I PETER 5:13

Q:  In his concluding thoughts Peter notes, “She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.” Who is this “she” that he refers to in Babylon? Did I miss that earlier?

Let's first deal with the matter of “where” before discussing “who.” It is the unanimous opinion of the ten commentaries I consulted that “Babylon” refers to Rome. The reason for using this code name has been variously explained as (a) an attempt to avoid persecution by Roman authorities, (b) an allusion to the fact that Rome was a second Babylon since they both destroyed Jerusalem, or (c) pointing to the similarity of the Jews living in Babylonian exile and Christians living as exiles in a hostile world.

Other suggestions, mainly discredited, for the location of “Babylon” include (a) a Roman garrison town in what is now Cairo, Egypt and (b) the historical Babylon on the Euphrates River. These suggestions did not even arise until the time of the Reformation. The Daily Bible introduction to I Peter is unique in suggesting that Jerusalem might be the true identity of “Babylon.”

Next, who is the “she” mentioned in 5:13?

Three suggestions have been made for her identity, listed in increasing order of probability: a nameless female missionary who accompanied Peter (mentioned in Leonhard Goppelt, A Commentary on I Peter), Peter's wife, and the local church. The first possibility has few followers, and it seems unlikely that Peter would go to the trouble of mentioning her at all without further identification.

If there were a particular woman traveling with him, it would more likely be his wife (the second possibility) since it is known that she did accompany him on occasion (see I Corinthians 9:5). This explanation is held by those who feel that the “son Mark” mentioned in I Peter 5:13 is their biological son. Most commentators, however, believe that this is a clear reference to John Mark, the author of the second Gospel.

The majority opinion is that “she” most likely refers to the local congregation in Rome from which Peter is writing his letter. “She” is used since the Greek word for church, ekklesia, is feminine. A similar usage can be found in the opening and closing greetings of II John: “to the elect lady and her children” and “the children of your elect sister send you their greetings,” respectively. The same Greek root for “chosen/elect” appears in I Peter 5:13, II John 1, and II John 13.

Several English translations make the same point clear:

“The church that is at Babylon” KJV

“Your sister church in Babylon” NRSV, TEV

“Your sister-church here in 'Babylon'” J. B. Phillips

“The church here in Rome” Living Bible