INTRODUCTION TO ROMANS 16 This chapter contains a recommendation of a single person, herein mentioned; a list of the chief of the saints at Rome, who are saluted by name, and some with singular encomiums; a caution to beware of false teachers; various salutations of persons that were with the apost... [ Continue Reading ]
I COMMEND UNTO YOU PHEBE OUR SISTER,.... This chapter chiefly consists of commendations and salutations of persons, and begins with the former. It was usual to give letters of commendation of a member of one church to those of another; see 2 Corinthians 3:1; The person who is here recommended was, a... [ Continue Reading ]
THAT YE RECEIVE HER IN THE LORD,.... This is one thing he recommends her to them for, that they would receive her in a kind and friendly manner into their houses, and into their hearts' love and affections; admit her to their private meetings, and into church fellowship with them, and that as one th... [ Continue Reading ]
GREET PRISCILLA AND AQUILA,.... The former of these, who was a woman, and the wife of the latter, is in some copies called Prisca; and so the Vulgate Latin here reads it, as she is also called in 2 Timothy 4:19. Her being named before her husband, is without design, for sometimes he is put before he... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO FOR MY LIFE LAID DOWN THEIR NECKS,.... That is, exposed themselves to great danger to save the apostle's life: the allusion is to the manner of executions by beheading, and to one person's laying down his head, and offering his neck to the executioner the room of another: this we are not to supp... [ Continue Reading ]
LIKEWISE GREET THE CHURCH THAT IS IN THEIR HOUSE,.... Which was either their own family, which might be somewhat large, and consisting entirely or chiefly of religious persons; for when they were in other places they had a church in their house as well as Rome; see 1 Corinthians 16:19; or the saints... [ Continue Reading ]
GREET MARY, WHO BESTOWED MUCH LABOUR ON US. Some copies read, "you"; and so do the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions: and indeed it seems most likely that the persons on whom this good woman bestowed so much labour, and to whom she was so very serviceable, were the saints at Rome,... [ Continue Reading ]
SALUTE ANDRONICUS AND JUNIA, MY KINSMEN,.... According to the flesh, being perhaps not only of the same nation, Jews, but also of the same tribe, the tribe of Benjamin, and even of the same family, and might be nearly allied in blood. And though the apostle did not value himself upon his carnal desc... [ Continue Reading ]
GREET AMPLIAS MY BELOVED IN THE LORD. This was a Roman name; the Vulgate Latin reads "Ampliatus", and so do the Alexandrian copy, and the Ethiopic version: some call him "Amphias", and "Amphiatus", and say, but whether on good authority I will not affirm, that this man was bishop of Odyssus; but be... [ Continue Reading ]
SALUTE URBANE, OUR HELPER IN CHRIST,.... This also was a Roman name, and which many of the popes of Rome have since taken to themselves; he is said to be one of the seventy disciples, and to be a bishop in Macedonia; Luke 10:1; which is not very probable: others have conjectured him to be one of the... [ Continue Reading ]
SALUTE APELLES APPROVED IN CHRIST,.... Origen was in doubt whether this was not the same person with Apollos the Alexandrian Jew, whom Aquila and Priscilla met with at Ephesus; but had he been intended, the apostle would doubtless have said more of him, he being so eminent and remarkable a preacher... [ Continue Reading ]
SALUTE HERODION MY KINSMAN,.... According to the flesh, being of the same nation, a Jew; or of the same tribe, the tribe of Benjamin; or of the same family, and nearly allied in blood to him: though the name is of Attic, or Parthic original, and seems to be a derivative of Herod; this man is reckone... [ Continue Reading ]
SALUTE TRYPHENA AND TRYPHOSA, WHO LABOUR IN THE LORD,.... These two were women, and are said to be noble women of Iconium, whom the apostle converted there, and afterwards went to Rome the names are Greek t, though they might be Jewish women, since Tryphon is the name of a man among the Jews. Trypho... [ Continue Reading ]
SALUTE RUFUS CHOSEN IN THE LORD,.... This was a Roman name; frequent mention is made Jewish writings u of one Turnus Rufus, a Roman officer, that destroyed the temple, and ploughed up the city of Jerusalem; the name was in use among the Cyrenians, for one of the sons of Simon of Cyrene, whom the Jew... [ Continue Reading ]
