Purposes

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”
1 Peter 5:12-14 NLT

Peter explained why he wrote his “short letter”. Someone has estimated that 1 Peter contains nearly 1700 words, so that would take around 20 minutes or so to read out loud. Peter may have considered it to be “short” but each word was inspired and delivered by the Holy Spirit, who told Peter just what the people in the five churches in Asia Minor needed to hear. And in the process we have in the Bible a letter that contains truths and much encouragement for us pilgrims today.

But Peter had a “purpose”. Apart from a few high profile and significant appearances recorded in the Book of Acts, we know little about what he did “under the radar”. But having spent time with Jesus and the rest of the Twelve, he became a man with a mission. Peter was a man who knew all about being ill-treated for the sake of His Master, Jesus. He was beaten, insulted, and imprisoned. And from his own experiences he was able to offer help and advice to his readers who were suffering as he did and who probably included some believers who had fled from persecution in Jerusalem.

We pilgrims have a purpose in our short lives here on Planet Earth. In fact we have more than one. Jesus left us with a Commission, which we can read in Matthew 28:18-19, “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”. The early believers were so diligent and zealous in evangelism, that they turned the societies of their day into a new world order, and Christianity has grown in numbers ever since. 

Jesus also gave us a Commandment, which was recorded in John 13:34-35, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples”. The agape love shown by Christians in their relationships with each other transcends all national and racial barriers that otherwise would exist. In fact, it was such a strong bond, foreign to anything experienced before, that caused the early Christians to sometimes be mistakenly accused of incest and other sexual acts. Christian love is unique to our faith and it binds us together across otherwise insurmountable barriers. 

But the Commission and Commandment were directed at those around us, both inside and outside our faith. We also have a purpose in Changing who we are. No more for us the old sinful practices that used to blight our lives. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:21-24, “Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy“. We have a new nature, one that brings us to a righteous place before God. Note that Paul used an action phrase – “throw off” – to describe how we are to bring about change in our lives. We will not become more like Jesus through something benign like osmosis. We have to decide that we want to change and take the necessary steps to make it happen. Jesus said, and as recorded in John 14:6, “ … I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me“. There is no other way, in spite of what many will claim, to find God and be with Him forever.

Dear Father God. Thank You for Jesus and what He did for us in making it possible for us to come into Your presence. We praise and worship You today. Amen. 

Silas

Posted on by korgrocker

“I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas, whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace. Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.”
1 Peter 5:12-14 NLT

As he was signing off his letter, Peter mentioned the help he had received from a man called Silas. We find the first mention of Silas in Acts 15:22, “Then the apostles and elders together with the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders—Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas”. So we know he was one of the first church leaders and respected enough to be entrusted with an important role in the establishment of the Christian church in Antioch. We also know that Silas accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey, and he was the Silas who was severely beaten with Paul in Philippi and ended up in the Philippian jail. We can read this story in Acts 16. Silas had a reputation of being faithful and another short verse gives us some more insight into this man. “Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthening their faith“ (Acts 15:32). So as well as being a faithful encourager, Silas was also a prophet.

There was no postal service in those days, so Peter sent the letter to the five churches in the care of Silas, who he commended as a “faithful brother”. After this, Silas disappeared from historical accounts, but we do know that through his faithfulness, he would have made a difference in the lives of those early Christians, encouraging and supporting them.

Are there any men like Silas today? I have been fortunate enough to have known several. Men of God, who have faithfully followed Jesus, and who have helped me at times in my pilgrimage through life. I can remember the man who carefully and diligently started me off on my journey with a Bible and some Bible Notes. Another man from Florida, who had moved to Scotland as a missionary, at just the right time, showed me the way through some spiritual minefields. And there were others. Faithful men doing God’s work.

