PAUL GREETS HIS ROMAN COWORKERS

Passage: Romans 16:1-16

Key verse: 16

NIV

Personal Greetings

16 I commend(A) to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon[a][b] of the church in Cenchreae.(B) 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord(C) in a way worthy of his people(D) and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

3 Greet Priscilla[c] and Aquila,(E) my co-workers(F) in Christ Jesus.(G) 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

5 Greet also the church that meets at their house.(H)

Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert(I) to Christ in the province of Asia.(J)

6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.

7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews(K) who have been in prison with me.(L) They are outstanding among[d] the apostles, and they were in Christ(M) before I was.

8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.

9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ,(N) and my dear friend Stachys.

10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.(O)

Greet those who belong to the household(P) of Aristobulus.

11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.(Q)

Greet those in the household(R) of Narcissus who are in the Lord.

12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.

Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.

13 Greet Rufus,(S) chosen(T) in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.

14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.

15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people(U) who are with them.(V)

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.(W)

All the churches of Christ send greetings.

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Footnotes
  1. Romans 16:1 Or servant
  2. Romans 16:1 The word deacon refers here to a Christian designated to serve with the overseers/elders of the church in a variety of ways; similarly in Phil. 1:1 and 1 Tim. 3:8,12.
  3. Romans 16:3 Greek Prisca, a variant of Priscilla
  4. Romans 16:7 Or are esteemed by
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Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Personal Greetings

16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant[a] of the church at (A)Cenchreae, 2 that you (B)may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

3 Greet (C)Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also (D)the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was (E)the first convert[b] to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,[c] my kinsmen and my (F)fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,[d] and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those (G)who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers[e] who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 (H)Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

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Footnotes
  1. Romans 16:1 Or deaconess
  2. Romans 16:5 Greek firstfruit
  3. Romans 16:7 Or Junias
  4. Romans 16:7 Or messengers
  5. Romans 16:14 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 17
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
1. Priscilla, Aquila and others (1-5) The last part of Paul's letter to the Roman Christians contained greetings to many coworkers in Rome. Many of these had helped him in his ministry. Phoebe may have been the person who carried Paul's letter to Rome. She must have been a great servant of the church in Cenchrea, for Paul commends her as a saint and asks the Romans to give her any help she needed. Paul met Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth and they travelled with Paul on some of his journeys. They became invaluable coworkers to him, for they risked their very lives for him. He and the church owed them a great debt of honor. 2. Many other coworkers (6-16) The list here is long. Even a great man like Paul needed many coworkers to help him in his ministry. Some were relatives, like Andronicus and Junia. Others were dear friends, like Epenetus. Some of them were faithful women, like Tryphena and Tryphosa. We don't know much about any of them. But they are greatly honored by Paul. We should learn that we need many friends and coworkers as we do God's work. We should honor each of them.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for those who are my coworkers. Help me to honor and encourage them always.

One Word: Greet one another with affection