1 Peter 5:11Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

“To Him be glory and dominion,” and so forth: this is a brief and powerful expression of doxology to God and the Lord Jesus Christ, see Mt 6:13. Glory and dominion express the strength and power of God.

Saint Apostle Peter concludes his epistle with good wishes and greetings, both from himself personally and on behalf of the church chosen in Babylon and Mark, his son. The Apostle prays benevolently for his disciples: may the Lord perfect them, establish them, strengthen them, and ground them, that is, make them unshakable.

In keeping with the counsels he has given, the apostle also expresses his wishes. He prays that God would send His all-powerful grace to help them bear every suffering in the hope of eternal glory, which God has prepared for those who love Him; see Rom 5:2.

Then, consoling them by foretelling the brief duration of the sufferings that have befallen Christians, the apostle Peter repeats the thought about the beneficent character of sufferings which he has expressed more than once before; cf. Mt 10:22; Heb 4:10.

Therefore it is understandable that Christians not only cannot complain about their sufferings, but on the contrary must thank God for such providential care over them and send up glory to Him.

The apostle himself gives them an example of this. Whenever his speech touches the mystery of the gracious action of God the Father upon men through the Son, he sends up glory to God; cf. 1:3 and 4:11.