by jerichobrawler » Sat Dec 06, 2014 10:44 am
Peter writes his elder recipients, "Be shepherds of God's flock under your care" (1 Peter 5:2), but later adds "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away" (1 Peter 5:4). Much has been made of the whole sheep-as-undershepherd dynamic - that we are members of Christ's flock who have been chosen to serve as shepherds ourselves. Toward the end of Dr. Laniak's discussion of 1 Peter, however, he added the following footnote: ". . . Members of the church are not only sheep but also emerging shepherds who will become like their leaders in serving others" (Footnote #43, on page 234.
This is all getting quite complex! Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd, who has chosen some from among His flock to serve as undershepherds of His sheep. Those sheep, however, are not just to remain sheep - instead, just as the undershepherds follow the example of the Chief Shepherd, the sheep are to follow the example of the undershepherds, perhaps even attaining to that position themselves some day. The Lord has certainly come up with an marvelous system of leadership and care here, all based on service, shared authority, and love. It is sad that this system so often breaks down, devolving into strict authoritarianism, sheer bureaucratic inertia, or simple chaos. But that is perhaps why Peter had to write his letter - even from the beginning, we sheep have needed correction and rebuke from our Chief Shepherd and His undershepherds!
Peter writes his elder recipients, "Be shepherds of God's flock under your care" (1 Peter 5:2), but later adds "And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away" (1 Peter 5:4). Much has been made of the whole sheep-as-undershepherd dynamic - that we are members of Christ's flock who have been chosen to serve as shepherds ourselves. Toward the end of Dr. Laniak's discussion of 1 Peter, however, he added the following footnote: ". . . Members of the church are not only sheep but also emerging shepherds who will become like their leaders in serving others" (Footnote #43, on page 234.
This is all getting quite complex! Jesus Christ is the Chief Shepherd, who has chosen some from among His flock to serve as undershepherds of His sheep. Those sheep, however, are not just to remain sheep - instead, just as the undershepherds follow the example of the Chief Shepherd, the sheep are to follow the example of the undershepherds, perhaps even attaining to that position themselves some day. The Lord has certainly come up with an marvelous system of leadership and care here, all based on service, shared authority, and love. It is sad that this system so often breaks down, devolving into strict authoritarianism, sheer bureaucratic inertia, or simple chaos. But that is perhaps why Peter had to write his letter - even from the beginning, we sheep have needed correction and rebuke from our Chief Shepherd and His undershepherds!