DO YOU KNOW THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD AS DESCRIBED IN THE SCRIPTURES ISN’T REFERRING TO GODS LITERAL HAND, BUT IT WAS REFERRING TO YOUR PASTOR OR SPIRITUAL MENTOR?
When you fail to carry out their instructions the same way they gave them out, it’s not just them you are disobeying or dishonoring; it’s also God you are disobeying and dishonoring. You can’t grow further Spiritually with that same attitude of dishonor towards a Spiritual mentor; let’s see this from the scriptures below.
The Mighty Hand of God
Let’s examine this very verse of scripture.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1 Peter 5:6 KJV
Above is Verse 6. But Verse 6 isn’t where Peter’s talk on this started from.
One of the rules of bible interpretations is that: To understand a matter in any verse of the scriptures, it’s best you read the pretext and the post text.
The pretext, which is the previous verses that came before verse 6, will give you the full details or explanation of what Peter was actually trying to say in this very verse 6
Verse 6 speaks about humility, the Humility of Humbling yourself under the Mighty hands of God, and that by so doing, that’s how God can exalt you or promote you.
Now question, if scriptures ask us to submit ourselves under the mighty hands of God, what then is the mighty hands of God in context?
Verse 1, verse 2, Verse 3, Verse 4, and Verse 5 of 1 Peter Chapter 5 explains it all.
Let’s study this together
From verse 1 it reads
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
1 Peter 5:1 NKJV
Verse 1 speaks about those who are elders.
The word Elders used here doesn’t refer to someone who is well advanced in age.
The One who is mentioned as an Elder here isn’t referring to someone who is 70 years of age, 80 years of age or more.
In fact, the explanation of who an Elder here is in context was explained in Verses 2 and 3
Let’s see it
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
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;
1 Peter 5:1-2 KJV
So in verse 1 it exhorts, encourage the Elders to Feed the flock of God which is among them
This means that this person is regarded as an Elder because they are the one task by God with the responsibility to ensure that the flock of God grows Spiritually by feeding them the word of God.
Flock of God refers to a group of Christians assembled together in one place as a church.
So, Elders are responsible for feeding the flock of God.
The word Elder can also be substituted with the words “Pastor, Overseer Shepherd, Spiritual leader or mentor.”
So, a mentor’s responsibility is to feed the flock of God. To ensure that they grow up Spiritually because Spiritual growth happens via the teachings of God’s word.
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
1 Peter 2:2 KJV
And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.
His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),
[That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.
So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.
Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
Ephesians 4:11-15 AMP
All these are done by the work of an Elder (a Spiritual mentor) over the life of Christians.
So back to 1 Peter 5:2
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
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;
1 Peter 5:1-2 KJV
So an Elder, who is a spiritual mentor or a spiritual trainer, has the responsibility to feed the flock of God. They don’t do this because they want to extort money from them, but they do it with a ready mind because it’s their calling and responsibility towards you.
I warn and counsel the elders among you (the pastors and spiritual guides of the church) as a fellow elder and as an eyewitness [called to testify] of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a sharer in the glory (the honor and splendor) that is to be revealed (disclosed, unfolded):
Tend (nurture, guard, guide, and fold) the flock of God that is [your responsibility], not by coercion or constraint, but willingly; not dishonorably motivated by the advantages and profits [belonging to the office], but eagerly and cheerfully;
Not domineering [as arrogant, dictatorial, and overbearing persons] over those in your charge, but being examples (patterns and models of Christian living) to the flock (the congregation).
1 Peter 5:1-3 AMP
Verse 3 really needs to be looked into because verse 3 if it isn’t studied properly, it may lead you to think that God is asking the spiritual mentor not to play the role of a lord over the church.
No, that’s not what Peter was trying to say.
A Spiritual mentor plays the role of Exercising authority over a group of Christians called the Church or a specific Christian.
Infact, Hebrews 13:17 says that a Spiritual mentor has authority over you. They have rule over you.
They can give instructions to you that must be obeyed because they have authority over you in the Lord.
See this here:
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
Hebrews 13:17 KJV
Infact, the amplified version puts Hebrews 13:17 better.
Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them [continually recognizing their authority over you], for they are constantly keeping watch over your souls and guarding your spiritual welfare, as men who will have to render an account [of their trust]. [Do your part to] let them do this with gladness and not with sighing and groaning, for that would not be profitable to you [either].
Hebrews 13:17 AMP
So we see from all of these that a pastor or a spiritual mentor has authority over you in the Lord.
If a spiritual mentor gives an instruction of say:
- We are praying now.
- We are meeting now at that location.
- Share this, and create awareness for our soon-to-hold Christian meeting.
- Study your Bible, This Chapter, and That Chapter.
- Give financially for this.
If they give such instructions, their instructions need to be held in high esteem as though it’s God talking.
Disobeying their instructions is disobeying God, and as we study further, you will see this.
Carrying out their instructions is not subjecting yourself to being manipulated by them.
But more than carrying out their instructions, it’s you saying yes to every Spiritual training they have to offer you.
