Verse by Verse

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

³⁰ Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ, and through the love of the Spirit, that you strive together with me in prayers to God for me,

³¹ that I may be delivered from those in Judea who do not believe, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints,

³² that I may come to you with joy by the will of God, and may be refreshed together with you.

³³ Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

love of the Spirit — probably referring to the results of the Spirit’s work in them

do not believe — disobedience in unbelief

God of peace — in contrast to the dangers Paul faced

Paul’s prayer:

1. safety from unbelievers — didn’t work out according to Paul’s plan

2. acceptance by Jewish believers — didn’t work out according to Paul’s plan

3. see Roman believers — it happened, but not as Paul expected

4. be in God’s will — this was accomplished

In the New Testament the word Amen is found in 127 verses. In many of these it occurs twice because the Lord Jesus Christ frequently said, “Amen, amen, I say unto you.” The older version translates it, “Verily, verily;” the revision, “Truly, truly.” In any case, it is Christ’s affirmation that He is uttering divine truth.

In 76 verses the word Amen occurs at the beginning of a sentence, in 48 others it is found at the end. It is always God who uses the word at the beginning and always man who uses it at the end. God says, “I solemnly affirm the truth of what I am about to say,” and His people reply, “We believe that what God has said is true.” The truth of God is the foundation, and the superstructure is our faith in His reliability. His truth and our faith go together like father and child. — Barnhouse, page 118

²⁵ But now I am going to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.

²⁶ For it pleased those from Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor among the saints who are in Jerusalem.

²⁷ It pleased them indeed, and they are their debtors. For if the Gentiles have been partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister to them in material things.

²⁸ Therefore, when I have performed this and have sealed to them this fruit, I shall go by way of you to Spain.

²⁹ But I know that when I come to you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

Macedonia and Achaia — the churches all over Greece

minister (verse 25) — as a deacon, not as a priest

poor in Jerusalem — contrast with Acts 4:34. (Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold.) The kingdom was rejected by the Jews and now, only 20 or so years later, they were suffering.

Paul did make it to Rome, but in chains, and he was shipwrecked on the way. But while in prison there, he was able to write Philippians 1:12 — But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.

²² For this reason I also have been much hindered from coming to you.

²³ But now no longer having a place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come to you

²⁴ whenever I journey to Spain, I shall come to you. For I hope to see you on my journey, and to be helped on my way there by you, if first I may enjoy your company for a while.

for which cause — Paul’s efforts to visit where Christ had not been preached.

Spain — under Roman rule since 133 BC. It had a large Jewish population. (Some think Paul made it to Spain, but there is no biblical evidence that he did so.)

filled with your company — refreshed (see verse 32)

¹⁷ Therefore I have reason to glory in Christ Jesus in the things which pertain to God.

¹⁸ For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient—

¹⁹ in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.

²⁰ And so I have made it my aim to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man’s foundation,

²¹ but as it is written: “To whom He was not announced, they shall see; and those who have not heard shall understand.”

Paul takes satisfaction that his ministry is in Christ and about God.

sign = token or indication — it expresses a purpose and appeals to understanding

wonder = something exceptional that makes the viewer marvel — it appeals to imagination

power — declares the source to be supernatural

Spirit of God — responsible for signs and wonders and Paul’s preaching (verse 18)

Quote in verse 21 is from Isaiah 52:15 (in the Septuagint) — … for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

I think that God let Paul’s plans go awry and his hopes fail, in order to give great comfort to believers of all generations. If the great apostle could form plans that seemed most holy and most spiritual, most unselfish and most desirable, only to see them fail, shall we not expect that our plans, too, may fail? The Christian who grieves over broken plans does not comprehend the sovereignty of God. But he who says, “It is all right, Lord; do whatever you please with me and mine,” is the Christian who is filled with joy. — Barnhouse, page 101.

¹⁴ Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

¹⁵ Nevertheless, brethren, I have written more boldly to you on some points, as reminding you, because of the grace given to me by God,

¹⁶ that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

goodness — not moral excellence, but a disposition to be kind to others

Goodness and knowledge are both necessary for admonition.

minister = the word for priestly service

offering up = believers giving themselves

being sanctified = having been sanctified, by a divine act at the moment of salvation.

Paul is the minister by divine call. The believers are offering themselves as sacrifices. These sacrifices (believers) are cleansed by the Holy Spirit.

¹³ Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

God is the author of hope — assurance

Should read God of the hope.

This is Paul’s final reason for unity — we share the hope.

Trinity: God authored the hope, Christ embodied the hope, the Holy Spirit empowers us to embrace it.

This verse is a great summary of the blessed life in the brotherhood formed by our oneness in Jesus Christ. The source of that life is the God of hope. The measure of that life is that we shall be filled “with all joy and peace.” The quality of that life is joy and peace which He desires for us. The condition of that life is faith — we enter by believing. The purpose of that life is that we might abound. The enabling of that life is divine power. And the director of that life is the Holy Spirit. These seven aspects sum up the Christian life. — Barnhouse, page 72-73.

¹⁰ And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”

¹¹ And again: “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!”

¹² And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.”

Quote in verse 10 is from Deuteronomy 32:43 — Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people: for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will be merciful unto His land, and to His people. This is from the song of Moses, referring to the defeat of the Antichrist and the start of the kingdom.  The blessings of the Gentiles are dependent upon the deliverance of Israel.

The quote in verse 11 is from Psalm 117:1 — Praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise Him, all ye people.

The quote in verse 12 is from Isaiah 11:1, 10 — And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots … And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and His rest shall be glorious. This prophecy specifically points to Christ.

Paul quotes from the Law, the Psalms, and the Prophets.

Verse 11 should read “people”, referring to Israel.