1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. 5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. 10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. 13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son. 14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
[AD 220] Tertullian on 1 Peter 5:1
Exhibit therefore even now to me, apostolic sir, prophetic evidences, that I may recognise your divine virtue, and vindicate to yourself the power of remitting such sins! If, however, you have had the functions of discipline alone allotted you, and (the duty) of presiding not imperially, but ministerially; who or how great are you, that you should grant indulgence, who, by exhibiting neither the prophetic nor the apostolic character, lack that virtue whose property it is to indulge?

[AD 258] Cyprian on 1 Peter 5:1
Moreover, you may supply the expenses for strangers, if any should be indigent, from my own portion, which I have left with Rogatianus, our fellow-presbyter;

[AD 449] Hilary of Arles on 1 Peter 5:1
It is by exhortation and constructive criticism that the flock of the Lord is to be set straight.

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:1
Who is also a partaker of the glory that is to be revealed in the future. Clearly, this happened when on the holy mountain he beheld the heavenly glory of His face with James and John, or when he saw the power of His resurrection and ascension with the other disciples who were present.

[AD 990] Oecumenius on 1 Peter 5:1
As he is proposing to talk about modesty, the apostle refers to himself here as a fellow elder, by which he means that he is one among many other elders. In saying this he is either referring to his age or to the office of bishop, for bishops and elders were one and the same. When he wants to reveal his dignity and point out that it is from modesty that he refers to himself as a fellow elder, he mentions that he was a witness of Christ’s suffering. The point of this is to say that if he, who has so great an honor, does not mind referring to himself as a fellow elder among them, they too must not exalt themselves in the presence of those who serve in various offices.

[AD 1022] Symeon the New Theologian on 1 Peter 5:1
How will you be a partaker of Christ’s glory if you refuse to be a partaker of his shameful death? It is in vain that you have left the world behind if you are unwilling to take up your cross, as he commanded you to.

[AD 108] Ignatius of Antioch on 1 Peter 5:2
Ye presbyters, "feed the flock which is among you"
[AD 407] John Chrysostom on 1 Peter 5:2
Christ said: “He who would be first among you, let him serve, for he who humbles himself will be exalted above all.” What do you mean? If I humble myself, will I then be exalted? Yes, says Jesus. For such is my power that I can turn something into its exact opposite. I am skilled and capable, do not doubt it. The nature of things obeys my will, not the other way round.

[AD 420] Jerome on 1 Peter 5:2
In the Greek the meaning is still plainer, for the word used is episkopeuontes, that is to say, “overseeing,” and this is the origin of the word bishop.

[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on 1 Peter 5:2
We are your guardians, and you are the flock of God. Reflect and see that our perils are greater than yours, and pray for us. This befits both us and you, that we may be able to give a good account of you to the prince of pastors and our universal head.

[AD 449] Hilary of Arles on 1 Peter 5:2
Here Peter is telling the leaders of the church exactly what the Lord told him: “Feed my sheep.”

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:2
Feed the flock of God that is among you. Just as the Lord commanded Blessed Peter to have care for His entire flock, that is, the Church, so Peter rightly commands the subsequent pastors of the Church to protect with diligent governance the flock of God that is among them.

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:2
Providing not forcefully but willingly, etc. One who feeds the flock of God and provides out of necessity for material things, having nothing to live on, therefore preaches the Gospel so that he may live from the Gospel. But willingly and according to God is one who, looking not for any earthly reward, but only for the heavenly reward, preaches the word of God. The Apostle Paul distinguishes between the two: "For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship." Stewardship is said to be entrusted to someone who is commanded to take care of an external matter for a time. For instance, one who is commanded to distribute his master's wheat to his fellow servants in due time is similar to one who does not willingly, but reluctantly, evangelizes.

