Romans · chapter 16 of 16
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Romans 16 is the personal close of the letter. Paul commends Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchreae, greets dozens of co-workers by name, among them Prisca and Aquila, Andronicus and Junia, warns against those who cause divisions, sends greetings from companions with him and ends with praise to the God who is able to strengthen believers according to the gospel, so that all the nations may obey by faith.
After fifteen chapters of teaching, Romans ends with a long list of names. These greetings show that the church is not an idea but concrete people, men and women who worked, suffered and served. The chapter also offers a glimpse into the life of the early church and Paul's companions.
Paul commends Phoebe, our sister and servant of the church at Cenchreae, asking that they welcome her in the Lord and help her in whatever she needs, for she has been a patron of many, and of him as well.
He then greets Prisca and Aquila, his fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for his life and to whom all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks; he also greets the church in their house. He mentions Epaenetus, the first convert to Christ in Asia; Mary, who worked hard for them; Andronicus and Junia, his kinsmen and fellow prisoners, well known to the apostles, who were in Christ before him; and many others, such as Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, Rufus and his mother, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. He asks them to greet one another with a holy kiss, and all the churches of Christ greet them.
In verses 17 to 20 he urges them to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the teaching they learned, and to avoid them, for they serve their own appetites and deceive the hearts of the naive with smooth talk. The obedience of the Romans is known to all, and Paul wants them to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under their feet.
Timothy, his fellow worker, greets them, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, his kinsmen. Tertius, who wrote the letter, greets them in the Lord. Gaius, who hosts Paul and the whole church, and Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus also send greetings. The chapter ends with a doxology: to him who is able to strengthen them according to the gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages but now disclosed through the prophetic writings, so that all the nations might obey in faith, to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
References follow ESV book names and verse numbers. Read each verse in your Bible before the explanation.
Paul commends Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae. The letter probably passed through her hands on its way to Rome, and this mention shows the value of women's service in the early church.
Paul greets Prisca and Aquila, fellow workers in Christ Jesus. This couple, who also appear in Acts, opened their home to the church and risked their lives for Paul, an example of shared service.
Paul asks us to watch out for those who cause divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching received, and to avoid them. The unity he values is not unity at any price but unity around the true gospel.
The letter ends by giving glory to the only wise God through Jesus Christ forever. After explaining the gospel in such detail, Paul concludes with worship.
6 questions with answers and references, ready for Sunday school, small group or a Bible quiz night.
Answer: Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae. — Romans 16:1-2
Answer: They risked their necks for his life, and a church met in their house. — Romans 16:3-5
Answer: The first convert to Christ in Asia. — Romans 16:5
Answer: To avoid those who cause divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching learned, and who deceive with smooth talk. — Romans 16:17-18
Answer: Tertius, who names himself in verse 22. — Romans 16:22
Answer: The city treasurer, who sends greetings to the Romans. — Romans 16:23
Romans 16 invites us to value people who often go unnoticed. Paul stops to name dozens of fellow believers, because every service matters. In a small group you can give thanks for those who serve quietly and ask whom we could encourage this week with a greeting, a note or a prayer.
The warning about divisions reminds us that unity is guarded with truth. And the final doxology brings us back to the center: the whole gospel serves to give glory to the only wise God through Jesus Christ.
Romans 16 closes the letter with names, warnings and praise. The letter that began with the gospel as the power of God for salvation ends with glory to the wise God and with all the nations called to the obedience of faith, and it leaves the reader with an invitation to live that faith in community.
The Greek word is the same one translated deacon or servant. Christians understand in different ways whether Paul refers to a recognized office or to a person who served the church, but all agree that Phoebe was an important co-worker, who probably carried the letter to Rome.
Andronicus and Junia were relatives of Paul and fellow prisoners, and they became Christians before he did. The phrase can mean that they were prominent apostles or that they were highly esteemed by the apostles. Interpreters debate both readings and also whether Junia is a woman's name.
Paul dictated the letter, and Tertius, who identifies himself in verse 22, wrote it down. This was a common practice in the ancient world and does not call Paul's authorship into question, which nearly all scholars accept.