WE come to our last study in this caring and loving letter of Peter to the Christians scattered over Asia minor, specially to Jewish Christians. This last chapter divides itself naturally into three parts. In verses 1 to 6 Peter speaks to elders or ministers. In verses 5 to 11 Peter speaks to ordinary Christians in the church. Peter ends in verses 12 to 14 with a final greeting.

Message to elders. (Verses 1-6).

Peter speaks as an elder to elders in the church. An elder in the New Testament church is equivalent to ministers in the church today.

Peter claims no higher office in the church than any other leader, except he appeals to his experience and the fact that he was a witness of Christ's suffering, and so was intimately knowledgable of all that Christ did to save us, and had witnessed the sacrificial life which Christ lived for us, which is the example specially for ministers in the church. We may well ask whether the ministry in the various branches of the church today exemplifies this image which Peter expresses concerning the ministry in its conception and expression.

Peter gives instruction as to how the ministry is to be carried out in the church. Peter describes the minister and the office of a minister as one of a shepherd. A shepherd is over the flock in the sense that the flock is his or her responsibility, and as such there is a duty of instruction and of discipline, etc., but this is not in the sense of lording it over the church fellowship. The minister is no ruler.

Peter goes on to describe the minister as one who ministers because of love, and not just out of a sense of duty. In other words ministry is exercised willing and not reluctantly.

Although the minister is worthy of his or her hire, ministry is not a job simply to earn a living, and become rich. Ministers today in Great Britain could hardly be called those who are in it for the money, but there has been many examples of being in the ministry for money in the past. However still ministers can be in the ministry just for a living, and not primarily to minister for Christ.

So Peter speaks of the minister as one eager to serve, and one who must be an example of service to the flock, showing the love of Jesus. The minister has this supreme responsibility that the ones to whom he or she ministers have been entrusted to the care of the minister. In the C of E the minister is entrusted with the cure of the souls in the parish. There could not be a higher or more important trust than this. This trust is not just for time but for eternity.

The idea of priesthood prevalent in many parts of the church today, and in the past, is totally absent from Peter's description of the minister.

The motivation for this caring ministry is the crown of glory to be received in the life to come. This is not a reward or merit for service, but the promise to all believers which motivates the service of love to Jesus.

Message to Christians. (Verses 7-11).

The main exhortation to both young and older is one of humility. In the young this is shown in submission to older people and specially ministers who are seeking to help them to grow in the love of Christ.

The basic attitude of the Christian heart before God is one of humbling ourselves under the authority, guidance and leading of God. This means we seek each day to find out God's will and submit to this will in obedience, whatever the cost. If we do this we need not have a care in the world, because all our cares are in the hands of the Lord.

As one who has learnt the bitter devouring of Satan, Peter warns us against Satan's devices. Peter tells us Satan is always looking for ways to bring us down. Peter tells us that the way to resist the devil is being firm in the faith. We can not do better than enquire what this means. It certainly means learning our faith by diligent study of the Scriptures, and hearing the Scriptures expounded. It also means believing and standing upon the promises of the Gospel, but there is much more. Peter also urges us in the fight by reminding us that other Christians elsewhere are also going through the same experience.

In a final blessing Peter reminds us that we are Christians by the grace of God, that is his unmerited favour, which caused God to call us into his eternal glory. We are Christians not because we chose God, but that he chose us in love and mercy. Peter reminds us that though we suffer now from the world, the flesh and the devil, God will bring us through and keep us steadfast in his love.

Final Greeting. (Verses 12-14).

Peter tells us that he wrote to encourage us, and to testify to the real Christian faith, the true grace of God, and calls us to stand fast in this, and not stray away into false directions.

Peter also tells us to greet each other as is appropriate in the society of our day. The holy kiss was common in Peter's time (see Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26.)