PRACTICAL PART. MAN'S GRATITUDE FOR FREE SALVATION. The theme of this part of the Epistle is given in chap. Romans 12:1: The believer saved by Christ through faith is to present himself a thank-offering to God; all Christian duty is praise for deliverance. For convenience we may divide this portio... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:1. I COMMEND, etc. Both an introduction and a commendation are suggested. PHEBE OUR SISTER; a Christian believer; this is the general ground for receiving her. WHO IS A DEACONESS, etc. This is the special reason, in view of the fidelity with which she had fulfilled her duty (Romans 16:2... [ Continue Reading ]
2. _Greetings to different Persons at Rome._ The bearer of the letter is commended in vers, 1, 2. Then follow greetings to many individuals, and to some households or household churches. About one third of the persons mentioned are women. On the names as indicative of origin and station of the belie... [ Continue Reading ]
III. CONCLUDING PORTION OF THE EPISTLE. This part of the Epistle may be divided into four sections, (1) Personal explanations, similar to those in chap. Romans 1:8-15 (chap. Romans 15:14-33). (2.) Greetings to different persons at Rome (chap. Romans 16:1-16). (3.) Closing exhortation, with greeting... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:2. THAT YE RECEIVE HER IN THE LORD. This is the purpose of the commendation, that the Roman believers give her a _Christian_ welcome. WORTHILY OF THE SAINTS, as saints ought to receive such an one. AND THAT YE ASSIST HER, ETC. The term used is a legal one, and hence it has been inferre... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:3. SALUTE. ‘Greet' (E. V.) and ‘salute' represent the same word throughout the chapter. PRISCA AND AAUILA. ‘Priscilla' is the diminutive form, found elsewhere and in the versions and Fathers. The wife seems to have been the more prominent and active Christian; her name comes first in Acts... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:4. WHO FOR (‘in behalf of,' not, ‘instead of') MY LIFE LAID DOWN, etc. Lit., ‘laid under,' used of submitting to execution. That they underwent peril of their life for the sake of Paul is clearly meant; whether at Ephesus or Corinth is uncertain, since in both places Paul had been ex-posed... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:5. AND SALUTE; the verb is properly supplied, but the clause is grammatically connected with Romans 16:3, and should form a part of Romans 16:4. THE CHURCH THAT IS IN THEIR HOUSE. The early Christians had, as a rule, no public place of assembly, but probably met in the houses of the more... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:6. SALUTE MARY. This is the sixth person of this name mentioned in the New Testament. Otherwise unknown, but characterized as one WHO BESTOWED MUCH LABOR ON YOU. So the best authorities, and most recent editors. ‘Bestowed labor' points to practical activity, in charity and womanly ministra... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:7. ANDRONICUS AND JUNIAS, or ‘Junia.' It is impossible to decide which form of the latter name is correct; if the feminine form (‘Junia') be accepted, then the wife or sister of Andronicus is meant. But the description is supposed by many commentators to favor the reference to a man. MY... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:8. AMPLIATUS; so the weightier authorities; ‘Amplias' is an abbreviated form. A common name in itself, it occurs several times in connection with the imperial household (Lightfoot). The same is true of nearly every name in the rest of the section. MY BELOVED IN THE LORD; in Christian fel... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:9. URBANUS (the Latin form of this Latin name), OUR FELLOW WORKER IN CHRIST ‘Our' refers not to Paul alone, since he says ‘my' so frequently here, but to the Roman Christians also. S TACHYS MY BELOVED. The variety in these commendatory phrases was probably due to specific reasons.... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:10. APELLES. Not to be confounded with ‘Apollos.' The name occurs in Horace (Sat. i. v. 100) as that of a Jew. He may have been a freedman, as some suppose, but the name was not uncommon. There are various conjectures as to the grouping of freedmen and slaves in these salutations. THE AP... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:11. NARCISSUS. A powerful freedman of Claudius bore this name, but died two or three years before this Epistle was written. Possibly the household of this person is meant.... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:12. The three persons mentioned in this verse were probably deaconesses. PERRIS. The name is derived from Persia, but on this fact no inference can be based. This woman is not only distinguished by the mention of her greater labor, but is called THE BELOVED. Meyer notices the delicacy of... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:13. RUFUS. Possibly the person mentioned in Mark 15:21 (see _in loco),_ since Mark probably wrote in Rome. But the name was frequent THE CHOSEN IN THE LORD; not merely ‘elect in Christ,' but a chosen distinguished Christian man. HIS MOTHER AND MINE. ‘ _His_ mother by nature, _mint_ by... