1 Peter 5:2 Meaning and Explanation
“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Elders are to shepherd God's flock willingly and eagerly, not under compulsion or for dishonest gain.
What Does 1 Peter 5:2 Mean?
Peter gives the elders their charge in a shepherd's words: feed the flock, watch over it, care for it. And he is careful to call it the flock of God, never their own; the sheep belong to God, and the elders only tend them.
The manner is everything. They are to shepherd willingly, not because they must, and eagerly, not for shameful profit. A heart that serves grudgingly or greedily corrupts the care. Peter wants leaders whose oversight flows from a ready and glad mind, who lead because they love the sheep and their Lord. The work is sacred precisely because the flock is God's, entrusted to them for keeping.
1 Peter 5:2 in the Original Language
poimaino (ποιμαίνω), 'feed' -- to shepherd, to tend a flock as a shepherd tends sheep.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Peter 5:2
What does 1 Peter 5:2 mean?
Elders are to shepherd God's flock willingly and eagerly, not under compulsion or for dishonest gain.