FIRST PETER 4:15

The Bible says in First Peter 4:15, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.” When anyone suffers something, there can only be one of two reasons for the suffering: either because the suffering is deserved or because it is not deserved. This verse makes it clear that a Christian should be concerned about making sure that if there is suffering, it is not deserved. We want to be testimonies in this world for the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel. We will not be testimonies if we go about doing things for which the world must punish us because we deserve their punishment.

Notice the first two things on this list that believers are told to be sure they avoid doing: murder and stealing. The fact that these two things are on such a declaration directed at Christians means that the Holy Spirit knows that believers are capable of any of the gross sins of life that unbelievers are capable of. If you are going to be a testimony for Christ, then you must avoid the big mistakes. If you are going to avoid punishments that you deserve, then you must avoid the big mistakes also. It is your choice. Do you want to suffer because you deserve it, or because you do not deserve it. Of course, it is always better to only have the sufferings that you do not deserve, because you will have the power of right on your side. There is no greater power than the power of truth and goodness and righteousness. You will also have great rewards from the hand of Christ at the judgment.

The response that Christians should have to have some sufferings that they do not deserve is given in First Peter 4:16 that says “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” Philippians 4V4 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice.” Romans 8V28 says, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God and to them that are the called according to His purpose.”

Looking back at First Peter 4:15, it is interesting that “a busybody in other men’s matters” is mentioned along with being a murderer or a thief. A wise person will not purposely irritate others. Learn to be a peace-maker and not a trouble-maker in all of your relationships with other people. One very interesting thing about this phrase “a busybody in other men’s matters” is the fact that the entire phrase comes from just one compound word in the original Greek language. This compound word has at its root, the word that is often translated “bishop.” A bishop is one who supervises or who watches over others. There is a wrong way of watching over others. Use your personal opinions to rule your own life, but do not use them to try and rule someone else’s.

Concerning judgment that human beings receive from Christ, the Bible says in First Peter 4:17, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” God does not want to judge people: He wants to save them and forgive them. Jesus said about His own purpose, “The Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” The Bible also says in John 3:17, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”

But once someone does become saved through faith in Jesus Christ, God wants to see the life of that person constantly improved so that the believer can become a useful tool for the Master’s service. “Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” One thing that God may have to do in order to see spiritual growth is judgment in the life of the believer. If you are without chastisement, then you are not one of God’s children. This important spiritual principle is given clearly in First Corinthians 11:30-32 that says, “For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.” Judge yourself and confess your sins to Jesus Christ, and you will be able to continue to walk in the Light. Fail to judge yourself, and Jesus will judge you because He loves you. He is trying to wake you up from your spiritual drowsiness.

If God brings judgment upon His children and sometimes severe judgment even to the point of death; then what kind of judgment awaits those who are not the children of God? That is the point that First Peter 4:17 is making. A terrible and frightening judgment awaits those who “obey not the gospel of God.” How can God deliver up the unsaved to an eternity outside of heaven? God does not deliver them up. They deliver themselves up. They chose to not obey the good news that God offered to them through Jesus Christ. When a human being makes a choice, sometimes it is an eternal choice. Be careful what choices you make: especially spiritual choices. You might be choosing your own damnation.

The Bible says in First Peter 4:18, “And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?” There is a lot that is said in this verse. Notice that the human race is divided up into two groups of people. One group is called “the righteous.” The other group is called “the ungodly and the sinner.” Why does the Bible say that the righteous are “scarcely” saved? One reason is because the righteous did not obtain their own righteousness. They are sinners saved by grace. They did not earn anything. Jesus died a cruel death on the cross of Calvary in order to purchase their salvation. If Jesus had not suffered those cruel tortures for the forgiveness of sin, there would be no one who would be called righteous. All of their righteous deeds would be for nothing, because righteous deeds do not take away sin.

The unsaved are called “the ungodly and the sinner” because they have never turned to Jesus and they have never turned away from their sins to find forgiveness from Jesus. Do not die in your sins. Do not go into eternity with your spiritual reality being that you are still ungodly and still a sinner. It does not have to be that way. Jesus is waiting with open arms to welcome you into His Kingdom of love and light. He can forgive your sins and make you one of the righteous.

