Romans 16:17-20

A Postscript of Admonition.

Romans 16:17. Supposing the paragraph in its right place (see Introd. § 4), it would seem that Paul, in glancing over his letter and thinking of the troubles of other churches (Romans 16:16), feels that he has not written strongly enough about those that are causing divisions and appends a warning postscript, somewhat in the fashion of Galatians 6:11.

Romans 16:18 a. Such as these are bondmen to their own belly, is paralleled in Php_3:18 f.; the phrase the Lord Christ Paul uses elsewhere only in Colossians 3:24; deceiving through kind and flattering speech looks uncommonly like the language of Colossians 2:4. But the allusions of Romans 16:17; Romans 16:19 a, to the doctrine which you learnt and to your obedience, etc., and the apostle's joy over you, are in the vein of Romans 6:17; Romans 1:8; Romans 15:32. We need not doubt that the admonition was meant for the Roman Church, whether at first conveyed in this epistle or a later.

Romans 16:19 b echoes the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:16, where (and in Php_2:15) the same rare Greek word appears for innocent (or simple, RVm); cf. Romans 12:9.

Romans 16:20. The God of peace so in Romans 15:33 (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:11, Php_4:9, Hebrews 13:20) is invoked against divisions and offences; that He shall bruise Satan under your feet, was the primeval promise (Genesis 3:15). The Benediction in Paul's usual style (cf. 1 Corinthians 16:23) supplies a second conclusion to the epistle, after Romans 15:33; see Introd. § 4.