One of You

"Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed" 1 Peter 5.1

Peter is writing this letter (obviously, but more on this in the next post), and this information makes this second phrase all the more interesting. Peter, a disciple of Christ, the one who walked on water, witnessed the transfiguration, and the first human to enter the empty tomb on resurrection Sunday; the one to whom Jesus said "you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it." That guy is writing this letter, but here he does not mention any of that. Here, he simply calls himself "your fellow elder".

He is a leader writing to other leaders, but he does not boast in the past; he does not elevate himself above others because of the relationship he had with Jesus. He humbly refers to himself as "your fellow elder". This is the attitude a leader is to have towards other leaders, one of humility, realizing that we are all in this together, leading people towards the same goal, Christlikeness.

Leaders should not brag about what they have accomplished, but about what God is doing. Leaders must seek to encourage other leaders, supporting each other, because leadership is hard, and dangerous. Leaders within the church should not see themselves in completion with each other, but part of the same team, fellow elders, who strive to build the kingdom together.

Peter who experienced Christ in ways we can only imagine at this point, did not use his history to elevate himself. He came to these elders, these leaders, and let them know they were all on the same level. That is part of the attitude a leader must have.


Fight the lion, 1 Peter 5.1-11

TO GOD ALONE BE THE GLORY!