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From: 1 Peter 5:1-4

To Priests

[1] So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the suf-
ferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed. [2] Tend
the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly, not for shame-
ful gain but eagerly, [3] not domineering over those in your charge but being ex-
amples to the flock. [4] And when the chief Shepherd is manifested you will ob-
tain the unfading crown of glory.

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Commentary:

1-4. In many New Testament text, the Greek terms “presbyteros” and “episco-
pos” mean the same, being used indiscriminately to designate pastors of local
communities (cf., e.g., Acts 11:30; 20:28; and notes on same). From the se-
cond century on, the terminology became fixed: “episcopoi” (bishops) have the
fullness of the sacrament of Order and are responsible for local churches; “pres-
byteroi” (elders, later designated as priests) carry out the priestly ministry as co-
workers of the bishops. The Acts of the Apostles tell us that Paul and Barnabas
ordained priests in the various churches of Asia Minor (cf. Acts 14:23), to which
St Peter is now writing (1 Pet 1:1).

The Prince of the Apostles here addresses them formally. Although he refers to
himself as one of them—a “fellow elder [priest]”—he is distinguishing himself as
a witness of the sufferings of Christ and “a partaker in the glory that is to be re-
vealed” (this is possibly an allusion to the Transfiguration, at which he was given
a foretaste of that glory: cf. Mt 17:1ff; 2 Pet 1:16-18).

St Peter’s exhortation (vv. 2-3) recall those of our Lord when he spoke about the
Good Shepherd (Jn 10:1ff) and when he told Peter after the Resurrection, “Feed
my lambs....Feed my sheep” (Jn 21:15-17). The Magisterium of the Church has
often drawn inspiration from these words when reminding pastors of their duties:
“As to the faithful, they (the priests) should bestow their paternal attention and
solicitude on them, whom they have begotten spiritually through baptism and in-
struction (cf. 1 Cor 4:15; 1 Pet 1:23). Gladly constituting themselves models of
the flock (cf. 1 Pet 5:3), they should preside over and serve their local communi-
ty in such a way that it may deserve to be called by the name which is given to
the unique People of God in its entirety, that is to say, the Church of God (cf.
Cor 1:2; 2 Cor 1:21; and passim). They should be mindful that by their daily con-
duct and solicitude they display the reality of a truly priestly and pastoral minis-
try both to believers and unbelievers alike, to Catholics and non-Catholics; that
they are bound to bear witness before all men of the truth and of the life, and as
good shepherds seek after those too (cf. Lk 15:4-7) who, whilst having been bap-
tized in the Catholic Church, have given up the practice of the sacraments, or
even fallen away from the faith” (”Lumen Gentium”, 28; cf. No. 41).

If they approach their responsibilities in this way, they will have no reason to
fear the Judgment (v. 4); the Lord will make himself present to them as “the chief
Shepherd”, whom they have tried to imitate in their care of the flock, and they will
receive “the unfading crown of glory” (cf. note on Jas 1:12). “When the moment
comes for them to enter God’s presence, Jesus will go out to meet them. He will
glorify forever those who have acted on earth in his Person and in his name. He
will shower them with that grace of which they have been ministers” (St. J. Escri-
va, “In Love with the Church”, 50).

3. St Gregory the Great teaches that the pastor of souls “should always give the
lead, to show by his example the way to life, so that his flock (who follow the
voice and the actions of the pastor) are guided more by example than by words;
his position obliges him to speak of elevated things, and also to manifest them
personally; the word more easily gains access to the hearts of hearers when it
carries with it the endorsement of the life of him who when giving instructions as-
sists in their fulfillment by his own example” (”Regulae Pastoralis Liber”, 2, 3).

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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.