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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
16:1-23 Appreciation and Greetings to Coworkers in the Gospel. Paul warmly greets those he knows in Rome who are involved in ministry, showing the love that existed among Christians. These greetings also function to support the authenticity of the Pauline gospel, for they show that respected coworkers in Rome are co-laborers in the same gospel that Paul proclaims. It is not surprising he would know so many who are now in Rome, for travel was more common than modern people might think. Further, Paul may not have known every person he greeted. Perhaps he knew of some by virtue of their reputation. Note that Paul says something specific about virtually every person greeted.
16:1 Phoebe probably brought this epistle to the Romans. Scholars debate whether Phoebe is a servant in a general sense, or whether she served as a deacon, since the Greek word diakonos can mean either "servant" (13:4; 15:8; 1 Cor. 3:5; 1 Tim. 4:6) or "deacon" (referring to a church office; Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8, 12). Cenchreae was a port town just
16:2 Paul calls upon the church to assist Phoebe since she has helped so many. Phoebe served as a patron, probably with financial assistance and hospitality.
16:3 Prisca and Aquila are well-known from elsewhere in the NT (cf. 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Tim. 4:19). Prisca is given the diminutive name Priscilla in Acts (Acts 18:2-3, 18, 26). Scholars have suggested many reasons why Prisca is named first (was it her prominence, or social standing, or that she was converted first, or was it out of courtesy, or a mere stylistic variation?) though there is insufficient evidence to know the answer. Paul also names her first in 2 Tim. 4:19, but second in 1 Cor. 16:19.
16:4 Perhaps Prisca and Aquila risked their lives when Paul was in danger in Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41; 1 Cor. 15:32; 2 Cor. 1:8-11).
16:5 the church in their house. See note on 1 Cor. 16:19. Apparently a house church met in the house of Prisca and Aquila. Asia here refers to a province in what is modern-day Turkey.
16:6 A number of women, like Mary, are commended in ch. 16 for their hard work, but such work does not mean that these women served as pastors, elders, or overseers (see 1 Tim. 2:12).
16:7 Andronicus and Junia were probably a husband-and-wife ministry team. Most scholars now think that Junia was a woman, though some have argued that a man named Junias is in view (the spelling would be the same in Greek, and both male and female forms are rare in Greek; however, the female equivalent of "Junia" is much more common in Latin, and Paul could have been referring to a woman with a Latin name). Some have said that this verse proves that Junia was an apostle, and thus women can fill any church office. The verse seems to be saying, however, that Andronicus and Junia were well known to the apostles, not that Junia was herself an apostle. (Other examples of this construction, Gk. episēmos plus en plus dative, have been found with the meaning "well known to [someone]": see Psalms of Solomon 2.6; Euripides, Hippolytus 103; Lucianus, Harmonides 1.17.) Some translations render the passage as stating that Andronicus and Junia were "well known among the apostles," but "apostle" (Gk. apostolos) would probably then mean "messengers" of churches (as it does in 2 Cor. 8:23; Phil. 2:25; also John 13:16) rather than "apostles" in the technical sense of Peter and Paul. In this case, the term would refer to Andronicus and Junia as itinerant missionaries, and (given both biblical patterns of leadership and ancient cultural expectations) Junia probably labored especially among women. This passage also reveals that the couple was Jewish, had been imprisoned, and had become Christians before Paul.
16:8-10 The people greeted in these verses are not mentioned elsewhere in the NT. The family of Aristobulus probably refers to the slaves in Aristobulus's household. Some think Aristobulus is the grandson of Herod the Great () and the brother of Herod Agrippa I (), though this remains uncertain.
16:11 The family of Narcissus refers to the slaves in Narcissus's household. Some scholars think Narcissus was the wealthy freedman who served the emperor Claudius () and who was compelled by Nero's mother, Agrippina, to kill himself when Nero became emperor ().
16:13 It is not certain that this is the same Rufus as is mentioned in Mark 15:21, but it is possible that he is the son of Simon of Cyrene. Apparently Rufus's mother ministered significantly to Paul.
16:14-15 There is no further information on the saints greeted here.
16:16 Christians greeted one another with a holy kiss to signify their warm affection for one another (see note on 1 Cor. 16:20; also 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26; 1 Pet. 5:14).
16:17-18 On the theme of false teaching, cf., e.g., Jer. 14:14; Matt. 7:15. Christians must be alert, for these false teachers and divisive people are attractive in speech but are motivated by selfish desires.
16:21 In vv. 21-23 those who are with Paul greet the Romans. Timothy is Paul's most famous coworker (see 1 Timothy) and was probably his most beloved colleague in ministry. Lucius is likely not Lucius of Cyrene mentioned in Acts 13:1, nor is he Luke, the author of the Gospel of Luke and Acts. Jason is likely the same person named in Acts 17:5-7, 9. And Sosipater is probably the same person as Sopater from Berea (Acts 20:4).
16:22 Tertius functioned as Paul's scribe or secretary for the letter. It was common for those writing letters in the to dictate to a secretary, but the content of the letter is clearly Paul's.
16:23 Gaius here is not the Gaius of Derbe (Acts 19:29; 20:4) but the Gaius of 1 Cor. 1:14, supporting the idea that the letter was written from Corinth. He was a man of some wealth, for he provided a place for the entire church to meet. It is difficult to know if Erastus is the same person mentioned in Acts 19:22 and 2 Tim. 4:20. the city treasurer. A large Latin inscription in the limestone pavement near the Corinthian theater reads, "Erastus in return for his aedileship laid [the pavement] at his own expense." An aedile was a man elected to oversee aspects of city finances. Often prominent elected officials would fulfill campaign pledges by providing some public structure to the city. Although there is some debate over whether the Greek word for "city treasurer" (oikonomos) was the equivalent in the Corinthian Roman colony to the Latin aedile, the dating of the pavement and the rarity of the name Erastus in Corinth hold out the distinct possibility that this pavement was laid by Paul's fellow churchman.
