Commentari biblici

Ro 16:1-27.

CONCLUSION, EMBRACING SUNDRY SALUTATIONS AND DIRECTIONS, AND A CLOSING PRAYER.

1. I commend unto you Phœbebe our sister, which is a servant--or "deaconess"

of the church which is at Cenchrea--The word is "Cenchreæ," the eastern part of Corinth

(Ac 18:18).

That in the earliest churches there were deaconesses, to attend to the wants of the female members, there is no good reason to doubt. So early at least as the reign of Trajan, we learn from PLINY'S celebrated letter to that emperor--A.D. 110, or 111--that they existed in the Eastern churches. Indeed, from the relation in which the sexes then stood to each other, something of this sort would seem to have been a necessity. Modern attempts, however, to revive this office have seldom found favor; either from the altered state of society, or the abuse of the office, or both.

2. Receive her in the Lord--that is, as a genuine disciple of the Lord Jesus.

as--"so as"

becometh saints--so as saints should receive saints.

assist her in whatsoever business she hath--"may have"

need of you--some private business of her own.

for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also--(See

Ps 41:1-3; 2Ti 1:16-18).

3-5. Salute Priscilla--The true reading here is "Prisca" (as in

2Ti 4:19),

a contracted form of Priscilla, as "Silas" of "Silvanus."

and Aquila my helpers--The wife is here named before the husband (as in

Ac 18:18, and Ro 16:26,

according to the true reading; also in

2Ti 4:19),

probably as being the more prominent and helpful to the Church.

4. who have for my life laid down--"who did for my life lay down"

their own necks--that is, risked their lives; either at Corinth

(Ac 18:6, 9, 10),

or more probably at Ephesus

(Ac 19:30, 31;

and compare

1Co 15:32).

They must have returned from Ephesus (where we last find them in the history of the Acts) to Rome, whence the edict of Claudius had banished them

(Ac 18:2);

and doubtless, if not the principal members of that Christian community, they were at least the most endeared to our apostle.

unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles--whose special apostle this dear couple had rescued from imminent danger.

5. Likewise the church that is in their house--The Christian assembly that statedly met there for worship. "From his occupation as tent-maker, he had probably better accommodations for the meetings of the church than most other Christians" [HODGE]. Probably this devoted couple had written to the apostle such an account of the stated meetings at their house, as made him feel at home with them, and include them in this salutation, which doubtless would be read at their meetings with peculiar interest.

Salute my well beloved Epænetus, who is the first-fruits--that is, the first convert

of Achaia unto Christ--The true reading here, as appears by the manuscripts, is, "the first-fruits of Asia unto Christ"--that is, Proconsular Asia (see

Ac 16:6).

In

1Co 16:15

it is said that "the household of Stephanas was the first-fruit of Achaia"; and though if Epænetus was one of that family, the two statements might be reconciled according to the received text, there is no need to resort to this supposition, as that text is in this instance without authority. Epænetus, as the first believer in that region called Proconsular Asia, was dear to the apostle. (See

Ho 9:10; Mic 7:1).

None of the names mentioned from

Ro 16:5-15

are otherwise known. One wonders at the number of them, considering that the writer had never been at Rome. But as Rome was then the center of the civilized world, to and from which journeys were continually taken to the remotest parts, there is no great difficulty in supposing that so active a travelling missionary as Paul would, in course of time, make the acquaintance of a considerable number of the Christians then residing at Rome.

6. Greet--or "salute"

Mary, who bestowed much labour on us--labor, no doubt, of a womanly kind.

7. Andronicus and Junia--or, as it might be, "Junias," a contracted form of "Junianus"; in this case, it is a man's name. But if, as is more probable, the word be, as in our version, "Junia," the person meant was no doubt either the wife or the sister of Andronicus.

my kinsmen--or, "relatives."

and my fellow prisoners--on what occasion, it is impossible to say, as the apostle elsewhere tells us that he was "in prisons more frequent"

(2Co 11:23).

which are of note among the apostles--Those who think the word "apostle" is used in a lax sense, in the Acts and Epistles, take this to mean "noted apostles" [CHRYSOSTOM, LUTHER, CALVIN, BENGEL, OLSHAUSEN, THOLUCK, ALFORD, JOWETT]; others, who are not clear that the word "apostle" is applied to any without the circle of the Twelve, save where the connection or some qualifying words show that the literal meaning of "one sent" is the thing intended, understand by the expression used here, "persons esteemed by the apostles" [BEZA, GROTIUS, DE WETTE, MEYER, FRITZSCHE, STUART, PHILIPPI, HODGE]. And of course, if "Junia" is to be taken for a woman, this latter must be the meaning.

who also were in Christ before me--The apostle writes as if he envied them this priority in the faith. And, indeed, if to be "in Christ" be the most enviable human condition, the earlier the date of this blessed translation, the greater the grace of it. This latter statement about Andronicus and Junia seems to throw some light on the preceding one. Very possibly they may have been among the first-fruits of Peter's labors, gained to Christ either on the day of Pentecost or on some of the succeeding days. In that case they may have attracted the special esteem of those apostles who for some time resided chiefly at Jerusalem and its neighborhood; and our apostle, though he came late in contact with the other apostles, if he was aware of this fact, would have pleasure in alluding to it.

8. Amplias--a contracted form of "Ampliatus."

my beloved in the Lord--an expression of dear Christian affection.