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:2
Neither for shameful profit, but willingly. He provides for the flock of God for shameful profit, who preaches for gain and earthly benefits, while all works of religion ought to be done willingly. According to the example of the construction of the tabernacle, which prefigured the present construction of the Church, where all the multitude of the children of Israel offered the first-fruits to the Lord with prompt and devoted minds for the construction of the tabernacle, giving all things freely, and the craftsmen offered themselves willingly to do the work.

[AD 449] Hilary of Arles on 1 Peter 5:3
Even though you may have authority over the church in what you say or in the office which you occupy, you should never have a superior attitude toward others.

[AD 600] Paschasius of Dumium on 1 Peter 5:3
Practice what you preach, so that you may offer your people not only advice but a model as well, that they may imitate your example.

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:3
Nor as being lords over those assigned to your care, etc. So that the humility, which you desire your subjects to have towards you and among themselves, you may first show by your own actions and keep in your own mind intact, according to the word of the Lord: "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant; and whoever wants to be first among you must be the servant of all" (Matthew XXIII). Paul carefully observing this precept says: "For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake."

[AD 311] Methodius of Olympus on 1 Peter 5:4
But let us, beloved, return in our discourse to that point whence we digressed, exclaiming, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord: that good and kind Shepherd, voluntarily to lay down His life for His sheep. That just as hunters take by a sheep the wolves that devour sheep, even so the Chief Shepherd,

[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on 1 Peter 5:4
While thinking of himself as a martyr to be, Cyprian did not allow himself to forget that he was still a bishop and was more anxious about the account he was to give to the chief shepherd concerning the sheep committed to him than he was about the answer he would give to the unbelieving proconsul, concerning his own faith.

[AD 1022] Symeon the New Theologian on 1 Peter 5:4
Can death have any power over the souls which have been sealed by the grace of the Holy Spirit and the blood of Christ? Dare the spiritual wolf look straight at the seal of Christ the good shepherd, which he places on his own sheep? By no means, faithful brothers of godly mind!

[AD 99] Clement of Rome on 1 Peter 5:5
Moreover, you were all distinguished by humility, and were in no respect puffed up with pride, but yielded obedience rather than extorted it, and were more willing to give than to receive. [Acts 20:35] Content with the provision which God had made for you, and carefully attending to His words, you were inwardly filled with His doctrine, and His sufferings were before your eyes. Thus a profound and abundant peace was given to you all, and you had an insatiable desire for doing good, while a full outpouring of the Holy Spirit was upon you all.

[AD 108] Ignatius of Antioch on 1 Peter 5:5
For if I in this brief space of time, have enjoyed such fellowship with your bishop-I mean not of a mere human, but of a spiritual nature-how much more do I reckon you happy who are so joined to him as the Church is to Jesus Christ, and as Jesus Christ is to the Father, that so all things may agree in unity! Let no man deceive himself: if any one be not within the altar, he is deprived of the bread of God. For if the prayer of one or two possesses such power, how much more that of the bishop and the whole Church! He, therefore, that does not assemble with the Church, has even by this manifested his pride, and condemned himself. For it is written, "God resisteth the proud." Let us be careful, then, not to set ourselves in opposition to the bishop, in order that we may be subject to God.

[AD 155] Polycarp of Smyrna on 1 Peter 5:5
Be all of you subject one to another

[AD 215] Clement of Alexandria on 1 Peter 5:5
Dicunt autem gloriosi isti jactatores se imitari Dominum, qui neque uxorem duxit, neque in mundo aliquid possedit; se magis quam alii Evangelium intellexisse gloriantes. Eis autem dicit Scriptura: "Deus superb is resistit, humilibus autem dat gratiam.".
"Moses, `the servant who was faithful in all his house, 'said to Him who uttered the oracles from the bush, `Who am I, that Thou sendest me? I am slow of speech, and of a stammering tongue, 'to minister the voice of God in human speech. And again: `I am smoke from a pot. 'For God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble."

