensen, Irving Lester. Jensen's Survey of the New Testament. Chicago: Moody Press,

1981.

Kelly, J.N.D. A Commentary on the Epistles of Peter and of Jude. Grand Rapids, Mich. :

Baker Book House, 1986, c1969.

Lenski, R. C. H. Interpretation of the Epistle of St. Peter, St. John and St. Jude.

Columbus, Ohio: Wartburg Press, 1956, c1945,

MacArthur, John, ed. The MacArthur Study Bible. Nashville: Word Publishing, 1997.

Michaels, J. Ramsay 1 Peter. Word Biblical Commentary. Waco Texas: Word Books,

1988.

Robertson, Archibald Thomas. Word Pictures in the New Testament.Vol. VI. Nashville:

Broadman Press, 1933.

------------. A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research.

London: Hodder and Stoughten, 1919, c1914.

Rogers, Cleon L. Jr., and Cleon L. Rogers III. The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to

the Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998.

Strong, Augustus Hopkins. Systematic Theology: A Compendium and Commonplace

Book Designed for the Use of Theological Students. Philadelphia: Griffith and

Rowland Press, 1912.

Thiessen, Henry Clarence. Lectures in Systematic Theology. Edited and revised by

Vernon D. Doerkson, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979.

Trench, Richard Chenevix. Synonyms of the New Testament. Reprint, Wm. B. Eerdmans

Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, 1963.

Vincent, M. R. Vincent. Word Studies in the New Testament. MacLean, Va.: MacDonald

Pub. Co. [1973?].

Visalli, Gayla, ed. After Jesus *: the triumph of Christianity. Primary Material:

Plesantville, N.Y. : Reader’s Digest Association, c1992.

Wallace, Daniel B. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New

Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996.

Sermons

McDougall, Donald. "A Commitment to Servanthood." Part 3 (1 Peter 5:1-11) @ Community Bible Church, November, 24, 2002.

http://www.eternaltruthworldwide.com/sermons.cgi?page=1&ID=|0000000000&).

Craigen, Trevor. "How God Calls the Players" (1 Peter 5:6-11). TMS Chapel message given 9/21/2006.

1 Pet 5f

I. CONTEXT

Immediate Context

III. EXEGETICAL PROPOSITION

Sermons

V. DOCTRINES DISCUSSED

Sermons