Chapter 16
Recommendation of Phoebe.[a] 1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deaconess[b] of the Church at Cenchreae. 2 Welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and help her with whatever she may need from you, for she has been a benefactor of many people, including myself.
List of Greetings. 3 Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me, and I as well as all the Churches of the Gentiles am grateful to them. 5 Greet also the Church that assembles in their house.
Give my greetings to my beloved friend Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked extremely hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,[c] my relatives who were in prison with me; they are eminent in the ranks of the apostles and were in Christ before I was.
8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles,[d] who has proved worthy in the service of Christ, and those who belong to the family of Aristobulus.[e]
11 Greetings to my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the household of Narcissus.[f] 12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa[g] who labor diligently in the Lord’s service. Greet my dear friend Persis, who also works hard for the Lord. 13 Give my greetings to Rufus,[h] one chosen by the Lord, as well as to his mother who has also been a mother to me.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brethren who are with them. 15 Greetings to Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, as well as all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the Churches of Christ send you their greetings.
17 Beware of Dissenters. I urge you, brethren, to watch out for those who incite dissensions and obstacles in opposition to the teaching that you have learned. Take care to avoid them. 18 For such people are not servants of our Lord Jesus Christ but of their own appetites, and by smooth words and flattery they deceive the minds of the simple. 19 Your obedience has become known to all and has caused me to rejoice greatly over you. However, I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil; 20 then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
21 Greetings from Paul’s Companions at Corinth. Timothy, my coworker, sends greetings to you, as do Lucius and Jason[i] and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I, Tertius, who am writing down this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Greetings also from Gaius,[j] my host and the host to the whole Church, and from Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus. [ 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.][k]
Glory to God through Jesus Christ[l]
25 Now to him who has the power to strengthen you
in accordance with the gospel that I preach
and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery
that was kept secret for long ages
26 but is now revealed,
and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the nations
according to the command of the eternal God
to bring them to the obedience of faith—
27 to God who alone is wise,
through Jesus Christ
be glory forever! Amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 16:1 Relations between the Churches became closer thanks to the fraternal relations among their members. Many of the persons named here remain unknown to us. Phoebe, who exercises a ministry of assistance among poor and sick women in Cenchreae, the port of Corinth, is possibly the bearer of the Letter. Prisca and Aquila: since “Prisca” is a variant of “Priscilla,” it is obvious that these are the same two people who are placed at Rome, Corinth, and Ephesus by the Book of Acts and Paul’s Letters (see Acts 18:2, 18-19, 26; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19). In the Greek, Roman, and Jewish names, we can assume differences of social condition. Thus, this list testifies to the internal diversity of communities assembled together in the Church of Christ and, at the same time, to the responsibilities held by members of each group, made up of lay people, men or women, celibate or married. In the midst of these salutations, a severe condemnation is lodged against all those who sow division and scandal. Paul is probably thinking of Judaizing preachers (see Gal 5:7-12; Phil 3:18f) or teachers of religion preoccupied with their profit.
- Romans 16:1 Phoebe, who is a deaconess: this verse seems to allow an office of a woman deacon although Scripture does not define the specific responsibilities of a woman deacon. See also 1 Tim 4:14.
- Romans 16:7 Junia: this name is usually taken to be masculine; others see it as feminine. In fact, some manuscripts have “Julia” in place of “Junia.”
- Romans 16:10 Ampliatus . . . Urbanus . . . Stachys . . . Apelles: these are all common names of slaves found in the imperial household.
- Romans 16:10 Aristobulus: some think this name refers to the grandson of Herod the Great and the brother of Herod Agrippa I.
- Romans 16:11 Narcissus: sometimes identified with Tiberius Claudius Narcissus, a wealthy freedman of the Roman Emperor Tiberius.
- Romans 16:12 Tryphaena and Tryphosa: may refer to twin sisters who were wont to bear names based on the same root. Persis: i.e., a Persian woman.
- Romans 16:13 Rufus: possibly the Rufus mentioned in Mk 15:21 as the son of Simon the Cyrenian, who helped Jesus carry his cross.
- Romans 16:21 Jason: possibly the person mentioned in Acts 17:5-9. Sosipater: some think this is the son of Pyrrhus from Beroea who is called Sopater in Acts 20:4.
- Romans 16:23 Gaius: some think this is the Titus Justus in whose house Paul lodged while in Corinth (see Acts 18:7 and 1 Cor 1:14). Erastus, the city treasurer: this may be the same person referred to in Acts 19:22 and 2 Tim 4:20. He may also be the person mentioned in the following Latin inscription recently found on a block of stone at Corinth: “Erastus, commissioner of public works, bore no expense of this pavement.”
- Romans 16:24 This verse is found in some manuscripts (see v. 20).
- Romans 16:25 This fine liturgical hymn expresses the Church’s joy at living in a time when the mystery of salvation is being fulfilled. Mystery: Paul uses this word to set forth: (1) the Incarnation (see 1 Tim 3:16); (2) Christ’s saving Death on the Cross (see 1 Cor 2:1, 7); (3) the restoration of all things in Christ (see Eph 1:9); (4) the change wrought by Christ’s Resurrection (see 1 Cor 15:51); and (5) the inclusion of both Jew and Gentile in the Kingdom of God (see v. 25).