The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Peter — Section 102

Yer. 25.-Tlie S11epl1erd and Bishop of souls. This letter is addressed to scattered i;trangers. But though locally separated, over wide lands, a handful here, a single soul 1here, they were in spirit united, aud, seen truly, were a flock gathered round the one Shepherd. Long ago Peter had heard the great words, "Other sheep I have .. , them also I must bring, . . . and there shall be one flock, and one Shepherd." And in these Gentile Christians, thinly sown over the Asiatic peninsula, he sees the beginnin"O of their fulfilment. They had been wandering sheep. They are now a flock; for the real di',iding influence is sin, which drives us apart into the awful solitude of a self-absorbed life, and the real uniting power is Christ, in their common relation to whom men thl! most widely apart in place, race, condition, or culture, are brought into close union with each other. There is one flock because the sheep cluster round the one Shepherd. These two expressions-'' Shepherd" and" Bishop" ofeouls-cover very much the same ground, but they set forth our Lord's relation under somewhat different aspects, each blessed, and suggesting different phases of encouragement and exhortation. I. TnE SHEPHERD OF SOULS. It is needless to trace this metaphor through the Old Testament., where it is employed to express the relation of Jehovah to Israel. The most familiar of all the psalms shows us a single devout soul appropriating the whole rest and blessedness of the thought for the nourishment of the individual life of trust, Isaiah's great prophecy of the Servant of the Lord proclaims the coming of Jehovah to feed his flock like a Shepherd. Ezekiel brings out more plainly still that not only Jehovah, but Jehovah's "servant David," is to be the Shepherd in e. golden future. Zechariah's mysterious words add dark shades to the picture, and set forth Jehovah's Shepherd as smitten by J ehovah's appointment. And all these foresbadowings are interpreted and the scattered beams focussed in the words which were as vivid in Peter's memory e.s when first spoken, and far better understood than then: "I am the good Shepherd. 'fhe good Shepherd giveth his life for his sheep." It is remarkable that, with all this prophecy and teaching from our Lord himself, this text and one verse in Hebrews are the only places where the name is applied to him in the New Testament, especially when we remember how early and how universally the figure came to be employed in the succeeding periods. What aspects of our Lord's relation to us does it present? 'l'he ancient application of the metaphor, not only in Israel, but in other lands, was to kings and rulers; but we cannot confine the meaning thus. The twenty-third psalm and the tenth chapter of John give far deeper and tenderer thoughts than rule. There are mainly three ideas expressed. 1. The first is guidance, 'l'he shepherd leads. "When he puts_forth his sheep be goeth before them." And under that thought is included all the shaping of outward life, for Christ is the Lord of providence, and the bands tbat were pierced for us hold the helm of the universe. But our text does not add, "of souls," without a deep meaning. It would have us see the operation of our Shepherd's care, not only nor chiefly in outward life. And therefore we must think of his guidance as mainly his leading of our souls in paths of righteousness, and "show- ing us that which is good." His recorded example, the touch of his hand on our wills, the sweet constraint of his love, the wisdom which directs breathed into the soul which lives in fellowship with him, and has silenced the loud voice of self that his voice may be heard,-tLese are the Shepherd's guidance of the sheep. His i;ceptre is a simple shepherd's staff. He says," Come, follow me;" and his sheep walk not in darkness, but have the light of life. 2. 'l'he second thought is guardianship. David lea.rued to trllilt his Shepherd's care over him in dangers by meditating on his own hazarding his life against tue "lion and the bear." Our Shepherd gives his life to drag us from the mouth of the lion. Body and soul are under his care, HimselF may sometimes strike a straying sheep with his merciful rod, but he will let no foe touch us, and our sorrows are t0kens of his care, not of their power. If we keep within l;iearing of his voice, sin, 011. n.1-25.] THE FIRS1' EPISTLE GENERAL OF PETER. 97