ACC ~ Romans 16 v1 - 16

OVERVIEW:

The Fathers made much of Phoebe and of the other women mentioned in Romans 16, because their names proved that there were women in the ministry in the first generation. By the fourth century that was becoming very rare, though it persisted in parts of the East longer than it did in the West. Priscilla and Aquila were well-known New Testament figures and old companions of Paul. There was and is disagreement over the name Junia(s). Most of the Fathers took it as masculine, but Chrysostom believed it referred to a woman who was so deeply respected that she was even counted among the apostles, thoughnot ofcourse as one of the Twelve. The precise identity of most of the names in this list was as uncertain to the Fathers as it is to us. It is obvious that they were guessing most of the time! Chrysostom’s comment on the last chapter of Romans speaks volumes. The holy kiss was no longer a standard form of greeting by the fourth century, and it evidently caused the Fathers some embarrassment. Nevertheless, they were quite clear that its purpose was a spiritual one and warned Christians against taking liberties under the guise of obeying the apostle’s instructions.

DO NOT RUSH THROUGH THIS GOLD MINE. CHRYSOSTOM: I think there are many, even some apparently good commentators, who hurry over this part of the epistle because they think it is superfluous and of little importance. They probably think much the same about the genealogies in the Gospels. Because it is a catalog of names, they think they can get nothing good out of it. People who mine gold are careful even about the smallest fragments, but these commentators ignore even huge bars of gold! HOMILIES ON ROMANS 30.

16:1 | Phoebe, a Deaconess

WHETHER WOMEN WERE ORDAINED BY APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY. ORIGEN: This passage teaches that there were women ordained in the church’s ministry by the apostle’s authority. … Not only that—they ought to be ordained into the ministry, because they helped in many ways and by their good services deserved the praise even of the apostle. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

PHOEBE’S RANK OF DEACONNESS. CHRYSOSTOM: Note how many ways Paul dignifies Phoebe. He mentions her before all the rest and even calls her his sister. It is no small thing to be called the sister of Paul! Moreover, he has mentioned her rank of deaconess as well. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 30.

NO DISCRIMINATION TOLERATED BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE. [PSEUDO-]CONSTANTIUS: Here the apostle demonstrates that no discrimination or preference between male and female is to be tolerated, because he sends his letter to Rome by the hand of a woman and sends greetings to other women in the same epistle. Cenchreae is the port of Corinth. THE HOLY LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS.

WOMEN DEACONESSES IN THE EAST. PELAGIUS: Although the text of the letter is already finished, as it were, Paul has attached this material for the purpose of commendation and greeting, as was his custom.

Even today, women deaconesses in the East are known to minister to their own sex in baptism or even in the ministry of the Word, for we find that women taught privately, e.g., Priscilla, whose husband was called Aquila. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

AT CENCHREAE. THEODORET OF CYR: Cenchreae is a village outside Corinth. It is interesting to note how quickly the gospel was spreading, in that it had already reached the villages. In fact the church at Cenchreae was so large that it even had a woman deaconess, and one who was famous and well known to boot. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:2 | A Helper of Many

PHOEBE’S HELPFULNESS. ORIGEN: Paul commands that those who dedicate themselves to good works ought to be received by their brethren and be held in honor by being provided with whatever they might need. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

THAT YOU MAY RECEIVE HER. AMBROSIASTER: Paul praises Phoebe as highly as he does because the more she appears to be an excellent person in the sight of others, the more she will receive the help owed to her in love. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

HER SAINTLINESS. CHRYSOSTOM: There are two reasons why Phoebe should be received by them. First, she has been received by the Lord, and second, she is herself a saint. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 30.

HER SUPPORTIVENESS. PELAGIUS: Help her with expenses or support, says Paul, because she also helped many people as long as she had the means. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

HER HOSPITALITY. THEODORET OF CYR: It is probable that Phoebe helped Paul by offering him hospitality in her house at Corinth for the short time that he was there. In return Paul opened the whole world to her, and throughout the Mediterranean she became a famous woman. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:3 | Prisca and Aquila, Fellow Workers

PRISCA AND AQUILA. ORIGEN: It may be that these two, after having been expelled from Rome by the decree of Caesar and having come to Corinth, returned to Rome once the severity of the decree was relaxed. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

COWORKERS WITH THE APOSTLE. AMBROSIASTER: These were Jews who, after they believed, became coworkers with the apostle because they had believed correctly and were thus able to persuade others to accept the right faith. Apollos, for example, although he was learned in the Scriptures, was nevertheless taught the way of the Lord more correctly by them. This is why Paul calls them his fellow workers “in Christ Jesus.” COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

LUKE’S TESTIMONY. CHRYSOSTOM: Luke also bears witness to them when he says that Paul dwelt with them and that Priscilla [Prisca] had received Apollos and instructed him in the way of the Lord. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 30.

