1 Peter 5:12 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

By Silvanus, a faithful brother,—(as I suppose,) &c.— This rendering has seemed to many like a questioning the fidelity of Silvanus. The Syriac has thus rendered the words; These few things (as I suppose, or reckon them) I have written unto you by Silvanus, a faithful brother. The word λογιζομαι, which we have translated I suppose, does not signify I conjecture, nor always imply suspicion, or doubting; but is used in the strongest manner to express the most full and firm persuasion of mind. See Romans 3:28; Romans 8:18. Amongst other significations of the word, says Parkhurst, it means to infer, to conclude, after stating the reasons on both sides, and as it were balancing the account; for in the prophane writers it is applied to arithmetical calculations: it signifies also to esteem; Romans 14:14. So that St. Peter might use this word, and not have the least suspicion of the fidelity of Silvanus; but, on the contrary, design thereby to intimate, that he was fully persuaded of his being a faithful Christian brother; one who would not corrupt or suppress this letter, but spread it diligently and faithfully among them; and one whose preaching they were to regard, as he would not pervert the gospel. Whether this was the Silvanus or Silas mentioned several times in the Acts as the companion of St. Paul, cannot certainly be determined. Instead of wherein ye stand, the Greek may be rendered more properly wherein ye have stood. The churches of Galatia were planted by St. Paul, and so very probably were all or most of the churches to which St. Peter wrote. If this Silvanus therefore was the companion of St. Paul, he would not only be a proper messenger to send by, as being well known among them, and perhaps assisting in their conversion; but it would greatly tend to confirm them in their holy faith, to find that St. Peter taught the same doctrine with St. Paul, or confirmed what the great apostle of the Gentiles had taught; testifying that it was the true gospel which they had already received. See 2 Peter 2:15. The Judaizers would have taken shelter under the authority of St. Peter, and other apostles of the circumcision; Galatians 2:6; Galatians 2:21. 1 Corinthians 1:12 but when the Gentile Christians found that all the apostles harmonized; that St. Peter approved of the gospel preached by St. Paul; that he commended St. Paul's fellow-labourers, and even bore his testimony that the Christians in Asia Minor were right, though converted by the apostle of the Gentiles, and his assistants; it must have greatly established and strengthened them against all the attacks of the Judaizers: and with such a view St. Peter seems to have borne this testimony; intimating in a soft and gentle manner, that they had no occasion to add circumcision and the observation of the Jewish law, to the gospel of Christ. Surely then "St. Peter would not set himself up as the head of the Judaizing Christians in Galatia, or any where else; nor preach a gospel directly contrary to that of St. Paul, or behave as his most active, bitterest, and most dangerous enemy." The anti-revelationists, who have asserted such things, would do well to review their rash assertions, and consider how unreasonable and groundless these insinuations are. See Parkhurst on the word Λογιζομαι.