教会领袖
彼得前书五章1至5节
1我这作长老、作基督受苦的见证、同享后来所要显现之荣耀的，劝你们中间与我同作长老的人：
2务要牧养在你们中间神的群羊，按着神旨意照管他们；不是出于勉强，乃是出于甘心；也不是因为贪财，乃是出于乐意；
3也不是辖制所托付你们的，乃是作群羊的榜样。
4到了牧长显现的时候，你们必得那永不衰残的荣耀冠冕。
5你们年幼的，也要顺服年长的。就是你们众人也都要以谦卑束腰，彼此顺服；因为神阻挡骄傲的人，赐恩给谦卑的人。
信息分享
我们若参照现代的圣经译本，将发现有不少都在第1节用上「所以」这个连接词(吕振中译本)，将这段经文与上一章连接起来。换言之，信徒由于要经历各种试炼，所以，教会的长老便特别需要去负起喂养及关顾信徒灵命的责任。
这里所指的长老是甚么人呢？他们是初期教会特别按立的教会领袖。保罗在他的第一次宣教旅程中，便在每间新成立的教会按立长老。耶路撒冷教会也有本身的长老。使徒行传记述保罗宣讲的其中一篇感人信息，便是向以弗所的众长老宣讲的(徒二十17-35)。当时的教会采取精简的管理制度，对于有关的长老制度，圣经没有详论。
至于作长老的资格，我们可以在提摩太前后书及提多书见到。我们今天选读的这几节经文，简略提及他们的职责，是要牧养神的群羊。换言之，他们要在属灵方面供应信徒的一切所需。他们还要管理教会；但彼得强调这不是出于勉强，而是出于乐意，因为他们只是按照神的心意来服事教会。
此外，他们还要成为信徒的榜样(3节)。今天的教会领袖也要符合这项要求。「榜样」一词，原意是「要让人学效的模范」。
教会领袖虽然要承担一定的责任，但他们也获得特别的赏赐。在彼得的时代，在竞赛或争战中获胜的人，可获得一个冠冕作为奖赏；同样地，基督也会将一个永不衰残的冠冕，赐给忠心事主的信徒。当接过这冠冕的那一刻，所有为主工作的人，一定会觉得以往的一切劳苦都是值得的了。
祷告：
主啊，求你使我能够敏锐地察觉群羊的需要，并使我靠着你的能力去牧养他们。
CHURCH LEADERS
1 Peter 5:1-5
1 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:
2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
3 nor as being lords 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 does not fade away.
5 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for
“God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble.”
Message
The word 'therefore' appears at the beginning of verse 1 in most modern versions of this chapter. That would connect these verses with what has gone before. Because of the trials the Christians were facing, the elders had a particular responsibility to feed and care for them spiritually.
Who were the elders? They were the ordained leaders of the early churches. On Paul's first missionary journey, he ordained elders in every church. There were elders in the church at Jerusalem. One of the greatest messages in the book of Acts is Paul's message to the Ephesian elders (Acts 20:17-35). It was a simple form of church government and there is no reference in any way to an elaborate carefully worked out priesthood.
The qualifications of elders are found in the epistles to Timothy and Titus. Some of their duties are given in these verses. They were to feed the flock of God. The word 'feed' means 'to shepherd' or 'to tend'. In other words they were to help meet every need of the church members. They were also to take the oversight of the church, not because they had to but because they wanted to; because they believed it to be God's will that they should serve in this way.
They must also be an example to the church. This is just as true and as necessary today. The word 'example' in verse 3 could be translated 'a pattern to be copied'.
There is a special reward also for Christian workers. A crown in Peter's day was a reward for winning a race or a battle. The crown which Christ will give to faithful Christian workers is one that will last for ever. Doesn't that make our work worthwhile?
A PRAYER:
Lord help me to be sensitive to the needs of your flock and help me to meet those needs always.