Verse by Verse

²⁴ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

²⁵ Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began

²⁶ but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith—

²⁷ to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

Scriptures of the prophets — New Testament prophets, primarily Paul

mystery — Paul’s message of grace

²¹ Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.

²² I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.

²³ Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother.

Lucius — maybe Lucius of Cyrene (Acts 13:1)

Jason (Acts 17:5)

Sosipater — Sopater (Acts 20:4)

Tertius — Paul’s secretary

Gaius (1 Corinthians 1:14) and also the same man who is called Titus Justus in Acts 18:1-8.

Erastus (Acts 19:22; 2 Timothy 4:20)

brother — in the faith

chamberlain — treasurer

Tertius and Quartus — “third and fourth” — Probably slaves of third and fourth importance in a household.

¹⁹ For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.

²⁰ And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

simple = without mixture — without evil mixed in — relating to those who cause division and offense in the previous verses

crush Satan — again in reference to those antagonistic to Paul’s message

Verse 20 looks back to Genesis 3:15, the first prophecy. (And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.)

In the garden of Eden Satan came offering the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:5). Here the believers are told, “I would have you wise as to what is good and guileless as to what is evil;” and then — get the importance of that word — “then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” The crushing has to do with our victory in the sphere of the knowledge of good and evil, the same sphere in which sin first came to Adam and Eve. — Barnhouse, page 167

peace — as opposed to those who cause strife

shortly = with dispatch — when it happens, it will be over quickly.

obedience = acting on what you have heard.

¹⁷ Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.

¹⁸ For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

note — not excommunication, but dissociation

avoid — refuse to serve

own belly — own base interest

smooth = insinuating

flattering — with the appearance of reasonableness

simple — not expecting evil. Safety lies in knowledge of, and adherence to the Word of God.

divisions — arguments over doctrine

offenses — stumbling blocks

Don’t argue — avoid.

If possible, seek unity and truth. If that’s not possible, hold to truth.

2 Thessalonians 3:14 — And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.

¹¹ Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

¹² Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord.

¹³ Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

¹⁴ Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them.

¹⁵ Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.

countryman — probably a fellow Jew

household — slaves

Narcissus — wicked, put to death three years earlier

Tryphaena and Tryphosa — probably sisters. Their names mean “those who live voluptuously.”

Persis — “labored” (past tense) perhaps elderly?

Rufus — maybe mentioned in Mark 15:21, whose father, Simon, carried the cross. Simon’s wife still lived.

Philologus and Julia — husband and wife. Nereus — their son?

kiss — ordinary greeting between those of the same sex

Greet one another — be as warmly loving within the church as Paul has been to the church.

⁶ Greet Mary, who labored much for us.

⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

⁸ Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord.

⁹ Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved.

¹⁰ Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.

countrymen — maybe relatives, but probably just fellow Jews

in Christ before me — in Christ when Paul was persecuting Christians

Amplias — a Roman slave name

Aristobulus — not a Christian, probably Herod’s grandson. When he died, his slaves became the property of the emperor and were sent to Rome.

household of Aristobulus — his slaves?

Urbanus — a slave, possibly freed

approved — tested

³ Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,

⁴ who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

⁵ Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ.

Priscilla and Aquila — Acts 18:1-2, 18, 24-26; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19

The Gentiles were thankful to Priscilla and Aquila for their service to Paul because they, and Paul, knew how valuable his ministry was to them.

Epaenetus — the first person Paul led to Christ

For the first two centuries, all churches were in homes.

risked their own necks — perhaps by hiding Paul in Ephesus (Acts 19:23, 31; 20:1)

1 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,

² that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.

commend = praise

servant = renders service of any character — not necessarily a deaconess

helper — indicates an honorable position

“in the Lord” or “in Christ” appears 11 times in Romans 16

Phoebe may have carried the letter to Rome for Paul.

There were probably at least three churches in Rome, maybe five.

1. Priscill and Aquila’s (verses 3-5)

2. Verse 14

3. Verse 15

Cenchrea — the harbor of Corinth