Romans 16:13

Vv. 13. “ Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. ”

The term chosen cannot be taken here in the sense in which it applies to all Christians: it must denote something special. Hofmann, judging from what follows, understands: “The man whom I have specially chosen as my brother in the Lord.” But in this sense the pronoun μου (my) could not be wanting. As what is the better is willingly chosen, the word ἐκλεκτός, chosen, takes the sense of distinguished, excellent. This is certainly the meaning of the epithet here, as in 2 John 1:1; 2 John 1:13. The following words: “his mother and mine,” prove that Paul was united to this family by the closest ties that he had even lived in it. And if we remember that Mark, writing his Gospel at Rome, was pleased to designate Simon of Cyrene, who carried the cross of Jesus, as “the father of Alexander and Rufus,” we shall be naturally led to hold that this family had removed from Jerusalem to Rome, where Rufus occupied a distinguished place in the church. It was therefore during the years of his youth, when he was studying at Jerusalem, that Paul had lived in the bosom of this family, and had enjoyed the motherly care of Simon's wife.