#11. He Cares for You (1 Peter 5:7-14)
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson
http://www.jesuswalk.com/1peter/11_cares.htm
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St. Peter, fresco fragments, Rome, second half of the 13th century, 39 cm high,
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1 Peter 5:7-14
[7] Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
[8] Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a
roaring lion looking for someone to devour. [9] Resist him, standing firm in the
faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing
the same kind of sufferings.
[10] And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you
strong, firm and steadfast. [11] To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.
[12] With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have
written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true
grace of God. Stand fast in it.
[13] She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her
greetings, and so does my son Mark. [14] Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ.
Exposition
We are attacked by fear. We are attacked by the adversary. And God is greater
and stronger than our attacks, says St. Peter in this concluding portion of his
letter. It ends on an upbeat but practical note. He tells us how to face life,
how to face our spiritual enemy, how to face suffering, and how to face God.
Rejecting Fear (5:7)
Peter instructs us to face life by trusting God.
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (5:7)
Grammatically, verse 7, "casting all your anxiety on him..." goes with verse
6 about humbling ourselves before one another, trusting God. But I've decided to
look at it in this lesson, along with other instructions about living the
Christian life.
We all face difficulties, testings -- and sometimes persecution and
suffering. All these cause stress. We worry, we fret, we forget to trust God.
One of the most important lessons of the Christian life is found in Peter's
brief instruction: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you"
(5:7). No doubt Peter recalled a similar verse in Psalms as the basis of his
instruction:
"Cast your cares on the Lord
and he will sustain you;
he will never let the righteous fall." (Psalm 55:22)[1]
Let's look carefully at the words Peter uses. Peter's one-verse command has
three elements.
First, fear or anxiety. "Anxiety" (NIV, NRSV) and "care" is the Greek noun
merimna, "anxiety, worry, care" from the verb merimnaō, "be
apprehensive, have anxiety, be (unduly) concerned."[2] Jesus had taught his
disciples something similar in the Sermon on the Mount. His listeners were
worried about food and clothing. Jesus pointed them to the birds and the
flowers, and then said:
"Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things
will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry (merimnaō) about
tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble
of its own." (Matthew 6:33-34)
Don't worry, trust God.
Casting Off Fear through Prayer (5:7)
Second, prayer. I am fascinated by the verb in Peter's instruction. "Cast" is
the Greek verb epiriptō, which means originally, "to propel something
from one place to another, throw." Then it means "to transfer one's concerns,
cast upon."[3] This is a very active word. I think of it in terms of "throw,"
"propel," "eject," "remove violently," "send worry as a projectile far from
you." So often we nurse our fears. We welcome them, we nurture and dwell upon
them several times each day. At night we allow them to haunt our sleep. Peter
tells us to "propel" them to God. We do that through prayer. Paul teaches us:
"Do not be anxious (merimnaō) about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests
to God." (Philippians 4:6)
We must come to the point where we do not allow anxiety and fear to grip us.
Instead we covenant to throw our fears on God in prayer. We refuse to pamper and
nurse them any longer. Instead, as might a quarterback making a lateral pass --
we throw them to God in prayer!
Trusting in God's Care (5:7)
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (5:7)
Third, Peter tells us about God's concern for us. "Cares" is the Greek verb
melomai, "be an object of care, be a cause of concern."[4] What Peter is
saying is that you -- insert name -- are an object of concern to God. You aren't
by yourself. You don't have to keep your worries. God himself is
concerned for your welfare. God himself wants you to be whole and
healthy. God himself feels your pain and sadness. God himself paid
the penalty for your sins and has set you free from condemnation. God himself
cares for you! Wow!
Why should we cast our anxieties his way? Because he has real concern for us.
Let him bear your worries, for he has deep concern and interest in everything
you face.
The Existence of the Devil
But this is not just a lonely psychological and spiritual struggle with fear.
There is an active enemy as well.
I think it is interesting that while most people believe that there is a God,
a much smaller percentage actually believe there is a devil. Flip Wilson's "the
devil made me do it" line has helped to trivialize and caricature the devil so
that thinking people are embarrassed to believe in the devil.
