“She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you; and so does Mark my son.”
She who is in Babylon
“She” may refer to a congregation with whom Peter is staying.
“Babylon,” the literal city, was almost non-existent in the time of Peter. That city locates in what is Iraq today, in the Mesopotamian valley. There is no evidence that Peter ever went to Babylon. He was, however, in Rome in the final years of his life. Silvanus and Mark were both colleagues whose ministry was nearer to the city of Rome.
“Babylon” may be a code name for the city of Rome. If Babylon does refer to Rome, Peter might have used this code to protect the Asia Minor Christians from persecution. Rome eventually became a catalyst for the persecution of Christians throughout the world.
Paul located John Mark in Rome earlier (Colossians 4:10). The Colossians passage also gives evidence that “Babylon” in this verse is Rome. John Mark also sent his greetings to the churches in Asia Minor.
elect together with you
“Elect” is a double compound word made up of three Greek words: with, out of, and elect. The idea of “elect” carries this idea: being selected together with. “Elect” means called out together with others. An elect person is someone chosen together with others. God is the one who does the choosing.
This term for “elect” is a corporate word. We are part of one big family of God, and our home is not of this world. Our home is heaven. God elected people from various parts of the Roman Empire to be his church (1 Pe 1:1-2). They would possess salvation and a relationship with God.
greets you
The church in Rome sent greetings to the church in Asia Minor. Churches should care for one another. They should love and pray for one another. Does your church have fellowship with other churches? Do you do things together?
PRINCIPLE:
The bond of Christ joins Christians everywhere.
APPLICATION:
Wherever Christians may live, they have a bond in Christ. Churches that are great distances apart should have an affinity for one another. Although distance separates them, they are one in Christ. We need to look over the fences from our narrow viewpoint and embrace other believers for the cause of Christ.
Oceans may separate continents, but they are parts of the same globe. In fact, under the ocean, continents blend into one. God’s joint election among churches unites us forever.
There is enough archeological evidence to prove that Babylon was still inhabited until 2nd century AD Read the book "Late Achaemenid and Hellenistic Babylon" by T. BOIY, page 188. Find this book at google reads.
Therefore 1 Peter 5:13 talks about literal Babylon. Not Rome!!!!
Richardo, notice I said "almost." The point is that Peter did not minister in that area. Peter was written to Asia Minor.
Is Mark the one who wrote the Gospel of Mark?
Brad, yes this Mark is the author of the book of Mark.
Brad, note the next study (5:13b).
It is Babylon , not Rom. read the history of Assyrian church
Ben, you may be right but the interpretation is of “Babylon” here is an open question. The name “Babylon” may be used metaphorically here because there is no evidence that Peter was ever in Babylon itself. New Testament used Babylon as a synonym for Rome for fear of persecution if they used the name of the city “Rome.”
Is Peter Marks father, or is this a term of endearment?
Dennis, “son” here is not literal but symbolic. This verse has much symbolical terminology, such as Babylon for Rome. This could mean son in the faith or an elder statesman referring to a younger minister.