Romans 16
King James Version
16 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.
7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.
9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.
11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.
12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord.
13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.
15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.
16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.
17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
21 Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.
22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.
23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.
24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:
27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
Romans 16
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
Closing Remarks And Greetings:
I Commend Phoebe To You; Help Her
16 Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe[a]— she being also a servant[b] of the church in Cenchrea[c]— 2 in order that you may receive her in the Lord worthily of the saints, and may stand-by[d] her in whatever matter she may be having-need of you. For she herself indeed became a benefactor[e] of many, and of me myself.
Greet My Friends
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila— my fellow-workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own neck for my life, to whom not only am I giving-thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles— 5 and the church at their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the firstfruit of Asia for Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who labored-at many things for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junias[f], my kinsmen[g] and my fellow-captives[h], who are notable[i] among[j] the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow-worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. 10 Greet Apelles, the approved one in Christ. Greet the ones from the ones of [k] Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet the ones from the ones of Narcissus, the ones being in the Lord. 12 Greet Tryphaena[l] and Tryphosa, the ones laboring in the Lord. Greet Persis[m] the beloved, who labored-at many things in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, the chosen one in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
The Churches Here Greet You
All the churches[n] of Christ greet you.
Watch Out For False Teachers
17 Now I urge you, brothers, to be watching-out-for the ones producing the dissensions and the causes-of-falling contrary to the teaching which you learned, and be turning-away from them. 18 For such ones are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own stomach. And by smooth-talk and flattery[o] they deceive the hearts of the guileless[p] ones. 19 For your obedience reached to all, therefore I am rejoicing over you. But I want you to be wise with-reference-to[q] the good and innocent[r] with-reference-to the evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
My Companions Greet You
21 Timothy my fellow-worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I, Tertius, greet you— the one having written the letter in[s] the Lord. 23 Gaius, the host[t] of me and of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the steward[u] of the city, greets you, and so does Quartus, our brother. 24 [v]
To God Be The Glory
25 Now[w] to the One being able to establish[x] you in-accordance-with[y] my good-news and the proclamation of [z] Jesus Christ, [which is][aa] in-accordance-with the revelation of the mystery having been kept-silent for eternal times, 26 but now having been revealed and having been made-known to all the nations through the prophetic Scriptures according to the command of the eternal God for the obedience of faith[ab], 27 to the only wise God through Jesus Christ, to Whom[ac] be the glory forever, amen.
Footnotes
- Romans 16:1 She is probably the one carrying this letter.
- Romans 16:1 Or, deaconess.
- Romans 16:1 The eastern seaport of Corinth.
- Romans 16:2 Or, help, aid.
- Romans 16:2 Or, patron, protector, helper.
- Romans 16:7 This is a male name. Some manuscripts have it as a female name, Junia (perhaps as husband and wife, or brother and sister, as with Julia in v 15).
- Romans 16:7 That is, fellow Jews.
- Romans 16:7 Paul may mean they once shared an imprisonment with him; or, simply that they too were once jailed for Christ.
- Romans 16:7 Or, famous, distinguished.
- Romans 16:7 Paul may mean ‘as apostles’, in the wider sense of the word; or, ‘to the apostles’ (the twelve), their imprisonment having taken place in Judea where they were believers before Paul.
- Romans 16:10 Paul probably means the believers from the household-members of Aristobulus.
- Romans 16:12 The names of these women mean Delicate and Dainty.
- Romans 16:12 This is a woman.
- Romans 16:16 Perhaps Paul is referring to all the representatives with him in Act 20:4. This book was written from Corinth in Act 20:3.
- Romans 16:18 Or, false eloquence, good-sounding argument. Paul may mean their good speech about you (flattery); or their good-sounding but false speech regarding what they are teaching.
- Romans 16:18 Or, innocent, unsuspecting.
- Romans 16:19 Or, for the purpose of.
- Romans 16:19 Or, pure.
- Romans 16:22 This is the Greek word order. This may mean ‘greet you... in the Lord’; or, ‘written... in the Lord’. Tertius served as Paul’s secretary, writing down or copying this letter for him.
- Romans 16:23 Paul is apparently staying with Gaius in Corinth. This may be the Gaius of 1 Cor 1:14.
- Romans 16:23 Or, manager, administrator.
- Romans 16:24 Some manuscripts say ‘The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.’ here instead of in v 20b.
