Resilient Leadership – Pastors, Elders, Overseers -1 Peter 5:1-4

Posted on November 18, 2025 by dkoop

As we go through the Scripture, we often notice that the figure of a shepherd is one of the most heartwarming pictures of the relationship that God has with his people. It’s a picture of care and diligence.  In verses 1 through 4 of our passage today, there is a verb that all of this section revolves around.

Its in verse 2. The verb is the first word, “shepherd.” “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you.” The Lord is often seen as a shepherd in the Bible. Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 100, “We are the sheep of his pasture, we are the people of his hand.” And so you will have in Scripture shepherds that are put in a good light because of their care. Sheep, on the other hand, in the Bible are not always put in the greatest of light. Isaiah 53, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we’ve all gone our own way.” In fact, the only time sheep are placed in favorable light is when they’re placed under the good supervision of a good shepherd.

Because sheep get lost easily, they do not navigate well, they do not find their way on their own. They’re not like dogs or pigeons, who’ll go back to where they came from, sheep get  lost. In fact, one professor of philosophy tongue-in-cheek said, “The existence of sheep is evidence against the theory of evolution. There’s no way sheep could have survived that process!” Survival of the fittest—they’re not! They require constant oversight, constant leading, constant rescue, constant cleaning, or they will die. A great book written by a shepherd several years ago includes these words: “Sheep just do not take care of themselves. They require, more than any class of livestock, endless attention and meticulous care.”

“The behavior of sheep and human beings is similar in many ways. Our mass mind (or mob instinct), our fears and timidity, our stubbornness and stupidity are all parallels of profound importance.”

And yet Peter addresses the people of God in chapter 5 as a flock. Now he does not do that to put anyone down, but simply to raise the bar of integrity saying anyone who’s going to be a leader of God’s flock has to meet certain criteria. Let’s look at chapter 5, beginning in verse 1. “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:”

“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” Paul has a lot to say to shepherds, pastors, elders.

Peter has three main things to say to them, three main responsibilities or qualifications. The first is relationship, the second is calling, the third is desire. Those three things: relationship, calling, desire. He must have a personal relationship with Christ, a practical gifting to serve Christ, and a powerful desire to please Christ.

So let’s look at them. The first is the word “elder.” He writes to elders as himself being an elder. That word is the Greek word presbuteros. We get the term “presbyterian” from it. It refers to somebody who is mature, often older, wiser. It’s a term that is borrowed from the Old Testament, brought into the New Testament. There were the elders of the children of Israel.

The second word I’d like you to notice is in verse 2. It’s the word “overseers.” It’s a different word, episkopos. We get the word “episcopal” from that, a bishop, an overseer.

And the third is the word “shepherd” also found in verse 2. Though it is used in its verb form here, (second person plural imperative verb), it is often used in a noun form, a shepherd, and the word in Greek would be poimēn. Now here’s what I want you to know: all three of those words describe one-role or person, same person, whether the word presbuteros, elder; episkopos, bishop; or poimēn, shepherd, is used. It speaks of one individual. Three different words to describe one person. Why? The term “elder” describes his maturity. The term “bishop” describes his responsibility. And the term “pastor” describes his ministry, he feeds sheep.

Peter speaks to elders as a fellow elder. I love this about Peter, he doesn’t come off as somebody superior. He doesn’t say, “I, Peter, the great apostle . . . ,” he says, “I’m a fellow elder. I come to you as one of you.” I imagine at that time Peter had become so famous in the early church, one of the few, surviving, original company of men that were with Jesus, that pastors, leaders, everywhere revered him. But he comes not as one of the three most intimate friends, but as a fellow elder, and one who had a personal relationship with the suffering and the risen Christ. Notice the wording. He says, “and a witness.”

A witness is somebody who sees and hears something and then tells others what he has seen and heard. That’s all a witness is. He was personally with Christ. That’s his past tense: “I was there when he suffered.” But now looking to the future he says, “And also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed.” So, “Unlike you, I was personally with Jesus and watched him suffer; but like you, I’m waiting for him to return.” But what I want you to notice over all is that Peter writes as one who had a personal encounter, a personal relationship with Christ. That’s the first mark of a good shepherd. It’s a man who personally walks with Jesus and is growing in that walk with Jesus.