PELAGIUS: They are said to have established Apollos in the faith. Paul calls them helpers because they helped him in his work of instruction. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

FELLOW EVANGELISTS. THEODORET OF CYR: Paul adds “in Christ Jesus” to show that Prisca (or Priscilla; both forms are found in the manuscripts) and Aquila were not merely Paul’s hosts but that they were fellow evangelists as well. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:4 | Paul and the Churches Give Thanks for Them

THE MINISTRY OF HOSPITALITY. ORIGEN: This shows that Priscilla and Aquila were hospitable to Gentiles as well as to Jews. Hospitality is highly esteemed both by God and by man. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

VIRTUOUS WOMEN NOT HINDERED BY THEIR SEX. CHRYSOSTOM: Here Paul hints at their hospitality and financial assistance, holding them in admiration because they had both poured forth their blood and had made their whole property available to everybody. Notice how noble were the women Paul named. They were in no way hindered by their sex from following the path of virtue, and this is only to be expected. “For in Christ Jesus there is neither male nor female.” HOMILIES ON ROMANS 30.

THEY RISKED THEIR NECKS FOR MY LIFE. PELAGIUS: By supporting Paul’s teaching, they exposed themselves to danger. Therefore all the churches thank them, for Paul was kept from harm by them. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

16:5 | A House Church and a Notable Convert

THE FIRST CONVERT IN ASIA. AMBROSIASTER: Paul mentions Epaenetus’s claim to fame, in order to show that important people believe and turn to the faith and in order to invite the leaders of the Romans to accept Christ, and if they have already done so, to become humble. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THEIR HOUSE HAS BECOME A CHURCH. CHRYSOSTOM: Priscilla was noble enough to make their house a church, both by converting everyone in it and by opening it to strangers. Paul did not normally call houses churches, except when there was much godliness in them. … For even married people may become worthy of esteem and noble. These were married and became very honorable, even though their profession was that of tentmaker, which is far from honorable in itself.

Note how Paul calls Epaenetus “beloved,” which is high praise indeed. For Paul did not use a word like this to show favoritism; rather, it was the result of calm, cool reflection. Moreover, he was the first convert in Achaea, either in time or in quality. … Given that it was likely that all these people were of humble birth, Paul shows what true nobility is and honors them accordingly. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 31.

HOW THE ROMANS LEARNED FROM FOREIGNERS. PELAGIUS: Paul shows that a gathering of believers is called a “church.” Epaenetus was the firstborn of the church in Asia Minor. We learn from their names that all the people Paul greets were foreigners, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that the Romans came to faith through their example and teaching. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

THEODORET OF CYR: Evidently Prisca and Aquila had preached the gospel to their servants and converted them to the Lord. St. Luke mentions them [in Acts 18:24-28] and shows how they led Apollos to the truth. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:6 | Mary, a Hard Worker

THE CONTRIBUTION OF WOMEN TO THE EMERGING CHURCH. ORIGEN: Paul is teaching here that women too ought to work for the churches of God. They work when they teach children how to behave, when they love their husbands, when they feed their children, when they are modest and chaste, when they keep a good household, when they are kind, when they are submissive to their husbands, when they exercise hospitality, when they wash the feet of the saints, and when they do all the other things which are allotted to women in the Bible. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

MEN ARE PUT TO SHAME BY SUCH WOMEN AS THESE. CHRYSOSTOM: How can it be that yet another woman is honored and proclaimed victorious! We men are put to shame yet again. Or rather, we are not merely put to shame; we have a different honor conferred on us. For it is an honor to have such women as these among us, though we are put to shame in that we are left so far behind them. But if we come to know why they are so honored, we shall quickly overtake them.

What does Paul mean when he says that he does not permit a woman to teach? He means to prevent a woman from coming forward publicly and preaching in the pulpit; he does not stop them from teaching altogether. If this were the case … how would Priscilla have come to instruct Apollos? . . .

