As a reminder, whenever you see the word “therefore” it tells you what was what written previously directly relates to what is about to be written. The trials and suffering individuals have gone through was because of their faithfulness to Jesus Christ. You may go through many trials and you may suffer for Christ as a Christian but the instructions Peter has given will help you to be faithful to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Peter has dealt with different groups explaining how they are to handle suffering, especially when they are persecuted for their faith in Jesus Christ and these instructions still apply to us today.
“To the elders among you” telling us there are several elders involved meaning there must be a plurality of elders in a local congregation. Who are the elders? They are not just the old men in the congregation, but rather men who have been set aside as leaders of the congregation by the laying on of hands. The form of the word “elder” in the original language is masculine which refers to being a man. The qualifications for such individuals are given in the book of First Timothy 3 and Titus 1 along with references to the elders in other places in the New Testament. Their duties are to oversee and guide each member’s growth in Christ and to protect them from all who would lead Christian away from Jesus Christ. The strength of a congregation depends on how strong the faith of each elder is in their walk with Jesus Christ.
Have you submitted to the elders of your congregation? By doing so, you are allowing the elders to guide and help you to become more Christ-like in your faithfulness. As you study the Scripture you will find elders being established in each congregation so each member of a congregation will receive the proper guidance for being faithful to Jesus Christ. Where do you stand? CONSIDER CAREFULLY THE TEACHING ON LEADERSHIP IN THE SCRIPTURE, ACT ACCORDINGLY!!!