Pastor Geoff Smith Preaches a Series on I Peter (Session 35--I Peter 5:1-4)

Well, we are at the start of this new chapter. And so, as my custom is, let's return to the start of the epistle yet once more. Just want to look at verse 1 in chapter 1 again. "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ to those who are elect exiles of the diaspora." One reason that I am starting there this morning is so that you can note how Peter identifies himself as Jesus' apostle with all that belongs to that very select office since Jesus himself established it during his earthly ministry. As far as I know, and someone could correct me on this, only 14 men have held it. While there is evidence of another kind of apostle, maybe a lower case "a" in the New Testament, when we are talking about the apostles, upper case "A", there were not many. And yet, when Peter addresses what we might call the common officers or the abiding offices in the church he says, "So I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder." Really, its kind of like a co-elder. I'm functionally one of you...