But Jesus believed in the devil. He met Satan in direct spiritual conflict.
Satan is much more than a convenient myth to explain evil. He is a person who is
opposed to God and all God stands for. From hints given to us in Scripture,
Satan seems to be an archangel who rebelled against God, has fallen from a place
in heaven, and has control over many lesser fallen angels, known as demons.
Jesus said in the parable of the sheep and the goats, "Depart from me, you
cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels" (Matthew
25:41).
Satan is named in 1 Chronicles 21:1; Job 1:6-12, 2:1-7; Zechariah 3:1-2;
Matthew 12:26 (=Mark 3:26=Luke 11:18); 16:23 (=Mark 8:33); Mark 4:13 (=Matthew
13:19=Luke 8:12); Luke 10:18; 13:16; 22:3, 31; John 13:27; Acts 5:3; 26:18;
Romans 16:20; 1 Corinthians 5:5; 7:5; 2 Corinthians 2:11; 11:14; 12:7; 2
Thessalonians 2:18; 2 Thessalonians 2:9; 1 Timothy 1:20; 5:15; Revelation 2:9,
13, 24; 3:9; 12:9; 20:2, 7.
The devil is referred to in Matthew 4:1-11 (=Mark 1:12-13=Luke 4:1-13),
13:39; 25:41; John 8:44; 13:2; Acts 10:38; 13:10; Ephesians 4:27; 6:11; 1
Timothy 3:6-7; 2 Timothy 2:26; Hebrews 2:14; James 3:15; 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8; 1
John 3:8, 10; Jude 9; Revelation 2:10; 12:9, 12; 20:2, 10.
The term "the evil one" is used in Matthew 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38; John 17:15;
Ephesians 6:16; 2 Thessalonians 3:3; 1 John 2:13-14; 3:12; 5:18-19. Another
reference is in Colossians 2:15;
A very strong case can be made that both Jesus and the Apostles believed in
Satan. The only case against the existence of a personal devil is an arrogant,
paternalistic, "we know better than that" unbelief that appeals to our
intellectual insecurities.
The Enemy of Our Souls (5:8)
Peter describes the devil in this passage as a dangerous animal.
"Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for
someone to devour." (5:8)
I've heard preachers minimize Satan's power. They say that he can only roar,
not bite. He can only gum you to death. That's foolishness. The devil depicted
in the New Testament is powerful, though not omnipotent, dealt a death-blow at
the cross, but still dangerous. The devil described in the Book of Revelation,
with the Beast and the Antichrist, are certainly dangerous, formidable foes.
Don't underestimate them.
What does Peter's brief description tell us? He calls Satan an enemy.
"Adversary" (KJV, NRSV) and "enemy" (NIV) is the Greek noun antidikos,
originally a legal technical term, "one who brings a charge in a lawsuit,
accuser, plaintiff," but here could mean more generally "one who is continuously
antagonistic to another, enemy, opponent."[5]
"Devil" is the Greek noun diabolos, which means originally, "one who
engages in slander." In the New Testament it is the title of the principal
transcendent evil being, the adversary/devil."[6] "Roaring" translates an
onomatopoeic Greek verb, that is, a word that imitates the sound it suggests --
oruomai.
In verse 8, Peter depicts Satan as a lion. In America we are fairly free of
lions, but last year a jogger was killed by a mountain lion in my community.
About five years ago I saw a mountain lion chasing deer outside my study window.
In Israel, lions were a constant threat, since there was no way to exterminate
them as we have done with the grizzly bear and wolf in this country. Lions are
mentioned 77 times in the Bible, mostly in the Old Testament. Jesus is called
"the lion of Judah" (Revelation 5:5; Genesis 49:9).
God's judgment is sometimes compared to the threat of lions and wild animals:
"So I will come upon them like a lion,
like a leopard I will lurk by the path.
Like a bear robbed of her cubs,
I will attack them and rip them open.
