1 Peter 2:25 - Homiletics

For ye were as sheep going astray ; rather, with the best manuscripts, for ye were going astray like sheep . The apostle is probably still thinking of the great prophecy of Isaiah, and here almost reproduces the words of the sixth verse, "All we like sheep have gone astray." He who had been thrice charged to feed the sheep and the lambs of Christ would think also of the parable of the lost sheep, and of the people of Israel who were "as sheep having no shepherd" ( Matthew 9:36 ). But are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls ; literally, but ye returned (the verb is aorist); that is, at the time of their conversion. The aorist passive, ἐπεστράφην , is so frequently used in a middle sense that the translation, "ye were converted," cannot be insisted on. Christ is the Shepherd of our souls. The quotation from Isaiah doubtless brought before St. Peter's thoughts the sweet and holy allegory of the good Shepherd, which he had heard from the Savior's lips (comp. also Isaiah 40:11 ; Ezekiel 34:23 ; Ezekiel 37:24 ; also Psalms 22:1-31 .). The word "bishop" ( ἐπίσκοπος ) is used in a similar connection in Acts 20:28 , "Take heed … to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers ( ἐπισκόπους ) ; " comp. also Ezekiel 34:11 , "I will both search my sheep, and seek them out," where the Greek word for "seek them out" is ἐπισκέψομαι . The Lord Jesus Christ is the chief Shepherd ( 1 Peter 5:4 ). He is also the chief Bishop or Overseer of those souls which he has bought to be his own with his most precious blood.