Romans 16: Greetings and Grace
Paul commends Phoebe and greets a long list of fellow workers, warns against those who cause division, and ends with praise to the only wise God.
Romans 16 (WEB)
1 I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly that is at Cenchreae,
2 that you receive her in the Lord, in a way worthy of the saints, and that you assist her in whatever matter she may need from you, for she herself also has been a helper of many, and of my own self.
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
4 who for my life, laid down their own necks; to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the assemblies of the Gentiles.
5 Greet the assembly that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ.
6 Greet Mary, who labored much for us.
7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners, who are notable 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, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.
11 Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet them of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Greet Persis, the beloved, who labored much in the Lord.
13 Greet Rufus, the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers 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 assemblies of Christ greet you.
17 Now I beg you, brothers, look out for those who are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them.
18 For those who are such don’t serve our Lord, Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and flattering speech, they deceive the hearts of the innocent.
19 For your obedience has become known to all. I rejoice therefore over you. But I desire to have you wise in that which is good, but innocent in that which is evil.
20 And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives.
22 I, Tertius, who write the letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, my host and host of the whole assembly, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, as does Quartus, the brother.
24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all! Amen.
Romans 16 (KJV)
1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.
7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.
9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus’ household.
11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.
12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.
13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.
15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.
16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.
17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
21 Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.
22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.
23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.
24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe servant of the church at Cenchrea.
Romans 16 (ASV)
1 I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church that is at Cenchreæ:
2 that ye receive her in the Lord, worthily of the saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever matter she may have need of you: for she herself also hath been a helper of many, and of mine own self.
3 Salute Prisca and Aquila my fellow-workers in Christ Jesus,
4 who for my life laid down their own necks; unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles:
5 and salute the church that is in their house. Salute Epænetus my beloved, who is the firstfruits of Asia unto Christ.
6 Salute Mary, who bestowed much labor on you.
7 Salute Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also have been in Christ before me.
8 Salute Ampliatus my beloved in the Lord.
9 Salute Urbanus our fellow-worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
10 Salute Apelles the approved in Christ. Salute them that are of the household of Aristobulus.
11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Salute them of the household of Narcissus, that are in the Lord.
12 Salute Tryphæna and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Salute Persis the beloved, who labored much in the Lord.
13 Salute Rufus the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brethren that are with them.
15 Salute Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints that are with them.
16 Salute one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ salute you.
17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them.
18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent.
19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I rejoice therefore over you: but I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple unto that which is evil.
20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
21 Timothy my fellow-worker saluteth you; and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
22 I Tertius, who write the epistle, salute you in the Lord.
23 Gaius my host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the treasurer of the city saluteth you, and Quartus the brother.
24 Now to him that is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which hath been kept in silence through times eternal,
25 but now is manifested, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, is made known unto all the nations unto obedience of faith:
26 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever. Amen.
Summary
Paul closes his letter with warm personal greetings that reveal the relational heart behind his great theology. He commends Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, asking the Romans to welcome and help her. He then greets a remarkable list of fellow workers: Prisca and Aquila, who risked their lives for him; Epaenetus, the first convert in Achaia; Mary, who worked hard; Andronicus and Junia, notable among the apostles; and many others, men and women, named one by one with affection and gratitude for their labor in the Lord. He urges them to greet one another with a holy kiss and conveys greetings from the churches of Christ. Then he sounds a brief but serious warning: watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the teaching they have learned, for such people serve their own appetites and deceive the naive with smooth talk; he wants them wise in good and innocent in evil, assured that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under their feet. Timothy and other companions send greetings, Tertius the scribe adds his own, and Gaius and others are named. The letter ends with the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and a soaring doxology to the only wise God, who is able to establish them by the gospel, to whom be glory forever through Jesus Christ.
Key Figures
- Paul — The apostle who closes with personal commendations and greetings, a warning against divisive teachers, and a doxology to the only wise God.
- Phoebe — A servant of the church at Cenchreae and a helper of many, commended to the Romans and likely the bearer of the letter.
- Prisca and Aquila and fellow workers — The many named coworkers, men and women, who risked their lives and labored hard for Paul and the gospel.
- Divisive teachers — Those who cause divisions and stumbling contrary to sound teaching, serving their own appetites and deceiving the naive with smooth speech.
Key Verse
Romans 16:20 (WEB)
And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Lessons Learned
- The gospel creates real relationships; Paul names and honors many fellow workers.
- Faithful service in the Lord, by men and women alike, is remembered and valued.
- Believers must watch out for those who cause division contrary to sound teaching.
- The God of peace will triumph over evil, and grace upholds his people to the end.
- The gospel builds a family. Paul greets coworkers by name—Prisca and Aquila, "who for my life, laid down their own necks" (Romans 16:3-4, WEB). Sound doctrine bears fruit in deep, grateful relationships.
- Guard against division. "Look out for those who are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling… and turn away from them" (Romans 16:17, WEB). Loving the church means protecting it from false teaching.
- Be wise in good, innocent in evil. "I desire to have you wise in that which is good, but innocent in that which is evil" (Romans 16:19, WEB). Discernment and purity belong together.
- God establishes us in grace. The God who is "able to establish you according to my Good News" is the one to whom glory belongs forever (Romans 16:25, 27, WEB). Our standing is upheld by God to the very end.
- What does Paul's commendation of Phoebe suggest about her role and the trust placed in her (16:1-2)?
- What do the many personal greetings reveal about Paul and about the early church (16:3-16)?
- Why does Paul warn so sharply against those who cause divisions (16:17-18)?
- How does the closing doxology summarize the message of the whole letter (16:25-27)?
- Who are the faithful coworkers in your life that you should thank or encourage?
- Paul commends Phoebe as a servant of her church and a helper of many, asking the Romans to receive and assist her, which suggests she was trusted, likely carrying the very letter (16:1-2). Her example honors the vital service of women in the early church. It shows the gospel dignifying and deploying all kinds of people.
- The long list of names, men and women, Jew and Gentile, reveals a warm network of partnership and Paul's genuine love for individuals (16:3-16). The towering theology of Romans rests on real relationships. It reminds us that the church is a family of named, valued people, not an abstraction.
- Paul warns sharply because divisive teachers serve their own appetites and deceive the unwary with smooth speech, threatening the unity and purity of the church (16:17-18). False teaching is not a minor matter. Protecting the flock requires both discernment and a willingness to turn away from those who divide.
- The doxology praises the God who is able to establish believers by the gospel, the once-hidden mystery now revealed to all nations for the obedience of faith (16:25-27). It gathers up the letter's themes of gospel, mission, and God's glory. The book ends where it began, exalting the saving power of God.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name the faithful people who have labored alongside them, often unseen. Encourage them to offer specific thanks or encouragement this week, reflecting Paul's habit of honoring fellow workers by name.