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Chapter 5
1 Ὅθεν, ἀδελφοί, καταλείψαντες τὴν παροικίαν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ποιήσωμεν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ καλέσαντος ἡμᾶς, καὶ μὴ φοβηθῶμεν ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου. Therefore, brothers, upon abandoning our transient residency in this world, let us do the will of Him who called us, and let us not be afraid to depart out of this world.
2 λέγει γὰρ ὁ κύριος Ἔσεσθε ὡς ἀρνία ἐν μέσῳ λύκων. For the Lord says, “You will be as lambs in the midst of wolves” {see Luke 10:3}.
3 ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος αὐτῷ λέγει·
Ἐὰν οὖν διασπαράξωσιν οἱ λύκοι τὰ ἀρνία; 		But Peter answered and said unto Him, “What then, if the wolves should tear the lambs?”
4 εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τῷ Πέτρῳ· Μὴ φοβείσθωσαν τὰ ἀρνία τοὺς λύκους μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν αὐτά·
καὶ ὑμεῖς μὴ φοβεῖσθε τοὺς ἀποκτέννοντας ὑμᾶς καὶ μηδὲν ὑμῖν δυναμένους ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ φοβεῖσθε τὸν μετὰ τὸ ἀποθανεῖν ὑμᾶς ἔχοντα ἐξουσίαν ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος τοῦ βαλεῖν εἰς γέενναν πυρός. 		Jesus said unto Peter, “After the lambs are dead, they are not afraid of the wolves.
And as for you, don’t be afraid of those who kill you and are not able to do anything more to you; but fear the one who, after you are dead, has power to throw soul and body into the Gehenna of fire” {See Luke 12:5}.
5 καὶ γινώσκετε, ἀδελφοί, ὅτι ἡ ἐπιδημία ἡ ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ τῆς σαρκὸς ταύτης μικρά ἐστιν καὶ ὀλιγοχρόνιος, ἡ δὲ ἐπαγγελία τοῦ Χριστοῦ μεγάλη καὶ θαυμαστή ἐστιν, καὶ ἀνάπαυσις τῆς μελλούσης βασιλείας καὶ ζωῆς αἰωνίου. And you know, brothers, that this physical stay in this world is minor and temporary, but the promise of Christ is major and marvelous, and a resting place in the coming kingdom and eternal life.
6 τί οὖν ἐστὶν ποιήσαντας ἐπιτυχεῖν αὐτῶν, εἰ μὴ τὸ ὁσίως καὶ δικαίως ἀναστρέφεσθαι καὶ τὰ κοσμικὰ ταῦτα ὡς ἀλλότρια ἡγεῖσθαι καὶ μὴ ἐπιθυμεῖν αὐτῶν; What then should we do to obtain them, except to walk uprightly and righteously, and to consider these worldly things as alien to us, and not to desire them?
7 ἐν γὰρ τῷ ἐπιθυμεῖν ἡμᾶς κτήσασθαι ταῦτα ἀποπίπτομεν τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς δικαίας. For when we desire to obtain these things, we fall away from the righteous path.
Summary
This passage centers on Christian pilgrimage, non-worldliness, and radical courage in the face of physical death.

Quoting an expanded version of Jesus' instruction to the disciples (parallel to Matthew 10:16, 28 and Luke 10:3, 12:4–5), the author presents an explicit dialogue between Peter and Jesus.

He reminds believers that earthly existence is merely a brief, temporary stay (παροικία) and urges them to prioritize the eternal kingdom over worldly attachments, warning that coveting material goods causes one to stray from the path of righteousness.
Significant Greek Expressions
τὴν παροικίαν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ("our sojourning in this world"): The word παροικία means a temporary residence or exile in a foreign land (the root of the English word parish). It frames earthly life as transient, depicting Christians as resident aliens whose true home is not of this world (cf. 1 Pet 1:17).

ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ("to depart from this world"): Refers to physical departure from earthly life, particularly through martyrdom or death. Believers are urged not to fear leaving this world, as their ultimate citizenship lies in the coming kingdom.

διασπαράξωσιν ("tear to pieces"): A vivid verb (διασπαράσσω) used in Peter's question regarding what happens if the wolves tear the sheep apart. It emphasizes the brutal reality of persecution facing early Christians.

ἐξουσίαν ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος... εἰς γέενναν πυρός ("authority over soul and body... into the gehenna of fire"): Echoes Matthew 10:28. The contrast is set between human persecutors, who can only destroy physical life, and God, who holds ultimate, sovereign authority (ἐξουσία) over both physical and spiritual existence after death.

ἡ ἐπιδημία... ὀλιγοχρόνιος ("our stay... short-lived"):Ἐπιδημία refers to a temporary stay or residence in a place. Combined with ὀλιγοχρόνιος ("brief," "lasting a short time"), it highlights the fleeting nature of mortal, earthly existence compared to the eternal scope of Christ's promises.

ἀνάπαυσις ("rest"): A key concept in early Christian eschatology. The promise of the coming kingdom is described as ἀνάπαυσις—a state of ultimate rest, peace, and cessation from earthly suffering and temptation.

ὡς ἀλλότρια ἡγεῖσθαι ("to regard as foreign / belonging to another"):Ἀλλότριος means belonging to someone else. The author exhorts believers to view worldly possessions not as their own, but as foreign objects to which they have no primary claim or attachment.

ἀποπίπτομεν τῆς ὁδοῦ τῆς δικαίας ("we fall away from the right path"): From ἀποπίπτω (to fall away or slip off). The pursuit of material gain (ἐπιθυμεῖν κτήσασθαι ταῦτα) is identified as the precise point of derailment that causes a believer to stray from the righteous way.