[AD 258] Cyprian on 1 Peter 5:5
Of those who were anxious to disturb everything should be restrained; and when, besides, I had read your letter which you lately wrote hither to my clergy by Crementius the sub-deacon, to the effect that assistance should be given to those who might, after their lapse, be seized with sickness, and might penitently desire communion; I judged it well to stand by your judgment, lest our proceedings, which ought to be united and to agree in all things, should in any respect be different.
To the number of five, that I wrote to the clergy and to the people, and to the martyrs also and confessors, which letters have already been sent to many of our colleagues, and have satisfied them; and they replied that they also agree with me in the same opinion according to the Catholic faith; which very thing do you also communicate to as many of our colleagues as you can, that among all these, may be observed one mode of action and one agreement, according to the Lord's precepts.
[AD 380] Apostolic Constitutions on 1 Peter 5:5
We add, in the next place, that neither is every one that prophesies holy, nor every one that casts out devils religious: for even Balaam the son of Beor the prophet did prophesy, though he was himself ungodly; as also did Caiaphas, the falsely-named high priest... For neither is a wicked king any longer a king, but a tyrant; nor is a bishop oppressed with ignorance or an evil disposition a bishop, but falsely so called, being not one sent out by God, but by men... We say these things, not in contempt of true prophecies, for we know that they are wrought in holy men by the inspiration of God, but to put a stop to the boldness of vainglorious men; and add this withal, that from such as these God takes away His grace: for "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." [1 Peter 5:5, James 4:6, Proverbs 3:34]

[AD 400] Ignatius of Antioch on 1 Peter 5:5
Flee from haughtiness, "for the Lord resisteth the proud." Abhor falsehood, for says [the Scripture], "Thou shalt destroy all them that speak lies." Guard against envy, for its author is the devil, and his successor Cain, who envied his brother, and out of envy committed murder. Exhort my sisters to love God, and be content with their own husbands only. In like manner, exhort my brethren also to be content with their own wives. Watch over the virgins, as the precious treasures of Christ. Be long-suffering, that thou mayest be great in wisdom. Do not neglect the poor, in so far as thou art prosperous. For "by alms and fidelity sins are purged away."

[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on 1 Peter 5:5
I fear that you may presume to rely on your own spirit to mortify the doings of the flesh and so perish for pride and find yourselves opposed for being proud, not granted grace for being humble.

[AD 449] Hilary of Arles on 1 Peter 5:5
By “young men” Peter means everyone who occupies a subordinate role in the church. But note that those who are superiors must also act humbly, for humility is what should be common to both.

[AD 532] Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite on 1 Peter 5:5
Nor, again, were we ashamed to change our opinions, if reason convinced us, and to acknowledge the fact; but rather with a good conscience, and in all sincerity, and with open hearts
[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:5
Likewise, young men, be subject to the elders. After teaching the elders how to lead, it was necessary to also instruct the younger ones to obey their paternal provision. However, it was not necessary to speak much to them, but only to give the precept of subjection. For surely he had commanded the elders to be examples to those under them, and it sufficed for the younger ones to look to the good examples of their elders and devoutly imitate them. But lest the superiors hearing these things should think that only the subjects are to observe the laws of humility and not also themselves, he immediately added by admonishing generally:

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:5
All of you, clothe yourselves with humility towards one another. For he says all, meaning both the elders and the young men, who are commanded to manifest the virtue of humility towards one another, both by ruling and by humbly obeying. This is something we read that Peter himself did, when, upon entering Caesarea, Cornelius humbly fell at his feet, and he humbly raised him up, saying: Stand up, I too am just a man like you (Acts X). And indeed Cornelius had not yet been reborn in Christ, nor had he yet been incorporated into the members of the Church. Therefore, all are either taught to have humility towards one another by example, or this is also insinuated by word because he knew that the vice of pride, which cast the angels down from heaven, ought to be guarded against by all. He prudently warns and refreshes all with the accompanying judgment of Solomon, saying:

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:5
For God resists the proud, etc. And he immediately explains what that same grace is which God bestows upon the humble, when he subsequently adds by admonishing:

[AD 407] John Chrysostom on 1 Peter 5:6
Peter says that this will happen in due time, because he is teaching them that they will have to wait until the next life for this exaltation.

