Peter declared Jesus to be
“an example” for the “scattered” Christians of
how to endure “wrongful suffering”. He was “reviled,
but reviled not again” and “committed himself to him that
judges righteously”, and He bore “our sins in his own body
on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto
righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” In chapter two
and verse twenty-five of his letter, Peter likens the Christians to
“sheep” who were “going astray”, “but are
now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of” their “souls”
where we read:
For you were as sheep
going astray;
but are now returned
unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
The
verse begins, “For you were as sheep going astray;” Peter
began with the word “For” or “even, indeed, no doubt,
seeing then and verily” “you were as sheep” which means
“any four footed, tame animal accustomed to graze, small cattle
commonly a sheep or goat” “going astray” which means “to
cause or lead to stray, wander, roam about and lead aside from the
right way”. The idea is that the Christians to whom Peter was
writing were “lead away from the truth, toward error and
deception”.
The verse goes on to say, “but
are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.” Peter
continued with the word “but” which
is a disassociation conjunction which means what is about to be
written takes precedence over what was just stated “moreover, yet,
nevertheless, howbeit and therefore” “are now returned”
which in Greek is “epistrephō nyn epistrephō” or
“turned to, brought and come back” “unto the
Shepherd” which means
“herdsman, he to whose care and control others have committed
themselves and whose precepts they follow” and refers to “Jesus
Christ” “and Bishop”
or “overseer, man charged with the duty of seeing that things to be
done by others are done rightly, any curator, guardian,
superintendent or elder” “of your souls”
which refers to “the vital force which animates the body and shows
itself in breathing, the seat of feelings, desires, affections and
aversions of our heart”. Jesus Christ is “the presiding officer,
manage, director and overseer” “of our souls”.
When we
meditate upon these words of Peter, we begin to understand his
comparison of Christians to “sheep”. “Sheep”
are known to be absent minded and prone to get lost easily. We were
as they, and this is why Jesus came to be “an example” to
us. He is our great “Shepherd” and He watches over His own
carefully, and He is the “presiding officer, manager and director
of their lives”.
Next
time we begin a new chapter and see Peter give instructions to
“wives”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
No comments:
Post a Comment