We pilgrims also have an obligation to help our fellow brothers and sisters. Silas was motivated by love for other believers, doing what Jesus asks all His disciples to do. We read what Jesus said in John 13:34-35, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples”. Loving our brothers and sisters in God involves the same demonstration of love that Jesus exampled to His disciples. No conditions. Faithfully. Never giving up. Such loving qualities are the mark of Christians everywhere. Sometimes we pilgrims look at the scale of the potential task of encouraging everyone, and are in danger of being overwhelmed. But God is the Master strategist, and knows we are not required to change the world. There might just be one brother or sister to whom we have supplied the right words at an opportune time, and that is all God has asked us to do. Paul wrote to the Thessalonians with this message, “So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). We can all be a “Silas” to those around us.

Dear Father God. You, the great Encourager, want us to encourage others too. Please give us the right words at the right time. For Jesus’ sake. Amen.

A Firm Foundation

Posted on by korgrocker

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.”
1 Peter 5:10-11 NLT

When we consider the word “foundation” what comes into our minds? A builder will think of the concrete and stone that he is building a wall or house on, a base strong and firm enough to support the weight of the structure above it. And that picture will extend into all manner of activities that we get involved in. So a sportsman or woman will develop a foundation of fitness that will enable them to compete in their sport. Their foundations are built on a regime of the correct muscle-building foods, the long hours spent swimming, or running, or repeating the very process they will go through on the competition day. Paul used the sporting analogy when he wrote this in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Don’t you realise that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified”. 

A business will develop prosperity based on the skills and knowledge of its workers. In this context we talk about the founders of a company, who put together a few ideas perhaps in a bedroom or garage, and from there became a success story, growing into a large and even multi-national company. A “foundation” is a beginning, a starting point, something solid and tangible. And something essential for the success of whatever is built upon it.

The Apostle Paul was a Pharisee in the days before he met Jesus on the Damascus Road. Not just any Pharisee, however. We read about his Jewish upbringing in Philippians 3:5-6, “I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault”. Paul’s foundation was on the Law of Moses and the plethora of accompanying rules and regulations that made up the lives of Pharisees. But imagine what happened to his foundation when he met Jesus. It took him days to get his mind round the reality that he had built his life on the wrong foundation. Referring to his heritage and pedigree, we read more of his story in Philippians 3:7-8, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ”. 

We pilgrims have built our lives on a true and strong foundation – the person and work, death and resurrection, of Jesus Christ. In fact He is the only way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) that we need. Everything in our lives must be built upon Him. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:20, “Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself”. 

There is an old hymn written in 1866 by S J Stone, and the first verse is:
The church’s one foundation
Is Jesus Christ, her Lord;
she is His new creation,
by water and the word.
From heav’n He came and sought her
to be His holy bride;
with His own blood He bought her,
and for her life He died.

It was a favourite of mine in my early Anglican days, and the truths within it haven’t changed at all in the last 160 years or so. Our faith is truly founded on the Chief Cornerstone – Jesus Himself. There is no other foundation that will support our lives on Planet Earth and in the life to come.

Dear Lord Jesus. You are there only foundation that will last when all else is destroyed. We build upon You and Your ways, this day and every day. Amen.

God’s Kindness

Posted on by korgrocker

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.”
1 Peter 5:10-11 NLT

We read these two verses today and receive the assurance that through Jesus everything will work out okay in the end. But those in the middle of the suffering Peter was referring to might wish to see a positive situation much sooner than that. Bringing that theme up to date, think of the single mum, constantly struggling to balance her small family budget. The man desperately looking for work so that he can pay his bills. The old lady cowering in a cold, dark cellar, waiting for the next bomb to fall, hoping that it doesn’t hit her home. The parents distraught as they look at their child, sick with an aggressive cancer, suffering beyond anything we would wish to experience. But in this sin-ridden world, all these examples are only too common and many lift their eyes to Heaven and shake their fists at a God they hold accountable for their misfortunes. How could the God of the Universe, they say, allow all this suffering to happen, particularly to them.

But Peter starts with the thought that God is kind. In fact, he refers to the eternal glory we will share with Jesus through God’s kindness. God doesn’t have to show us any kindness because, after all, we humans are polluted by sin, and we offend His very righteousness. But the revelation to Peter’s readers was that they could experience God’s kindness in the middle of their suffering. But how can that be, we ask? Will God pay our bills? Perhaps. Will He heal the sick child? It has happened before, many times. Will God …? In times of suffering, no matter how intense, we lift our eyes upwards to the very throne of God, not in anger, but looking to receive the kindness of our Heavenly Father. It is an encounter that will transform the situation in which we find ourselves. 

