Personal Greetings
1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant[1] of the church in Cenchrea. 2I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. 3Greet Priscilla[2] and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 4They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. 6Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. 7Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. 8Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord. 9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. 10Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. 12Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. 14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them. 15Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them. 16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.
17I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.
22I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.
Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.[3]
25Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him-- 27to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
While this chapter is the conclusion to Paul’s letter, it still contains a great deal of practical information
for us to study for our lives today. Consider that Paul gives a full chapter in this great work of doctrinal
and practical theology to thanksgiving for the role of servants within his ministry. That says a lot about Paul
and a lot about Christianity. There’s no room for pride, because, as Paul explained, we’re all part of one body
working for each other. We have a duty of gratitude to appreciate our fellow servants of our Lord, and as we’ll
see from this passage, we have a duty to non-professional evangelistic missionary work. Notice several points:-
V1-16 – Commendations and Greetings. Paul asks the believers at the church in Rome to greet friends
and fellow laborers for the Gospel. In the first 16 verses, we get 28 individuals and numerous others as
associated by group. Anything stand out in this list? The number of women! The first 2, 3 of the first 5,
and 9 or 10 of the 28 individuals are women. So right away, we can say that Paul values women and views the
role of women in the church as very important. He’s no misogynist. Let’s look at each assessment that Paul
makes:
(1) Paul begins by commending to the Roman believers, Phoebe, servant or deaconess or minister of the church in
Cenchrea, the seaport of Corinth. It is likely that Phoebe was the deliverer of Paul’s letter to the Romans,
and that’s why she needed the commendation to them. It is likely that Phoebe was a Gentile Christian, possibly
even a freed slave, as her name was a common name given to slaves in the Greco-Roman culture. It is also likely
that she was a wealthy business woman like Lydia of Acts 16. She probably was going to Rome on a personal
business trip in the company of her own personal servants; that’s why Paul needed not address the church of
Rome to greet those traveling with her. She was a woman of status. Finally, it is likely that she, as a “great
help to many,” including Paul, had resources at her disposal and used them to further the mission of the church
at both Cenchrea and Corinth as Paul. Perhaps she met Paul in Corinth, as he wrote this letter from there. Paul
asks the church in Rome to receive her and help her. Paul wants them to show her Christian hospitality – “in the
Lord in a way worthy of the saints.” Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 1:27; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12
What is Phoebe’s role? Many use this passage to support women preachers, teachers, elders, and deacons. We’re
not going to get into that, but consider 1 Timothy 2:11-15; 3:11-16 and 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. Let’s just
acknowledge for now that Phoebe is a valued servant, just as valued as any male servant that ever served.
Before moving on, let me remind you of the introduction to our Romans study: The first church at Rome was likely
founded between 33-37 AD by Andronicus and Junias (mentioned in Romans 16:7) and made up of Jewish believers in
Christ. These Jews gathered to worship Christ according to Old Testament mandates (as required in the Torah).
Aquila and Priscilla likely joined this home fellowship sometime before 41 AD. In 41 AD, Emperor Claudius
prohibited the public assembly of Jews in Rome. Several apocryphal (uninspired), ancient texts, such as
Justin’s First Apology, reported that Simon Magus (Simon the Sorcerer from Acts 8:9-24) came to Rome around
this time proclaiming to be a god and won many converts to his form of Gnosticism by his ability to perform
magic. The theory is that Simon Magus gained influence among the gentile converts in Rome, who could no longer
meet in public to retain the leadership of Jewish Christians. With Claudius’ expulsion of the Jews in 45 AD,
the church moved from genuine Messianic Judaism (Christianity) into Gnosticism over a period of years (41-49 AD).
While in Corinth during his second mission trip (49-51 AD), Paul met Aquila and Priscilla, who had come from
Rome to Corinth around 45-49 AD. Aquila and Priscilla later went to Ephesus with Paul, where they stayed and
tutored Apollos while Paul continued back to Antioch. Aquila and Priscilla returned to Rome around 54-57 AD
(Claudius died in 54 AD, and the ban on Jews was lifted or at least not enforced). By the time Paul wrote to
the Romans (57 AD), Aquila and Priscilla were there, hosting the church in their home, most likely having
restored the Jewish believers to regular fellowship and converted gentiles as well. By the time Paul wrote to
Timothy (64-65 AD), Aquila and Priscilla were back in Ephesus. Aquila and Priscilla may have fled for their
lives from Nero, who stepped up persecution against Christians in 64 AD.
