1 Peter 5:13 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The church—at Babylon,— See the Preface to this epistle. Bishop Cumberland and Mr. Cradock argue from hence, that probably St. Peter wrote from the neighbourhood of Babylon, and found many Jews remaining there ever since the Babylonish captivity, among whom he had preached the gospel with considerable success. "Upon comparing all the solutions together, (says Benson,) it seems most probable, that by Babylon we are to understand the ancient and most famous city of that name. It was in a manner the metropolis of the eastern dispersion of the Jews, and from thence the Jews in Asia Minor had been transplanted. St. Peter as an apostle of the circumcision, would be very likely, when he left Judea, to go amongst the Jews, and where he might find the greatest numbers: and finally, it is most natural to date a letter, or send salutations from a place by its real, and not by a figurative name." Instead of elected together with you, Doddridge reads, chosen with you; that is, to be the people of God, and to partake of the privileges of the gospel. Marcus was, very likely, converted to Christianity by St. Peter, and afterwards served him in the gospel, as a child serves his father; and therefore he calls him his son. See 1 Timothy 1:12. Perhaps Mark had travelled through Asia Minor, and might be known among those churches. Some suppose him to have been a different person from him who was the companion of Barnabas and Paul, and to have been the author of the gospel which bears his name. See the introductory note to the Gospel of St. Mark, and Acts 12:12.