Welcome to the final part of our series, "Blessed Assurance."
Here is today's text:

(1 Peter 5) And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: ²Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. ³Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. ⁴And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honor.⁵In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for

“God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.”

⁶So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. ⁷Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.

⁸Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

¹⁰In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. ¹¹All power to him forever! Amen.

¹²I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.
¹³Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. ¹⁴Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.

We can stand strong because we have a blessed assurance that nothing on Earth can touch.

Overall Commentary: 🌎

Peter finishes this letter with a plan for the future. The powerful ending shows his endless hope in God’s ability to not only give us the strength to endure, but the strength to move forward.

Commentary.

Verse 1-4. Leaders- Do All Things for Your leader.

Verse 1- “elders”- This is similar to how local Jewish synagogues were structured. Elders were older members of the congregation who had been entrusted with leadership. This does not mean all older members were leaders. However, generally, leaders were not young.

Verse 1- It’s powerful to see that Peter does not see himself as above all other leaders. He calls himself a fellow elder.

Verse 1-3- Peter is reminding leaders of general leadership principles that is now called “servant leadership.” Leadership is another way to serve others.

Verse 44- The ultimate thought is that Jesus is the leader of the church. We all serve under His direction. Faithful leaders will be honored by the true leader.

Verse 5-7. Best Love Language- Humility.

Verse 5- Peter reminds us all that a great way to honor God is to honor the leaders He has placed over us. When reading this in the context of the overall letter, we must remember this is not Peter saying that we are to do all that leaders say. We submit to them as they submit to God. He quotes from Proverbs to illustrate that humility is a form of wisdom.

Verse 6-7- It is powerful to realize that God sees when we place ourselves in a position of serving others. We know He sees and He rewards. Therefore, we do not seek earthly rewards from fellow believers. It is great when we receive this, but it is not required. God rewards and lifts hearts.

Verse 7- “Give all your worries”- This can literally mean to cast, the way a fisherman would cast a net into the water. Peter encourages people to continually place burdens on the Lord, over and over again.

Verse 8-11. Stand Strong.

Verse 8- “Stay alert“- Peter reminds the readers that, even though God is in control, we are not absolved of personal responsibility. We are to stand against the enemy, because an enemy is trying to destroy God’s people.

Verse 8- “Roaring Lion”- This mental image is intended to paint the picture that the devil is real and powerful. Therefore, while we do not fear the enemy, it is essential to respect their power and understand their objectives.

Verse 8- “devour”- This means to swallow whole completely.

Verse 9-10- The job of the Christian is not to fight back. It is to stand firm. The Christian does not have to fight back because we have already won. Our job is not to give any ground to the enemy. There is an old song that says, “I went to the enemy’s camp and I took back what He stole from me.” This is a great song, but believers should think more in terms of standing in what Christ has already won for us.

Verse 11- Peter uses various words to describe what it is like when God restores His people. They become whole, established, and strong.

Verse 12-14. Keep Moving Forward.

Verse 12- “Silas”- Also called Silvanius. He was a friend and ministry partner for Peter and Paul. It is likely that Silas helped Peter write this letter (it was dictated to him) and took the letter to the churches.

Verse 12- Peter restates that the purpose of the letter was to be an encouragement and to assure them.

Verse 13- “Babylon”- most jewish people of the time considered Rome to a form of Babylon from Daniel’s prophecies. Therefore, most scholars believe that Peter is using Babylon as a synonym for Rome. It is also essential to note that an early church father, named Polycarp, stated that Peter was in Rome when writing this letter.

Verse 13- ”Mark”- Widely believed that Mark was an interpreter and a great helper of Peter while in Rome. The Gospel of Mark likely came from the stories and sermons Peter gave while ministering in Rome.

God's Promise:

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