Instructions to Elders
1The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Cast Your Cares on Him
5Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
Benediction and Final Greetings
10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. 13The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son. 14Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
King James Bible
Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.
Instructions to Elders
(1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9)
1 I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed. 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily, not for dishonest gain, but willingly; 3 neither as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock. 4 When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.
Cast Your Cares on Him
5 Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility, to subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; 7 casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings.
Benediction and Farewell
10 But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11 To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you; and so does Mark, my son. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Instructions to Elders
(1 Timothy 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9)
1 As a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings, and a partaker of the glory to be revealed, I appeal to the elders a among you: 2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them b not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; c not out of greed, but out of eagerness; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
Cast Your Cares on Him
5 Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.” d
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you. 7 Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.
8 Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering.
Benediction and Farewell
10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, e will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you. 11 To Him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
12 Through Silvanus, f 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 firm in it.
13 The church in Babylon, g chosen together with you, sends you greetings, as does my son Mark.
14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ. h
Footnotes:
1 a SBL, NE, and WH I appeal therefore to the elders
2 b NE and WH do not include watching over them .
2 c WH, BYZ, and TR but willingly
5 d Proverbs 3:34 (see also LXX)
10 e BYZ and TR in Christ Jesus
12 f That is, Silas
13 g Literally She in Babylon
14 h BYZ and TR include Amen.
Instructions to Elders
1Elders who are among you, I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of the Christ, and of the glory about to be revealed a partaker, 2feed the flock of God that is among you, overseeing not constrainedly, but willingly, neither for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, 3neither as exercising lordship over the heritages, but patterns becoming of the flock, 4and at the manifestation of the chief Shepherd, ye shall receive the unfading crown of glory.
Cast Your Cares on Him
5In like manner, ye younger, be subject to elders, and all to one another subjecting yourselves; with humble-mindedness clothe yourselves, because God the proud doth resist, but to the humble He doth give grace;
6be humbled, then, under the powerful hand of God, that you He may exalt in good time, 7all your care having cast upon Him, because He careth for you. 8Be sober, vigilant, because your opponent the devil, as a roaring lion, doth walk about, seeking whom he may swallow up, 9whom resist, stedfast in the faith, having known the same sufferings to your brotherhood in the world to be accomplished.
Benediction and Final Greetings
10And the God of all grace, who did call you to His age-during glory in Christ Jesus, having suffered a little, Himself make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you; 11to Him is the glory, and the power -- to the ages and the ages! Amen.
12Through Silvanus, to you the faithful brother, as I reckon, through few words I did write, exhorting and testifying this to be the true grace of God in which ye have stood. 13Salute you doth the assembly in Babylon jointly elected, and Markus my son. 14Salute ye one another in a kiss of love; peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus! Amen.
The Favor of God Paraphrase
Caring for God’s People
¹ To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings, who also will share in the glory to be revealed: ² Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. ⁷ Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Be Alert and Resist the Enemy
⁸ Be alert and of sober mind! 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 the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
God’s Faithful Restoration
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 forever and ever. Amen.
Final Greetings
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 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.
Footnotes:
1.“Elders” (Greek: πρεσβύτερος, presbyteros) refers to those in a leadership role within the early Christian community, often overseeing the spiritual well-being of others.
2.“Shepherds of God’s flock”: This metaphor reflects the responsibility of elders to care for the church with compassion, much like a shepherd tends to his sheep.
3.“Crown of glory”: In the ancient context, this symbolizes a victor’s crown, representing the eternal reward that faithful believers will receive.
4.“Clothe yourselves with humility”: The imagery here implies putting on humility like a garment, which is essential for relationships in the body of Christ.
5.“Anxiety”: The Greek word (μέριμνα, merimna) conveys worry or care. Peter urges believers to bring their worries to God, trusting in His care.
6.“Roaring lion”: This vivid image portrays the devil’s aggressive and predatory nature, seeking to harm believers.
7.“Babylon”: A symbolic name often used for Rome, representing the place where Peter likely wrote this letter from. It emphasizes the early Christians’ experience of exile and persecution.
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