| Romans 16 | |
|---|---|
 Epistle to the Romans 16:1,4–7, 11–12 inPapyrus 118 (verso side), written in the 3rd century | |
| Book | Epistle to the Romans |
| Category | Pauline epistles |
| Christian Bible part | New Testament |
| Order in the Christian part | 6 |
Romans 16 is the sixteenth and finalchapter of theEpistle to the Romans in theNew Testament of theChristianBible. It was authored byPaul the Apostle, while Paul was inCorinth in the mid-50s AD,[1] with the help of a secretary (amanuensis),Tertius, who adds his own greeting inverse 22.[2] While this chapter contains Paul's personal recommendation, personal greetings, final admonition, grace, greetings from companions, identification of its writer/amanuensis and a blessing,[3]Martin Luther notes that it
also includes a salutary warning against human doctrines which are preached alongside the Gospel and which do a great deal of harm. It's as though he had clearly seen that out of Rome and through the Romans would come the deceitful, harmful Canons and Decretals along with the entire brood and swarm of human laws and commands that is now drowning the whole world and has blotted out this letter and the whole of the Scriptures, along with the Spirit and faith. Nothing remains but the idol Belly, and St. Paul depicts those people here as its servants. God deliver us from them. Amen.[4]
Thischapter is divided into 27 verses. The original text was written inKoine Greek: some earlymanuscripts containing the text of this chapter are:
1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church at Cenchrea,2that you welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you assist her in whatever matter she may have need of you, for she has been a helper of many and of myself as well.
— Romans 16:1–2,Modern English Version[5]
"Phoebe" is described as a "servant" (διακονον,diakonon) of the church in the New King James Version, as a "deacon" in theNew International Version and theNew Revised Standard Version, a "deaconess" in theRevised Standard Version and theJerusalem Bible, and a "leader" in theContemporary English Version. According to the contemporary idiom inThe Message, she was "a key representative of the church atCenchreae" (or Cenchrea).[6] The Jerusalem Bible suggests she was "probably the bearer of the letter"[7] and verse 2 suggests she also had other "business"[8] to deal with in Rome.
3Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,4who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
— Romans 16:3–4,New King James Version[9]
"Priscilla" is a diminutive and affectionate name for 'Prisca'. She and her husband, Aquila, were expelled from Rome as Jews under Claudius, and had been converted at Corinth by Paul (Acts 18:1).[10] Priscilla was remarkably mentioned first, perhaps inferring that she was "the more active and conspicuous of the two"[11] as also inActs 18:18 and2 Timothy 4:19; except in1 Corinthians 16:19, where they send greetings, her husband takes precedence.[12]
Afterwards this married couple appear in Paul's company at Ephesus (Acts 18:18;Acts 18:26;1 Corinthians 16:19). When this Epistle was written they were at Rome, but later they seem to have returned to Ephesus (2 Timothy 4:19).[11]
"Aquila" was a Jew of Pontus. There is another Jew namedAquila from Pontus (Sinope), living more than a century later, who made a translation of theHebrew Bible (Old Testament) into Greek, critically compared with theSeptuagint in the Hexapla of Origen.[11]
Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
— Romans 16:7,King James Version[13]
I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.
— Romans 16:22, King James Version[17]
"Tertius" was anamanuensis of the apostle, who wrote this letter, either from the apostle's notes, or from dictation.[18] His name is a Latin one, and perhaps the person might be a Roman, for the names Secundus, Tertius, Quartus, Quintus, etc. were common with the Romans, although it could be argued that this man was the same withSilas, which Hebrew word is the same asTertius.[18] Silas is known as a companion of apostle Paul, also is numbered among the seventy disciples, and said to be bishop ofIconium (seeLuke 10:1).[18] The phrase "in the Lord" could be connected with "wrote this epistle" and make the sense that Tertius wrote this epistle for the Lord's sake (not by inspiration, but being only scribe to the apostle). However, that phrase is better connected with the word "salute" and the sense is that his salutation was meant to wish the people well in the Lord, so that "they might have much communion with him".[18]
Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother.
— Romans 16:23, New King James Version[19]
To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
— Romans 16:27, King James Version[26]
Paul's doxology in the conclusion of the epistle, aside from effectively summing up some of the key themes, gives a high note of ascription of glory to "the only wise God".[27]
There are many scholars who argue that the original letter ended withRomans 14:23 because they believe that this doxology (along with much of chapters 15 and 16) were added later to summarize the contents of the letter and to provide a less abrupt ending.[28] Some have said that the end of the original is in chapter15.[29] There are Romansmanuscripts which end in chapter 15 and other manuscripts place chapter 16 between chapters 14 and 15.[30]
Many translations exclude this verse altogether, skipping from verse 23 to verse 25, because most of the older manuscripts, discovered some time after chapter and verse numbers were applied to Romans, do not have them, it is generally omitted from the final translation.[31]Protestants usually omit verse 16:24 but theAnglican Church accepts it as canonical.[32]
Arland J. Hultgren said:
They are missing altogether in some Greek witnesses; alternatively, they appear at the end of chapter 14 in someGreek texts; and they appear after chapter 15 in others. (There are even more variations than these!) So many textual variations makes these verses highly suspect, causing one to question whether they were part of the version that came from the hand of Tertius, Paul’s amanuensis (Romans 16:22).[33]