SALUTE ASYNCRITUS, PHLEGON, HERMAS, PATROBAS, HERMES,.... The two first of these names are Greek, and the persons called by them, with Herodion before mentioned, are taken notice of in the Roman martyrology, as disciples of the apostle; Asyncritus is said to be bishop of Hyrcania, and Phlegon of Mar... [ Continue Reading ]
SALUTE PHILOLOGUS, AND JULIA,.... The first of these is a Greek name, and the name of a man, and signifies a lover of learning. This name Atteius assumed to himself, which Eratosthenes had done before him, because of his great learning y; this man is reckoned among the seventy disciples, and is said... [ Continue Reading ]
SALUTE ONE ANOTHER WITH AN HOLY KISS,.... Christian salutation is a wishing all temporal, spiritual, and eternal happiness, to one another; and which, as it should be mutual, should be also hearty and sincere, and this is meant by the "holy kiss"; the allusion is to a common custom in most nations,... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW I BESEECH YOU, BRETHREN,.... The apostle being about to finish his epistle, and recollecting that he had not given this church any instructions about the false teachers, who had been the cause of all their differences and uneasiness, inserts them here; or he purposely put them in this place, ami... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY THAT ARE SUCH SERVE NOT OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST,.... They do not preach him, but themselves; they do not seek the things of Christ, his honour and glory, the spread of his Gospel, and the enlargement of his kingdom and interest; they seek their own things, worldly honour and applause, riches,... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR YOUR OBEDIENCE IS COME ABROAD UNTO ALL MEN,.... That is, as the Arabic and Ethiopic versions render it, "the fame" and report of their obedience to the faith, to the doctrine of the Gospel, and the ministers of it, was spread everywhere, was well known to everyone, and spoken of with commendeth... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE GOD OF PEACE,.... Romans 15:33; SHALL BRUISE SATAN UNDER YOUR FEET SHORTLY. Some read this by way of wish or prayer, "may the God of peace bruise"; so the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions, and the Alexandrian copy; but others as ours, as a promise, or as expressive of the apostl... [ Continue Reading ]
TIMOTHEUS MY WORK FELLOW,.... Now follow the salutations of the friends and companions of the apostle: we may imagine that when this epistle was just concluding, that these his friends being about him, one said, pray send my Christian salutation to our dear friends at Rome, so said a second, and lik... [ Continue Reading ]
I TERTIUS, WHO WROTE THIS EPISTLE,.... This name is a Latin one, and perhaps the person might be a Roman, for the names Secundus, Tertius, Quartus, Quintus, c. were common with the Romans unless it may be thought, as it is by some, that this man was the same with Silas, who was a constant companion... [ Continue Reading ]
GAIUS MINE HOST,.... There was one Gaius a Macedonian, that was with the apostle at Ephesus, Acts 19:29; and another Gaius of Derbe, that accompanied him into Asia, Acts 20:4; whether either of these, as the latter seems more probable, was this person, is not certain. However, it seems very likely t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST BE WITH YOU ALL. AMEN. This verse is placed by the Syriac at the end of the chapter, and is wanting in the Ethiopic version, and in one ancient copy, being, excepting the word all, the same as at the end of Romans 16:20; but inasmuch as it is in all other copies, i... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW TO HIM THAT IS OF POWER TO STABLISH YOU,.... God is here described by his power, and the particular instance of it is the establishing of his people; that is, in the Gospel, as the Syriac version reads the next clause, and in the profession of it, with grace in their hearts, and in the exercise... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT NOW IS MADE MANIFEST,.... In these last days, in which God has spoken by his Son, by whom the doctrines of grace are most clearly revealed, and fully dispensed; and by his apostles, who were blessed with a clear insight into them, and with extraordinary gifts to minister them; AND BY THE SCRIPT... [ Continue Reading ]
TO GOD ONLY WISE, BE GLORY THROUGH JESUS CHRIST,.... This may be understood of God the Father, who is the only wise God, originally, essentially, and infinitely; though not to the exclusion of the Son and Spirit; and whose infinite wisdom appears in the works of creation and providence, in redemptio... [ Continue Reading ]