The Bible says in First Peter 4:19 as kind of a conclusion to the whole subject of suffering as a Christian in this world, “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.” What do you do when you suffer? You do the same things as when you do not suffer. You continue to trust in God and to depend upon Him for His leading and for His care. Do not stop the good things that you are doing, and do not stop living by faith. The reason that you can always trust in God and know that He will be there for you is because He is “a faithful Creator.” He is faithful to His creation. That which He has created He will sustain so that His creation might fulfill its appointed purpose. Human beings may not always be faithful, but God is. He turns no one away who comes to Him for help or guidance.

At the beginning of First Peter chapter 5 our attention is turned to those who are given responsibility by God over a congregation. Very important commandments are given to those whom God has placed in positions of leadership. The Bible says in First 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.” Pastors, elders, and bishops are one and the same person. They are three different words that describe the various activities and responsibilities of a pastor. In this verse the word “elder” is used. This word means literally “one who is older.” Older ought to mean one who is more experienced and wiser. Those are the ones who should be the leaders of a Christian congregation: the ones who are the wisest and the most experienced in spiritual matters. It can be a young man, but usually it is an older man.

Peter said that in addition to being an elder he was also “a witness of the sufferings of Christ.” Peter had just written a great deal about suffering: why we suffer and how we should respond when we suffer. No doubt the Apostle Peter learned a great deal about the truth of life by thinking about Jesus and what Jesus suffered on the cross of Calvary.

Peter did the same thing that the Apostle Paul did in his writings: he put himself on an equal basis with the other Christians to whom he was writing. Peter said that he was an elder like the elders to whom he was writing. And Peter said that he was “also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed.” Christians are equals. We have all sinned. We were all saved by faith in Jesus Christ. We all have the same destiny: an eternity in heaven with our Savior. The glory has not been revealed yet, but it will be revealed, and how wonderful it will be. The Bible says in Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

By the Holy Spirit Peter wrote to the elders in First 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.” This verse along with verse one of this chapter gives strong Biblical evidence to support the idea that elder, pastor, and bishop are one and the same person. The words simply describe different duties and responsibilities that this one person possesses. We know that Peter said that he was writing to “elders.” This is the word from which we get the word “presbyter,” and it refers to one who is older and wiser in spiritual matters.

First Peter 5:2 tells the elders to “feed the flock of God.” The word that is translated “feed” is the verb form of the word from which we get “pastor” or “shepherd.” The phrase that is translated “taking the oversight” comes from the same word that is often translated “bishop.” A bishop is someone who watches over others. Elder, pastor, and bishop is one and the same person. This person is older and wiser in spiritual things, feeds the congregation the Word of God with Biblical teaching and preaching, and watches out for the spiritual well-being of the congregation with leadership and counseling and decision-making that has the best spiritual interests of the congregation at heart.

Like anyone who is serving Jesus Christ, a pastor must be careful to be a willing servant of the Lord. The selfish will of man is a common impediment to serving God. Even Jesus had to sweat great drops of blood in order to be able to say, ”Not my will, but thine be done,” in the hour of His passion. If you are able to truly say to the Lord that you are willing to do what He wants no matter what happens to you, then He will be able to use you. If you are not able to say that, then you will be just the average unspiritual pastor, and you will do much harm to the ministry that Christ has given you.

The next to last phrase of First Peter 5:2 gives one thing that should not be the motivation for any pastor of any church. It says, “not for filthy lucre.” It means not for selfish gain, which would be a base thing. If your ministry is organized such that you are doing what you are doing in order to gain money, then something is terribly wrong. You have the wrong priorities. You need to do what is necessary to change things. Paul worked as a tent maker just to keep the people in Corinth from viewing him as someone who wanted their money, even though he had every right to do otherwise. If the times in which you live require that you build your own retirement plan, then maybe you should get all of that finished before you go into the ministry. We live in a day when some people have made themselves rich through their self-proclaimed ministry. Only God knows if they are true Christians. In any case they have done great harm to the gospel of Christ because the world sees how they have enriched themselves on the offerings that have been given.

The Biblical pastor understands that true riches come from the spiritual blessings of fellowship with Christ and the blessings of the knowledge of His Word. That is the primary activity that the pastor should be involved in: the study of the Word of God in order to have food to feed the flock of God. First Peter 5:2 says to “feed the flock of God” with “a ready mind.” The proper use of the mind is a critical part of being a pastor of one of God’s congregations. Paul wrote to Timothy and said, “Study to show thyself approved unto God, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” We are only using our minds properly when we are using them in the study of God’s Word. We owe Jesus everything, including our minds.

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