Romans 16:3¶ Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us. 7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. 9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. 10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household. 11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. 12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord. 13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them. 15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them. 16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.
Priscilla and Aquila were comrades in arms of Paul, so
to speak. See Acts.
Acts 18:1 ¶ After these things Paul departed from Athens,
and came to Corinth; 2 And found a
certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wife
Priscilla; (because that Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:)
and came unto them. 3 And because he was
of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation
they were tentmakers…24 ¶ And a certain
Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures,
came to Ephesus. 25 This man was
instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake
and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John.
26 And he began to speak boldly in the
synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them,
and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.
They have a church body that meets in their home, as
churches did at the first.
Epaenetus is
mentioned only hear as perhaps the first person saved in Achaia, in Paul’s work
in Greece, even Corinth.
We don’t know who this Mary is and this must have been
a common name.
Andronicus and Junia
is interesting because the verse says that they were of note among the
apostles. Traditional Bible scholars and the Greek Orthodox Church holds them
up as apostles, sent ones, ordained by the early churches. Adronicus became the bishop or pastor of
Pannonia and both he and Junia, who traditionally is said to be a woman and
only much later thought might be a man, were supposedly martyred. Other equally
important commentators simply say that they were noted as important by the
apostles that Jesus had selected.
Amplias in verse 8 is
only mentioned here but is from tradition a noteworthy Christian. He is
considered one of the seventy disciples by the Eastern Orthodox Church and is
thought to have been the Bishop of Odessos or Varna in present day Bulgaria.
Although the names mentioned are often mentioned only
once in the Bible some commentators report that those names are listed in
inscriptions of the imperial household so they may be servants or employees of
the imperial household whom Paul was able to reach for Christ.
Rufus may or may not have been the son of Simon the
Cyrenian who carried Christ’s Cross as per Mark 15:21.
Fundamentalists should pay close attention to verse
16. We do not customarily in the U.S. see heterosexual men kissing one another
as we do in places like France, Italy, and Russia. You have no problem forgoing
this Bible command and yet will dig up others out of context to apply to
everyone else.
Romans 16:17¶ Now I
beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to
the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they
that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good
words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience
is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I
would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God
of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
We all know that there are people who like to cause
divisions in a church body or in any group to which they belong, including
their own families. These ‘drama queens’ love to start stuff. Often they will
being into a church false beliefs like the “Sovereign Citizen” movement in the
U.S. or some variation of racism, misogyny or contempt for women, and some kind
of rule structure they’ve created, maybe copying a preacher they worship
instead of God. They will work to undermine anyone in authority or with
responsibility in a church and they have to have their own way because to them
that is the only right way.
This warning from Paul is classic. For it is by good
words and fair speeches they try to divide a church. This is also a warning
against preaching that goes against the doctrines that Paul has set forth for
Christians. Gnosticism, Christian mysticism, and Christian cults were a
constant problem throughout history.
Notice verse 20 and compare it to Genesis 3:15.
Romans 16:21¶ Timotheus
my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.
Romans 16:22¶ I Tertius,
who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.
Tertius was a common slave name meaning third. Paul
often did not write his own letters but had an amanuensis or secretary write
them. It is possible that Paul’s eyesight was permanently affected by his
encounter with Christ on the Road to Damascus. But it was not uncommon for
speakers to have someone put their words to paper or parchment in history.
Romans 16:23¶ Gaius mine
host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the
city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother. 24 The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Based on the traditional postscript to this letter, it
was written from Corinth. These people were converts from that city extending
their greetings and good wishes through Paul’s letter. Erastus is mentioned in
Acts 19 and in 2Timothy 4. He must have been important to Paul.
Quartus, another slave name, means four.
Romans 16:25¶ Now to him
that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of
Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret
since the world began, 26 But now is
made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the
commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience
of faith: 27 To God only
wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. (Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe
servant of the church at Cenchrea.)
The
understanding of God coming to earth to live as one of us, as God in the flesh,
called the Son of God, was not revealed before His advent in the way that His
being here physically in the flesh revealed. Although there are many Old
Testament verses and prophecies that predict Christ they were shrouded in
mystery and metaphor with a few exceptions.
But
now He has been revealed and mankind has no excuse to make for themselves.
Acts 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God
winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day,
in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man
whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto
all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
So,
the letter to the Romans, a very complicated legal treatise in a manner of
speaking, ends.
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