Romans 16
16
Greetings and Love Expressed
1Now I introduce and commend to you our sister #Phoebe (“bright,” “pure”) was chosen by Paul as his emissary to deliver this letter to Rome. She may have held a recognized position within the church.Phoebe, a deaconess (servant) of the church at #Cenchrea, a few miles east of Corinth, served as Corinth’s port and was probably visited by Paul during both his second and third missionary journeys. This letter was written from Corinth near the end of the third journey.Cenchrea, 2that you may receive her in the Lord [with love and hospitality], as #Lit the saints.God’s people ought to receive one another. And that you may help her in whatever matter she may require assistance from you, for she has been a helper of many, including myself.
3Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4who risked their own necks [endangering their very lives] for my life. To them not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5Also greet the church that meets in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor]. 6Greet Mary, who has worked so hard for you. 7Greet Andronicus and #Or Junia (feminine). There is a higher probability that the name is feminine; no masculine forms found in this or near time periods.Junias, my kinsmen and [once] my fellow prisoners, who are held in high esteem #The Greek and larger context favor this understanding; Andronicus and Junia are not identified as apostles here.in the estimation of the apostles, and who were [believers] in Christ before me. 8Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10Greet Apelles, the one tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of #Believed by some scholars to be the brother of Herod Agrippa I and grandson of Herod the Great.Aristobulus. 11Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. 12Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet my beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13Greet Rufus, an eminent and choice man in the Lord, also his mother [who has been] a mother to me as well. 14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all #Lit the saints.God’s people who are with them. 16Greet one another with a #A traditional act of salutation in the early church.holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
17I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep your eyes on those who cause dissensions and create obstacles or introduce temptations [for others] to commit sin, [acting in ways] contrary to the doctrine which you have learned. Turn away from them. 18For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites and base desires. By smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting [the innocent and the naive]. 19For the report of your obedience has reached everyone, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. 20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The [wonderful] grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
22I, #Paul’s helper, who wrote this letter as Paul dictated it, inserted a personal greeting, undoubtedly with Paul’s permission.Tertius, the writer (scribe) of this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church here, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. 24#Early mss do not contain this verse; it was taken from the Latin Vulgate.[The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.]
25Now to Him who is able to establish and strengthen you [in the faith] according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [of the plan of salvation] which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26but now has been disclosed and through the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the commandment of the eternal God, leading them to obedience to the faith, 27to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forevermore! Amen.
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Romans 16
16
1-2Be sure to welcome our friend Phoebe in the way of the Master, with all the generous hospitality we Christians are famous for. I heartily endorse both her and her work. She’s a key representative of the church at Cenchrea. Help her out in whatever she asks. She deserves anything you can do for her. She’s helped many a person, including me.
3-5Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila, who have worked hand in hand with me in serving Jesus. They once put their lives on the line for me. And I’m not the only one grateful to them. All the non-Jewish gatherings of believers also owe them plenty, to say nothing of the church that meets in their house.
Hello to my dear friend Epenetus. He was the very first follower of Jesus in the province of Asia.
6Hello to Mary. What a worker she has turned out to be!
7Hello to my cousins Andronicus and Junias. We once shared a jail cell. They were believers in Christ before I was. Both of them are outstanding leaders.
8Hello to Ampliatus, my good friend in the family of God.
9Hello to Urbanus, our companion in Christ’s work, and my good friend Stachys.
10Hello to Apelles, a tried-and-true veteran in following Christ.
Hello to the family of Aristobulus.
11Hello to my cousin Herodion.
Hello to those who belong to the Lord from the family of Narcissus.
12Hello to Tryphena and Tryphosa—such diligent women in serving the Master.
Hello to Persis, a dear friend and hard worker in Christ.
13Hello to Rufus—a good choice by the Master!—and his mother. She has also been a dear mother to me.
14Hello to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and also to all of their families.
15Hello to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas—and all the followers of Jesus who live with them.
16Holy hugs all around! All the churches of Christ send their warmest greetings!
17-18One final word of counsel, friends. Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They’re only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren’t above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents.
19-20And so while there has never been any question about your honesty in these matters—I couldn’t be more proud of you!—I want you also to be smart, making sure every “good” thing is the real thing. Don’t be gullible in regard to smooth-talking evil. Stay alert like this, and before you know it the God of peace will come down on Satan with both feet, stomping him into the dirt. Enjoy the best of Jesus!
21And here are some more greetings from our end. Timothy, my partner in this work, Lucius, and my cousins Jason and Sosipater all said to tell you hello.
22I, Tertius, who wrote this letter at Paul’s dictation, send you my personal greetings.
23Gaius, who is host here to both me and the whole church, wants to be remembered to you.
Erastus, the city treasurer, and our good friend Quartus send their greetings.
25-26All of our praise rises to the One who is strong enough to make you strong, exactly as preached in Jesus Christ, precisely as revealed in the mystery kept secret for so long but now an open book through the prophetic Scriptures. All the nations of the world can now know the truth and be brought into obedient belief, carrying out the orders of God, who got all this started, down to the final detail.
27All our praise is focused through Jesus on this incomparably wise God! Yes!
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.