[AD 542] Caesarius of Arles on 1 Peter 5:6
Since no one is without sin, no one should be without penance, for by this very fact a man becomes guilty if he presumes that he is innocent. A man may be guilty of lesser sin, but no one is without guilt.

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:6
Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, etc. Thus, He grants this grace to the humble, so that the more they are humbled for His sake at the time of the struggle, the more gloriously they may be exalted by Him at the time of recompense. But humility can be understood in many ways in this context, that is, both the humility where someone, beginning the path of virtues, is healthily worn down to wash away the sins they have committed, and the humility that is shown voluntarily, out of devotion of mind, to God or to neighbors in peace regarding surrounding matters, and also the humility where, under the attacks of persecution storms, the undefeated soul is armed with the virtue of patience. To every kind of humility devout to God, that reward succeeds, so that those who humble themselves during their pilgrimage will be exalted during His visitation.

[AD 990] Oecumenius on 1 Peter 5:6
Peter puts exaltation off until the world to come, because the only true exaltation is the one which is immutable and eternal. Exaltation in this world is neither secure nor firm but leads rather to eternal humiliation, for it is easier to be humiliated than it is to be exalted.

[AD 160] Shepherd of Hermas on 1 Peter 5:7
For, like elderly men who have no hope of renewing their strength, and expect nothing but their last sleep, so you, weakened by worldly occupations, have given yourselves up to sloth, and have not cast your cares upon the Lord.

[AD 500] Desert Fathers on 1 Peter 5:7
A brother asked a hermit, ‘Would you like me to keep two shillings for myself, in case I fall ill?’ The hermit, seeing that in his heart he wanted to keep them, said, ‘Yes.’ The brother went into his cell, but he was worried, asking himself, ‘Did he tell me the truth or not?’ He got up and went back to the hermit, bowed down and asked him, ‘For the Lord’s sake tell me the truth, for I am worrying about those two shillings.’ The hermit said to him, ‘I told you to keep them because I saw you intended to do so anyway. But it is not good to have more than the body needs. If you keep two shillings, you will put your hope in them. If by chance they are lost, then God will no longer be interested in your needs. Let us cast all our care upon the Lord, for He cares for us.’

[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on 1 Peter 5:7
Peter tells us that we have a guide and leader and that if we act according to his instructions, we shall keep ourselves pure and spotless.

[AD 250] Fabian of Rome on 1 Peter 5:8
Furthermore, we desire you to know this, that in our times, as our sins embarrassed us, and that ancient enemy who always goeth about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour,
[AD 258] Cyprian on 1 Peter 5:8
Therefore, beloved brethren, we must be on our guard, and strive with all our powers to repel, with solicitous and full watch-fulness, the enemy, raging and aiming his darts against every part of our body in which we can be stricken and wounded, in accordance with what the Apostle Peter, in his epistle, forewarns and teaches, saying, "Be sober, and watch; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, goeth about seeking any one to devour."

[AD 379] Basil of Caesarea on 1 Peter 5:8
That the devil wanders over all the earth under heaven and ranges about like a mad dog, seeking whom he may devour, we learn from the story of Job.

[AD 410] Prudentius on 1 Peter 5:8
Who goes roaring around, raging madly
As he seeks to entrap and devour us,
When, O infinite God, we praise thee only!

[AD 430] Augustine of Hippo on 1 Peter 5:8
Who could avoid encountering the teeth of this lion, if the lion from the tribe of Judah had not conquered?