It is you saying yes to the call of God to obey your spiritual leaders, which will eventually amount to your own good.
Having understood this, let’s come back to 1 Peter 5:3
Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
1 Peter 5:3 KJV
Verse 3 is not saying that a spiritual leader cannot exercise authority over you; that’s not it at all.
They can exercise authority over you.
And it can come in the form of a command, instructions that need to be obeyed.
Amplified puts it better.
Not domineering [as arrogant, dictatorial, and overbearing persons] over those in your charge, but being examples (patterns and models of Christian living) to the flock (the congregation).
1 Peter 5:3 AMP
So what Peter is actually saying is don’t be that arrogant lord that exercises authority over their subject for their own selfish gain.
But rather be that lord that exercises authority over their subject for their own profiting and spiritual advancement.
Be a lord who lives by godly precepts and examples so that your subject will be instructed to follow in such a manner.
A spiritual mentor who prays and is giving to prayers should raise Spiritual children given to prayers as well.
When a Spiritual mentor calls for a prayer meeting, every one of his trainees or disciples needs to submit to that authority.
The spiritual leader is a praying person; he shows his disciples how to pray and why to pray and instructs them to pray, and every one of their words needs to be obeyed by his subject.
This Obeying system is actually the will of God
Hope you get this now. Let’s advance further to verse 4 and 5.
The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
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;
Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
1 Peter 5:1-5 KJV
Verse 5 speaks about the younger.
To be young here isn’t referring to someone young in age. Rather, it refers to Christians who are under the authority of a Spiritual mentor or pastor.
The amplified bible puts it better
Likewise, you who are younger and of lesser rank, be subject to the elders (the ministers and spiritual guides of the church)—[giving them due respect and yielding to their counsel]. Clothe (apron) yourselves, all of you, with humility [as the garb of a servant, so that its covering cannot possibly be stripped from you, with freedom from pride and arrogance] toward one another. For God sets Himself against the proud (the insolent, the overbearing, the disdainful, the presumptuous, the boastful)—[and He opposes, frustrates, and defeats them], but gives grace (favor, blessing) to the humble.
1 Peter 5:5 AMP
This means that the younger ones, those who are under a Spiritual mentor, should be humble enough to submit themselves to their mentor.
So when Christians are having a hard time submitting themselves to their Spiritual mentor, the scriptures call such attitude as being arrogant and proud.
When a Christian finds it very easy to disobey their Spiritual mentor or leader comfortably, scripture calls that Christian as having an arrogant and proud attitude. And such an attitude God hates.
These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Proverbs 6:16-19 KJV
1 Peter 5: 5 says.
Any Christian who doesn’t see any reason why they should obey a Spiritual mentor, such a person is proud, and God will resist such a proud person. He will try to rise and advance further Spiritually with his own strength, but they will fall because of the lack of humility.
God resisting pride means God will fight against that Christian who is so proud enough not to submit to a Spiritual leader.
God frowns at you dishonoring a Spiritual leader or disobeying them.
In fact, in the next verse, he gives us his reason why he resists pride and gives more grace only to those Christians who have learned to obey spiritual mentors by telling us.
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1 Peter 5:5-6 KJV
So what Peter calls the mighty hand of God here was referring to Your Spiritual mentor or leader.
Verse 5 uses words like younger, submit, And clothed in humility towards an Elder (Spiritual mentor).
Verse 6 further calls the Elders the mighty hand of God over our life and says that we are to humble ourselves towards their spiritual authority over our life.
We are to honor them. Never disrespect them.
We are to esteem their very instructions or words of Command over us as though it’s God talking.
Because they play the role of God in our lives, instructing us and guiding us in our spiritual Christian journey.
Until a Christian understands this, such a Christian remains a baby Christian.
What shows signs or symptoms that you are a mature Christian is if you understand these things.
Obeying a Spiritual mentor should be your topmost priority because not obeying them is like disobeying God. You have to know this today.
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
1 Timothy 5:17-18 KJV
Let the elders who perform the duties of their office well be considered doubly worthy of honor [and of adequate financial support], especially those who labor faithfully in preaching and teaching.
For the Scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain, and again, The laborer is worthy of his hire.
1 Timothy 5:17-18 AMP
A Spiritual Mentor is THE MIGHTY HAND OF GOD over Your Life
God uses a man playing the role of a Spiritual mentor to train you in his ways.
If you dishonor this man sent into your life for your spiritual advancement. You are dishonoring God! Know this today!
A spiritual mentor functions in the authority of God to train you in the ways of God, so disobeying them is disobeying God. Know this today!!
I pray God gives us all understanding of everything that I have taken the time to share with you all today. Amen! Amen!! And Amen!!!
Written by Pastor Kingsley Jonah
You can reach out to him for questions, counseling, and more via Facebook and WhatsApp +2348107032283
Read More: Standing for the Truth Regardless of How You Feel
Read More: What is Objective Truth: Is Truth Even Objective or Subjective?
