Who was the woman in Babylon in 1 Peter 5:13?

Peter, writing to the Christians who had been dispersed by persecution, closes his first epistle with these words: “She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark. Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ” (1 Peter 5:13–14).

In this passage, Peter relays a greeting to the believers spread throughout Asia Minor from the church Peter was currently with. He refers to the church as “she who is in Babylon.” The basic message is that one group of believers is sending salutations to another group in a different location. The feminine language is interesting. Peter’s reference to the church as “she” is in line with other passages such as Ephesians 5:25–27; 2 Corinthians 11:2; and Revelation 19:7–9. A biblical metaphor for the church is the bride of Christ.

Also of interest is Peter’s reference to “Babylon.” Most likely, this is a reference to Rome, where Peter was spending the last part of his ministry. He calls Rome “Babylon” for a couple of reasons: 1) Babylon was a code name, and Peter used it to avoid any further targeting of believers in Rome. 2) The empires of Babylon and Rome were similar in many ways. Their idolatry, their defiance of God, and their hatred of God’s people was well-known (see Habakkuk 2:4–19; 2 Kings 25:1–21).

From Genesis to Revelation, Babylon is a symbol of evil and defiance. Babylon began in rebelliousness (Genesis 11), and it will still be rebelling in the end during the time of the Antichrist (Revelation 17). But God will judge Babylon and all the evil it represents: “The great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again” (Revelation 18:21).

In the meantime, the church “in Babylon” dwells in enemy territory. As John wrote, “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). In the Roman world, the church faced stiff persecution, and many died for their faith. Like the Christians in ancient Rome, the church today must face rampant idolatry, skepticism, wickedness, and open hostility. Many of today’s cultural institutions discriminate against Christians in one way or another.

But being “in Babylon” gives believers a chance to make a difference every day. We can choose not to conform to the world but be transformed in Christ (Romans 12:2). We seek to “live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people” (Philippians 2:15, NLT). In this way we can help bring the light of truth to the needy people of Babylon.