1 Peter 5:1 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:
Peter turns his focus to more groups within the churches to which he wrote. The first group in chapter 5 are the elders. These would be people who were the spiritual leaders of the churches. They would be in this position because of their spiritual maturity, age, and experience. They should set the example for the rest of the church. Peter gives his qualifications for giving his directions in this letter. He is not speaking from theory but from experience. He saw the suffering of Christ. He watched Jesus be arrested. He stood outside at Jesus’ trial. He witnessed the crucifixion. But he also was the first into the empty tomb. He saw the risen Jesus. This changed his doubts and fears into firm conviction and faith. This gave him hope that would outlast any suffering that he would experience. Peter had already experienced much suffering and eventually, likely soon after this letter was written, be martyred for his faith in Jesus. Peter gives us an example of someone whose hope in firmly in Christ even when facing danger, persecution, and suffering. Hope in future glory is what can sustain us through difficult times.
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