Whenever I think of God’s loving kindness, I go to the Book of Psalms. Here I can find prayers, songs, poems, and words of worship that can bind our spirits to God’s. Psalm 36:7a, “How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God!  … ”. Or Psalm 69:16, “Hear me, O Lord, for Your lovingkindness is good; Turn to me according to the multitude of Your tender mercies“. Then there’s Psalm 17:7, “Show Your marvellous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You from those who rise up against them“. 

We pilgrims live in a sin-ridden and evil world, and believers everywhere are not immune to the consequences of sin. But Jesus came to save us by taking on board the sin for us. And instead He gave us His righteousness. Paul wrote about what we call the Divine Exchange in 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him“. So we have access to all God’s resources through Jesus. Peter wrote, “he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation”. J L Packer wrote in his book “Knowing God”, “We have said that when people know God, losses and ‘crosses’ cease to matter to them; what they have gained simply banishes these things from their minds”. 

So today, no matter what our situation is, can we just lift our eyes above the suffering and get a glimpse of God reaching out to us, ready and waiting to show us the kindness we need? There may just be a break in the clouds …

Dear kind and gracious Heavenly Father. Thank You for Your love for us, and we thank You for Jesus who has showed us the way to Your presence. Amen.

Stand Firm

Posted on by korgrocker

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT

We pilgrims are aware that the devil is on the prowl, and we are at our most vulnerable when we do something for God that is very visible in our families and communities. New Christians in particular are in the devil’s sights because, if he can, he will cause them so many problems that they give up almost straight away. Jesus taught about this in the parable of the sower, and, unusually, he explained it to His disciples. We read in Matthew 13:19-22, “The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced”. Notice that there are three categories of person who succumbs to the devil’s ploys. There are those whose spiritual eyes are blinded, preventing them from understanding the Good News. There are those who hear and understand it, but lack the perseverance to press through any difficulties that come their way. And there are those who get caught up with living in a certain way and pursue wealth to support their lifestyles. All methods that the devil uses to ensure a believer won’t cause him any difficulties.

The devil is very subtle in the way he tempts people. Look at the way he drew Eve away into sin. We read the story in Genesis 3, but the key opener was “Did God really say …?”  The devil will work with our human nature to birth sin in our lives, and there is that desperately sad verse at the end of Judges, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes” (Judges 21:25). The same applies today, with people who have no moral compass, who lack God’s presence in their lives, and go on to live a life, debased by the devil and his evil lies. Their own twisted logic is influenced and matured by the devil, who devours them and then uses them for his own wicked ways.

We are not on our own in matters of temptation. Peter wrote that the “family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering” that they were. To the early believers, a very real temptation was to alleviate the suffering by renouncing their new-found faith. But Peter’s answer was for them to “stand firm” and “be strong in [their] faith”. The Apostle Paul wrote some great practical instructions for the Ephesian church. We read what he said in Ephesians 6. “A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armour so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:10-11). He explains in a little more detail some information about how the devil devours. “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Peter used the illustration of the devil prowling around but he has a whole contingent of “mighty powers”, and “evil spirits” all doing his bidding. We pilgrims need to be on our guard and constantly alert to those weak spots where the devil will find us the most vulnerable. We mustn’t forget that around us are other fellow believers who are fighting the same battles. So we pray for them and get them to pray for us. And we ask the Bible Author to show us the resources we need to help us in times of need.

Dear Father God. We pray again for Your help in our lives. We cannot fight the devil on our own and we thank You for the resources You have given us. Amen.

