Romans 16
Amplified Bible
Greetings and Love Expressed
16 Now I introduce and commend to you our sister [a]Phoebe, a deaconess (servant) of the church at [b]Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord [with love and hospitality], as [c]God’s people ought to receive one another. And that you may help her in whatever matter she may require assistance from you, for she has been a helper of many, including myself.
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks [endangering their very lives] for my life. To them not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Also greet the church that meets in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the first convert to Christ from [the west coast province of] Asia [Minor]. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked so hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and [d]Junias, my kinsmen and [once] my fellow prisoners, who are held in high esteem [e]in the estimation of the apostles, and who were [believers] 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, the one tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of [f]Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet my beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, an eminent and choice man 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 who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all [g]God’s people who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a [h]holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep your eyes on those who cause dissensions and create obstacles or introduce temptations [for others] to commit sin, [acting in ways] contrary to the doctrine which you have learned. Turn away from them. 18 For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites and base desires. By smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting [the innocent and the naive]. 19 For the report of your obedience has reached everyone, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The [wonderful] grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
22 I, [i]Tertius, the writer (scribe) of this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church here, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. 24 [j][The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.]
25 Now to Him who is able to establish and strengthen you [in the faith] according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery [of the plan of salvation] which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now has been disclosed and through the prophetic Scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the commandment of the eternal God, leading them to obedience to the faith, 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forevermore! Amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 16:1 Phoebe (“bright,” “pure”) was chosen by Paul as his emissary to deliver this letter to Rome. She may have held a recognized position within the church.
- Romans 16:1 Cenchrea, a few miles east of Corinth, served as Corinth’s port and was probably visited by Paul during both his second and third missionary journeys. This letter was written from Corinth near the end of the third journey.
- Romans 16:2 Lit the saints.
- Romans 16:7 Or Junia (feminine). There is a higher probability that the name is feminine; no masculine forms found in this or near time periods.
- Romans 16:7 The Greek and larger context favor this understanding; Andronicus and Junia are not identified as apostles here.
- Romans 16:10 Believed by some scholars to be the brother of Herod Agrippa I and grandson of Herod the Great.
- Romans 16:15 Lit the saints.
- Romans 16:16 A traditional act of salutation in the early church.
- Romans 16:22 Paul’s helper, who wrote this letter as Paul dictated it, inserted a personal greeting, undoubtedly with Paul’s permission.
- Romans 16:24 Early mss do not contain this verse; it was taken from the Latin Vulgate.
Romans 16
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Paul’s Commendation of Phoebe
16 I commend to you(A) our sister Phoebe, who is a servant[a] of the church in Cenchreae.(B) 2 So you should welcome her in the Lord(C) in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help. For indeed she has been a benefactor of many—and of me also.
Greeting to Roman Christians
3 Give my greetings to Prisca[b] and Aquila,(D) my coworkers in(E) Christ Jesus,(F) 4 who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches.
5 Greet also the church that meets in their home.(G)
Greet my dear friend Epaenetus, who is the first convert[c](H) to Christ from Asia.[d](I)
6 Greet Mary,[e] who has worked very hard for you.[f]
7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,[g] my fellow countrymen(J) and fellow prisoners.(K) They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles,[h][i] and they were also in Christ before me.
8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus, our coworker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ.
Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.(L)
11 Greet Herodion, my fellow countryman.
Greet those who belong to the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard in the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord.
13 Greet Rufus,(M) chosen in the Lord; also 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.(N)
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.(O)
All the churches of Christ send you greetings.
Warning against Divisive People
17 Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause dissensions and obstacles contrary to the doctrine you have learned.(P) Avoid them,(Q) 18 for such people do not serve our Lord Christ(R) but their own appetites.[j](S) They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.(T)
Paul’s Gracious Conclusion
19 The report of your obedience has reached everyone.(U) Therefore I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, yet innocent about what is evil.(V) 20 The God of peace(W) will soon crush Satan(X) under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.(Y)
21 Timothy,(Z) my coworker, and Lucius,(AA) Jason,(AB) and Sosipater,(AC) my fellow countrymen, greet you.
22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter,(AD) greet you in the Lord.[k]
23 Gaius,(AE) who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus,(AF) the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus greet you.
[24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.][l]
Glory to God
25 Now to Him who has power to strengthen you(AG) according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ,(AH) according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent(AI) for long ages(AJ) 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures,(AK) according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith[m](AL) among all nations— 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to Him be the glory forever Amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 16:1 Others interpret this term in a technical sense: deacon, or deaconess, or minister, or courier
- Romans 16:3 Traditionally, Priscilla, as in Ac 18:2,18,26
- Romans 16:5 Lit the firstfruits
- Romans 16:5 Other mss read Achaia
- Romans 16:6 Or Maria
- Romans 16:6 Other mss read us
- Romans 16:7 Either a feminine name or “Junias,” a masculine name
- Romans 16:7 Or are outstanding among
- Romans 16:7 “The apostles” is not always a technical term referring to the 12; cp. 2Co 8:23; Php 2:25 where this word is translated as “messenger.”
- Romans 16:18 Lit belly
- Romans 16:22 Or letter in the Lord, greet you
- Romans 16:24 Other mss omit bracketed text; cp. v. 20
- Romans 16:26 Or the obedience that is faith, or the faithful obedience, or the obedience that comes from faith; Rm 1:5
- Romans 16:27 Other mss have these vv. at the end of chap 14 or 15.
Romans 16
New Living Translation
Paul Greets His Friends
16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. 2 Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me.
3 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. 4 In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. 5 Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home.
Greet my dear friend Epenetus. He was the first person from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ. 6 Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,[a] my fellow Jews,[b] who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
10 Greet Apelles, a good man whom Christ approves. And give my greetings to the believers from the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.[c] Greet the Lord’s people from the household of Narcissus. 12 Give my greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, the Lord’s workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me.
14 Give my greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters[d] who meet with them. 15 Give my greetings to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas and all the believers[e] who meet with them. 16 Greet each other with a sacred kiss. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings.
Paul’s Final Instructions
17 And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. 18 Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. 19 But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus[f] be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.
22 I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord’s followers.
23 Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus.[g]
25 Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed his plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. 26 But now as the prophets[h] foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey him. 27 All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.[i]
Footnotes
- 16:7a Junia is a feminine name. Some late manuscripts accent the word so it reads Junias, a masculine name; still others read Julia (feminine).
- 16:7b Or compatriots; also in 16:21.
- 16:11 Or compatriot.
- 16:14 Greek brothers; also in 16:17.
- 16:15 Greek all of God’s holy people.
- 16:20 Some manuscripts read Lord Jesus Christ.
- 16:23 Some manuscripts add verse 24, May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Still others add this sentence after verse 27.
- 16:26 Greek the prophetic writings.
- 16:25-27 Various manuscripts place the doxology (shown here as 16:25-27) after 14:23 or after 15:33 or after 16:23.
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