- Romans 16:25 This doxology (v 25-27) appears in different places in the manuscripts.
- Romans 16:25 Same word as in 1:11.
- Romans 16:25 Or, based on, in relation to.
- Romans 16:25 That is, about. This proclamation is given in its greatest detail in this book.
- Romans 16:25 That is, the good news and proclamation are in accordance with the revelation of the mystery.
- Romans 16:26 Same phrase as in 1:5.
- Romans 16:27 This could refer back to the only wise God or to Jesus Christ.
Romans 16
Living Bible
16 1-2 Phoebe, a dear Christian woman from the town of Cenchreae, will be coming to see you soon. She has worked hard in the church there. Receive her as your sister in the Lord, giving her a warm Christian welcome. Help her in every way you can, for she has helped many in their needs, including me. 3 Tell Priscilla and Aquila hello. They have been my fellow workers in the affairs of Christ Jesus. 4 In fact, they risked their lives for me, and I am not the only one who is thankful to them; so are all the Gentile churches.
5 Please give my greetings to all those who meet to worship in their home. Greet my good friend Epaenetus. He was the very first person to become a Christian in Asia. 6 Remember me to Mary, too, who has worked so hard to help us. 7 Then there are Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who were in prison with me. They are respected by the apostles and became Christians before I did. Please give them my greetings. 8 Say hello to Ampliatus, whom I love as one of God’s own children, 9 and Urbanus, our fellow worker, and beloved Stachys.
10 Then there is Apelles, a good man whom the Lord approves; greet him for me. And give my best regards to those working at the house of Aristobulus. 11 Remember me to Herodion my relative. Remember me to the Christian slaves over at Narcissus House. 12 Say hello to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, the Lord’s workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus for me, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother who has been such a mother to me. 14 And please give my greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the other brothers who are with them. 15 Give my love to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas, and all the Christians who are with them. 16 Shake hands warmly with each other. All the churches here send you their greetings.
17 And now there is one more thing to say before I end this letter. Stay away from those who cause divisions and are upsetting people’s faith, teaching things about Christ that are contrary to what you have been taught. 18 Such teachers are not working for our Lord Jesus but only want gain for themselves. They are good speakers, and simple-minded people are often fooled by them. 19 But everyone knows that you stand loyal and true. This makes me very happy. I want you always to remain very clear about what is right and to stay innocent of any wrong. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The blessings from our Lord Jesus Christ be upon you.
21 Timothy my fellow worker, and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my relatives, send you their good wishes. 22 I, Tertius, the one who is writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings too, as a Christian brother. 23 Gaius says to say hello to you for him. I am his guest, and the church meets here in his home. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings and so does Quartus, a Christian brother. 24 Good-bye. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
25-27 I commit you to God, who is able to make you strong and steady in the Lord, just as the Gospel says, and just as I have told you. This is God’s plan of salvation for you Gentiles, kept secret from the beginning of time. But now as the prophets foretold and as God commands, this message is being preached everywhere, so that people all around the world will have faith in Christ and obey him. To God, who alone is wise, be the glory forever through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Sincerely, Paul
Romans 16
The Message
16 1-2 Be sure to welcome our friend Phoebe in the way of the Master, with all the generous hospitality we Christians are famous for. I heartily endorse both her and her work. She’s a key representative of the church at Cenchrea. Help her out in whatever she asks. She deserves anything you can do for her. She’s helped many a person, including me.
3-5 Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila, who have worked hand in hand with me in serving Jesus. They once put their lives on the line for me. And I’m not the only one grateful to them. All the non-Jewish gatherings of believers also owe them plenty, to say nothing of the church that meets in their house.
Hello to my dear friend Epenetus. He was the very first follower of Jesus in the province of Asia.
6 Hello to Mary. What a worker she has turned out to be!
7 Hello to my cousins Andronicus and Junias. We once shared a jail cell. They were believers in Christ before I was. Both of them are outstanding leaders.
8 Hello to Ampliatus, my good friend in the family of God.
9 Hello to Urbanus, our companion in Christ’s work, and my good friend Stachys.
10 Hello to Apelles, a tried-and-true veteran in following Christ.
Hello to the family of Aristobulus.
11 Hello to my cousin Herodion.
Hello to those who belong to the Lord from the family of Narcissus.
12 Hello to Tryphena and Tryphosa—such diligent women in serving the Master.
Hello to Persis, a dear friend and hard worker in Christ.
