“To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen” (1 Peter 5:11).
The Apostle Peter has already covered a range of subjects in rapid succession throughout the closing chapter of this epistle. He first exhorted church leaders to shepherd those who were entrusted to their care. He then encouraged younger generations to show respect and deference by submitting to their elders. Following this, Peter touched on three important topics: a call to humility, an essential reminder concerning the devil, and an encouraging look at God’s response to those who endure suffering for His sake.
Now, as Peter approaches the end of this letter, he will close with a benediction for his beloved audience. The word “benediction” is derived from two ancient Latin words: bene (or “well”) and dicere (“to speak”). A contemporary form of benediction consists of a brief invocation that typically concludes a worship service or public ceremony. Much like our text from 1 Peter 5:11, a benediction serves to exalt God, and typically seeks His blessing upon a church fellowship, a newly married couple, or a general assembly of people.
As we might expect, this benedictory reference to “dominion” conveys the attributes of force, strength, and “manifested power.” (1) This passage thus reminds us that God empowers us to accomplish the work He has given us to do. Therefore, we should ensure that He receives the honor for anything we might accomplish in life and ministry.
That brings us to the word that concludes this verse: “amen.” Despite some common misconceptions, the word “amen” does not mean “my prayer has now concluded.” Instead, this word means “surely, absolutely, or ‘so be it.’” In this way, “amen” serves as an affirmation of agreement and support, for it is through Christ that God has called us to His eternal glory.
“Through Silvanus, whom I know to be a faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, in order to encourage you and testify that this is the true grace of God. Stand fast in it” (1 Peter 5:12 NET).
This passage likely implies one of two possibilities. The first is that Silvanus transcribed this letter as Peter dictated it to him. The other possibility is that Silvanus carried this letter to its various destinations. In the first instance, Silvanus may have fulfilled the role of secretary, or amanuensis. If that was the case, then verse twelve likely functioned as a brief postscript in Peter’s own handwriting to validate his message. In the second instance, Peter entrusted Silvanus with the safe delivery of this letter to its intended audience.
(1) G2904 kratos Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words https://www.studylight.org/dictionaries/ved/d/dominion.html
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