12 I have written and sent this short letter to you with the help of Silas,[c] whom I commend to you as a faithful brother. My purpose in writing is to encourage you and assure you that what you are experiencing is truly part of God’s grace for you. Stand firm in this grace.

13 Your sister church here in Babylon[d] sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark. 14 Greet each other with a kiss of love. Peace be with all of you who are in Christ.

1 Peter 5:12-14 (NLT) 中文 

Stand firm

In the previous verses, we’re told that God will establish us. It’s in the context of suffering and trials. Though it’s not explicitly stated, I like how the NLT adds the interpretation of indicating the trials are part of God’s grace toward us. Here, we’re told to stand firm in the true grace of God. God does His part to establish us in good soil, on the solid Rock of Christ. We do our part to stand firm, immovable. How? 

We practice Christian spiritual disciplines. What are they? Surely talking to God in prayer is on the list. “Of course, one of the major outcomes of disciplined prayer is answered prayer. But, in all truth, that is secondary to the real purpose of prayer which is an ever-growing, unending communion with God.” (gotquestions.org) And any conversation needs to be two-way. How does He talk to us? Through His Word primarily (though Creation speaks His praises and reveals more of His glory). So we read the Bible – and study it, memorize it, meditate…and apply it. 

Greetings

Silvanus (who is probably Silas) transcribed this letter for Peter and he signed it. Peter identifies him as a faithful brother in the Lord. He probably accompanied Paul on his 2nd missionary trip.

They are in the church at Babylon – who sends greetings. Per the NLT, note: “Babylon was probably symbolic for Rome.” And we can assume Peter is writing this from there. “As a Biblical concept, ‘Babylon’ as the city of this world stands in contrast to ‘Jerusalem’ as the city of God. He may have meant Rome as Babylon as ‘the center of worldliness.’” (enduringword.com) Constable commentary suggests it’s like Hollywood, CA which is a city and name for the movie industry in the US.

And Mark is presumed by many to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. This verse would officially time Peter to Mark. “When the style and perspective of the Gospel of Mark are taken into account, many believe that Peter was Mark’s primary source of information for his gospel.” (enduringword.com)

Love and Peace

Peter encourages his readers to give each other a “kiss of love”. This was a special greeting that is actually common in some cultures today. “Cheek kissing is a ritual or social kissing gesture to indicate friendship, family relationship, perform a greeting, to confer congratulations, to comfort someone, or to show respect.” (wikipedia.org) It was common practice then.

And a blessing of peace should be welcome anywhere, any time. First and foremost is peace with God. Followed by that would be peace with your neighbor. Like love God and love your neighbor are the two greatest commands. 

RЯeflection

• Are you standing firm in your faith? Are you faithful in prayer and Bible study? Did you check out the other Christian disciplines in the link above? Let’s work to stand firm!
• Have you ever considered trials and tests as part of God’s grace toward you?