When a relationship with Christ is real and being cultivated, growing, that person has a base from which to share and to minister to others. As the shepherd goes, so go the sheep. As the shepherd grows, so grow the sheep. If the shepherd is growing, sheep are growing. If the shepherd is stagnating, the sheep will be stagnating. Which means church leaders should be always growing in their personal lives, their spiritual walks, their marriages, their gifts that they use, and their knowledge—all summed up in Second Peter chapter 3 verse 18, “But grow in the grace and in the acknowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

Here’s a true story that illustrates it well.  There was a man who was among one of the passengers who was on a flight flying in different cities in California. They landed in Sacramento and there was a flight delay. And the stewardess gets on the intercom and she says, “Ladies and gentlemen, we’re going to be delayed in this airport for at least 45 minutes or more. And you have the freedom to get up and go into the terminal and we’ll reembark after a period of time.” Everybody gets up and goes off the plane, except for one man. He stays seated. He was blind. His Seeing Eye dog was in the seat in front of him, underneath the seat.

The pilot of that flight knew the passenger and must have flown on the pilot’s flight several times before. The pilot gets up, goes over to the man who’s blind, and calls him by name. “Keith,” he says, “we’re going to be at this airport for about an hour. If you want, you can go out and come back.” He goes, “No, I don’t need—I’ll stay seated. But my dog would probably like to be walked.” The pilot said, “No problem. I’ll take care of it.” Imagine what it would have been like to be a passenger in the terminal when your pilot comes out with a Seeing Eye dog, wearing his sunglasses on as he walked out into the terminal?

Many people went to the counter to switch flights. Some wanted to switch airlines altogether. Why?  They had no desire to entrust their lives to a man who couldn’t see to fly! In the same way, men who don’t love their wives, or don’t raise their children to love God, or don’t know their Bibles, have no business flying God’s plane filled with God’s people. He has to see to fly the plane, so he needs his own personal relationship with the living, resurrected Christ.

Here’s the second: a practical gifting to serve Christ. Verse 2, he says, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you.” Notice, the terms “entrusted.” It’s as if God says, “I will entrust you, I trust you to take my flock and be a steward over them.”

“Not being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” Here’s the long and short of it: a shepherd must be called.  I know that’s a mystical term, like, waiting around for a voice to be heard? How do you know if you have a calling? It’s pretty simple, there’s always a gifting that accompanies the calling. You can tell if a person is called by the fruit. If a person is called to be an evangelist, guess what’s going to happen? People are going to come to Christ. If you’re gifted or called to be a teacher, you’ll be gifted to be a teacher. People will be taught. They will grow in their walks.

So there will be an accompanying gift mix along with the calling. When Paul announced to the church of Ephesus, those gifted individuals that had been given to the congregation, he said, “There are apostles, prophets, evangelists, and pastor-teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry.” Would you notice a phrase found both in verse 1 and verse 2. It’s the phrase, “among you.” In verse 1 he speaks to “The elders who are among you,” “you” being the flock. In verse 2 he says, “Shepherd the flock which is among you.” Now he speaks to shepherds who have the flock of God among them. But the term “among you” is an important term of practical accountability.

If you’re gifted, others among you will recognize it. They will know it. They will ratify it. This is why seminary alone is not sufficient. Hermeneutics and homiletics courses are fine, but they are not enough. You need more. You can teach techniques, you can’t transmit gifting, only God can do that. Some people join ministry or want to be a leader in a group because they just want to be known as the leader. They want people to notice them. They want the applause of people. No wonder James used these words: “Let not many of you presume to be teachers, for you will receive the stricter judgment.” You see, it has to be given to you by the Lord.

And when you’re among people, they will recognize God’s hand on you. Paul spoke to the Ephesian elders and he said, “Take care of the flock of God, among whom the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.” In other words, do not touch the ministry unless the Holy Spirit gives it to you.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon the preacher of preachers, said this: “All are not called to labor in word and in doctrine, nor to be elders, or to exercise the gift of bishop; nor should all aspire to such works, since the gifts necessary are nowhere promised to all. But those should addict themselves to such important engagements who feel, like the apostle, that they have ‘received this ministry.’  “No man may intrude into the sheepfold as an under-shepherd; he must have an eye to the Chief Shepherd and wait his beck and command. And if he does not so, but he rushes into the sacred office, the Lord will say of him and others like him, ‘I sent them not, neither did I command them; therefore they shall not profit his people at all, saith the Lord,’ ” quoting Jeremiah 23. It has to be a practical gifting to serve Christ. In two areas, generally speaking, Peter brings up there has to be a gifting to feed sheep and a gifting to lead sheep. Look at the first one. To feed the sheep, that’s in the word “shepherd.” Verse 2, “Shepherd the flock of God.”

The Old King James says, “Feed the flock of God,” because the term “shepherd” and the term “feed” were part and parcel with the same calling, the same nurturing. One of the primary callings of a shepherd is to feed sheep. Jesus, after the resurrection, asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” “Yes, Lord, I love you.” And Jesus said, “Feed my sheep,” sometimes translated “tend” or “care for,” but, “Feed my sheep.” It’s what shepherds do, they feed sheep. “The Lord is my shepherd,” David said, “He leads me into green pastures.” My shepherd provides me food—one of the main tasks of a pastor. I see our position as being a spiritual chef.

