The (1) elders which are among you (2) 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: (1) He describes peculiarly the office of the Elders, that is to say, of them that have the care of the Church. (2) He uses a pr... [ Continue Reading ]
(3) (a) Feed the (4) flock of God which is (5) among you, (6) taking the oversight [thereof], not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; (3) The first rule: he that is a shepherd let him feed the flock. (a) (4) The second: Let not shepherd consider, that the floc... [ Continue Reading ]
Neither as being lords over [God's] (b) heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. (b) Which is the Christian people.... [ Continue Reading ]
(7) And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. (7) That the shepherds' minds are not overcome either with the wickedness of men, or their cruelty, he warns them to continually look at the chief shepherd, and the crown which is laid up for them... [ Continue Reading ]
(8) Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: (9) for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. (8) He commends many peculiar Christian virtues, and especially modesty: an admonition all of us ne... [ Continue Reading ]
Humble yourselves therefore (10) under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (10) Because those proud and lofty spirits threaten the modest and humble, the apostle warns us to set the power of God against the vanity of proud men, and to rely completely on his providence.... [ Continue Reading ]
(11) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: (11) The cruelty of Satan, who seeks by all means to devour us, is overcome by watchfulness and faith.... [ Continue Reading ]
Whom resist stedfast in the faith, (12) knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your (c) brethren that are in the world. (12) The persecutions which Satan stirs up, are neither new nor proper to any one man, but from old and ancient times common to the whole Church, and therefore we m... [ Continue Reading ]
(13) But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle [you]. (13) He seals up as with a seal the former exhortation with a solemn prayer, again willing them to ask increase of str... [ Continue Reading ]
(14) By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. (14) Continuance and perseverance in the doctrine of the apostles is the only ground and foundation of Christian strength: Now the sum... [ Continue Reading ]
(15) The [church that is] at (d) Babylon, elected together with [you], saluteth you; and [so doth] Marcus my son. (15) Familiar salutations. (d) In that famous city of Assyria, where Peter the apostle of circumcision then was.... [ Continue Reading ]