Mary worked hard among them, because along with teaching she performed other ministries besides. … The women of those days were more spirited than lions, sharing with the apostles their labors for the gospel’s sake. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 31.

YET ANOTHER WOMAN PRAISED. THEODORET OF CYR: Yet another woman who is praised because of her labors. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:7 | Kinsmen and Fellow Prisoners

FELLOW PRISONERS. ORIGEN: It may be that these were Paul’s kinsmen according to the flesh, but the expression “my fellow prisoners” is what fascinates me. When was Paul in captivity? It seems that this was the captivity of sin and that they were together with him in the blindness of unbelief. When Christ came they were set free, as was Paul. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

PAUL’S KINSMEN. AMBROSIASTER: They were Paul’s kinsmen in flesh and in Spirit, as the angel said to Mary: “Behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth.” COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

A WOMAN WORTHY TO BE CALLED AN APOSTLE. CHRYSOSTOM: It was the greatest of honors to be counted a fellow prisoner of Paul’s. … Think what great praise it was to be considered of note among the apostles. These two were of note because of their works and achievements. Think how great the devotion of this woman Junia must have been, that she should be worthy to be called an apostle! But even here Paul does not stop his praise, for they were Christians before he was. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 31.

THEY WERE IN CHRIST BEFORE ME. THEODORET OF CYR: Yet more praises. These people were companions of Paul in his sufferings and even shared imprisonment with him. Hence he says that they are men and women of note, not among the pupils but among the teachers, and not among the ordinary teachers but among the apostles. He even praises them for having been Christians before him. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:8 | A Friend in the Lord

MY BELOVED IN THE LORD. AMBROSIASTER: Paul greets him as a friend but as a friend in the Lord, because he had not shared Paul’s work or his imprisonment. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

GREET AMPLIATUS. CHRYSOSTOM: Think what an honor it was to be loved by the apostle Paul. If Ampliatus had not been worthy of this, he would not have attracted Paul’s love. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 31.

THEODORET OF CYR: This is no small praise, for Paul says that he is “beloved in the Lord,” because he behaved uprightly and honestly. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:9 | Beloved Fellow Workers

MY BELOVED STACHYS. CHRYSOSTOM: Urbanus is praised more highly than Ampliatus, and Stachys receives a similar honor. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 31.

GREET URBANUS. THEODORET OF CYR: Paul praises Urbanus more highly than Stachys, because Urbanus had helped him in his preaching and in his struggles. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:10 | A Friend Approved in Christ

THE FAMILY OF ARISTOBULUS. ORIGEN: Paul does not say that those of the family of Aristobulus were beloved, or approved, or fellow workers in Christ. Perhaps they were not any of these things, and so he honors them only with a simple greeting. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

GREET APELLES. AMBROSIASTER: Paul does not greet Apelles as a friend or fellow worker, but because he has been tried in temptations and found to be faithful to Christ. Aristobulus is to be understood as having assembled the brethren in Christ. Paul approves of this so much that he regards those whom he has gathered together to be worthy of greeting as well. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

APPROVED IN CHRIST. CHRYSOSTOM: There is no praise like this, for the words “approved in Christ” include the whole list of virtues. … By setting out the praises particular to each, he sets before us their individual virtues. He does not excite envy by honoring one and not the other, but neither does he cater to cynicism by praising them all in exactly the same way. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 31.

THEODORET OF CYR: Paul bears witness to the great virtue of Apelles; there was nothing corrupt in him. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:11 | Greeting Those in the Lord

THE FAMILY OF NARCISSUS. ORIGEN: Narcissus had a large family, but they were not all Christians, which is why Paul singles out “those in the Lord.” COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

GREET THOSE IN THE LORD. AMBROSIASTER: When Paul calls Herodion his kinsman and nothing more, he shows that he was faithful in the love of the new birth, but he does not mention his perseverance. Narcissus is said to have been a presbyter of the time, and this is what we find in other manuscripts. … This presbyter Narcissus went about encouraging believers by his preaching. And since Paul did not know what the merits were of those who had been with him, he asks the Romans to greet those of his household who had put their trust in the Lord and who were therefore worthy of his greeting. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THEODORET OF CYR: Paul seems to be implying that there were others in the family of Narcissus who did not yet believe. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:12 | Workers in the Lord