The words of Paul to Timothy were these: “Be diligent,” or in the Old translation, “Study to show yourselves approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Be prepared. Study hard.

I believe, if you want to get strong sheep, you teach them through books of the Bible—all of it. The Bible says that in the last days people “will not endure sound doctrine,” So what some leaders do if they don’t endure it, they won’t give it to them, but give them what they want to hear.

You’ll notice in verse 2 it says, “Serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but as examples to the flock.” See the word “overseers“? Episcopos, episcopal, means bishop. Literally it means somebody who sees over; “overseer.”

It’s somebody who looks over a group of people and sees what they need, looks over a flock of sheep and looks out for them. That’s the idea of an overseer. He’s gifted to lead them. He’s to do it a few different ways. You’ll notice it says, “not by compulsion but willingly.” In other words, not because you have to, but because you want to. A pastor should never say, “Oh, it’s Sunday again.”

So it’s a calling and it’s a gifting to feed and to lead because you want to. He further qualifies it, “not for dishonest gain“—there were many false prophets that peppered the congregation in ancient times and were out just to get money out of people—“but eagerly.” Further qualification is in verse 3, “nor as being lords over“—you’re an overseer, not an overlord. “Not as being lord over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” The greatest sermon ever preached is a sermon by example.

And here’s why: sheep cannot be driven, they have to be led. You lead sheep, you don’t drive them. You lead them and example is what goes the furthest. A leader is somebody who knows the way, goes the way, and then shows the way. He leads by example. A personal relationship with Christ; a practical gifting to serve Christ; and, three, a powerful desire to please Christ. That’s the third and the last.

Look at verse 4. “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” One of the most beautiful titles of Jesus ever: “the Chief Shepherd.” I love that. He called himself the “Good Shepherd.”

Peter heard that sermon, but here it says he’s the greatest Shepherd, he’s the best Shepherd, he’s the Chief Shepherd. We are just under-shepherds feeding his flock that he entrusted to us. Remember that up to this point Peter is encouraging a suffering group of people, right? And one of the ways he encourages them is he says, “Hold on. It’s tough now, but later on when Jesus comes back, you’re going to get a reward. The best is yet to come. Look toward the future. Look toward the goal of God’s glory.” He says the same thing now to the pastors: our motivation for ministry is to please Jesus Christ.

If a pastor gets into the ministry and just tries to just please people, he’ll be like a dog chasing its tail. It will just never happen, because as soon as you please someone, someone else won’t like it.  It’s better to start when you start by pleasing the Lord Jesus Christ. Stuart Briscoe said, “Here’s the qualifications of a pastor: he needs the mind of a scholar, he needs the heart of a child, and he needs the hide of a rhinoceros.” 

In the end we will not stand before any group of our peers, we will stand before one, the Chief Shepherd. And notice what he will do if you do it right: “You will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” You want to know what Peter had in mind when he wrote that. The Olympic games in Athens. When you would win first, second, or third, you know what you got for it? You didn’t get, like, a lot of cash and a new car and a big gold medal; you got a little wreath of leaves on your head that would die in about a week. You get oak leaves or laurel leaves or flowers or, in some cases, parsley. Okay, so you put all of that effort to win a race for a salad on your head. That’s it. It fades away.

And Peter said, “If you run this race and you do it right, God will give you a crown that will never fade away, ever.” You can labor for different kinds of crowns. Some will labor for a crown of fame and popularity, others will labor for a crown of personal empire building, others will labor for a crown of people’s applause. But the best way to labor is for God’s approval. It’s always nice to hear, “Great sermon, pastor,” but I can never live for that. You live for hearing Jesus say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” That’s what you want to hear. That’s what you’re waiting for, as well as I am. We all have our individual ministries in any church.

It’s an amazing privilege and incredible joy it is for me to be a part of a group of men, pastors, elders and overseers such as Brian, Gerry, Dani and new additions Blair, Joe and Jordan that love Jesus, love people, are capable and qualified men at our church. And it is our privilege to serve this flock!

Darrell

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)

Sources:
A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23: Discovering God’s Love for You, W. Phillip Keller, ‎W. P. Keller · 2007
Grace to You Ministries, John MacArthur, 1 Peter 5, Sheep and Shepherds
Connect Ministries, “Rock Solid” 1-2 Peter, Skip Heitzeg
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Resilient Marriage – Wives – 1 Peter 3:1-6

Posted on November 11, 2025 by dkoop

We’ve come to an important theme of this letter, the example and the person of Christ in 2:21–25.
In all cases, Christians are to present themselves before a watching world as people who emulate Jesus. We are to pattern our lives on his example. For in doing so we present the world fresh and vibrant pictures of living hope. Clearly, that is the logic of our opening verses. Equally clear are Peter’s desires that his words apply to all Christian wives, not just those who are married to unbelieving husbands, for the text says, “even if some do not obey the word.” So the force behind the words we are looking at in 3:1–6 are intended for all Christian wives.  These verses are amazing and work so well for wives to impact the world around them, starting with their husbands.

