1 Peter 5:8

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Peter has in mind Christ's warning to watch against Satan, from forgetting which he fell (Luke 22:31). BE SOBER. "Care" will intoxicate the soul; therefore be sober - i:e., self-restrained. Yet, lest this freedom from care should lead to false security, BE VIGILANT - against "your adversary." Let this be your "care." God provides, therefore be not anxious. The devil seeks, therefore watch (Bengel). BECAUSE. So C, Vulgate; omitted in 'Aleph (') A B, Vulgate. The broken sentences are fervid and forcible. ADVERSARY, [ antidikos (G476)] - opponent in a court of justice ...

8_Be sober _This explanation extends wider, that as we have war with a most fierce and most powerful enemy, we are to be strenuous in resisting him. But he uses a twofold metaphor, that they were to be sober, and that they were to exercise watchfulness. Surfeiting produces sloth and sleep; even so they who indulge in earthly cares and pleasures, think of nothing else, being under the power of spiritual lethargy. We now perceive what the meaning of the Apostle is. We must, he says, carry on a warfare in this world; and he reminds us that we have to do with no common enemy, but one who, like a lion, runs here and there, ready to devour. He hence concludes that we ought carefully to watch. Paul stimulates us with the same argument in Ephesians 6:10, where he says that we have _a contest not with flesh and blood, but with spiritual wickedness, etc. _But we too often turn peace

5-9 Humility preserves peace and order in all Christian churches and societies; pride disturbs them. Where God gives grace to be humble, he will give wisdom, faith, and holiness. To be humble, and subject to our reconciled God, will bring greater comfort to the soul than the gratification of pride and ambition. But it is to be in due time; not in thy fancied time, but God's own wisely appointed time. Does he wait, and wilt not thou? What difficulties will not the firm belief of his wisdom, power, and goodness get over! Then be humble under his hand. Cast "all you care;" personal cares, family cares, cares for the present, and cares for the future, for yourselves, for others, for the church, on God. These are burdensome, and often very sinful, when they arise from unbelief and distrust, when they torture and distract the mind, unfit us for duties, and hinder our delight in the service of...

Verse 8. _BE SOBER_] Avoid _drunkenness_ of your _senses_, and _drunkenness_ in your _souls_; be not _overcharged_ with the concerns of the world. _BE VIGILANT_] Awake, and keep awake; be always _watchful_; never be off your guard; your enemies are alert, they are never off theirs. _YOUR ADVERSARY THE DEVIL _] This is the reason why ye should be sober and vigilant; ye have an ever active, implacable, subtle enemy to contend with. He _walketh about_-he has access to you everywhere; he knows your feelings and your propensities, and informs himself of all your circumstances; only God can know more and do more than he, therefore your care must be cast upon God. _AS A ROARING LION_] Satan tempts under _three_ forms: 1. The _subtle serpent_; to beguile our senses, pervert our judgment, and enchant our imagination. 2. As an angel of ligh

BE SOBER - While you cast your cares Upon God, and have no anxiety on that score, let your solicitude be directed to another point. Do not doubt that he is able and willing to support and befriend you, but be watchful against your foes. See the word used here fully explained in the notes at 1 Thessalonians 5:6. BE VIGILANT - This word (γρηγορέω grēgoreō) is everywhere else in the New Testament rendered “watch.” See Matthew 24:42; Matthew 25:13; Matthew 26:38,...

EXPOSITIONS 1 PETER 5:1 THE ELDERS WHICH ARE AMONG YOU I EXHORT. The Vatican and Alexandrine Manuscripts omit the article, and insert "therefore" (the Sinaitic gives both), reading, "Elders, therefore, among you I exhort." The solemn thoughts of the last chapter, the coming judgment, the approach of persecution, the necessity of perseverance in well-doing, suggest the exhortation; hence the "therefore." The context shows that the apostle is using the word "elder" (πρεσβύτερος,_ _presbyter) in its official sense, though its original meaning was also in his thoughts, as appears by 1 Peter 5:5. We first meet with the word in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:16,...

BE SOBER, BE VIGILANT,.... The apostle had exhorted to each of these before; see 1 Peter 1:13 but thought fit to repeat them; sobriety and watchfulness being exceeding necessary and useful in the Christian life; and the one cannot well be without the other: unless a man is sober in body and mind, he will not be watchful, either over himself or others, or against the snares of sin, Satan, and the world; and if he is not on his watch and guard, he is liable to every sin and temptation. The Syriac version renders the words, "watch", and "be ye mindful", or "remember"; watch with diligence, care, and industry, keeping a good lookout, minding and observing everything that presents, and remembering the power and cunning of the enemy; and the Ethiopic version renders them thus, "be ye prudent, and cause your heart to understand"; referring them not to temperance of body, but sobriety of mind, a...

1 Peter 5:1. _The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:_ Here again, as in the first chapter, Peter links the sufferings of Christ with his glory. 1 Peter 5:2. Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility; for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

1 PETER 5:8 @tina# katapiei/n {C} After zhtw/n there are three main variant readings: (_a_) tina katapiei/n “[seeking] someone to devour”; (_b_) ti,na katapi,h| “[seeking] whom he may devour”; and (_c_) katapiei/n “[seeking] to devour.” (The reading ti,na katapi,ei is a transcriptional error either for the infinitive, written katapiei=, or, by itacism, for the subjunctive.) On the one hand, it can be argued that (_c_), which is supported by B Y Origenlat, is the original reading, and that the others are scribal attempts to alleviate the difficulty of the absolute use of katapi...

V. EXHORTATIONS CONCERNING SERVICE AND CONFLICT CHAPTER 5 _ 1. As to Christian service (1 Peter 5:1)_ 2. Conflict and victory (1 Peter 5:8) 3. The conclusion (1 Peter 5:12) 1 Peter 5:1 Peter now speaks in great tenderness exhorting to service. The exhortation is addressed to the elders and he speaks of himself as a “fellow-elder.” Does he mean by this an official title or does he mean simply his age and experience? He is not writing in any official capacity, but the word elder has the meaning of old in years. He assumes no ecclesiastical authority to dictate, but speaks out of a ripe experience and a