GREET THE BELOVED PERSIS, WHO WORKED HARD IN THE LORD. AMBROSIASTER: Persis appears to be more honored than the other two, because she has worked hard in the Lord. This work is one of encouragement and of service to the saints for Christ’s sake when they are under pressure and in need, because they had fled their homes and were being attacked by unbelievers. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

GREET THOSE WORKERS IN THE LORD. THEODORET OF CYR: Once more, praise for work which has been done. This presumably refers to hospitality, or fasting, or some other good work of that kind. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:13 | Believers Eminent in the Lord

GREET RUFUS. AMBROSIASTER: For he [Rufus] was chosen, that is, promoted by the Lord to do his work. Nevertheless he had such a holy mother that the apostle calls her his mother also. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

BELIEVERS BEFORE PAUL. PELAGIUS: These were Jews, and because they had suffered tribulation along with Paul but like him they had not been intimidated, they are deservedly held in esteem. Among others, they had been sent to further the progress of the Romans, and according to the testimony of Paul himself they are reported to have been believers before him. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

HIS MOTHER BY GRACE. THEODORET OF CYR: The mother of Rufus by nature had become Paul’s mother by grace. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:14 | Greetings for Other Believers

GREET HERMAS. ORIGEN: I think this Hermas was the author of the book called The Shepherd of Hermas, which seems to me to be a useful book and one which was inspired by God. I think the reason Paul does not praise him is that he himself tells us in his book that he was converted only after many sins. Scripture tells us not to rush to honor someone who has just repented from sin nor to give him praise as long as the angel of repentance is still over him. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

THE BRETHREN WHO ARE WITH THEM. AMBROSIASTER: Paul greets these together because he knew that they agreed with one another in Christ and were loyal friends. He also greets the brethren who were with them but omits their names. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

THEODORET OF CYR: This was another family of believers whom Paul thought worthy of praise. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

16:15 | A Group of Saints

A HOUSEHOLD? ORIGEN: It is possible that Philologus and Julia were married and that the others named here were their domestic servants. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

ALL THE SAINTS. AMBROSIASTER: These are understood to have been of one mind because it was for that reason that Paul greeted them together. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

FRIENDS RICH IN GRACE. PELAGIUS: By his example Paul teaches us what sort of friends we should greet in our letters, not those who are rich in worldly goods or honored with positions of rank but those who are well supplied in grace and faith. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

16:16 | Greeting with a Holy Kiss

HOLY KISSING, NOT SHAMELESS. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: If we are called to the kingdom of God, let us walk worthy of the kingdom, loving God and our neighbor. Love is not proved by a kiss but by kindly feeling. But there are those who do nothing but make the church resound with a kiss, not having love itself inside them. For this very thing, the shameless use of a kiss, which ought to be mystic, occasions foul suspicions and evil reports. The apostle, however, calls the kiss holy. CHRIST THE EDUCATOR 3.11.

TERTULLIAN: What prayer is complete if it is divorced from the holy kiss? ON PRAYER 18.

SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF ALL THE CHURCHES. ORIGEN: From this and other statements like it, it appears that it was the custom to greet one another with a kiss after the prayers. The apostle calls this a holy kiss. How could Paul write that all the churches sent greetings, when he was only in one of them at the time? I think we have to understand this to mean that there was one spirit common to Paul and to all the churches, so that he could speak on behalf of them all. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

ALL THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST GREET YOU. AMBROSIASTER: Paul asks that all those to whom he has written and whom he names be greeted with a holy kiss, that is, in the peace of Christ, not in the desire of the flesh, because these kisses are spiritual, not physical.

By saying “churches of Christ” Paul is saying that there is a church which is not Christ’s. For David called the company of evildoers an assembly of the wicked. COMMENTARY ON PAUL’S EPISTLES.

KISS AS A SYMBOL OF EQUALITY BEFORE GOD. CHRYSOSTOM: By this salutation Paul intended to cast out of them any reason for pride. The great were not to despise the small, nor were the small to envy the great, but pride and envy were to be banished by the kiss, which made everyone equal. Therefore, he not only asks them to greet each other in this way, but he also sends them this greeting from the other churches. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 31.

THE KISS OF JUDAS AND THE KISS OF PEACE. PELAGIUS: Not with a false and treacherous kiss, of the sort with which Judas betrayed the Savior. For in the church the peace is proclaimed first, so that we may show that we are at peace with all who are about to partake of the body of Christ. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.