Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 14 - Insights on leadership from Peter; 1Pe 5:1-7

Joshua and Judges: The doctrine of leadership part 14 - Insights on leadership from Peter; 1PE 5:1-7.

6. Insights on leadership from Peter, 1PE 5:1-7.

 

1PE 4:11 Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were, the utterances of God; whoever serves, let him do so as by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

While you are pursuing these things just mentioned, don't be surprised at the opposition and the trials that are bent on hindering you.

 

1PE 4:12 Beloved [divinely loved ones], do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;

 

fiery ordeal - the smelting furnace in which gold is purified. Christian suffering purifies and concentrates the divine gifts within.

 

God allows these things in order to purify our gifts in our own perspective. It's not that the gifts can be made better, but that our understanding of them and our willingness to use them can. In any situation we always have the choice of relying on the grace of God, His word and His Spirit, or to function in the flesh. The trials enable us to see the purity and power of the things that God has given us and at the same time to see the weakness and pain of sin and human energies or solutions. In the smelting furnace one is forced by heat and pressure to do something, whether good or evil.

 

"happening to you" - a word that means "to go together," or "to come together." This verb shows us that nothing  just happens in the life of a Christian. All is orchestrated by God's directive, permissive, and overruling will.

 

1PE 4:13 but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing; so that also at the revelation of His glory, you may rejoice with exultation.

 

So instead of thinking it alien to them they should actually rejoice. There is no reason to rejoice in suffering that is brought on us by our own bad decisions, but when we suffer Christ's sufferings there is great reason to rejoice.

 

COL 1:24

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (which is the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

 

JOH 7:7

"The world cannot hate you [Christ's brothers who did not believe in Him]; but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil."

 

JOH 15:19-20

"If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

 

If the church were to never suffer Christ's afflictions that would mean it functioned, operated, and witnessed all things worldly. That would mean it is just as the world is and in full agreement with it. The same would be true of the believer.

 

1PE 4:14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ [and you are], you are blessed [it is an indication of your spiritual life - you are manifesting Christ], because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

 

The last phrase of this verse is misleading. The word for rest in the Greek means to give rest or refreshment. It does not mean to place one thing upon another as the English may imply.

 

"rests" = to give rest ["come to Me…and I will give you rest]. The HS gives rest upon the spiritual believer who is in the midst of being reviled for Christ's name.

 

The word is a technical agricultural term for when a farmer plants a light crop on his land. He relieved the land of the necessity of producing heavy crops, and thus gave it an opportunity to recuperate its strength. The word is used in MAT 11:28 where our Lord says, "Come to me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest," literally, "and I will rest you." Here our Lord causes the sinner who comes to Him to cease from his own efforts at carrying his load of guilt and suffering. In the midst of persecution for the sake of Christ, the Holy Spirit will place rest upon the believer who does not grieve or quench Him.

 

1PE 4:15 By no means let any of you suffer [context: reproach from others] as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;

 

"troublesome meddler" - avllotrioepi,skopoj[allotrioepiskopos] = a self-appointed overseer in other men's matters.

 

It is a compound word made up of allotrios (belonging to another person) and episkopos (overseer). It is a busybody or a meddler in other people's affairs, but with episkopos we get the nuance of a self-appointed authority in the matters of other people's lives. Not even the true episkopos is to meddle in another person's personal affairs.

 

1PE 4:16 but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not feel ashamed, but in that name let him glorify God.

 

The words, "but if any man suffer as a Christian" should be understood in their historical background. The Cult of the Caesar was the state religion of the Roman empire, in which the emperor was worshipped as a god. This served two purposes. The subjects of Rome gave obedience to the laws of the empire, not only as a political, but as a religious duty. It also constituted the unifying factor which bound the many different peoples of the empire into one, and made the military task of holding together its far-flung domain an easier one. The Greek word for Caesar is Kaisar. Those who worshipped the Kaisar were called Kaisarianos. Christianity appeared as a rival claimant to world worship and dominion. The Lord Jesus, the Messiah of Israel, was looked upon in the Christian Church as the One who would someday come back and take the government of the world upon His shoulder. Those who worshipped Him as God were called Christianos, worshippers of the Christ as against the Kaisarianos, worshippers of the Caesar. Rome saw that the imperialism of Christianity was challenging the imperialism of the Caesars, and that it was by its propagation, striking at the very vitals of the empire. It answered this by many bloody persecutions. It meant and cost something to be a

Christianos in those days. The members of the Imperial Cult looked down upon and persecuted the members of the Body of Christ. That is what Peter means when he says, "but if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed." He remembered that awful night when he cowered before the might of Rome and denied his Lord. But Peter the Rock-Man would never do such a thing now. [Wuest]