When a man became a Christian, he usually would bring his whole family into the church with him (see, for example, the story of the conversion of the Philippian jailer in Acts 16:29–34). By contrast, a woman who became a Christian usually came into the church alone. Under Roman law, the husband and father had absolute authority over all members of his household, including his wife. Demanding her rights as a free woman in Christ could endanger her marriage if her husband disapproved. Peter reassured Christian women who were married to unbelievers that they did not need to preach to their husbands. Under the circumstances, their best approach would be one of godly behavior: They should show their husbands the kind of self-giving love that Christ showed the church. By being exemplary wives, they would please their husbands. At the very least, the men might then allow them to continue practicing their faith. At best, their husbands would join them and become Christians, too.

A changed life speaks loudly and clearly, and it is often the most effective way to influence a family member. Peter instructs Christian wives to develop inner beauty rather than being overly concerned about their outward appearance; for far more important is the developing of an inner spirit of godliness. Live your Christian faith quietly and consistently in your home, so that your family will see Christ in you. True beauty begins inside (Proverbs 31:30).

To be submissive to another’s authority means to cooperate voluntarily out of love and respect for God and for that person. Ideally, submission is mutual (“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ”—Ephesians 5:21). Even when it is onesided, however, the expression of submission can be an effective Christian witness. Jesus Christ submitted to death so that we could be saved; we may sometimes have to submit to unpleasant circumstances so that others will see Christ in us. (Christian submission never requires us to disobey God, remain in an unsafe situation, or participate in what our conscience forbids.) One-sided submission requires tremendous strength. We could not do it without the power of the Holy Spirit working in us.

So, what else does this living hope and soul-winning conduct look like in Christian wives? Peter begins his answer, just as he did when describing our eternal inheritance (1:4), by way of contrast. He tells us what good deeds and honorable conduct do not look like in Christian wives.

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair, the wearing of gold, or the putting on of clothing—but … (3:3, 4)

Peter’s culture, like our own, had an obsession with external adornment. Women were under enormous pressure to look beautiful. They were fixated on their hair, the wearing of jewelry, and clothing. In response, Peter wants Christian women not to be overly concerned about external beauty.  The wrong interpretation of this verse would leave women without any braiding of hair, wearing of jewelry, or wearing of clothing. Peter is not advocating any such thing! His concern is one of emphasis, as any discerning reader will understand. The pressures placed on Christian women by today’s culture are nothing short of oppressive. Women today can’t walk into a store without being bombarded with shelves devoted to hair products. They can’t walk down the street without being overwhelmed by the need for more jewelry. Women cannot open a magazine without being assaulted by the sense that their own closets are threadbare of anything worth wearing.
This passion for external adornment comes at a terrible cost for today’s women—the sense of never looking good enough, never being pretty enough, never measuring up. Women are made to feel inferior, ugly, and unlovable. And the consequences are mounting.
It is with a sense of irony then that we recognize that the Bible leads the way against such oppression and that Peter thinks more highly of women than does the culture in which we live. Peter wants to free women from the obscene obsession of looking good.

External vs Internal Adornment

What are Christian women to be concerned about instead?

But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious. (3:4)

Peter calls upon Christian wives and women to adorn themselves with the “imperishable beauty” located in “the hidden person of the heart.” Literally, he asks wives to be concerned to dress “the inner man.” Peter tells Christian women to pay attention to the adornment with which they are dressing the interior of their souls. “Arise, put your feet on the ground, and get dressed from the inside out.” Further, he desires that they cultivate “a gentle and quiet spirit.” By way of application, women should consider how much time it takes to prepare getting ready in the morning, then see that Peter is urging them to take time to adorn the inner person as well. Christian women ought to be known for putting on the clothing of Christ. After all, he was gentle and meek.
The motivation for women taking the time to adorn their souls is now put forward by Peter. The later half of verse 4 says that in doing so they become “precious” in the sight of God. In other words, when God looks upon them, he is glad to have them for his bride. Men and fathers, is this the kind of woman we are teaching our sons to look for in a wife? Is this what we ourselves appreciate most in women? Are our hearts in tune with the heart of God concerning what is considered precious?

The Life of Sarah

Peter doesn’t stop at simply giving women instruction and motivation. He goes on in this text to provide an illustration, an example, for every woman to follow.