(2-3) Paul greets Priscilla (informal) and Aquila, his fellow workers in Christ, who risked their lives for him.
He and all the Gentile churches throughout Paul’s region are grateful for them. Acts 18 introduces us to this
Jewish Christian missionary couple. They were industrious, hospitable, teachable, knowledgeable in the
Scriptures, local-church oriented (both in Rome and Ephesus – 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19),
courageous, submissive but not suppressed, faithful, and consistent. Notice that early Christians were
non-professionally mission-minded; they didn’t leave evangelism to the professionals! Paul became closely
acquainted with them, and though called Priscilla (informal) by her friends, Paul always called her Prisca.
(formal). He respects her too much to call her publicly by a pet name, even though she is used to it and
probably prefers it. Paul also mentions her first, before Aquila, and there is speculation regarding his
reasoning. Perhaps she came from a higher social class; perhaps she was more mission-oriented than Aquila.
We simply don’t know why, but we can say that it was not a culturally-correct thing to do. It shows Paul’s
non-concern for politically-correctness. This couple was committed to the spread of the Gospel and the Kingdom
of God. And Paul sends his greetings to both them and the church that meets in their home. And all the Gentile
churches of Asia know of their work. That’s the mission-mindedness of the early church.
(4) Paul greets Epenetus, the first Christian convert in all of Asia (modern-day Turkey). Paul considered this
man to be the firstfruits. He expected success, and this was the beginning. It’s easy and appropriate to remember
the beginning. Ever seen a dollar bill hanging on the wall of a large corporation?
(5) Paul greets Mary by name,
attesting to her hard work on behalf of the Roman church. The Greek word here yields strenuous work to point of
weariness and exhaustion.
(6-7) Paul greets his relatives (Blood relatives? Or fellow Jewish believers?),
Andronicus and Junia(s) (possibly husband and wife, but more likely a team of male friends / cousins), who
were in prison with Paul. Paul calls them apostles, even outstanding among the apostles. This word “apostles”
refers to “the sent ones.” This missionary team was sent to evangelize the lost by their local church, and they
were, by the grace of God, among the most successful of the day. They were in Christ before Paul.
(8) Paul greets Ampliatus (common slave name) as loved in the Lord,
(9) Urbanus, a fellow worker in Christ, and
(10) Stachys, his dear friend.
(11) Paul greets Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. How would you like to be forever archived in the
Word of God as “tested and approved in Christ”? Awesome. I wonder what he went through. It had to be pretty
hellacious.
(12) Paul greets the household of Aristobulus. He doesn’t greet the head of this household. Some
have suggested that Aristobulus was both the grandson of Herod the Great and a brother of Herod Agrippa I.
(13) He also greets his relative (perhaps a fellow Messianic Jew), Herodion, who some have speculated was also
a member of Herod’s family.
(14) As is the case with Aristobulus, Paul greets the household of Narcissus and not Narcissus himself.
Tradition tells us that these two men were servants in Caesar’s court (Philippians 4:22); Narcissus may
have been Emperor Claudius’ secretary. Though they themselves were not Christians, there were Christians
in their households, perhaps believing wives or daughters or servants. It would be almost three centuries
before a Caesar would bow the knee to Jesus Christ, but already in the days of Paul, God had planted Christians
among the servants of his household.
(15-17) Paul greets three women who worked very hard in the Lord, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis. The first two
names mean “delicate” and “dainty” respectively, but Paul points to their hard work. It is thought that Tryphena
and Tryphosa were sisters, even twins. And their efforts are described in the present-tense, suggesting ongoing
labor. Persis’ labor, on the other hand, is described in the past-tense suggesting that she has grown old and is
unable to work to that extreme any longer. Nevertheless, if that is the case, Paul is sure to memorialize her
past diligence. 1 Corinthians 15:58 This labor is not done in vain. Paul has a genuine respect and love for all
those members of the Body who are doing their part.