[AD 500] Desert Fathers on 1 Peter 5:8
Cassian told a story of a hermit who was living in the desert. He asked God to grant that he should never fall asleep when the conversation was edifying but that if anyone spoke with back-biting or hate, he should nod off at once so that he would not hear poisonous words. He said that the devil strives hard to make men speak idle words, and fights against letting anyone hear any spiritual teaching. He gave the following example of this: Once when I was talking to some brothers for the good of their souls they became so drowsy that they could not even keep their eyelids open. I wanted to show them that this was the devil’s work, so I started gossiping: and at once they sat up and began to enjoy what I was saying. But I said sadly, ‘We were talking of heaven just now, and your eyes were closing in slumber: but the moment the talk became frivolous, you all began to listen eagerly. I beg you then, dear brothers, since you know that this is the work of the devil, be watchful and beware of falling asleep when you are hearing about spiritual things.’

[AD 500] Desert Fathers on 1 Peter 5:8
Evagrius said, ‘If your attention falters, pray. As it is written, pray in fear and trembling (cf. Phil. 2:12), earnestly and watchfully. We ought to pray like that, especially because our unseen and wicked enemies are trying to hinder us forcefully.’

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:8
Be sober and vigilant, etc. In the exposition of this sentence, let us place not our own words, but those of the blessed Cyprian. "He (says he) circles around us individually, and like an enemy besieging enclosed walls, he inspects and tests to see if there is any part of the members that is less stable and less dependable, through which entry to the interior may be gained. He offers alluring forms and easy pleasures to the eyes so that through sight he may destroy chastity. He tries to tempt the ears through melodious music so that the hearing of a sweeter sound may dissolve and weaken Christian vigor. He provokes the tongue with revilement, incites the hand with injuries inducing it to the petulance of killing; to make one a fraudster, he opposes unjust gains; to capture the soul with money, he introduces pernicious advantages. He promises earthly honors to take away heavenly ones. He presents false things to steal the true. And when he cannot deceive secretly, he openly threatens, always restlessly and always hostile, intending the threat of a turbulent persecution to overpower the servants of God. In peace, he is deceitful; in persecution, violent. Therefore, against all the deceitful ambushes and open threats of the devil, the mind must stand trained and armed, as prepared always to resist as the enemy is to attack always."

[AD 990] Oecumenius on 1 Peter 5:8
Justin Martyr explains this by saying that before the coming of Christ the devil did not know what the weight of his punishment would be, but that when the Lord came and proclaimed that eternal fire was prepared for him and his angels he reacted by becoming even more determined to ensnare believers, in order to have as much company as possible in his rebellion.

[AD 1963] CS Lewis on 1 Peter 5:8
The more a man was in the Devil's power, the less he would be aware of it, on the principle that a man is still fairly sober as long as he knows he's drunk. It is the people who are fully awake and trying hard to be good who would be most aware of the Devil. It is when you start arming against Hitler that you first realize your country is full of Nazi agents. Of course, they don't want you to believe in the Devil. If devils exist, their first aim is to give you an anesthetic—to put you off your guard. Only if that fails, do you become aware of them.

[AD 449] Hilary of Arles on 1 Peter 5:9
There is a world of difference between God and the devil. If you resist God, he will destroy you, but if you resist the devil, you will destroy him.

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:9
Resist strong in faith, etc. Be (he says) so much stronger in faith, have so much more patience to overcome the deceits of the devil, as it is certain that you are not tempted alone, but the same passion that wearies you is common to the Church of Christ which is throughout the whole world, that is to say, to your brotherhood. And because the righteous have always suffered since the foundation of the world, let it shame you to be unable to endure alone above all others.

[AD 990] Oecumenius on 1 Peter 5:9
It seems likely that those to whom Peter was writing were undergoing many kinds of suffering for the sake of Christ, and so he brings them consolation, telling them that they are suffering along with everyone else who professes the name of Christ and that they will all be glorified together.

[AD 215] Clement of Alexandria on 1 Peter 5:10
"But the God of all grace," he says. [1 Peter 5:10] "Of all grace," he says, because He is good, and the giver of all good things.

[AD 215] Clement of Alexandria on 1 Peter 5:10
He is called the God of all grace because he is good and the giver of all good things.

[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on 1 Peter 5:10
See how the beginning and the end of the epistle are the same. At the beginning Peter said that the Father has mercy on us through the Son and here he once again says that the Father has called us into his eternal glory through Jesus Christ.

