CHAPTER 16

(A.D. 60)

COMMENDATIONS

¹I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the Church which is at Cenchrea (the word servant in the Greek is diakonos, with our words Deacon and Deaconess derived from it; this shows that it is Scriptural for a woman to serve in this capacity as well as a man; Cenchrea was the Port of Corinth, about nine miles from that city):

²That you receive her in the Lord, as becometh Saints (refers to receiving her into companionship and fellowship; in fact, she delivered the Epistle to the Romans to the Church in Rome; of this, Renan says: Phoebe carried under the folds of her robe the whole future of Christian Theology), and that you assist her in whatsoever business she has need of you (suggests that she may have had business in Rome of a legal nature): for she has been a succourer of many, and of myself also (Phoebe was a great Blessing to the Work of God).

PERSONAL GREETINGS

³Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus (Paul first met them at Corinth, but evidently they had now gone back to Rome):

⁴Who have for my life laid down their own necks (means they risked their lives for Paul; exactly where and how arent known): unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the Churches of the Gentiles (all the Churches of the Gentiles thanked Priscilla and Aquila as well).

⁵Likewise greet the Church that is in their house (evidently, they had one of the house Churches in Rome). Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the Firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ (this man was among the first in Corinth to give his heart to Christ).

⁶Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us (other than this statement, no information is given concerning this dear lady).

⁷Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen (probably refers to fellow Jews, and not blood relatives), and my fellow-prisoners (implies that these two had been, like himself, imprisoned at some time for the Faith), who are of note among the Apostles (doesnt mean they were Apostles themselves, but that they were well-known to the original Twelve), who also were in Christ before me (their conversion predated his).

⁸Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.

⁹Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved (it seems these men had been Pauls helpers in earlier times).

¹⁰Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus household(probably refers to slaves who had once belonged to this man).

¹¹Salute Herodion my kinsman (another Jew). Greet them who be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord (does not refer to Narcissus personally, but to slaves of his household, at least those who were followers of the Lord).

¹²Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord (presents two more slaves, for theirs are slave names). Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord (refers to a woman).

¹³Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine (he was probably the son of Simon of Cyrene who helped Jesus bear the Cross).

¹⁴Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the Brethren which are with them.

¹⁵Salute (greet) Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the Saints which are with them.

¹⁶Salute one another with an holy kiss (presents that which was the custom of all Oriental people at that time, not only Christians). The Churches of Christ salute you (refers to the Churches planted by Paul who in turn were greeting the Church in Rome).

ADMONITION

¹⁷Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned (refers to the fact that false teachers are to be identified); and avoid them (turn away from and shun these).

¹⁸For they who are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly (the satisfaction of creature needs, and not the Work of God); and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple (refers to those who have little true understanding of the Word of God).

OBEDIENCE

¹⁹For your obedience is come abroad unto all men(refers to Paul not linking the Saints in the Church in Rome with these false teachers, whomever they may have been). I am glad therefore on your behalf (expresses his joy at their maturity in the Lord): but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil (he wanted them to be so grounded in the Word that they would instantly know false doctrine when it came their way).

²⁰And the God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly (all who trust Christ and what He has done at the Cross are guaranteed victory, and in every capacity). The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen (presents the standard Benediction of Paul, which he uses in one form or the other in all of his Epistles, even Hebrews).

GREETINGS

²¹Timothy my workfellow (refers to Pauls young understudy and fellow worker), and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen (fellow Jews), salute you.

²²I Tertius, who wrote this Epistle, salute you in the Lord (he was Pauls Scribe to whom he dictated the letter to the Romans).

²³Gaius my host, and of the whole Church, salutes you (probably means that Paul was staying in this mans home in Corinth). Erastus the chamberlain of the city salutes you (probably the one mentioned in II Tim. 4:20 and Acts 19:22), and Quartus a brother.

²⁴The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

BENEDICTION

²⁵Now to Him Who is of power to stablish you according to my Gospel (Pauls Gospel was, Jesus Christ and Him Crucified), and the Preaching of Jesus Christ (Paul Preached the Cross [I Cor. 1:23; 2:2]), according to the Revelation of the Mystery, which was kept secret since the world began (proclaims that which is now revealed in his Gospel, the story of Redemption),

²⁶But now is made manifest (the actual Greek reads, but now has been made known through Prophetic writings), and by the Scriptures of the Prophets (refers to the Old Testament, which Scriptures constantly pointed to the coming of Christ), according to the Commandment of the Everlasting God (actually means that, according to the appointment of God, the Mystery should now at last be made known), made known to all nations for the Obedience of Faith (it must be Preached to the whole world):

²⁷T o God only wise, be Glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen (the Great Price Jesus paid by giving himself in Sacrifice will forever bring Glory to God, in that it has brought about the Salvation of untold numbers of souls).