Chapter 16                    

Romans: -1- -2- -3- -4- -5- -6- -7- -8- -9- -10- -11- -12- -13- -14- -15- -16- 
  16:1 I also commend Phoebe to you, our sister, who is a deacon of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you might receive her as worthy of the devoted ones inside of the Lord, and that you might assist her in whatever practical matter she may have need of you. She has been a leader and protector of many, including myself [k].

3 Welcome and greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers inside of Christ Jesus, 4 who have risked their own necks for the sake of my soul. I not only thank them and speak well of them, but so do all the churches of the many ethnic families. 5 Also greet the church at their house. Greet Epenetus, beloved of me, who is a firstfruits of Asia into Christ. 6 Greet Mary who labored much for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and fellow prisoners with me, who are notable among the apostles, who were also inside of Christ before me.

8 Welcome and greet Ampliatios, beloved of me inside the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker inside of Christ, and Stachys, also beloved of me. 10 Greet Apelles, the one proven inside of Christ. Greet those of the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodian, my relative. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, being inside of the Lord. 12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those laboring inside of the Lord. Greet Persis, the beloved, who labored much inside the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, the one chosen inside of the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, and the brothers and sisters with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the devoted ones with them. 16 Welcome and greet one another with holy expressions of love. All the churches of Christ greet you.

17 I encourage you now, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and traps contrary to the teaching you have learned, and avoid them, 18 for such do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve. 19 For your submission to hearing has reached all. I rejoice, therefore, over you. I desire, however, that you be wise into good, but unmixed with evil. • 20 Now the God of peace will shatter Satan under your feet quickly. The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you.

21 Timothy greets you, my fellow worker, and also Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives. 22 I, Tertius, the one who has written down this letter, greet you inside of the Lord. 23 Gaius greets you, my host, and all of the church. Erastus, the steward of the city, and Quartus, the brother, greet you. 24 The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you all. Let it be so; it is so.

• 25 Now to Him who is able to strengthen you, according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation and unveiling of the mystery, which was kept secret through the times of the ages, 26 but has now been made visible, and also through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the ordering and arrangement coming out of the age-unfolding God, into submission to the hearing of faith, and now has been made known to all the ethnic families, 27 to the only wise God through Jesus Christ, to whom is the glory into the ages of the ages. Let it be so; it is so.
 		  
 
Gospel Comments Notes
• Ruling Verse 4: As we put Jesus upon ourselves, as we receive one another, so the God of our peace comes through into our world, and the spell caster, the spirit of slavery into fear, and all accusation-against just vanish away.

• The Form for God through Jesus: The mystery of God is a God who fills His Church, believers in Jesus loving one another, with His Glory, with His wisdom made known.		 k. Notice through this chapter how Paul talks freely and openly about women in ministry together with him. This was Paul’s actual thinking and practice, not his quotation of Ajax in Sophocles’ tragedy for unknown reasons. (See 1 Corinthians 14:34-35).