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:10
Grace to all of you who are in Christ Jesus. He began the Epistle with grace, ended with grace, and sprinkled grace throughout, in order to condemn the Pelagian error in every part of his speech and to teach that the Church of Christ can only be saved by his grace. And thoughtfully, when he said: Grace to you, he added: To all who are in Christ Jesus, signifying that what he wrote to a few Churches, that is, to Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, he wrote to all the Churches of Christ throughout the world. Just as John, in the Apocalypse, when he admonished the seven Churches of Asia individually as befitting each, added at the end of each, thus concluding: He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches (Apoc. II), plainly indicating that everything he wrote to any one Church, was written to all Churches of the faithful who have a discerning ear.

[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on 1 Peter 5:11
It is ultimately the role of the Father and of the Son to proclaim the mystery of faith, because the glory and power belong to them, although they condescend to make use of us and of our preaching.

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:12
Through Sylvanus, your faithful brother, etc. What he says, beseeching, can refer to what precedes, because he writes briefly after all, not commanding, but beseeching them to stand firm in faith. It can also be rightly connected to what follows, so that it is understood that he not only testifies that this is their true grace which he declares by writing, since indeed there is no other in whom we must be saved (Acts IV), but also urges them to make this their true grace which they have been imbued with in Christ. For the grace of Christ becomes their grace, who accept it with a pure heart. For he who despises the grace of God does not diminish grace itself, but makes it not his own, that is, makes it to not benefit himself.

[AD 990] Oecumenius on 1 Peter 5:12
This Sylvanus was a faithful man and a mighty warrior for the preaching of the gospel. Paul mentions him as one of his coworkers, along with Timothy.

[AD 130] Papias of Hierapolis on 1 Peter 5:13
This also the presbyter [John] said: Mark, having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately, though not in order, whatsoever he remembered of the things said or done by Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor followed him, but afterward, as I said, he followed Peter, who adapted his teaching to the needs of his hearers, but with no intention of giving a connected account of the Lord's discourses, so that Mark committed no error while he thus wrote some things as he remembered them. For he was careful of one thing, not to omit any of the things which he had heard, and not to state any of them falsely.

[AD 215] Clement of Alexandria on 1 Peter 5:13
"Marcus, my son, salutes you." Mark, the follower of Peter, while Peter publicly preached the Gospel at Rome before some of Cæsar's equites, and adduced many testimonies to Christ, in order that thereby they might be able to commit to memory what was spoken, of what was spoken by Peter, wrote entirely what is called the Gospel according to Mark. As Luke also may be recognised by the style, both to have composed the Acts of the Apostles, and to have translated Paul's Epistle to the Hebrews.

[AD 339] Eusebius of Caesarea on 1 Peter 5:13
And thus when the divine word had made its home among them, the power of Simon was quenched and immediately destroyed, together with the man himself. And so greatly did the splendor of piety illumine the minds of Peter's hearers that they were not satisfied with hearing once only, and were not content with the unwritten teaching of the divine Gospel, but with all sorts of entreaties they besought Mark, a follower of Peter, and the one whose Gospel is extant, that he would leave them a written monument of the doctrine which had been orally communicated to them. Nor did they cease until they had prevailed with the man, and had thus become the occasion of the written Gospel which bears the name of Mark.

And they say that Peter — when he had learned, through a revelation of the Spirit, of that which had been done — was pleased with the zeal of the men, and that the work obtained the sanction of his authority for the purpose of being used in the churches. Clement in the eighth book of his Hypotyposes gives this account, and with him agrees the bishop of Hierapolis named Papias. And Peter makes mention of Mark in his first epistle which they say that he wrote in Rome itself, as is indicated by him, when he calls the city, by a figure, Babylon, as he does in the following words: "The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, salutes you; and so does Marcus my son." [1 Peter 5:13]

[AD 339] Eusebius of Caesarea on 1 Peter 5:13
Peter mentions Mark in his first epistle, which they say he composed in Rome itself, and they say that he indicates this by referring to the city metaphorically as Babylon.