Stay Alert

Posted on by korgrocker

“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.”
1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT

We may not like to think about this, but we pilgrims have an enemy. We may feel safe and secure in our Western societies, but look on in alarm at the wars and strife taking place in other parts of the world. As I write today, the war in Ukraine continues unabated, and the response by Israel to the Palestinian terror attacks is working out on the world stage, dominating the media. Even God’s chosen people, the Jews, are under attack and many of them fear for their lives. Who or what causes so much hatred and distrust between individuals and nations? Well, we have the answer in today’s verse – our “great enemy, the devil”. Peter wrote that he “prowls around like a roaring lion”, spreading evil and wickedness wherever he goes. The churches that Peter was writing to were themselves experiencing persecution of terrible proportions, and his encouragement contained both a warning and the means to combat it.

But firstly, we must consider who the devil is looking to devour. The devil is against anything to do with God. The devil was thrown out of Heaven for his pride and rebellion, and, because God is so much stronger then he is, he is having to make do with his next priority – God’s precious creation, mankind. So perhaps it would be a good place to start with who the devil is not devouring on Planet Earth. Obviously those people who deny the existence of the devil wouldn’t bother him. They are no threat to him at all. Then, anyone who hates the Jews, God’s chosen people, with their antisemitic language and behaviour, and acts of terrorism, won’t trouble him – in fact he is probably using this group to help him do the devouring. Then there are people who accept that he exists but who don’t cause him any difficulties because of disinterest or even acceptance. As I write this, it is coming up to the season of Halloween and the shops are full of scary outfits and pumpkins. The devil loves it because these people are just advertising his presence. And that leaves God’s children, the “born-again” believers who are willing and spiritually resourced to take the fight to the devil’s kingdom and tell people in his bondage about how to get free. That’s us pilgrims. As an aside, there are many Christians who don’t bother the devil very much at all. Christians who perhaps warm a pew in a church service on a Sunday every few weeks but do little else in God’s Kingdom. Hmmm…

When Jesus came to this world, He became a prime target for the devil. After all, if he could get the Son of God to sin then that would be a major coup. In Luke 4:1-2 we read, “Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry”. Jesus was both human and divine, man and God, and the devil tried to tempt Him through His humanity. We can read the three subsequent temptations of Jesus in the next few verses in Luke 4. In Hebrews 4:15 we read, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin”. And that’s the point. I’m sure Jesus suffered many temptations in His short life here in this world, but he withstood them all and never sinned.

The devil will always find a point of weakness in us, and will try and exploit it if at all possible. But we pilgrims need to stand firm in our faith. We note that Jesus used Scripture verses to counter the devil’s accusations, and so must we, by making sure we are using the Bible well. It contains all the resources we need to be able to withstand the devouring tactics of the enemy.

Father God. We pray for Your protection from the attacks of the enemy and deliverance from evil. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Worries and Cares

Posted on by korgrocker

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honour. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
1 Peter 5:6-7 NLT

Is there a connection between the verse on humility and God’s care for us? Is Peter writing down unconnected thoughts or is there in fact something that unites them? We find that we must empty ourselves of pride and arrogance to become truly humble before we can be in a place where God can help us. How many times have we struggled with a problem and then, as a last resort almost, decided to turn to God for help? There is something within us that balks at the thought of seeking assistance from outside ourselves. Well, that is pride, and we have to deal with it “under the mighty power of God”. 

We pilgrims probably had an upbringing that taught us self-reliance. It is a natural way to live and survive in this dangerous world, but one that can get in the way of a total dependency on God. But there is a balance. God wants us to live our lives in accordance with His ways, not ours. And when we overlay His blueprint for living over the one we have developed ourselves, it exposes those parts that are incompatible.

Some people are terrible worriers. Their anxieties are so great that they find that even their health is affected. And if they find they are free from worry, they immediately start worrying again in case they have missed something. Their first port of call is the doctor’s surgery, and then more often than not a downward spiral of dependency on anti-depressants or similar type of drug commences. Others find that for a short time alcohol dulls the pain and brings some form of relief, but addiction can follow and exacerbate the problem. The saddest thing is when this happens to believers. Our lives in this world are inevitably going to bring difficulties and problems. Jesus warned His disciples that “ … Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b). And that is the way back to sanity from all the worries of life – because Jesus is far bigger than the world and anything it can throw at Him. 

