1Therefore I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and who will also share in the glory that will be revealed: 2shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not under compulsion, but voluntarily; not for dishonest gain, but willingly; 3not as lording it over those entrusted to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock. 4When the chief Shepherd is revealed, you will receive the crown of glory that doesn’t fade away.
5Likewise, you younger ones, be subject to the elder. Yes, all of you clothe yourselves with humility and subject yourselves to one another; for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time, 7casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.
8Be sober and self-controlled. Be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9Withstand him steadfast in your faith, knowing that your brothers who are in the world are undergoing the same sufferings. 10But may the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. 11To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
12Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. 13She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, greets you. So does Mark, my son. 14Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Peace be to all of you who are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
The New Testament mentions three Marks, namely, Mark the Evangelist, John Mark, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas, but traditionally these all refer to the same person. John Mark lived in Jerusalem with his mother Mary in a house that served as a gathering place for the church (Acts 12:12). Mark served as an assistant to Barnabas and Paul on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:4), but for an unknown reason he was unable to finish the journey and headed back to Jerusalem early (13:13). Later, when Paul and Barnabas decided to revisit the churches they had established, Barnabas wanted to take Mark along. Paul objected, and their disagreement was so serious that they parted ways. Mark accompanied Barnabas to Cyprus (Acts 15:39). Mark and Paul must have come to an agreement later, since he was with Paul when he wrote to the church at Colossae; Paul spoke of John Mark was a “comfort” (Col 4:11). Paul also calls Mark a “fellow laborer” in Philemon 24 and, sensing the end was near, requested that Timothy bring Mark to Rome, calling him “profitable” in ministry. Mark wrote the gospel bearing his name probably sometime between A.D. 65 and 70. It is widely held that Mark wrote down Peter’s recollections of the life of Jesus to form his Gospel. According to Egyptian church tradition, Mark came to Egypt and founded the church there.