The last few verses of 1 Peter are the final greetings that Peter gives to his readers. He begins by giving credit to Silas for his help. Take a look at 1 Peter 5:12.

Just who is this guy that Peter is talking about, and how was he such a help to Peter?

In the original language, Peter uses the name Silvanus. Many of the modern translations, such as the NIV, use Silas, and they do so based on a couple of specific thoughts. First of all, that this Silvanus was the same one mentioned in the letter of 2 Corinthians, as a coworker of Paul and Timothy. Second, that Silvanus is the man named Silas in Acts, who was sent to Antioch by the Jerusalem church leaders, and then joined Paul on his second missionary journey.

Silas is a Greek name, while Silvanus is Latin, and in the case of Paul’s mention of Silvanus, and Luke’s person named Silas, it is possible that they are the same person. If so, then it is also likely that this is the same person to which Peter is referring to as well. Based on what we know of Silas/Silvanus, his efforts with Paul and now possibly with Peter make him a “faithful brother,” and a great help in ministry to Peter.

But how was he such a great help to Peter? One option is that Silvanus is the man who drafted this letter for Peter. This is not without precedent in the early church, both in the New Testament, and in the time of the early church fathers. Paul used help to write some of his letters, as seen in 1 Corinthians 16:21, finishing up with the final few lines on his own.

As he finishes this thought about Silvanus helping him, he gives a summary statement for the entire letter. He has written a letter that was meant to be encouraging for his readers, especially those who were facing suffering and persecution for their faith. Once again, he tells them to hold on to the most important thing, their faith in Jesus Christ and his grace.

He reminds his readers once again to stand firm. Really, the entire letter is a book about standing firm.

And that’s applicable for you and me to day as well.

Question: How do you stand firm? What have you found to be helpful in your life to be so steadfast in your faith and God’s grace? You can leave a comment by clicking here.