Many people worry about the state of their nation. An oft-quote verse is 2 Chronicles 7:14, “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” We note that humility precedes the praying and seeking God’s face. There is no other way to pray for our nation.

Both Peter and Paul wrote about worries and cares. Paul’s contribution can be found in Philippians 4:6-7, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus”. His encouragement to the Philippian church was for prayer, honest and persistent prayer, where needs were articulated and thanks were expressed. And a resulting peace was available for the worrier. As we know, the cause of the worries and cares might still be there, but more often than not, God will shine a light into the circumstances and bring a remedy. 

But back to where we started today. Pride and arrogance will get in the way of our relationship with God and will prevent Him from helping us in our troubles. Humility comes first.

Dear God. Thank You for Your graciousness in accepting our stumbling prayers. Please help us to clear out any remnants of pride and arrogance so that we can indeed come into Your presence in the humility that You desire. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The Authority of Elders

Posted on by korgrocker

“In the same way, you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.””
1 Peter 5:5 NLT

Peter moves on in his writings to include the relationship between elders and the rest of the flock. In particular, he singles out the younger members of the congregation, young in either age or the faith. And he says that they should “accept the authority of the elders”. Perhaps in Peter’s days, there was more in the way of respect between generations, but today there seems to be little. Even in my younger days, we respected anyone in authority, be they policemen, or bank managers, school teachers or ministers. But today, if we believe the news reports, there is a reluctance for anyone to assume an authoritarian position in case they conflict with “human rights” or have to challenge bad behaviour, all for fear of legislative hassles. And when it comes to social media, even the most innocuous expression of a view that is different will potentially invite a torrent of abuse. Thankfully, there are still young people today who have a different spirit, and who gain respect because they grant it to others.

But cutting through all of this is God’s model. He has laid down an authoritarian structure in His church, and the elders are responsible for implementing it, admonishing or correcting the younger members if necessary. And the “young” are told to accept what the elders say.

But Peter didn’t stop there, and went on to say that all the church members should dress in humility. Did he mean that all clothes should be similar in style using dark colours, preferably black or grey? Was Peter promoting at least one of the features of the Amish people? I don’t think he meant physical dress at all, but rather was promoting humility in the relationships we have we each other. And he quotes Proverbs 3:34 from the Greek Bible version. But from the Amplified translation this proverb reads, “Though He scoffs at the scoffers and scorns the scorners, Yet He gives His grace [His undeserved favour] to the humble [those who give up self-importance]”. Paul wrote a lovely few verses in Philippians 2, and amongst them is verses 3 and 4, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too”. By reading this passage from Philippians again I find a witness in my spirit, confirming God’s model for His children. But the verses that Paul wrote are hugely different from world group-think, a counter-cultural presentation showing how far our societies have moved away from God’s relational model.

A good Bible verse about humility is Proverbs 11:2, “Pride leads to disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom”. Solomon wrote that many centuries ago and it is amazing that it still applies as much today as it did then. The Apostle James wrote, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honour” (James 4:10). Showing humility before God and the human beings around us can be hard because something within us rises up and says, “What about me!” But that’s not God’s way. If there’s any promotion of an individual needed, then it is best left to God. He will do the honouring.

Dear Father God. We bow before You today in all humility and worship. It’s all about You, Lord, not about us. Amen.

Eldership Qualities

Posted on by korgrocker

“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honour.”
1 Peter 5:1-4 NLT

We continue our examination of who elders are and the qualities required for this job. We have considered how an elder is entrusted with looking after the “flock”, the members of the congregation in the churches that they lead. And we also ventured into the contentious area of eldership gender. But moving on, we find that an elder must be above reproach. Titus 1:7, “A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money”. Nothing contentious there, I would think. An elder is someone who believers in his church will look up to and whose behaviour they will emulate. After all, the elders pastor those in the church, and bad behaviour or poor leadership will hardly be of value in accomplishing their core mission.