13 Hello to Rufus—a good choice by the Master!—and his mother. She has also been a dear mother to me.
14 Hello to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and also to all of their families.
15 Hello to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas—and all the followers of Jesus who live with them.
16 Holy hugs all around! All the churches of Christ send their warmest greetings!
17-18 One final word of counsel, friends. Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They’re only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren’t above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents.
19-20 And so while there has never been any question about your honesty in these matters—I couldn’t be more proud of you!—I want you also to be smart, making sure every “good” thing is the real thing. Don’t be gullible in regard to smooth-talking evil. Stay alert like this, and before you know it the God of peace will come down on Satan with both feet, stomping him into the dirt. Enjoy the best of Jesus!
21 And here are some more greetings from our end. Timothy, my partner in this work, Lucius, and my cousins Jason and Sosipater all said to tell you hello.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote this letter at Paul’s dictation, send you my personal greetings.
23 Gaius, who is host here to both me and the whole church, wants to be remembered to you.
Erastus, the city treasurer, and our good friend Quartus send their greetings.
25-26 All of our praise rises to the One who is strong enough to make you strong, exactly as preached in Jesus Christ, precisely as revealed in the mystery kept secret for so long but now an open book through the prophetic Scriptures. All the nations of the world can now know the truth and be brought into obedient belief, carrying out the orders of God, who got all this started, down to the final detail.
27 All our praise is focused through Jesus on this incomparably wise God! Yes!
Romans 16
Good News Translation
Personal Greetings
16 I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who serves the church at Cenchreae. 2 Receive her in the Lord's name, as God's people should, and give her any help she may need from you; for she herself has been a good friend to many people and also to me.
3 (A)I send greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in the service of Christ Jesus; 4 they risked their lives for me. I am grateful to them—not only I, but all the Gentile churches as well. 5 Greetings also to the church that meets in their house.
Greetings to my dear friend Epaenetus, who was the first in the province of Asia to believe in Christ. 6 Greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for you. 7 Greetings also to Andronicus and Junia,[a] fellow Jews who were in prison with me; they are well known among the apostles, and they became Christians before I did.
8 My greetings to Ampliatus, my dear friend in the fellowship of the Lord. 9 Greetings also to Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ's service, and to Stachys, my dear friend. 10 Greetings to Apelles, whose loyalty to Christ has been proved. Greetings to those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greetings to Herodion, a fellow Jew, and to the Christians in the family of Narcissus.
12 My greetings to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who work in the Lord's service, and to my dear friend Persis, who has done so much work for the Lord. 13 (B)I send greetings to Rufus, that outstanding worker in the Lord's service, and to his mother, who has always treated me like a son. 14 My greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and all the other Christians with them. 15 Greetings to Philologus and Julia, to Nereus and his sister, to Olympas and to all of God's people who are with them.
16 Greet one another with the kiss of peace. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings.
Final Instructions
17 I urge you, my friends: watch out for those who cause divisions and upset people's faith and go against the teaching which you have received. Keep away from them! 18 For those who do such things are not serving Christ our Lord, but their own appetites. By their fine words and flattering speech they deceive innocent people. 19 Everyone has heard of your loyalty to the gospel, and for this reason I am happy about you. I want you to be wise about what is good, but innocent in what is evil. 20 And God, our source of peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.[b]
21 (C)Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings; and so do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, fellow Jews.
22 I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, send you Christian greetings.
23 (D)My host Gaius, in whose house the church meets, sends you his greetings; Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. 24 [c]
Concluding Prayer of Praise
25 Let us give glory to God! He is able to make you stand firm in your faith, according to the Good News I preach about Jesus Christ and according to the revelation of the secret truth which was hidden for long ages in the past. 26 Now, however, that truth has been brought out into the open through the writings of the prophets; and by the command of the eternal God it is made known to all nations, so that all may believe and obey.
27 To the only God, who alone is all-wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever! Amen.[d]
Footnotes
- Romans 16:7 Junia; or Junias; some manuscripts have Julia.
- Romans 16:20 Some manuscripts omit this sentence.
- Romans 16:24 Some manuscripts add verse 24: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen; others add this after verse 27.
- Romans 16:27 Some manuscripts have verses 25-27 here and after 14.23; others have them only after 14.23; one has them after 15.33.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.
