Section 5:12–14
Final greetings
Peter ended his letter with a final word of encouragement and with greetings from local Christians. It may well be that Peter himself, and not Silvanus, wrote this final section with his own hand, in accordance with the common practice of that time.
Some other headings for this section include:
Peter concluded his letter
-or-
Peter’s final greetings
Paragraph 5:12
5:12a
Through Silvanus: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Through Silvanus indicates that Silvanus, who is also called Silas in the New Testament, helped Peter write this letter. Commentators differ as to how he did that:
(1) Silvanus helped Peter draft the letter. For example:
Silvanus helped me write this short letter (Contemporary English Version)
(New International Version, Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version)
(2) Silvanus was the one who would deliver the letter. For example:
I’ve written this short letter to you and I’m sending it by Silvanus (God’s Word)
(God’s Word)
Many versions are ambiguous, but it is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), with the majority of commentators.
Silvanus: Commentators think that by Silvanus, Peter was referring to the same person who accompanied Paul on his journeys (Acts 15:40). In Acts he is called Silas. Some English versions follow the Greek and others translate this name as “Silas.” It is recommended that you follow the translation of your national or regional translation.
5:12b
whom I regard as a faithful brother: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as whom I regard as a faithful brother means that Peter viewed Silvanus as a faithful Christian believer. Peter was implying that his readers should also view Silvanus in this way and receive him warmly.
faithful: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faithful in this context means someone who keeps his word and can be trusted. See how you translated this word in 4:19b, where it is used to describe God.
brother: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates literally as brother here refers to a fellow believer, a brother in Christ.
5:12c
I have written: Peter is referring to this letter. As he was still writing it at the time he wrote these words, it may be more natural to say in your language:
I write
-or-
I am writing
5:12d
encouraging you: Peter wrote this letter in order to encourage his readers to keep on trusting Jesus even while they were suffering. In some languages it may be natural to translate this as an explicit purpose clause:
to encourage you ⌊to keep on believing/trusting Jesus Christ⌋
5:12e
testifying: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as testifying is a strong verb that means to declare that something is true. Peter says here that everything he has written in this letter about God’s grace is true. Here is another way to translate this word:
declaring (Revised Standard Version)
this is the true grace of God: Peter did not say what this refers to. Commentators suggest that this refers to the message of his letter. Peter was saying that all that he had written in his letter about God’s grace was true. So you could translate this as:
what I am writing about God’s grace is true.
true grace of God: The phrase true grace of God here refers to God’s goodness or kindness. Other ways this phrase has been translated include:
God’s genuine good will (God’s Word)
-or-
how kind God really is (Contemporary English Version)
5:12f
Stand firm in it: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as Stand fast in it is a figure of speech. It means that the Christians should continue to trust in God’s grace and never turn away from him. Some other ways this phrase has been translated include:
keep on having faith in him (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
Remain firmly established in it! (God’s Word)
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