Final Greetings

A friend finishes his emails by saying, “Your friend, no matter what.” Another, “Until He comes.” I often say, “Bye for now.” We have our unique style of concluding a letter.

The biblical letter writers were no different. They, for example, listed where they were, greetings from their fellow workers and prisoners, and a benediction.

The same was true of Peter. He concluded his letter by saying,

“The together-elect church in Babylon/Rome greets you. So also, Mark, my son. Greet one another with a love/holy kiss. Peace be with all of you in Christ Jesus. Amen.” (1 Pet 5:13–14)

Early manuscripts had various versions. I have included them all and let you decide what Peter might have written! Some manuscripts, for example, had “co-elect” and omitted “church,” while others had “church” but not “co-elect.” Some said “Babylon,” while others said “Rome.” Some said, “Holy,” with a kiss, while others, “Love.” Some included Jesus’s name and “Amen,” while others omitted them.

Peter alone in the NT used this noun, “together-elect” (syn-eklectos) – a combination of “together” (syn) and “elect” (eklectos). But he had referred to “elect” (eklectos) four times. They were an “elect” race even while in exile and away from their homeland (1:1; 2:9) because of Jesus Christ, the “elect” and precious stone (2:4, 6). They weren’t alone; they were in partnership with the church in Babylon/Rome, which was an elect race that trusted in Christ Jesus.

The NT writers referred to Babylon twelve times: five times for literal Babylon in present-day Iraq (Matt 1:1, 12, 17 [2x], Acts 7:43) and six times (except for 1 Peter) for figurative Babylon (Rev 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21). John’s use was symbolic because, at the time of his writing, A.D. 70s–90s, literal Babylon was desolate, and Rome was at its peak. John’s reference that Babylon was sitting on seven hills (Rev 17:9) further connected it with Rome, which sits on seven hills. Peter wrote this letter from Rome to the Hebrew believers in Asia Minor in the early 60s, before Nero’s persecution. Would he have referred to Rome as Babylon at this time?

Regardless, the church (singular) he shepherded greeted the Hebrews believers in Asia Minor through this letter. (Rome had six house churches at that time, Romans 16. Peter represented just one of them.)

Mark, who was with Peter, greeted them. John Mark, Barnabas’s cousin, accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 12:12, 25). Regardless of their early disagreements (Acts 15:37–39), Mark accompanied him in latter missions and was imprisoned with him (Col 4:10; Phlm 1:24). Toward the end of his life, Paul wanted Timothy and Mark with him because they were valuable to him (2 Tim 4:11). Mark served Paul and Peter. Peter considered him his son, a high honor like Paul considered Timothy and Titus as his sons. Papias, a church father, said that Peter spoke about the life and ministry of Jesus that Mark wrote down as a Gospel.

Like us saying, “Oh, greet your family for me,” early apostles wrote, “Greet one another.” If they were Romans or Hebrews, who kissed each other on their cheeks as a sign of greeting, the apostle wrote, “Greet one another with a kiss (fili-ma)” (Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thess 5:26). They used “holy” or “love” to modify the kiss, as a witness that was a Christian greeting.

Peter concluded by invoking Jesus Christ’s peace to abide on all of them. They were going through trials and tribulations, and only Christ could give them true peace.