Like a lion I will devour them;
a wild animal will tear them apart." (Hosea 13:7-8)
My point is that we shouldn't minimize or underestimate our enemy. To be
called a lion seeking prey is to say he is dangerous. "Devour" is the Greek verb
katapinō, to drink or swallow completely," then figuratively, "to destroy
completely, devour."[7]
Resisting the Devil (5:8-9)
On the other hand, though are aware of the threat, we are certainly not to
cower in fear!
"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around
like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm
in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are
undergoing the same kind of sufferings." (5:8-9)
What is required to be victorious over our arch enemy? In verses 8 and 9
Peter gives us five instructions:
1. Be self-controlled. "Self-controlled" (NIV), "sober" (NIV), and
"discipline yourselves" (NRSV) is the Greek verb nēphō, which primarily
means "sober, not drunk." But in the New Testament it is used figuratively, "be
free from every form of mental and spiritual 'drunkenness,' from excess,
passion, rashness, confusion, etc. Be well-balanced, self-controlled."[8] If we
expect to have a victorious Christian life we must become disciplined people.
Sloppy living makes us sitting ducks for prowling lions.
2. Be alert. "Be alert" (NIV, NRSV) and "be vigilant" (KJV) is the
Greek verb grēgoreō, which literally means, "to stay awake, be watchful."
Here it is used of spiritual watchfulness, "to be in constant readiness, be on
the alert," similar to our expression, "Keep your eyes open."[9] If we expect to
have a victorious Christian life we must be alert to what is happening around us
and not assume that we have no enemies. We can't assume that we are safe. We
can't remain oblivious to the dangers. We have a cunning spiritual foe who seeks
to destroy us. Watch out for him.
3. Resist him. "Resist" is the Greek verb anthistēmi, which
means, "to be in opposition to, set oneself against, oppose."[10] We can't be
neutral about serving God. If we want to have a victorious Christian life we
must take a firm stand in our lives against sin and consistently resist
temptation. If we are "double minded" (James 1:8; 4:8), however, we resist part
of the time and then give into our true desires the rest of the time. That is a
losing strategy. We can't be neutral or excuse our weaknesses. We must resist.
Paul talks about preparing oneself with spiritual armor: "Therefore put on the
full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand
your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand" (Ephesians 6:13).
Standing in the face of the foe is what it means to resist. It is not
surrendering nor is it retreating.
4. Keep your faith. To stand in the face of an enemy takes courage and
faith. "Firm" (NIV) and "steadfast" (KJV, NRSV) is the Greek adjective
stereos, which refers originally to physical properties, "pertaining to
being firm or solid in contrast to being soft or viscous; firm, hard, solid,
strong." In our verse it is used figuratively of human character, "steadfast,
firm."[11]
5. Be willing to suffer. To experience spiritual victory we need to be
prepared to suffer persecution or hardship, if necessary, for our faith.
"Sufferings" (NIV, NRSV) and "afflictions" (KJV) is the Greek noun pathēma
that Peter has used throughout this letter. Jesus warned in the Parable of the
Sower of believers who give up at the first sign of persecution:
"The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man
who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no
root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because
of the word, he quickly falls away." (Matthew 13:20-21)
Paul warned timid Timothy: "Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ
Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim. 3:12). We must decide ahead of time that we
will stand our ground, even when it means taking lots of heat.
But with these instructions, we Christians can experience spiritual
victory over our enemy Satan. He is not invincible. Through faith and
prayer we can defeat him in the everyday struggles of life. We can!
Our Eternal Hope (5:10)
Now Peter is winding down his letter. But he can't finish without a paean of
praise to his God.
"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in
Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and
make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever.
Amen." (5:10-11)
This short doxology is rich in hope. Look at it with me:
"The God of all grace" is a God who has shown us favor and forgiveness
when we least deserved it, taking the punishment upon himself in Christ Jesus.
If you've been terrified of God and distrustful of his power, realize that he is
a God of favor and grace toward you.
"Who has called you to his eternal glory" describes God's invitation
to you. His hope and plan for you is eternal glory, eternal life. "Eternal" is
the Greek adverb aiōnios, "pertaining to a period of unending duration,
"without end."[12] Glory refers to the great aura of holiness and brightness
that surrounds God. When God revealed himself to Moses, Moses' face glowed for
days (2 Corinthians 3:13). Paul described God as: "the blessed and only Ruler,
the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in
unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see" (1 Timothy 6:15-16). But
God calls us to share life with him in the midst of that "unapproachable light"
for eternity. That he has "called" you to eternal glory means that eternal glory
is your destiny!