(18-19) Paul greets Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who though nameless had been like a mother to Paul
as well. Perhaps Paul was seeking to encourage the heart of Rufus by reminding him of the glorious fact of his
election, a fact which should bring forth much thanksgiving from the heart of every believer
(2 Thessalonians 2:13). In this way, Paul may have been saying to Rufus, “Never forget God’s
wonderful work of calling you and choosing you and bringing you to Himself! You are a trophy of God’s
sovereign, saving grace!” Perhaps there’s something else here; follow me on a speculation path for a moment:
Mark’s Gospel was written to the Romans and he mentions Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus,
being forced to carry Jesus’ cross (Mark 15:21). Why would Mark include the sons of Simon in his account unless
he knew that they were known in Rome? Could it be that Paul addresses the very same Rufus here? Could it be that
God was providentially at work in the bringing of Simon to carry that cross so that his son, Rufus, would come
to believe the Gospel? Think about it: What if God in His wise providence began to plant a core group of
believers in Rome by having a Jew on a pilgrimage, Simon, whose son would be known in Rome as a chosen one,
bear the cross on which another Jew on a pilgrimage, God’s own Son, Jesus, would die to pay the price of that
first man’s son. And even more, Paul himself was ministered to by Rufus’ mother; perhaps Paul had received aid
and encouragement from her testimony to the events her son went through. Mothers should be ready and willing to
be mothers to all the saints.
(20-28) Finally, in this section anyway, Paul greets Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, Philologus,
Julia, Nereus, and his sister, Olymphas, and all the saints and brothers with them. Perhaps this last batch
represents two different home churches in the Roman region that Paul had heard about in his sharing the Gospel.
We’ll talk more about the significance of these greetings when we combine them with the last batch of greetings
in v21-24.
Once last point: notice v16. “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” While some folks still practice this
exhortation, we can point out that the churches of the first century had a kinship and unity that we no longer
find among churches today. Thus a handshake or hug is fine. 1 Corinthians 4:17; 7:17; 11:16; 14:33
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V17-18 – Watch out for deception. It is thought that Paul himself took up the pen and wrote v17-21. We read in
v22 that Tertius wrote the letter as Paul dictated, but most of these epistles were authenticated by the
handwriting of the actual author near the end of the letter. 2 Thessalonians 3:17; Galatians 6:11 So with the
brief aside from the typical greetings and commendations, we might be getting a taste of Paul’s final
exhortations to the believers in Rome. Paul is teaching the importance of doctrinal unity.
The Church must be wary of those who cause division by teaching things that are out of accord with sound doctrine.
Notice that Paul directs this urging, this appeal, not to the elders, but to the whole Church. Elsewhere, Paul
directs this to the elders. It is especially the elders’ job to guard the flock. Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 1:3-4;
Titus 1:9 But here, Paul explicitly directs this exhortation to the whole congregation. We must keep a lookout
for those who bring division through wrong teaching, those who create resistance to right teaching through their
wrong teaching, and those who are hinderers of the work of the Gospel through divisive interests. We must first
identify these false teachers.
Now Paul doesn’t just say to identify them, but he says to keep away from them. Separate from them. They are
serving not the Lord but their own appetite. The KJV uses the word “slave” here. These false teachers are not
slaves to the Lord like they should be, but they are slaves to their own appetite, their flesh. And they have
skill in deception. They speak eloquently and with flattery. And look who they prey on: the naïve. One of the
problems today is that the lay people within the church do not know enough doctrine to be able to recognize a
person who is teaching contrary to sound doctrine. False teachers go after the minds of those Christians who
can’t yet defend the faith. This is the exact strategy of Jehovah’s Witnesses. They are taught what to say in
many basic level debates. But once you get beyond the basics, they’ll be stifled in their attempt to defend their
positions and refute yours. Don’t just watch out for them; keep away from them. I think we can take that as “keep
them away from the naïve while you are strengthening the naïve to be not naïve anymore.”
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V19-20 – Final encouragements. Paul encourages the believers in Rome to exercise spiritual discernment.