Another quality of an elder is that he must be hospitable. Titus 1:8a, “Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home … ”. Being hospitable is mentioned in several places in the Bible, and the Greek word for hospitality is, apparently, “love of strangers”. To be hospitable to anyone is often not a convenient act but one that nevertheless is something Christians are encouraged to do. When Paul was shipwrecked on the island of Malta, he, and his colleagues and captors, were looked after through the hospitality of a local landowner called Publius, and in Acts 28:7 we read, “Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days“. That’s hospitality. We also note from Hebrews 13:2, “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!” An angel in my home? Amazing? Jesus also taught on hospitality, as we read in Matthew 24:35, “For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home”.

‭‭‭‭Paul added the requirement of being able to teach to the role of an elder,  “ …  and he must be able to teach” (1 Timothy 3:2b). To teach in a church context means having the ability to take and read the Scriptures and expound them in a way that imparts knowledge to the listeners. The Apostles and elders in the church in Jerusalem appointed deacons so ” … we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word“. 

‭Being an elder is sometimes a thankless task but one that can also be very rewarding. We pilgrims, who sit under the ministry of elders must pray for them. Hebrews 13:17, “Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit“. 

Dear Heavenly Father. We do indeed pray for our church leaders, those whom You have appointed to oversee Your local expression of the Church. Please be with them, keeping them safe, we pray. Amen.

Elders Are Male?

Posted on by korgrocker

“And now, a word to you who are elders in the churches. I, too, am an elder and a witness to the sufferings of Christ. And I, too, will share in his glory when he is revealed to the whole world. As a fellow elder, I appeal to you: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t Lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example. And when the Great Shepherd appears, you will receive a crown of never-ending glory and honour.”
1 Peter 5:1-4 NLT

Peter’s main concern for the “elders in the churches” was that they cared for the people within them, that they weren’t being overbearing leaders, “lording” it over people, and that they led the church by their own good example. They were then eligible for a reward of a “crown of never-ending glory and honour”. But the Apostle Paul provided more details of the qualities required by an elder. We can read what he wrote in his letters to Timothy and Titus in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. And the question for all elders in the Christian church today, regardless of their denomination, is how they measure up against the criteria Paul set out. There are those who take a liberal, “what was written in the Bible doesn’t always apply today”, attitude, and those who believe fundamentally that the Scriptures are the inspired Words of God through His Spirit and are to be followed to the letter. 

But whatever we believe, the first requirement of an elder, according to Paul, is that he is a man, married, and someone who manages his family well. We read in 1 Timothy 3:2a, 4-5, “So a church leader must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. … He must manage his own family well, having children who respect and obey him. For if a man cannot manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church?” The in-your-face issue here is the fact that the Bible only talks about male elders, who are married and have a family. So, where does that put the women ministers and elders who populate established denominations such as Anglicans or Presbyterians? Or the Methodists who, as I read this morning, have a transgender minister? There will be many responses I’m sure, but in the end this is a matter of personal conscience and belief, and the denominations concerned.

Some years ago I grappled with this problem, and concluded that if God can’t find a man to be a leader, He would appoint a woman. This happened in the Old Testament, and we can read about a woman called Deborah. Her story appears in Judges 4 and 5. She was Israel’s only female judge, and was a prophetess who “judged” Israel during those turbulent times when God’s people constantly flip-flopped between doing good and doing evil. Deborah emerged in a time when the Israelites were doing “evil in the Lord’s sight” (Judges 4:1). But through her leadership and willingness to hear the Spirit’s Word, she led the people to a victory over their Canaanite oppressors. And it was another woman, called Jael, who courageously stepped up to the mark and killed the Canaanite commander, Sisera. 

Why did Deborah become a judge in Israel? Some say it was to shame the men who refused to step up and take responsibility for the dire situation that the Israelites were in. Others are kinder in their opinion, and wonder if, perhaps, this was a picture of God’s gentle and compassionate care for His people, as a mother cares for her children. We should also be aware that God will use both men and women to be instruments of His power. But God’s preferred model, as communicated through Paul, was that elders should be male. Why is that, do you think? Perhaps a question for God one day.

Dear Father. It appears the You appointed men to be leaders in the Church. We pray for more Godly men with Your anointing upon them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.