"In Christ" reminds us that we can come to the Father only through
Jesus Christ his Son (John 14:6). It is our relationship to Christ that saves
us, nothing on our own account.
"After you have suffered a little while," acknowledges that we
experience suffering now, but declares a limit to its duration. "A little while"
(NIV, NRSV) and "a while" (KJV) is the Greek adjective oligos,
"pertaining to being relatively small in number, few." Here it refers to
duration, "a short time."[13] Peter's promise is that suffering will not last
forever. I don't believe that Peter means that we must wait until Christ comes
for God to relieve us. He means that we will typically experience periods of
attack, struggle, and persecution, but they will not last forever and will be
followed by periods of renewal and help.
"God ... will himself" reminds us that God personally will assist us
and strengthen us. Peter uses four words to describe God's personal relief of
your suffering that you can look forward to:
"Restore you" (NIV, NRSV) and "make you perfect" (KJV) is the Greek
verb kataritizō, "to cause to be in a condition to function well, put in
order, restore."[14]
"And make you strong." "Make ... strong" (NIV), "stablish" (KJV), and
"support" (NRSV) is the Greek verb stērizō, which has a basic meaning of
"to fix firmly in place, set up, establish, support," mainly of physical
objects. Here it is used figuratively "to cause to be inwardly firm or
committed, confirm, establish, strengthen."[15]
"Firm." Make ... firm" (NIV) and "strengthen" (NIV, NRSV) is the Greek
verb sthenoō, "strengthen, make strong."[16]
"And steadfast." "Make ... steadfast" (NIV), "settle" (KJV), and
"establish" (NRSV) is the Greek verb themelioō, means literally, "to
provide a base for some material object or structure, lay a foundation, found."
Here it is used figuratively, "to provide a secure basis for the inner life and
its resources, establish, strengthen."[17]
We will have periods of struggle in our Christian lives. We should expect
this. But we can also expect God to heal and restore us, to give us strength,
stability, and support. We can count on it!
Doxology (5:11)
"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in
Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and
make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever.
Amen." (5:10-11)
"To him be the power for ever and ever" is a doxology (literally "word
of praise"), common in apostolic letters, especially at the conclusion (Romans
11:36; 16:27; 1 Corinthians 15:57; Ephesians 1:3; 3:20-21; Philippians 4:20; 1
Timothy 1:17; 1 Peter 1:3; 4:11; 5:11; 2 Peter 3:18; Jude 25; Revelation
1:6).Yesterday I found myself singing that Noel Richards' praise song, which is
in itself a modern rendition of an ancient doxology (1 Timothy 1:17):
"You deserve the glory and the honor,
Lord, we lift Your name in worship,
As we lift Your Holy name..."[18]
In Peter's doxology, to God is attributed power and rule forever. "Power" is
the Greek noun kratos, "ability to exhibit or express resident strength,
might," and in our passage, "exercise ruling ability, power, rule,
sovereignty."[19] This is a favorite word for doxologies, used also in 1 Timothy
6:16; 1 Peter 4:11; Jude 25; and Revelation 1:6; 5:13.
Stand Fast (5:12)
Now Peter concludes his letter with some personal words.
"With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have
written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true
grace of God. Stand fast in it." (5:12)
We don't know Silas's exact role in writing the letter. He may have served as
a secretary or amanuensis to whom Peter dictated the letter. But given Peter's
personal commendation "whom I regard as a faithful brother," it is more likely
that he had been designated to deliver the letter in person to the churches in
Asia Minor to which Peter wrote. The actual name is "Silvanus," which was often
shortened to "Silas." We aren't told whether this was Paul's missionary
companion; it was a common name in Peter's time.
Peter describes his purpose in the letter as two-fold:
- To encourage and exhort them (Greek parakaleō), and
- To offer testimony (Greek epimartureō)[20] to the true grace of God,
that is, to carefully define what the grace of God actually consists of in order
to differentiate it from various distortions of the gospel that were prevalent
in Peter's time.
