Priesthood And Elderhood

by R. Hickling, Nottingham, England | Category: Simon Peter: Bondservant And Apostle | Jul 1995

Precious Memories:

Peter loved the word precious. In his letters he uses it' in different forms, several times.

He writes of the 'proof of your faith, being more precious than gold' (1 Pet. 1:7). He describes the price of our redemption as the 'precious blood' of Christ (1 Pet. 1:19). God's Son is 'precious' (1 Pet. 2:4,6). Peter shared an 'equally precious faith', and 'precious and exceeding great promises' (2 Pet. 1:1,4). He writes 'for you therefore which believe is the preciousness' (1 Pet. 2:7). Peter was also a man who remembered, and, Is he wrote his letters, he recalled some of the experiences he had during the time he was with the Lord, as, for example, his reference to having been with Him in 'the holy mount' (2 Pet. 1:17,18). How spiritually stimulating would such memories be!

After His resurrection, the Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the apostles 'by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom of God' (Acts 1:3). In his epistles, Peter presents an important aspect of the kingdom of God, that is, the house of God. He shows how the house of God, in this dispensation of grace, is not a building made of materials such as wood, stone, silver and gold, but is a spiritual house composed of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, those who come to Him as individuals for salvation, and then are built together in obedience and unity to form a collective people for God.

Peter addresses his first letter to believers who were 'sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia' (1 Pet. 1:1), thus showing that the teaching which he and his fellow apostles received from the Lord, and which Peter was now committing to others, was applicable to all those in the churches of God in those provinces. This was to be the practice throughout all the churches of God, the saints in which, in unity together, formed the Fellowship of God's Son, Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor. 1:9). On the night of His betrayal, the Lord prayed to His Father, 'Holy Father, keep them in Thy Name ... that they may be one even as we are' (John 17:11). Peter shows how the house of God is the expression of that unity for which the Lord prayed. It is sad that so often among believers, a form of union is substituted for unity, which can be achieved only by following the divine pattern.

The house of God:

As Peter writes, he leads his readers along the path of their spiritual experience, sometimes presenting contrasting thoughts to press home the truths he is committing to them. He refers to them as 'living stones' (1 Pet. 2:5). They had not always been 'living stones'; once they were dead in trespasses and sins, but they had been redeemed and born again. Taking the metaphor that the apostle uses, we think of how a stone has first to be quarried from a great mass of rock, and such a process demands some form of power. So power is necessary to make a dead sinner a living stone, and we remember that 'the gospel is the power of God unto salvation' (Rom. 1:16). Only as a sinner yields to the working of the Holy Spirit and comes to the Saviour can he or she be born again, and so become a 'living stone.

A collection of loose stones does not make a house. For this, two things are necessary; the stones must be shaped and built together, and the architect's plan must be carefully followed. So it is with the house of God. The living stones must come to the Chief Corner Stone, the Lord Himself, and the building must be aligned to that Stone, that is, built in accordance with the will of God. No deviation can be allowed, just as Moses was instructed concerning the making of the Tabernacle 'According to all that I shew thee, the pattern of the dwelling, ... even so shall ye make it (Ex. 25:9 RVM). Such is the divine

requirement in respect of the present building. As we have noted, the house of God is a spiritual house built of believers. Every believer is a 'living stone', but only those who in obedience come to Christ as Lord are built together to form the house.

A holy priesthood:

Just as God had a purpose in His house of a past day, He has a purpose with the spiritual house of the present time. Peter tells us that one purpose is for it to function as a holy priesthood (1 Pet. 2:5). It is evident that this priesthood is closely associated with the house. The purpose of the holy priesthood is to offer up spiritual sacrifices to God. This is the service of worship of a collective people Godward, and is closely associated with the remembrance of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Breaking of the Bread. God delights to see His people gathered on the Lord's Day to draw near into His presence and to take the bread and wine in remembrance of His beloved Son (Acts 2:42). Being reminded by these symbols of the excellencies of the Lord Jesus Christ, the holy priesthood continues in thanksgiving in the holy place to offer worship and praise to God, in spirit and in truth (John 4:23,24; Heb. 10:19-22). Every believer is a priest, but not every believer is in the holy priesthood. This collective worship of God is the highest and holiest service that man can offer.

A royal priesthood:

Another aspect of the collective service of those forming the house of

God is that of a royal priesthood (1 Pet. 2:9). This involves service manward, and embraces the privilege and responsibility of carrying out to our fellow men and women the message of God's love, so that they too might become 'living stones' and be built into the house of God. In the present age of indifference to the gospel, when so many do not have God in their thoughts, the responsibility of reaching out to unsaved persons is a serious one, but is also a great privilege. Here again, we suggest some association with the Breaking of the Bread which we keep 'till He come' (1 Cor. 11:26). Believers have a glorious prospect ahead, but those who do not know the Saviour 'die in darkness at our side', and, in contrast to the believers' position, are eternally lost. Should we not yearn for them' that they might be saved?

The elderhood:

The people of God forming the house of God are seen by the Lord Jesus Christ as 'the little flock'. The metaphor is an apt one, because as sheep can stray from the flock so can believers fall away from the truth of God. Then, just as a flock of sheep need a shepherd, so there must be shepherds responsible for the care and well-being of the flock of God. In his first letter, Peter refers to the 'eldersamong you' (1 pet. 5:1), and exhorts them to 'Tend the flock of God which is among you' (1 Pet. 5:2). As Peter wrote these words, would he not remember that time when, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, he heard

the risen Lord's thrice repeated question, 'Simon, son of John, lovest thou Me?'. As Peter responded, the threefold exhortation of the Master was 'Feed My lambs', 'Tend My sheep', Feed My sheep'. Peter was conscious of the approaching end of his days (2 Pet. 1:14), and he was anxious that those to whom had been entrusted the care of the saints would be faithful and diligent in their task.

Peter describes these men as 'elders', and then refers to their work as 'exercising the oversight' (1 Pet. 5:1,2), thus showing that the terms 'elders' and 'overseers' referred to the same body of men, but presenting two different aspects of their work. The word 'elder' can be taken as emphasizing the spiritual maturity and experience of the one so called, while the word 'overseer' views rather the government of the house of God as a unity, and the need to make sure that whatever is done is in accordance with the will of God. Overall we have the thought of the shepherd caring for the saints as we are all exposed to the wiles of the evil one.

There were elders (plural) in each church of God, and there is no thought in Scripture of a presiding elder having the sole rule of an assembly. Peter writes, 'the elders among you I exhort'. As we have noted, Peter's letter is addressed to the churches of God in the five Roman provinces, and just as they are seen as one flock, so the elders among them are seen as one elderhood. This unity of the elderhood is demonstrated clearly in Acts 15.

Peter was present on that occasion (Acts 15:6), and related his experiences at Joppa and at Caesarea with Cornelius. Other elders present took part in the discussion, and the conclusions reached by the elders together were sent to the churches (Acts 15:23; 16:4).

Peter looks forward:

We have thought of Peter as a man who remembered, but he also looked forward. He writes of 'an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that

fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you' (1 pet. 1:4,5). While he recalled with joy those days he spent with his beloved Lord, he treasured the promises relating to the future. He valued the teaching he had received. They were truths for his day, and they are for our day too. May we value the teaching of Scripture about the unity of the house of God and its functions, and consider it as God considers it, precious.

R. Hickling, Nottingham, England | Jul 1995
Simon Peter: Bondservant And Apostle