For this is how the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves, by submitting to their husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. And you are her children, if you do good and do not fear anything that is frightening. (3:5, 6)

When Peter went looking for a woman whose life modeled good works, he chose Sarah, the wife of Abraham. When he wanted to put forward someone with “a gentle and quiet spirit,” he selected Sarah. And we can all thank Peter for doing so. After all, Sarah wasn’t a wallflower woman. Sarah wasn’t weak. She was real. And the Scriptures portray her faith and life as precious and beautiful.

Why does Peter draw our attention to Sarah? It is because she lived out God’s principle of submission by calling Abraham, “lord.” I looked back in the Old Testament narrative to see the precise time when Sarah called Abraham that and found that it was at the time of her laughter. This “lord and laughter” day in her life is recorded in Genesis 18:9–14, and it is worth reading.

They said to him, “Where is Sarah your wife?” And he said, “She is in the tent.” The LORD said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in years. The way of women had ceased to be with Sarah. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?” The LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the LORD?”

Interestingly, Sarah’s laughter betrayed her sense of disbelief—her nervous, verbal wonderment at the idea that God could fulfill his promise of a son. And God replied in effect, “Is anything impossible with God?”

The Laughter of Today’s Women

The laughter of Sarah can still be heard behind the curtain of our tents today. The voices of many women who hear these words on submission are likely to exclaim, “You have got to be kidding me. That’s absurd. God will keep his promises to me? He will keep me safe in this relationship?” And Peter says, “Yes. God can be trusted.” Women who give themselves to this pattern of life, though it is “frightening” (v. 6), will be those whom God meets in their hour of need. Those who entrust themselves to God will find that he will keep his word to them. And what was his promised word? “You have been born again to a living hope, and you shall receive an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading.”  You can trust God to keep his word. That is what Peter has been saying throughout this letter. Entrust yourself to God, and God will go with you.

So whatever your situation—an unjust official, an overbearing employer, a difficult husband—Peter wants you to know that God will deliver you. He can be trusted. And not only that, he wants you to know that when you live according to this pattern of submission, when you entrust yourself to God’s Word, you show yourself to be living a life modeled by Jesus and righteous Sarah.

Sarah reminds us of the Proverbs 31 woman. There verse 10 reads, “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels” (a connection to 1 Peter 3:3, 4). “The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good [there is our word from 1 Peter 3:6], and not harm, all the days of her life” (vv. 11, 12). Proverbs 31:25 will go on to assert, “Strength and dignity are her clothing.” Isn’t that great? When Christian wives adorn themselves with gentleness and quietness, what do they get? They get strength and dignity!

Our Heavenly Father, help every man and woman, husband and wife to live in a way that pleases you. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)

Sources:
David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 103–107.

Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 2131–2132.

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Resilient Marriage – Husbands -1 Peter 3:7

Posted on November 11, 2025 by dkoop

Marriage is hard work, consider the plight of a young husband who has been married about one year, and he writes with some trouble, but he writes this letter in the vernacular of the computer world. He writes the letter to tech support, saying:

“Dear Tech Support, last year I upgraded from Girlfriend 5.0 to Wife 1.0. I soon noticed that the new program began unexpected child processing that took up lots of space and valuable resources. In addition, Wife 1.0 installed itself into all other programs, and now monitors all other system activity.”

“Applications such as Poker Night 10.3, Football 5.0, Hunting and Fishing 7.5, and Racing 3.6, I can’t seem to keep Wife 1.0 in the background while attempting to run my favorite applications. I think I’m thinking about going back to Girlfriend 5.0, but the uninstall doesn’t work on Wife 1.0. Please help!” Signed, “Troubled User.”

The letter comes back: “Dear Troubled User, this is a very common problem. Many people upgrade from Girlfriend 5.0 to Wife 1.0 thinking that it’s just a utilities and entertainment program.”

“Oh, no. Wife 1.0 is an operating system and is designed by its creator to run everything. It’s impossible to uninstall or purge the program files from the system once installed. Wife 1.0 is designed not to allow this. Look in your Wife 1.0 Manual. I suggest installing the background application called, Yes Dear to alleviate the software augmentation. The best course of action is to enter the command C:\APOLOGIZE, because ultimately you will have to give the APOLOGIZE command before the system will return to normal anyway.

Peter also has something to say to husbands. He writes briefly:

Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.  1 Peter 3:7

We note some areas of marriage conduct which Peter addresses here:

Companionship. “Live with them” (1 Peter 3:7). Companionship is one of the fundamental reasons for marriage. The first marriage (Adam and Eve) came about because God said it was not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). Yet many men, after marriage, seem more interested in spending time “with the boys” than in keeping company with their wife. Society does not encourage togetherness, and even churches fail here, for we have men’s meetings and women’s meetings, men’s clubs, and women’s clubs, but few together meetings and clubs. But if a marriage is to stay together the couple must be together.

