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"Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus"

Text: 1 Peter 5:14

GREETINGS OF LOVE AND PEACE

The closing words of the Apostle Peter were personal and full of affection.

“She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you;
and so does Mark my son.
Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.”
1 Peter 5:13-14

1. “She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, greets you”

a) Babylon was probably a veiled reference to Rome.

b) A church had grown up there.

c) Peter wrote from Rome to greet his readers.

d) The members of the church also sent greetings.

e) The church at large had one thing in common.

i) Whether it was in Jerusalem.

ii) Or it was scattered.

iii) Or in Rome.

All may be described as “elect together”!

2. “And so does Mark my son”

a) This would be a reference to John Mark (Acts 12:25).

b) This was the author of the gospel of Mark.

c) Peter kindly addressed him as “my son”.

3. “Greet one another with a kiss of love”

a) A kiss was normal in the Jewish community.

i) One is greeted with a kiss.

ii) This was cultural.

b) “A kiss of love”

i) It was practised in the Church community as well.

ii) The key idea was that of communicating Christian affection.

4. “Peace to you all who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.”

a) To greet a person with “Peace” was also a very Jewish custom.

b) This was incorporated into the Christian community and culture.

c) The word “Amen” was both Jewish and Christian.

d) Both Jewish and Christian culture shared the same Biblical roots.