MONDAY November 9, 2026

Firsthand Witness

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:
1 Peter 5:1

After Peter spoke about persecution and suffering, he changed the subject to give an important exhortation to the elders in the church. He spoke directly to the leadership––gifted men with leadership skills, called to oversee the church. These elders primarily held an official position of leadership, but the term elder may also have included older members of the congregation. So Peter was not only speaking to the eldership, but was also addressing mature believers who had been in the church for a long time. It was their responsibility to keep their eyes open to anything going on in the church.

Peter poured out his heart to the eldership. He did not place himself above them, but related to them on the same level––I am also a fellow elder and an eyewitness. He identified himself as one of the elders having the same calling––to be a shepherd over God’s flock. Peter had also walked with Jesus for 3½ years, became an eyewitness of the sufferings of Christ (Matthew 26:58), and witnessed the Resurrected Savior firsthand.

What I find amazing is that, even though at first Peter failed and denied the Lord, we now see an older, mature Peter––a seasoned elder––one who became a partaker of the glory that will be revealed. The Lord had restored and commissioned him to be an elder, and because he had walked with the Messiah, he spoke with authority to the elders.

One important thing a leader or pastor needs to understand is that the church does not belong to them. When I hear a pastor say, “My church,” I ask them, “How much did you pay for it?” The Church belongs to Jesus Christ; it was purchased by His blood: Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28). As elders, we are God’s servants; we serve Him.

Servanthood does not nullify leadership; it defines it. Jesus does not cease to be the Lion of Judah when He becomes the lamblike servant of the church.
~John Piper~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!