The husband is called upon to live with his wife with understanding or  “according to knowledge” (v. 7, KJV; ESV, “in an understanding way”). The word used here for “knowledge” is used throughout the Bible in reference to sexual intercourse. A man knows a woman. Peter wants husbands to live out this aspect of the one-flesh relationship with intimate concern and care.

That a husband should treat his wife with understanding implies more than just a kind attitude; it goes deeper, implying that his consideration of his wife is based on his knowledge of her needs, desires, gifts, and abilities. A husband who acts on his knowledge of his wife will greatly enrich her life, as well as his own. This is the explicit message of Paul in Ephesians 5:25–27.

Husbands in the same way were to give honor to their wives.

The word translated “honor” is translated “precious” in 1 Peter 2:4, 6, 7 and means something of high value. A good husband comprehends the fact that his wife is worth much. “Her price is far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10).

In the next verse he will give the reason for his concern: in regard to her physical frame she is “the weaker vessel.”

When Peter says that women may be “weaker” than men, he was not implying moral or intellectual inferiority, but was recognizing women’s physical limitations. Women in his day, if unprotected by men, were vulnerable to attack, abuse, and financial disaster. Women’s lives may be easier today, but women are still vulnerable to criminal attack and family abuse. And in spite of increased opportunities in the workplace, many women still earn less than men, and the vast majority of the nations’ poor are single mothers and their children. A man who honors his wife as a member of the weaker sex will protect, respect, help, and stay with her. He will not expect her to work full-time outside the home and full-time at home; he will lighten her load wherever he can. He will be sensitive to her needs, and he will relate to her with courtesy, consideration, insight, and tact.

Husbands know this: your wife deserves nothing less than your most elevated and intimate care, concern, love, and honor. Is it any wonder that Christian women today are so frightened in this area of life? Too many men are only fixated on their needs and desires. Too many are not living according to knowledge. Too many are bringing into the marriage bed a view of sex that is borrowed from the world, a view that is base and unlovely. Peter provides a well-placed corrective, “showing honor.”

The Husband’s Motivation

Peter reminded husbands that their wives are fellow heirs with them of the grace of life. They are equal partners and partakers of the glory that is to be revealed on the last day. As such, they should be treated with respect and dignity. After all, they are, like you, the very bride of Christ. They too have been bought with his blood. They also are the majestic ones in whom is his delight.

The husband and wife stand on the same level in terms of spiritual privilege. One is not more saved than the other when they receive Christ as Savior.

A second motivation for careful stewardship of your marriage is found at the end of verse 7: “so that your prayers may not be hindered.”

If a man is not considerate and respectful of his wife, his prayers will not be heard, because a living relationship with God depends on right relationships with others. Jesus said that if you have a problem with a fellow believer, you must make it right with that person before coming to worship (Matthew 5:23, 24). This principle carries over into family relationships. If men use their position to mistreat their wives, their prayers will be hindered.

Also, the word translated “your” is plural. This implies that married couples will be praying together. The act of praying together is one of the most difficult things for a husband to cultivate. For some reason most of us have trouble going before the throne of grace in the presence of our wife. Yet, if we consider how great and glorious this is—namely, the two standing together in his presence—we will begin afresh in this endeavor.

In the text of 1 Peter 3:1–7 we have seen one overriding principle, as we follow Christ, He changes our relationships. We have seen Peter’s twofold plan: women, do not let your adorning be external, but let your adorning be the adorning of the hidden person of the heart. We have seen the woman’s threefold reward: the possible salvation of her spouse, her preciousness in the sight of God, and her reward for entrusting herself to God. In addition, we have heard the call for husbands to know, love, care, understand, treat with honor and see their wives are partners or heirs in salvation leading to greater unity and God hearing and answering their prayers.

Our Heavenly Father, help every man and woman, husband and wife to live in a way that pleases you. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)

Sources:
David R. Helm, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude: Sharing Christ’s Sufferings, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2008), 107–108.

Life Application Bible Notes (Tyndale, 2007), 2132.

Bruce Barton et al., Life Application New Testament Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2001), 1115.

John G. Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor: 1 & 2 Peter (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 2010), 212.

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Grow in Your Salvation – 1 Peter 2:1-10

Posted on November 7, 2025 by dkoop


Peter is interested that the believers do some growing. Non-growing believers are a problem in every age. Some have been saved for years but are still in the nursery spiritually.

1. Our Privileges Driving Growth (1 Peter 2:1)
“Therefore” (1 Peter 2:1). This word refers back to the previous text’s message at the end of Chapter 1 and gives that as a prompter for growing in salvation.  Mainly,

…having been born again, not of [k]corruptible seed but [l]incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides [m]forever, 24 because

“All flesh is as grass,
And all [n]the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25 But the [o]word of the Lord endures forever.”

Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. 1 Peter 1: 23-25

• The privilege of being born again. Part of the previous text spoke of the favor the people of that day had in having the Gospel message revealed to them. Many Old Testament saints did not have that privilege. Spiritual privilege not only prompts spiritual growth but makes us responsible to grow spiritually.
• The privilege of having the Word of God. The nearest previous text spoke of the Word of God and its great character and value. To have the Word of God makes the lack of spiritual growth absolutely inexcusable.

2. The Trash to Throw Away to Grow (1 Peter 2:1)
We will not make much progress spiritually until we clean up our lives from sinful conduct.
• The acts or thoughts of wanting to hurt others with our words or actions. “Laying aside all malice” (1 Peter 2:1). The word translated “malice” is larger in meaning than just malice but can be and is translated “wickedness” at times. Note it is “all” malice. No wickedness toward others is be tolerated. Get rid of it.
• The practice of Deciet. “Guile.” This word means deceit. The verb form of this noun means to catch with bait. This is how Satan does his work. He deceives by making things look like they are not and this deceives and ensnares many.
• The practice of faking. “Hypocrisies” (1 Peter 2:1). The church is filled with hypocrites. They say one thing and do another. The Pharisees were like this. The believer, however, is to be sincere, faithful, truthful, honest.
• The practice of Envy or Jealousy. “Envies” (1 Peter 2:1). A.R. Fausset in the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown commentary says, “Malice delights in another’s hurt, envy pines at another’s good.” Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” It is a lot harder to rejoice with the rejoicing than to weep with the weeping. Envy prevents many from rejoicing with the rejoicing.
• The practice of slander or complaining. “All evil speaking” (1 Peter 2:1). This evil speaking is slander—tearing down or criticizing others. There is a lot of that sort of thing among believers. Evil does not need facts to accuse, if it lacks facts it invents them.

3. The WORD Needed for the Growing (1 Peter 2:2)
One not only must get rid of evil to grow, but one must also eat the right food to grow.
• The desire for the Word. “Desire” (1 Peter 2:2). One must have a good appetite to eat. Lack of spiritual appetite comes when you have filled your life with evil. “As newborn babes … milk of the word” (1 Peter 2:2). “As newborns.  He is not saying they are newborns.  We are to always crave God’s word.  This is not saying milk is for the new born and meat is for mature.  We are to all crave the Word.
• The design of the Word. “Grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). The Word of God is the food that will bring spiritual growth. The reason many Christians do not grow is that they soak up TV and Social Media by the hour and ignore their Bibles.  And few churches help, for they fill the church program with play and not the Word of God.

THE PORTRAYAL OF THE CHURCH
1 Peter 2:3–10

Three important things about the church are portrayed in this section of chapter 2. They concern the Head of the Church, namely, Jesus Christ, the members of the church, and the message of the church, namely, the Gospel.

1. The Master of the Church (1 Peter 2:3, 4, 6–8)
The Master or Head of the Church is Jesus Christ. Our text gives some pertinent information about Him.
• The excellence of Christ. “You have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Peter 2:3). The word “gracious” means good and virtuous. The excellence of Christ is emphasized here.
• The life in Christ. “A living stone” (1 Peter 2:4). A rare combination of “stone” and “living.” But Christ is the foundation (“stone”) of salvation and gives life (“living”) to the soul that was dead in sin.
• The stability of Christ. “Stone” (1 Peter 2:4, 6, 7, 8). Christ is absolutely essential to our faith, the Gospel, our salvation. Christ’s essentialness is presented in the symbolism of a stone in Scriptures. The symbolism represents at least three things about Christ. First, the foundation of Christ. “Living stone” (1 Peter 2:4). Christ is the foundational stone of the Gospel and our salvation (2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Corinthians 3:11). Second, the importance of Christ. “Chief corner stone … head of the corner” (1 Peter 2:6, 7). In the days of this epistle, the corner stone was essential in the plan and construction of a building. Today a corner stone is merely a symbolic stone affixed in the wall of a building after it is completed with dates engraved on it and a box in it for time-sake mementoes. Third, the rejection of Christ. “Stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word” (1 Peter 2:8). That which is essential becomes a stumbling stone when it is not perceived as essential.
• The rejection of Christ. “rejected by men … the stone which the builders rejected  (1 Peter 2:4, 7); cp. Psalm 118:22). The most important stone of the building was rejected by the builders. This is a picture of many lives. The most important Person for their life is utterly rejected. Society rejects Christ, yet He is the most important person for society. The exclusion of Christ does not show the deficiency of Christ but the dumbness of mankind.
• The election of Christ. “Chosen of God … elect” (1 Peter 2:4, 6). The word translated “chosen” is the same word translated “elect.” God knows the future and knows who will choose Him and He chooses them to have eternal life and a purpose on earth.   Being chosen by God emphasizes the fact of the plan God had for the Gospel which was planned “before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20).
• The esteem of Christ. “Precious” (1 Peter 2:4, 6). This word found twice in these texts means something “held in honor, prized” (Thayer). The word “precious” in 1 Peter 2:7 is a different word in the Greek but means relatively the same thing. All these texts say those who believe esteem Christ as of great value. Unbelievers do not see value in Christ but despise Him.

