What does 1 Peter 5:12 mean?
Peter now closes out his letter to the Christians in Asia Minor with a personal note. Peter has written this letter through a man identified as Silvanus, or Silas, depending on the translation. In either case, most scholars suggest that this is the same man who traveled and ministered with the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; and 2 Thessalonians 1:1).It's possible that Peter dictated his letter to Silvanus, who wrote the words down for him. This would be the same way in which Tertius served as Paul's secretary for the book of Romans (Romans 16:22). Or it may simply be that Peter is sending him to deliver this letter to the churches. In either case, Peter commends Silvanus to them, calling him a faithful brother.
The point of his letter, Peter writes, was to encourage them, to reinforce once more that "this"—the gospel of Jesus—is really and truly the grace of God. He exhorts them to stand fast in that grace. In other words, Peter writes to bolster their spirits and their faith, especially in light of the persecution of Christians.
1 Peter 5:12–14 brings Peter’s letter to the scattered Christians of Asia Minor to a close. He commends Silvanus (Silas), who will likely deliver the letter to the churches. He offers greetings from the church where he is, including a greeting from his ''spiritual'' son (not likely his actual child) Mark. Finally, Peter asks that they greet each other, on his behalf, with a kiss, and he signs off with a prayer for peace for all Christians.
Peter concludes his letter to the scattered Christians in Asia Minor with specific instructions. Primarily, these are targeted at those in the role of elder, about how to lead. He also provides counsel for all believers on living in humility toward each other and toward God. In humility, we wait and trust God to exalt us in His time. In humility, we cast our cares on Him. But we’re also called to remain alert, watching out for the devil and resisting him by focusing on staying firm in our faith. After this brief life of suffering, our God will bring our suffering to an end and make us strong forever.
