Commending deaconess Phoebe – Rom. 16:1-2

Paul commends sister Phoebe, a servant (in some translations deacon/deaconess, Greek: ‘diakonos’) of the parish of Cenchrea in the neighbouring city of Corinth. Some scholars think that it was Phoebe who acted as Paul's "courier" and took the Epistle to the Romans to Rome. At that time, women needed such letters of recommendation with them to find a safe place to stay when travelling. The Christian congregations were an excellent hospitality network around the Roman Empire. Phoebe could now enjoy the same help she had given to the Christians who had come to Cenchrea. Even Paul himself had received help from her (verse 2).

Phoebe is the only female deacon mentioned by name in the entire New Testament. Instead, in Romans 16, as many as 9 of all the greetings are to women, so she is not the only female in this group. Phoibe was a Gentile Christian, as her name comes from the Greek god of light (Apollos Phoibos). It has been thought that she was a freed slave. Many slaves were freed, when they were about 30 years old, so that the masters would not have to take care of them when they got old. We should remember that at that time, the average age of people was significantly lower than today.

Greetings to the Christians of Rome – Rom. 16:3-16

These verses contain Greek names (for example, Andronicus and Narcissus), Latin names (for example, Rufus, Julia, and Urbanus), and a few Jewish names (for example, Herodion and Mary). Some of the names were common slave names (for example, Persis, Phlegon and Ampliatus).

The women receiving greetings are:

1. Phoebe (verse 1)

2. Prisca (verse 2)

3. Mary (verse 6)

4. Tryphaena (verse 12)

5. Tryphosa (verse 12)

6. Persis (verse 12)

7. Rufus' mother (verse 13)

8. Julia (verse 15)

9. Sister of Nereus (verse 15)

Prisca/Priscilla and her husband Akylas/Aquila (Latin for "eagle", verse 4) were among the most famous Christians in the early church. In which context they risked their lives for Paul's sake, remains uncertain. One possibility would be the uproar in Ephesus (cf. 2 Cor. 1:8-11 and Acts 19:33). They were of the same trade as Paul, they were tentmakers (Acts 18:3). Their home was a meeting place for a congregation. Although there was (theologically) only one church in one city, in practice they had to gather in many homes, because there were no church buildings until Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, and Christianity became the "state religion" of Rome in the 300s.

Epaenetus (verse 5) was the first man to be baptized in the province of Asia, i.e. in the vicinity of Ephesus. Usually, the first to be baptized had positions of trust and leadership in the churches. Mary (verse 6) has remained unknown to us as a church worker ("worked hard for you").

Andronicus and Junia (verse 7) had been imprisoned together with Paul. They were Jews ("my kinsmen") and converted to Christianity before Paul. Paul calls them "well known to the apostles."

The word apostle could refer to three different groups:

1. The twelve apostles (especially in Luke).

2. Workers authorized and sent by Jesus (the word is used so especially by Paul).

3. A missionary in general.

In some manuscripts, the last name is Junias, which is a man's name. If the correct alternative is Junia or Julia, then there would be a total of ten women on the list, and Andronicus and Junia/Julia would probably be a married couple.

“Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus” (verse 11) can be interpreted in two ways:

1. The head of the family, Narcissus, was not a Christian, but some family members were.

2. Some family members were not Christian, but Narcissus was.

As the names Tryphaena and Tryphosa (verse 12) are much alike, it has been assumed that they were siblings. Some scholars think that Rufus, who is mentioned in verse 13, is the son of Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21), but this remains just an assumption. Philologus and Julia, in verse 15, were evidently a married couple.

The holy kiss (verse 16) was used in the service, where just before the celebration of communion, men kissed one another, and women kissed one another as a sign of Christian unity (see also 1 Cor. 16:20, 2 Cor. 13:12, 1 Thess. 5:26 and 1 Peter 5:14).

Hold fast what you have learnt – Rom. 16:17-20

It has been assumed that Paul wrote this passage with his own hand (cf. Gal. 6:11). Paul used scribes, and he did so also in writing the Epistle to the Romans (verse 22, cf. also 1 Cor. 16:21). It was natural that a handwritten greeting was put at the end of the letter, and that greeting also served to verify the letter's authenticity. The assumption is also supported by the fact that the passage ends with a blessing and is followed by the greetings from Paul's fellow workers.

Whether the passage was written by Paul himself or by a scribe, it warns the church about false teachers. Paul used to add such a warning at the end of his letters. Right from the beginning, the true doctrine has been threatened in many ways and from many directions. The false teachers were good speakers, but they served “their own appetites", and not Christ and his gospel (verse 18). So, they are not the "weak Christians" mentioned in chapter 14, as has sometimes been claimed. "Appetites" (Greek “belly”) usually meant carnality and sensuality (cf. Phil. 3:18-19).

The followers of Christ should not go after all new teachers but hold on to what they have learnt from the apostles (verse 17).

Greetings from Paul's fellow workers – Rom. 16:21-24

The first of Paul's fellow workers to send his greetings was Timothy, who was one of Paul's most important co-workers. His mother was Jewish, but his father was Greek (Acts 16:1).

Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater are Jewish names. Sosipater is probably the same person as Sopater mentioned in Acts 20:4, who travelled with Paul from Corinth to Jerusalem. The Epistle to the Romans was written just before that journey (Rom. 15:23-25).

It was rare for a scribe to add his own greetings to the letter, but Tertius was more than a scribe, he was also a brother in faith (verse 22). Tertius, meaning "third", and Quartus ("fourth"), in verse 23, were common slave names. As a “counterbalance", Erastus was a high-ranking official, the city treasurer, an "economist". Paul's host, Gaius, also sent greetings (verse 23). In 1 Cor. 1:14, Paul mentions that he baptized Gaius in Corinth. Maybe it is the same person.

This section also ends with a benediction (verse 24,"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. "), which is missing from the oldest manuscripts and has therefore been omitted from the passage.

Praise the Lord! – Rom. 16:25-27

The letter ends with a long sentence typical of Paul. Indeed, verses 25-27 are just one long sentence. At the beginning of the letter, there was a sentence as long as six and a half verses (Rom. 1:1-7). God's plan of salvation was a surprise, a revelation of a mystery, a secret for the people (verse 25). Even today God's wisdom (verse 27) is nonsense to the natural man. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us the secret of the cross.

The end of the Epistle to the Romans is like a glimpse of heaven, where God is continually praised (Rev. 7:9-12). Even the praising of God is incomplete here in this age, but in heaven everything is perfect.

In everything he did, including the writing of the letter to the Romans, Paul wanted to be leading people to heaven, to the right destination for each of us. Let none of us forget where we are going!