[AD 614] Andreas of Caesarea on 1 Peter 5:13
Peter calls Rome Babylon in a metaphorical sense. The woman who is chosen along with us is the church of Christ established in that city. He also mentions Mark the Evangelist, whom he calls his son in Christ and to whom he entrusted the task of writing the Gospel.

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:13
The Church which is gathered in Babylon greets you, etc. He calls Rome Babylon figuratively, evidently because of the confusion of manifold idolatry. In the midst of which, the holy Church, now immature and very small, was shining forth, in the example of the Israelite people who once, small in number and captured, sitting by the rivers of Babylon, wept for the absence of the holy land, nor could they sing the Lord's song in a foreign land (Psalm 136). And blessed Peter appropriately, while exhorting his listeners to endure present adversities, mentions the Church which is established with him in Babylon, that is, in the confusion of tribulations. And yet, he confirms it to be gathered, to show that the holy city of God in this life cannot be free from the intermingling and oppression of the city of the devil, which Babylon signifies. He calls Mark his son, who is said to become his son through baptism. Hence it is clear that before he sent Mark from Rome to Alexandria to preach the gospel, he wrote this Epistle. In the time of Emperor Claudius, both Peter and Mark came to Rome, and Mark himself, after composing his Gospel in Rome, was sent to Alexandria. Whence it is inferred that when Peter sought a place and time to write this Epistle, the place was Rome, the time was during the reign of Claudius Caesar.

[AD 850] Ishodad of Merv on 1 Peter 5:13
Peter calls Rome Babylon [Babel] because of the many languages spoken there.

[AD 220] Tertullian on 1 Peter 5:14
But when is peace more to be concluded with brethren than when, at the time of some religious observance, our prayer ascends with more acceptability; that they may themselves participate in our observance, and thereby be mollified for transacting with their brother touching. their own peace? What prayer is complete if divorced from the "holy kiss? " Whom does peace impede when rendering service to his Lord? What kind of sacrifice is that from which men depart without peace? Whatever our prayer be, it will not be better than the observance of the precept by which we are bidden to conceal our fasts; for now, by abstinence from the kiss, we are known to be fasting.

[AD 400] Ignatius of Antioch on 1 Peter 5:14
May I enjoy your prayers! Pray ye that may attain to Jesus. I commend unto you the Church which is at Antioch. The Churches of Philippi, whence also I write to you, salute you. Philo, your deacon, to whom also I give thanks as one who has zealously ministered to me in all things, salutes you. Agathopus, the deacon from Syria, who follows me in Christ, salutes you. "Salute ye one another with a holy kiss." I salute you all, both male and female, who are in Christ. Fare ye well in body, and soul, and in one Spirit; and do not ye forget me. The Lord be with you!

[AD 407] John Chrysostom on 1 Peter 5:14
See how when he has finished what he has to say, Peter seals it all with a prayer. Peace is the seal of everything he has written.

[AD 735] Bede on 1 Peter 5:14
Greet one another with a holy kiss. With a holy kiss, a true kiss, a peaceful kiss, a dove-like kiss, not deceitful, not polluted, like the one Joab used to kill Amasa, like the one Judas used to betray the Savior, like those who speak peace with their neighbor, but evil is in their hearts (Psalm 27). Therefore, they greet one another with a holy kiss, who do not love in word or tongue, but in deed and truth.

[AD 990] Oecumenius on 1 Peter 5:14
Paul says that there is a special kiss which is set apart and consecrated to God which is similar to the kiss of love, a virtue which Paul also extols.

[AD 1107] Theophylact of Ohrid on 1 Peter 5:14
This is no ordinary peace, for it is the same peace that Christ left his disciples when he went to be crucified. “My peace I leave with you, not as the world gives,” for you are not meant to pursue peace by natural affection for one another but by being joined in a holy fellowship, thereby avoiding the blows of enemies.