1 Peter 5
5
Shepherding the Flock of God
1 I exhort the elders among you as one who is himself a fellow elder, who bore witness to the sufferings of Christ, and who anticipates participating in the glory soon to be revealed:
2 Shepherd the flock of God placed in your charge, exercising oversight—not from obligation, but from voluntary devotion, in accordance with the will of God; not motivated by sordid profit, but with genuine enthusiasm;
3 not wielding tyrannical control over those entrusted to your guardianship, but modeling exemplary conduct before the flock.
4 When the Supreme Shepherd is manifested, you will obtain the imperishable crown of honor.
Submission to the Elders
5 In the same way, the younger believers are to place themselves under the authority of the elders. In fact, every one of you must adopt a posture of humility toward others, because,
“God arrays Himself against the arrogant,
yet extends favor to those who abase themselves.”*
6 Therefore lower yourselves beneath the sovereign authority of God, that He may elevate you when the moment arrives.
7 Transfer the entirety of your burdens onto Him, for you occupy His concern.
Firmness in the Faith
8 Maintain vigilance and sobriety of mind. Your adversary, the devil, circles about as a predatory lion seeking prey to consume.
9 Oppose him through unwavering adherence to the faith, recognizing that the brotherhood of believers dispersed across the earth endures identical tribulations.
10 Once you have endured affliction for a season, the God who dispenses every grace—He who summoned you into His everlasting glory through union with Christ—will personally perfect, stabilize, fortify, and ground you.
11 To Him belongs dominion through all ages. Amen.
Final Greetings
12 By means of Silvanus, whom I consider a trustworthy brother in the faith, I have composed this concise correspondence to exhort you and to affirm that this is the authentic grace of God. Remain steadfast within it.
13 She who is in Babylon, elected alongside you, extends salutations, as does Mark, whom I regard as my spiritual son.
14 Exchange greetings with one another through the kiss of love. Peace to all who dwell in Christ.
Notes
5 Quoted from Prov. 3:34
Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
