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Covenant Eschatology - Spirit of the Word - Introductory Note - New Stuff
Here is why I believe...
Peter was referring to Jerusalem as Babylon in
1 Peter 5:13by Greg Kiser
1 - In the days of the apostle Peter, according to Pliny and Josephus, the CITY of Babylon was a wilderness.2 - According to Josephus, all Jews had been expelled from the COUNTRY of Babylonia in Peter's day.
3 - Peter's residence can not be established in a literal Babylon, nor can it be established in Rome (which some commentaries say is the meaning of "Babylon" in this passage.) But in my studies of Peter's residence I can firmly establish him living in Jerusalem:
3a - After the great persecution the church was scattered, but the apostles (i.e. Peter) stayed in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1).
3b - When Philip preached in Samaria, the apostles at Jerusalem sent Peter and John to them. Thus Peter must have been living there (Acts 8:14).
3c - When Herod Agrippa imprisoned Peter, he was in Jerusalem (Acts 12:1-4).
3d - Three years after his conversion, Paul goes to Jerusalem to see Peter and even abides with him there. Therefore, Peter must have lived there (Galatians 1:18).
3e - Fourteen years after his conversion, Paul again returns to Jerusalem with Barnabas and Titus. Peter is there again and even named as a "pillar" in the church at Jerusalem (Galatians 2:1, 9).
3f - Paul tells us that Peter was intimidated by "Jews from James (i.e. Jerusalem)". Surely this would be because Peter's residence was there and he had to live with these people (Galatians 2:11,12).
3g - In the scripture in question (1 Peter 5:13), who is Marcus? If it is a reference to John Mark then we presumably know that his original residence was in Jerusalem in the house of his mother. So if Marcus is John Mark, then the "church" would also be at Jerusalem (Acts
12:12).I do know, however, that Peter did some evangelical traveling with his wife as is stated by Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:5 and therefore could have visited Babylon, although I don't know why. Continuing . . .
4 - Peter was the "apostle to the circumcision" (Galatians 2:7-9), and if there were no Jews in Babylon, why would he take up residence
there?5 - The most prominent population of Jews in Peter's day was at Jerusalem, so this is the most logical place for the "apostle to the circumcision" to reside.
6 - If 1 Peter 5:13 references John Mark, then his residence is also established at Jerusalem.