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:14. The numerous group here referred to was probably intimately associated, and less known to the Apostle. HORMES, PATROBAS, HERMAS is the order of the best authorities. The last named person can scarcely be the author of the _Shepherd of Hermas,_ since that work was probably not written... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:15. Julia; probably the wife of Philologus. OLYMPAS is the name of a man. ALL THE SAINTS, etc. In any case pointing to a numerous body of Christians.... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:16. SALUTE ONE ANOTHER WITH A HOLY KISS. ‘The meaning of this injunction seems to be, that the Roman Christians should take occasion, on the receipt of the Apostle's greetings to them, to testify their mutual love, in this, the ordinary method of salutation, but having among Christians a C... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:17. NOW, I BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN. Comp. chap. Romans 15:30. MARK THEM; note carefully. In Philippians 3:17, it is applied to those who are to be imitated. WHICH CAUSE, etc. The present tense indicates that such persons were doing this, but not necessarily at Rome. DIVISIONS AND OFFEN... [ Continue Reading ]
3. _Closing Exhortation, with Greetings from Various Persons._ The warning of this section (Romans 16:17-20) indicates, not the presence of false teachers at Rome, but rather the danger of such persons making their appearance. The tone of the warning suggests this, as well as the fact that it occurs... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:18. FOR THEY THAT ARE SUCH, etc. Comp. Philippians 3:18-19. OUR LORD CHRIST; He is the true Master (notice the unusual form, which is supported by all the early manuscripts), yet they do not serve Him, BUT THEIR OWN BELLY; a figure for sensuality. It is remarkable how often schismatics h... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:19. FOR YOUR OBEDIENCE, etc. ‘Obedience' to the gospel, obedience of faith, is meant, as throughout the Epistle. Because of their well-known obedience, he does not class them among the ‘guileless.' This view of ‘for,' as implying an antithesis, is further favored by the next clause. Other... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:21. TIMOTHY, MY FELLOW-WORKER, SATUTETH YOU. That Timothy was with Paul at this time appears from Acts 20:4. LUCIUS. Not ‘Luke' but possibly ‘Lucius of Cyrene' (Acts 13:1). JASON. This may refer to the person named in Acts 17:5, as a resident of Thessalonica. SOSIPATER. The same name... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:22. I TERTIUS. Otherwise unknown; probably an Italian, though some have sought to identify him with Silas, because the Hebrew word answering to Tertius sounds like Silas. WHO WRITE THE EPISTLE. ‘Wrote' is more literal, but ‘write' gives the sense of this epistolary aorist. Paul seems to... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:23. GAINS MINE HOST. Paul was lodging with this man, as he had previously done with Aquila and Justus (Acts 18:1-7). The name occurs in connection with Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:14; Acts 19:29; Acts 20:4. The same person is probably meant in the first instance, probably in the last, and poss... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:24. This verse is omitted by the best authorities. The repetition of the benediction is not so unexampled as to have given offence to the early transcribers, while it might readily have been transferred from Romans 16:20. No great weight can be allowed to arguments respecting the genuinene... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:25. NOW TO HIM, etc. This is the usual form in a doxology; ‘the only wise God' (Romans 16:27), is in apposition with ‘Him,' all that intervenes being descriptive. There is, however, a grammatical difficulty, owing to the change of construction in the latter part of Romans 16:27. The phrase... [ Continue Reading ]
4. _Concluding Doxology._ In no other Epistle does the Apostle conclude with a _doxology,_ but this need occasion no difficulty. The passage bears every internal evidence of genuineness, and is exceedingly appropriate. ‘As a final complete conclusion, we have now this _praising of God,_ rich in con... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:26. BUT NOW IS MADE MANIFEST. The emphasis rests on ‘made manifest;' the whole thought is explanatory of the ‘revelation of the mystery,' and in contrast with the long silence just spoken of (Romans 16:25). ‘Now,' as usual, refers to the period since the gospel was preached. ‘Made manifest... [ Continue Reading ]
Romans 16:27. TO THE ONLY WISE GOD, etc. We give the literal rendering, which shows the difficult construction. Efforts have been made to avoid it by rejecting to whom; but a due regard for external authorities will not permit this. We regard the opening phrase as a resumption of the doxology begun... [ Continue Reading ]