translation_id: net-engnet

label: NET study note

text: In this context younger and elder are terms that combine two meanings: relative age and an official structure of leadership in the church. As in v. 1 , elder here denotes those who exercise spiritual leadership, who for the most part are older in years. Likewise younger means the rest of the community, who for the most part are younger in age, who are urged to accept the authority of their leaders.


text: A quotation from Prov 3:34 (cf. Jas 4:6 ).


text: This phrase may be an allusion to Ps 22:13 .


text: The phrase Through Silvanus means either that Silvanus was the secretary (amanuensis) who assisted Peter in writing or composing the letter (cf. Rom 16:22 ) or that he carried the letter to the churches. The latter sense is more likely since this is the meaning of the Greek wording when it is used elsewhere (cf. Acts 15:23 ; Ignatius, Letter to the Romans 10:1; Letter to the Philadelphians 11:2; Letter to the Smyrnaeans 12:1; Polycarp, Letter to the Philippians 14), though it is perhaps possible that both ideas could be incorporated by this expression. For a detailed argument regarding this issue, see E. R. Richards, “Silvanus Was Not Peter’s Secretary: Theological Bias in Interpreting διὰ Σιλουανοῦ … ἔγραψα ,” JETS 43 (September 2000): 417-32.


text: Most scholars understand Babylon here to be a figurative reference to Rome. Although in the OT the city of Babylon in Mesopotamia was the seat of tremendous power ( 2 Kgs 24-25 ; ; ), by the time of the NT what was left was an insignificant town, and there is no tradition in Christian history that Peter ever visited there. On the other hand, Christian tradition connects Peter with the church in Rome, and many interpreters think other references to Babylon in the NT refer to Rome as well ( Rev 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21 ). Thus it is likely Peter was referring to Rome here.