‘Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for base gain, but of a ready mind, neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock.
So just as Jesus had called on him to tend the sheep, he now, as he recognised that his own death was imminent, called on the leaders of the churches to fulfil the same role as had been allotted to him. They were to ‘Tend My sheep', Compare John 21:16 for similar words said to Peter. In other word they were to ensure that the sheep received good pasture, and were kept under a watchful eye in order to protect them against any who would lead them astray. That it would be a task fraught with danger comes out in the sequel (1 Peter 5:8). It is above all the shepherds who must outface the lion.
‘Exercising the oversight.' That is what the ‘overseers (episkopoi - bishops) are called on to do, act as true shepherds. At this point in time each church had a number of ‘bishops' (although Peter calls them elders. Compare Acts 20:17; Acts 20:28 where Paul tells the elder of the church at Ephesus that they are to be overseers/bishops). It was only later that the idea of monarchical bishops arose, probably because as those who had known the Apostles died off, the few who did still remember them began to receive unique recognition. (Compare Clement in Rome). Once they then died it would be natural to replace them with some prominent figure who could carry on their testimony.
Note that we now have here the usual Petrine contrasts which so individualise his letter, ‘not as under constraint, but willingly under God; not for the sake of money but with a ready mind; not as lording it over the flock but as examples to the flock'. This is one of Peter's traits.
‘The flock of God which is among you.' Compare the usage in Matthew 26:31, where the suffering of the Chief Shepherd is also in mind; Acts 20:28-29, which was again spoken to church leaders, and where Paul was anticipating wolves (here it is a roaring lion - 1 Peter 5:8); Luke 12:32, where His disciples are ‘a little flock', drawn from among the sheep which had had no shepherd (Matthew 9:36; Matthew 10:6). The people of God were very much seen by Jesus as His flock (see John 10:1-29) and therefore as the flock of God. Note that the emphasis is on the being ‘tended' (literally ‘shepherded'). The depredations of the lion (1 Peter 5:8) are already in mind.
‘Which is among you.' This stresses that these are local leaders, not some far off overseer.
‘Exercising the oversight.' For acting as ‘overseers' compare 2 Chronicles 34:12 LXX. The associated word (‘overseers/bishops') is one which will be used later to signify acting as local bishops over the local churches, although apparently not yet, except in places like Philippi (Philippians 1:1). These were not diocesan bishops, but local ‘overseers', the leaders who lived locally to, and kept watch over, both the large and small house churches throughout the cities.
This oversight had to be exercised in a godly fashion:
· Not as those who have been forced to do the job, but willingly ‘as unto God and in accordance with His will', literally ‘in accordance with God'. They are to do it very much as God's stewards (1 Peter 4:10-11), as described in Luke 12:41-48, where it was also in the light of the fire that He would send on earth (Luke 12:49).
· Not with the base aim of receiving monetary reward, but with a mind ready to do it regardless of reward. Note the warning against the ‘baseness' of money. You can often tell the genuineness of a man's ministry by the size of his house and car. He is called on to be ‘an example to the flock'.
· Not taking up the position with which God has charged them out of ambition and pride (compare Mark 10:42), ‘lording it over the flock', but as being called on to become examples (models) of the flock. There was to be no self-seeking or desire for authority and status. Rather they were to see themselves as servants of God's people, ministering to their needs. They were to be those who could be looked up to as models and examples.
The word ‘charge' mean an ‘appointed portion'. They have been allotted a part of God's inheritance to look after (compare 1 Peter 1:4; Deuteronomy 9:29), just as Israel of old had been allotted their portions in the land.