And for us, we need to know what we are learning and from whom we are learning it and test it against the Word
of God. That’s spiritual discernment. And Paul tells them that they are doing a good job in obedience. Unlike
the church at Corinth, where Paul is based as he writes Romans, the Roman church is obeying and avoiding false
teachers (Romans 1:8). The Corinthian church struggled with this repeatedly. But here, Paul is full of joy at the
Roman believers’ obedience. Yet, he reminds them to be on-guard. The Roman church was of strategic importance; it
was at the center of the political empire. Tragically, we know that the Roman church did struggle down the road;
the result was the Roman Catholic Church. So we, as Christians in America, must never drop the guard of
spiritual discernment.
Finally, Paul assures the believers in Rome of the victory over Satan. The God of peace is our sure and settled
hope. He will crush Satan under their feet. Notice that the God of “peace” will “crush” Satan. The point is that,
ironically, peace requires war. In v19, Paul told us to exercise spiritual discernment, “to be wise about what is
good, and innocent about what is evil.” 1 Corinthians 14:20; Philippians 2:15 Think of Jesus’ words in Matthew
10:16: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.”
And think of Genesis 3 when Eve was tempted. She showed herself to be the opposite of what Paul asks of us. Eve
was unwise about what is good and naive and deceived about what is evil. Paul is saying to the Romans and to us,
“Don’t make the same mistake. Be discerning about those flattering words that sound good, because in the core,
they are death.” And what was the prophecy of God regarding Satan? The seed of the woman would crush Satan’s head
(Genesis 3:15). So Paul is taking us back to Adam and Eve and showing us that we must not be like them, because
the victory is won. It has already happened. But Paul says it will happen soon. It’s an already but not yet…
Lastly here, notice that when Paul says, “The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you,” he’s announcing that Jesus is
the source of grace. Now, every good Jew knew that all grace and favor came from God alone. So, Paul, by making
Jesus the source of grace, is claiming Jesus’ divinity. Colossians 2:9 “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity
lives in bodily form.” Paul is worshipping Christ as the divine and gracious Lord.
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V21-24 – Final greetings. Paul’s final list of 8 names and greetings is simply a continuation of the previous
list, thus continuing to show us the importance of working in unity for the spread of the Gospel and the reality
of the communion of saints. This list, rather than Paul greeting those in and around Rome, represents those with
Paul in the Corinthian church greeting the Roman believers. Can you picture these guys standing around Paul and
Tertius as they finish penning this letter? We don’t know if they personally knew the Roman believers or if they
were just excited to be involved in this fellowshipping between churches. One thing we can say is that these men
would have, by having their name in this letter, been consenting to the teaching found within, serving to
emphasize early Christian doctrinal unity.
We all know Timothy, Paul’s fellow worker; he, along with Lucius (some consider that this is actually Luke, but
this can be refuted by the fact that Paul calls him a relative (likely Lucius was a Jew – and Luke was a Gentile);
others think it is the prophet and teacher from Antioch – Lucius from Acts 13:1), Jason (possibly the same man
mentioned in Acts 17:5-9 who hosted Paul and Silas and whose house was assaulted by a mob), and Sosipater
(perhaps the Sopater son of Pyhrrus from Berea from Acts 20:4), send their greetings to the Romans in Paul’s
letter. The scribe, Tertius, sends his greetings. Gaius (perhaps of Derbe from Acts 20:4; more likely the one
Paul baptized in 1 Corinthians 1:14), who apparently hosted Paul and/or Tertius and the church in Corinth in
his home, sends his greetings. And notice the focus on hospitality again. 3 John focuses on the hospitality of
Gaius as well (a different Gaius). It should be as if the Lord Jesus Himself was coming to your house. Christian
community is important; it is glorious. Christians glorify God by assembling together. Hospitality brings
Christians together in unity and love and fellowship. Erastus’ job title is given; as the steward or treasurer
of Corinth, he’s a prominent figure, and he’s come to believe the Gospel and join in the fellowship of believers.
He and brother Quartus are forever commemorated with their greetings to the Roman church. Paul calls all of these
men “brothers.” Let’s be grateful that Jesus Christ our Lord is “not ashamed to call [us] brothers”
(Hebrews 2:11).
