Hello, my ‘Walking with Jesus’ friends around the world on this Friday,
When you end a letter you’ve written, especially a lengthy one and one with lots of important information, how do you close that letter? Sadly, not many people write handwritten letters anymore, and even those written via computer email are often ended quickly and without much thought.
But over the past several weeks we’ve been with the apostle Peter, in about the year 64ad as he’s been writing his first letter to Christians across the Roman Empire. His letter is intended to encourage people who are suffering greatly because both the political leaders in Rome and scattered across the Empire, and the Jewish religious leaders in Jerusalem, and those scattered across the Empire, seem determined to eradicate this movement of followers of Jesus Christ. Persecution has been horrific causing many Christians to flee for their lives from their hometowns, their jobs, even in some cases their families.
Let’s sit with Peter again as he rolls out the parchment for the last time, to write his final words: “With the help of Silas, whom I regard as a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it.” (1 Peter 5:12) I presume this “Silas” is the same man who accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. You may recall we met Silas first in Acts 15 when Paul and Barnabas had come to Jerusalem for a meeting with the apostles and other leaders of the Christian movement based in Jerusalem.
A major question had arisen causing great division among Jewish and Gentile Christians. It was a simple yet profound question and everyone had strong feelings about it. The question was this: Was full faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement death sufficient for salvation, or should Gentiles abide by the Jewish laws, including circumcision, in order to be fully saved by God?
By the clear leading of the Holy Spirit, those leaders came to the conclusion: the salvation of any person is fully God accomplished in them in response to their full trust in Jesus Christ’s atonement death and their repentance of their sin. As Barnabas and Paul were preparing to return to Antioch, from which they had come for this meeting, they were encouraged by the Jerusalem leaders to take with them Silas and another man named Judas, to validate the report Paul and Barnabas would give to the Gentile Christians in Antioch. They did so and sometime later, while in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas had a disagreement regarding the young man John Mark who had joined their first missionary journey but then left them in Perga to return home to Jerusalem. In their disagreement, Barnabas decided to invite John Mark to accompany him and the two of them sailed for Cyprus to begin a second missionary trip. Paul also decided to go back and visit the churches he and Barnabas had helped launch and he invited Silas to join him on that journey. Silas did and perhaps became best known for his time with Paul in the city of Philippi where they were arrested for causing a disturbance and beaten before being thrown into the jail cell. That night an earthquake flung open the gates to the prison and you may recall the jailer thinking all the prisoners had escaped was about to kill himself, when Paul and Silas called out that they had not run out despite the open gates. That jailer then asked Paul and Silas to explain to him how to enter into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ! You’ll find that story in Acts 16. Silas is not mentioned in either Paul’s third or fourth journey, but apparently Silas ended up in Rome at Peter’s side, assisting him as Peter wrote this letter. Perhaps Silas would be the carrier of Peter’s letter as it would be sent out to be read in towns and cities across the Roman Empire.
I can only imagine the great encouragement it was for Peter to have Silas with him again in Rome. We can assume they had known each other well in Jerusalem in the early days. It’s very likely Silas would have known Jesus, even though he is not mentioned among the followers of Jesus in the Gospel accounts. If Peter was in a prison cell, it’s even possible he did not have the freedom to write some of his letter himself, and he dictated it to Silas to be written. Since both Peter and Silas had suffered beatings and imprisonment for the Gospel it’s not difficult for us to understand how Silas would have given personal testimony to the validity of all Peter had written, as Silas would take the scroll from town to town.
Peter now concludes with his final statements: “She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” (1 Peter 5:13,14) Most Bible scholars agree the “Babylon” Peter refers to here is the city of Rome. Peter uses the term “Babylon” to express Rome’s dominant significance in the Roman empire as Babylon of old was in the days of King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonian empire. But also, Peter uses that word since it has come to symbolize the seat of wickedness in power here on earth.
It was Peter’s way of acknowledging the horrific wickedness flowing out of Rome toward Christians across the empire was similar to that which poured out of Babylon against the Jews in the days of the destruction of Rome in 586bc and their 70 years of captivity. Did Peter know that within only a few years after he wrote this Jerusalem would once again be destroyed, this time by the Roman military in 70ad, destroying the city and the great Temple, just as King Nebuchadnezzar had done 650 years before?
But who is the “she” Peter refers to in Babylon, we ask? Most Bible scholars believe Peter is referring to the Christians in Rome, who like many in other cities across the Empire, gathered in little clusters in homes to worship, pray and study the Scriptures. While in Rome, Peter and Paul both met with these Christians, and Paul of course wrote his letter we know as Romans to these Roman Christians. And finally, Mark, who is he? Yes, this is the same John Mark who we meet first in Acts 12:12 in a prayer meeting, and who then accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. Mark then later traveled with Peter and here we find them in Rome together. Peter had such an affection for Mark and had spent so much time teaching Mark of the teachings of Jesus, that Peter calls Mark ‘my son Mark’. And yes, my friends, this Mark is the author or the second book of the New Testament, the Gospel which bears his name. We can well imagine it was the profound influence of Peter which motivated Mark to write, as the Holy Spirit led him.
Finally, the very last line of Peter’s letter: “Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” It’s almost exactly how Peter began, do you remember? “Grace and peace be yours in abundance”, Peter had opened his letter with those words because Peter loved those people who had fully trusted in Jesus, and thus do you see again Peter calls them ‘you who are in Christ’. Peter was so confident that their security “in Christ” would carry them through these difficult days and years, and they would one day all be reunited together with Jesus in heaven! Peter loved praying for peace for them as he knew the difficulty in which they lived. They, like he and Silas and John Mark sought to follow Jesus obediently and honorably.
Look…Peter is folding his hands. This letter, dictated into his mind by the Holy Spirit, is complete. Soon it would be copied very, very carefully and sent out across the Empire to encourage hungry, persecuted Christians. Meanwhile Peter remained in Rome. In fact, as far as we know, he was never released to travel again. Soon he wrote a second letter and soon after that Peter was executed for being a stubborn follower of Jesus. Stubborn I say, because he refused to deny Jesus, he refused to stop talking or writing about Jesus, and he refused to bow his knee honoring the Caesar as his Lord. Oh no! Peter only knew one Lord. His Savior, His Lord, His friend… Jesus.
Do you know Jesus as your Savior, Lord and friend? Oh, how I’d love to help you know Him like this. And so we close 1 Peter with another wonderful worship song…
Today’s Scripture is 1 Peter 5:12-14.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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