1 Peter 5:12: By Sylvanus, A Faithful Brother As I Regard Him, I Have Written Briefly To You, Exhorting And Declaring That This Is The True Grace Of God. Stand Firm In It.

1 Peter 5:12

[12] By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. (ESV)

As you read this verse, you likely wonder who Silvanus is. You likely know him by a different name. This is Silas, the traveling companion of the Apostle Paul. You can read in Acts 16 of how he, alongside Paul, was beaten with rods in Philippi, and placed in prison. Silas knew what it was like to be persecuted for his faith in Christ. It is no small wonder that he is with Peter, and is a help to him.

Silas was not only a faithful companion to Paul and Peter. We also find in the book of Acts that Silas was a prophet. Acts 15:32 says, "And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words." God worked mightily through this humble servant. He is one whom we do not read much about in the New Testament, and yet, he is always mentioned positively.

Peter says that he has written briefly. This is a short epistle. In it is contained what he refers to as the true grace of God. When you consider the audience to whom Peter is writing, it is significant that he writes of the grace of God. As we have already seen in this letter, Peter's audience was under intense persecution. God's grace is the very thing that we need in time of trial.

These first recipients of the letter, and also all those who have read it over the centuries, would do well to heed Peter's instruction to stand firm in the grace of God. To stand firm in the grace of God means to rely completely upon our Lord for everything. There is not place for us to go back to a dependence on our selves or our works. We know that is futile.

Could you be like a Silas? Would someone describe you as a "faithful brother or sister?" Start by doing whatever God gives you to do, and do it well. Look for ways to be a help to some ministry, without looking for recognition.