Having set forth accurate Christian teaching, he now commands his readers to
"stand fast in it." "Stand fast" (NIV, RSV) and "stand" (KJV) is the common
Greek verb histēmi, "stand, set." Here it means "stand firm so as to
remain stable, stand firm, hold one's ground."[21] Too often, bizarre teachings
steer people away from the truth because of the charisma of the teacher or the
momentum of a movement. But Peter tells readers to reject anything that isn't
the "true grace of God."
Final Greetings (5:13-14)
"She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her
greetings, and so does my son Mark.
Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ." (5:13-14)
"Babylon" is a symbol for Rome, as it is in Revelation 16:19; 17:5; and 18:2.
Peter writes to the "Dispora" (1:1), the Christians scattered abroad. Babylon is
a suitable image from Old Testament history of the people of God in exile in the
land of their captor, Babylon. Thus "she who is in Babylon" is the Church in
Rome and Peter relays the greetings[22] of the Roman Christians. Mark was a
close associate of Peter's and is thought to be the author of the Gospel of
Mark, which presumably reflects Peter's perspective on Jesus' life and teaching.
He invites the Christians in the various churches where the letter comes to
greet each other with genuine affection. "Kiss" is the Greek noun philēma,
"a kiss." Christians often greeted one another with a "holy kiss" (Romans 16:16;
1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26). In our passage
the phrase is called a "kiss of love" (agapē), that is, "an affectionate
kiss."[23]
Finally, he offers a benediction or blessing to his readers: "Peace to all of
you who are in Christ" (5:14). True peace is only experienced by Christians who
have experienced peace with God.
Thus concludes a short but powerful apostolic letter from Peter, the
Fisherman and Apostle. May God bless it to your life! Amen.
Prayer
Father, thank you for the assurances in your Word.... The assurance that you
personally care for me. The assurance that I can resist the devil. The assurance
of your establishing strength. The assurance of glory with you forever. Thank
you for your astounding love! In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
_______________
Last Wednesday night I spoke at a church in Sacramento. At the conclusion of
the service, the pastor said to the congregation,
"When you eat at J.J. North (a restaurant chain), you don't expect to eat
free, do you? Let's receive a love offering for our brother...." If
you'd like to give a
love offering to help support this ministry of Internet Bible study, it
would be much appreciated. Thank you.
http://www.joyfulheart.com/joyadmin/offering.htm
Key Verses
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)
"And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you
strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." (1
Peter 5:10-11)
References
Standard Abbreviations
http://www.jesuswalk.com/1peter/refs.htm
- In the Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament both "cast" and
"anxiety/cares" are the same Greek words that we find in 1 Peter, through it
isn't an exact quote.
- BDAG 632.
- BDAG 378.
- BDAG 628. Here the verb is found in a common form melei, third person
singular: "it is a care/concern, is of interest to someone" (BDAG 626-627).
- BDAG 88.
- BDAG 226-227. We get our word "diabolical" from this word. The Spanish word
for "devil" is diablo.
- BDAG 524.
- BDAG 672.
- BDAG 207-208.
- BDAG 80.
- BDAG 943.
- BDAG 33.
- BDAG 702-703. Used both in 1:6 and in 5:10.
- BDAG 526.
- BDAG 945.
- BDAG 922, from the noun sthenos, "strength."
- BDAG 449.
- Noel Richards, "You Deserve the Glory" (1991, Kingsway’s Thankyou Music).
- BDAG 565.
- "Testifying" is the Greek verb epimartureō, "to affirm that something
is true, bear witness, attest" (BDAG 375), used only here in the New Testament.
- BDAG 482-483.
- "Sends greetings" (NIV, NRSV) and "salutes" (KJV) in verses 13 and 14 is the
Greek verb aspazomai, "to engage in hospitable recognition of another,
greet, welcome" (BDAG 144).
- BDAG 1057.
1 Peter: Discipleship
Lessons from the Fisherman
Copyright © 1985-2012, Ralph F. Wilson. <pastor
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