Romans 16:18

serve not Perhaps these words (lit. do not bondservice to,) allude to the professed "liberty" of the erring teachers. Q. d., "they decline, indeed, the bondage of Christ, but they are in bondage to their own appetites all the while." Cp. 2 Peter 2:19. With a similar emphasis, probably, he writes "our Lord(Master) Jesus Christ."

their own belly Cp. Philippians 3:19. The words indicate sensual self-indulgence generally, whether grosser or lighter.

by good words, &c. Lit. by their sweet-speech and fair-speech. The first word denotes the seeming piety, the second the seeming reasonableness, of their doctrine.

the simple Lit. the evil-less; people unconscious of bad intentions, and hence unsuspicious of them.

Meyer remarks that St Paul did not write thus severely till after long and full experience.