With of these “to and fro” greetings, we ought to realize that Christians ought to know about one another’s
spiritual condition and service. We learn from this passage that we can have a close relationship with certain
brothers and sisters within the community of faith without violating the general principle of all of us being
brothers and sisters in Christ. The Communion of the Saints is a reality. In Romans 14-15, Paul talked about
being the Body of Christ. And chapter 16 shows us how it was lived out in the first century. They were ministering
to one another. They were loving one another. They were excited in greeting one another. They were excited to hear
from one another. They were caring for one another. They were in deep and significant and distinctively gospel and
Christian relationships with one another. They were risking their lives and using their resources and hosting
Gospel work in their homes and working hard for the Lord, for the Gospel, for the Kingdom. They had different
roles, but they were clearly One Body. Let’s be like that!
And then we get an identical benediction to the one in v20: “May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all
of you. Amen.” While some ancient manuscripts omit this one, we can be certain that it has been issued at least
once (v20). A benediction is from God to us. A doxology is from us to God. We see this benediction as God
blessing His people. In just a minute, we’ll see the doxology as God’s people blessing God or praising God.
The benediction is “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ being with all of us.” The doxology, to which we now turn,
is “glory forever through Jesus be to Him who is able to establish us.”
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V25-27 – Doxology. Isn’t it interesting that Paul closes this great letter, this theological treatise, this
practical, pastoral exhortation to unity, this awesome book, with greetings and a prayer of adoration to God
that serves to encourage God’s people? Paul’s love and concern for God’s people (2 Timothy 2:10) comes out in
the greetings. His awe of God, his sense of the greatness of God, comes out in this prayer of adoration as the
only suitable response to the glorious plan of salvation revealed in this letter.
Paul focuses us on the goal of God’s glory, and we, like Paul, need to be overwhelmed at the greatness of God.
The greatness of God is belittled in our generation. Man the sinner is big, and God the Savior is small in our
generation. Man is central; God is peripheral. Man is important; God is way down the list of important things
in life in our culture today. And Paul is drawing our attention to the greatness of God in this doxology.
First, “To Him who is able,” declares the mighty power of God. “To Him who is able to establish us by and in the
Gospel – the proclamation of Jesus Christ.” V25-27 tie back into the theme of Paul’s letter: “I am not ashamed of
the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16). The Gospel
is the power of God. And now God is able to establish us in the Gospel by the Gospel. So we praise God for His
mighty power revealed in and by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Take a moment to compare Romans 1:1-16 with 16:25-27.
Second, by saying, “To the only wise God,” Paul is declaring that the Gospel he preached is about a redemptive
event that God had been working on from eternity past, but had only revealed fully in Jesus Christ. It draws us
back to the doxology in Romans 11. This Gospel in and by which God establishes us has been in the works for all
of history, and no one could have figured it out apart from God’s revelation. Only God was wise in devising and
working out this plan to be glorified in the salvation of His people. 1 Peter 1:10-12 “Concerning this salvation,
the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying
to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the
sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving
themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the
gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.” By praising
God’s might and power and wisdom, Paul is encouraging us to be comforted and strengthened and assured that we
are in capable hands. You’re in good hands with God – and of this is due to Jesus Christ. And yet, “Not by might,
not by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6). So, we see the glory of the Triune Deity
magnified in this plan as He works, fully unified in the efforts of the three Persons of the Godhead, to bring
glory to His name through the salvation of His people.
“Now to Him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the
revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic
writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey Him—to the only wise
God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.”
How would you end the greatest theological treatise ever written? Augustine, at the end of The City of God,
after 22 chapters and 1100 pages of wrestling with how God is at work in the world, Augustine said, “It may
be too much for some, too little for others. Of both these groups I ask forgiveness. But of those for whom it
is enough I would make this request, that they do not thank me but join with me in rendering thanks to God.”
Paul ends it by emphasizing love for the brethren, prayer, praise, confidence in God, and consecration to work
for His glory. Thanks be to God for His holy, inspired, and inerrant Word. Amen.
Footnotes
- 16:1 Or deaconess
- 16:3 Greek Prisca, a variant of Priscilla
- 16:23 Some manuscripts their greetings. 24 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen.
Bible text from
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