2. The Members of the Church (1 Peter 2:5, 9, 10)
The church is also composed of members who are the redeemed by the Lord.
• They are secure members. “You also, as living stones” (1 Peter 2:5). The symbolism of stones, which was used for Christ as the chief corner stone, continues with the believers to compare the church to a building. Christ is the chief corner stone (1 Peter 2:6), and the believers comprise the other stones (“lively stones, are built up … house” [1 Peter 2:5]).
• They are a spiritual members. “Spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). To be part of this house requires more than a physical life but requires a spiritual life which is obtained by being “born again” (1 Peter 1:23).
• They are selected members. “Chosen generation” (1 Peter 2:9). The choosing was not because of merit but because of mercy.
• They are a society of members. “An holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). This is not speaking of the local church on earth but of all believers in their spiritual union with one another.
• They are safe members. “Peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9). The word translated “peculiar” does not mean strange or eccentric but speaks of a people of possession. That is, God purchased us by Christ paying the ransom for our sins. Also in the meaning is “preservation” (Thayer). God does not lose His possessions. Once we belong to God in salvation our souls are safe forever.
• They are serving members. “An holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God … a royal priesthood … that ye should show forth the praises of him” (1 Peter 2:5, 9). We are not saved to sit around but to serve the Lord in a way that will praise Him.
• They are saved members. “Who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9, 10). Three things are noted here about salvation. First, the moving in salvation. “Called you out of darkness unto his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The redeemed have been moved judicially from darkness to light. It is moving one’s destiny from the darkness of hell to the delight of heaven. Second, the membership in salvation. “But are now the people of God.” (1 Peter 2:10). While we are all related to God through creation, the relationship that counts is the relationship the comes via salvation which makes us the “people of God.” Third, the mercy in salvation. “Now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:10). Salvation is all of Divine mercy, no human merit is involved.

3. The Message of the Church (1 Peter 2:6–8)

The message of the church is the Gospel message. Peter gives some pertinent details about his message.
• The source of the message. “Contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, previous” (1 Peter 2:6). Isaiah 28:16 is the Old Testament reference here. The Gospel was proclaimed by the Old Testament in types and prophecies. The two on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24) were shown about Christ in the Old Testament. Paul spoke of the Gospel being in accord with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3). He who preaches and teaches the Bible will proclaim the Gospel. But leave out the Bible and the Gospel is left out.
• The significance of the message. “Behold” (1 Peter 2:6). We have our “beholds” in the wrong place today. Politics and sports, money and Hollywood are not worth any “beholds” but the salvation of your soul is the biggest “Behold” in life.
• The Savior in the message. “Chief corner stone, elect, precious” (1 Peter 2:6). Christ is the Savior. His importance to the Gospel is emphasized in three ways here. First, He is essential to salvation. “Chief corner stone.” The corner stone was the most essential stone in the building in those days. Second, He is elected as the Savior “Elect.” God chose Christ as the Savior. There are not any substitutes. We come to Him or we are lost. Third, He is esteemed in salvation. “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious” (1 Peter 2:7). Christ must be esteemed if one is to be saved.
• The stipulation in the message. “Believe” (1 Peter 2:6, 7). Faith is required for salvation. Church membership, baptism, communion, and other exercises and services are not required to be saved. You must believe in Jesus Christ or you will be damned.
• The satisfaction in the message. “He that believes on him shall not be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6). The thought in all these verses is that Christ satisfies, He will never disappoint, He will never cause one to be truly ashamed of his choice of Christ in salvation. So Paul can say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16)
• The stumbling over the message. “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word” (1 Peter 2:8). The Gospel message, though logical, though free, though better than any salvation message, is however rejected by most men. Christ to them is a stumbling stone. The Word of God, which proclaims the Gospel, is stumbled over by unbelief. Christ and the Word are either stepping stones or stumbling blocks—depending on your acceptance or rejection of them.

www.Upwards.Church

Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos

Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church

Facebook: Upwards Church

Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)

Source:  adapted and edited; from John G. Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor: 1 & 2 Peter (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 2010), 199–204.

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