1 Peter 5:3 (GNV)

Passage

Not as though ye were lords ouer Gods heritage, but that yee may bee ensamples to the flocke.

Nearby Context

1 Peter 5:1 The elders which are among you, I beseech which am also an elder, and a witnesse of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shalbe reueiled,

1 Peter 5:2 Feede the flocke of God, which dependeth vpon you, caring for it not by constraint, but willingly: not for filthy lucre, but of a ready minde:

1 Peter 5:3 Not as though ye were lords ouer Gods heritage, but that yee may bee ensamples to the flocke.

1 Peter 5:4 And when that chiefe shepheard shall appeare, ye shall receiue an incorruptible crowne of glory.

1 Peter 5:5 Likewise ye yonger, submit your selues vnto the elders, and submit your selues euery man, one to another: decke your selues inwardly in lowlinesse of minde: for God resisteth the proude, and giueth grace to the humble.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "though", "lords", "ouer", "gods", "heritage", "ensamples", and "flocke". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "though" and "lords", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "Feede the flocke of God which dependeth..." into verse 4's "And when that chiefe shepheard shall appeare...", so "though" and "lords" belong inside that flow. In 1 Peter context, the local focus is hope in suffering, holy conduct, submission, and grace.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "though" and "lords" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.