XVI. It has been observed as strange that of all the Epistles of St. Paul, this to the Romans and that to Colossians, contain the greatest number of personal salutations, though these were precisely the two churches that he had never seen up to the date of his writing. A few critics, headed by Baur,... [ Continue Reading ]
PHEBE. — As the Roman Church is especially exhorted to receive Phebe, it has been inferred that she was one of the party to which St. Paul entrusted his Epistle, if not the actual bearer of it herself. OUR SISTER — _i.e.,_ in a spiritual sense — a fellow-Christian. SERVANT. — Rather, _a deaconess,... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE LORD. — With the consciousness that you are performing a Christian act, subject to all those serious obligations implied in the name. AS BECOMETH SAINTS. — As Christians ought to receive a fellow-Christian. SUCCOURER. — Patroness or protectress, in the exercise of her office as deaconess.... [ Continue Reading ]
PRISCILLA. — The correct reading here is Prisca, of which form Priscilla is the diminutive. It is rather remarkable that the wife should be mentioned first. Perhaps it may be inferred that she was the more active and conspicuous of the two. Aquila was a Jew of Pontus, whom St. Paul had found with hi... [ Continue Reading ]
LAID DOWN THEIR OWN NECKS. — Whether this expression is to be taken literally or figuratively we do not know, neither can we do more than guess at the event to which it refers. It may have something to do with the tumult at Ephesus, and with that “fighting with beasts” mentioned in 1 Corinthians 15:... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CHURCH THAT IS IN THEIR HOUSE. — A party of Christians seem to have been in the habit of meeting in the house of Aquila and Priscilla for purposes of worship at Rome, as previously at Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:19). Similar instances may be found in Acts 12:12; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2. SAL... [ Continue Reading ]
ON US. — The true reading seems to be, _on you._ The readers would know to what the Apostle referred. It is useless for us to attempt to conjecture.... [ Continue Reading ]
JUNIA. — Or, possibly, “Junias” (for Junianus), a man’s name. MY KINSMEN. — From the number of persons (six in all, and those not only in Rome but also in Greece and Macedonia) to whom the title is given in this chapter, it would seem as if the word “kinsmen” was to be taken in a wider sense than t... [ Continue Reading ]
AMPLIAS. — The three oldest MSS. have “Ampliatus,” for which “Amplias” would be in any case a contracted form. The name is a common one, in several instances found in connection with the imperial household.... [ Continue Reading ]
URBANE. — Urbanus, or Urban; the final “e” should not be sounded. Like Ampliatus, a common name found among members of the household. OUR HELPER IN CHRIST. — The “helper,” that is, both of St. Paul and of the Roman Church by her efforts in spreading the gospel. STACHYS. — A rarer name than the las... [ Continue Reading ]
APELLES. — This name is also found among the dependents of the emperor. Horace, in the well-known phrase, “Credat Judæas Apella” (_Ephesians 1_Ephesians 1, v. 100) takes it as a typical Jewish name. APPROVED IN CHRIST. — Whose fidelity to Christ has been tried, and has stood the test. ARISTOBULUS’... [ Continue Reading ]
MY KINSMAN. — See the Note on Romans 16:7. THEM THAT BE OF THE HOUSEHOLD OF NARCISSUS. — A phrase similar to that which is translated, “Them which are of Aristobulus’ household,” above. Narcissus, too, is an historical name. There had been a famous Narcissus, a freed-man and favourite of Claudius,... [ Continue Reading ]
TRYPHENA AND TRYPHOSA. — Probably sisters or near relatives. They, too, may have been attached to the court.... [ Continue Reading ]
RUFUS. — Simon of Cyrene is described in St. Mark’s Gospel (Mark 15:21) as “the father of Alexander and Rufus,” and as there is a substantial tradition, favoured by some internal indications, that this Gospel was written at Rome, it is not unlikely that the same Rufus may be meant. CHOSEN IN THE LO... [ Continue Reading ]
Of the names in this and the next verse, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, Philologus, Julia, Nereus (with the corresponding female name Nereis) all occur with more or less frequency in inscriptions relating to the household. Hernias and Hermes are very common. The first is a contraction from several longer... [ Continue Reading ]
SALUTE ONE ANOTHER. — As a mark of brotherly feeling among themselves, St. Paul desires those who are assembled at the reading of his Epistle to greet each other in a Christian way. It is to be their own act and not a salutation coming from him. WITH AN HOLY KISS. — A common Eastern and Jewish cust... [ Continue Reading ]
CAUSE DIVISIONS AND OFFENCES. — Set traps in the way of the unwary, so as to entice them into false doctrine and schismatical practices.... [ Continue Reading ]
(17-20) Here the Epistle would naturally end, but an afterthought occurs to the Apostle, His experience of other churches, especially those at Corinth and in Galatia, suggests to him that he should warn his readers against false teachers, though such had not as yet obtained any great hold among them... [ Continue Reading ]
THEIR OWN BELLY. — Compare the description in Philippians 3:18, where the Apostle is also denouncing certain persons who made “a god of their belly.” It is not, however, quite clear that the class of persons intended is precisely the same. There the Apostle is condemning Antinomian extravagances whi... [ Continue Reading ]
No harm has been done as yet. Still it is well to be upon your guard. SIMPLE CONCERNING EVIL. — This is not at all the same word as that which is translated “simple” above. The first is that freedom from dishonest motives which makes a man an unsuspecting and easy prey for designing persons, and ap... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOD OF PEACE. — We can well understand how the Apostle, in the midst of “fightings without and fears within,” should look forward with joyous confidence to the time when both for him and his readers all this turmoil and conflict would give way to “peace.” The reference seems to be to his near ex... [ Continue Reading ]
TIMOTHEUS. — Timothy had been sent on in advance from Ephesus (Acts 20:22). He would seem to have gone on into Greece and to Corinth itself (1 Corinthians 4:17; 1 Corinthians 16:10). He had thence rejoined St. Paul on his way through Macedonia (2 Corinthians 1:1), and he was now with him again in Gr... [ Continue Reading ]
(21-23) The companions of St. Paul add their own greetings to the Roman Church.... [ Continue Reading ]
TERTIUS. — The Apostle’s amanuensis. It was the custom of St. Paul to add a few words of parting benedictory encouragement or admonition in his own handwriting, partly as a mark of his own personal interest in his readers, and partly as a precaution against forgery. (See especially Galatians 6:11, a... [ Continue Reading ]
GAIUS. — Three persons of this name are mentioned, Gains of Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:14), Gains, a Macedonian (Acts 19:29), and Gaius of Derbe in Lycaonia (Acts 20:4). The Gaius of the Epistle would probably be identical with the first of these. The name was a common one. MINE HOST, AND OF THE WHOLE... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. — This verse is wanting in the oldest group of MSS., and is found chiefly in Græco-Latin Codices and in Antiochene authorities of the fourth and fifth centuries, whose leaning is towards the later text. If the theory stated in the introduction to chapter 15 is co... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW IS MADE MANIFEST. — The first clause of this verse goes with the last clause of the preceding “mystery,” which before was kept secret, but now has been “made manifest.” The rest of the verse all hangs together: “this mystery, through the help of the corroboration which it derives from the pr... [ Continue Reading ]
TO GOD. — Our English translation has evaded the difficulty of this verse by leaving out two words. The Greek stands literally thus, “To the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, _to whom_ be glory for ever.” “To whom,” if it refers to God, as it is decidedly more probable that it was intended to ref... [ Continue Reading ]