Romans – A Treatise
Chapter Sixteen
GRATITUDE SHOULD HAVE A LONG MEMORY
Scripture Reading: verses 3-16
GREET PRISCILLA AND AQUILA MY HELPERS IN CHRIST JESUS: 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. LIKEWISE GREET THE CHURCH THAT IS IN THEIR HOUSE. SOLUTE MY WELL-BELOYED EPÆNETUS, WHO IS THE FIRSTFRUITS OF ACHAIA UNTO CHRIST. GREET MARY, WHO BESTOWED MUCH LABOUR ON US. SALUTE ANDRONICUS AND JUNIA, MY KINSMEN, AND MY FELLOW-PRISONERS, WHO ARE OF NOTE AMONG THE APOSTLES, WHO ALSO WERE IN CHRIST BEFORE ME. GREET AMPLIAS MY BELOVED IN THE LORD. SALUTE RUFUS CHOSEN IN THE LORD, AND HIS MOTHER AND MINE. SALUTE ASYNCRITUS, PHLEGON, HERMES, PATROBAS, HERMAS, AND THE BRETHREN THAT ARE WITH THEM. SALUTE PHILOLOGUS AND JULIA, NEREUS AND HIS SISTER, AND OLYMPAS, AND ALL THE SAINTS THAT ARE WITH THEM. SALUTE ONE ANOTHER WITH A HOLY KISS. ALL THE CHURCHES OF CHRIST SALUTE YOU.
These personal salutations continue to the end of verse 16. No doubt each individual mentioned here holds a spiritual lesson for us. They have been called “Paul’s companions” and certainly they are greatly honored to have their names linked with his.
We will offer a few words of simple comment on some of those mentioned. In verse 3 Paul mentions a couple, Priscilla and Aquila. They were husband and wife and came to the front at a time of peculiar crisis in the life of Paul. The account can be found in Acts 18. “Priscilla” is the diminutive form of the name Prisca and was probably the term used by her close friends and associates (Acts 18:2); but Paul, in such a formal letter as this to a congregation where he had never visited, would naturally have used her more formal name, Prisca.
Amazingly, she is mentioned first, even ahead of her husband, and first of all those whom Paul was about to name. From this it has been concluded that she was more active and successful in Christian work than her husband Aquila; for not merely here, but in Acts 18:18, 26, and 2 Timothy 4:19, the same preeminence of Priscilla is indicated; however, in Acts 18:2 and 1 Corinthians 16:19, Aquila is mentioned first.
No doubt there were good reasons why this couple should have headed the list of those Paul desired to salute in Rome, and some have supposed that Prisca was of the Roman nobility; but we cannot believe that anything of that nature would have carried any weight with Paul. There were qualities of character and service involved in the bestowal of such honor as was given this great Christian woman, an honor above even that of her husband; and it is natural to think of their laying “down their own necks” on Paul’s behalf, an action in which Prisca might well have been the principal participant, encouraged and supported by her husband.
Paul had recently left the City of Athens, where he had found much idolatry and opposition to the Word of God. He came down to Corinth, a thriving city of importance in those days. The record would almost seem to indicate that Paul was rather a friendless individual there, and that he stood alone against the tide of opposition to the Gospel of Christ. Evidently this couple took Paul into their home, and that home probably became somewhat of a refuge for him. The husband was a tentmaker, as Paul was, and so Paul worked at his trade along with Aquila. But though Paul went on with his secular employment, his spare hours were spent in the synagogues preaching Christ. As a result of Paul’s preaching, there was a veritable upheaval in the city. So virulent was the opposition of the Jewish element to the Gospel of Christ that Paul became righteously indignant, and declared to them “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles.”
Further, this couple were citizens of Rome, where Aquila was engaged in tent-making; and its being written that they “were tentmakers” shows that Priscilla also had an active hand in the business. In 49 A.D., the emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Rome; and thus Prisca and Aquila opened up a tent-making business in Corinth, where, in the providence of God, they became acquainted with Paul and were converted to Christ. What a glorious blessing the cruel edict of the emperor proved to be for them; for if Claudius had not expelled the Jews, they might not ever have known the truth of the Gospel. They aided Paul in the work of evangelism in Corinth; and, when Paul transferred his labors to Ephesus, they evidently followed him there (Acts 18:18) and were eyewitnesses of the turbulence and violence that resulted from his preaching there. They may have been involved in the troubles described in Acts 19:23-40; and, in these, they may have laid down their own necks for Paul’s life.
When the edict of Claudius was lifted, Prisca and Aquila returned to Rome, as proved by Paul’s salutation here; but later they seem to have returned to Ephesus (2 Tim. 4:19). It would not have been necessary for Prisca and Aquila to have closed down their tent-making operation due to Claudius’ edict; they could merely have appointed a manager and continued to maintain both their home and business in the great world capital. Similarly, they could have operated the establishments in Corinth and Ephesus, thus owning a home and a business in each of those cities. If such as this did occur, it would account for the fact that no less than five terms of residence in those various cities are visible in the New Testament account; and this would also help explain the immense influence of this tremendous Christian couple.
Paul here declared that he actually owed his life to this couple and that this laid the whole brotherhood of Gentile churches under a debt of gratitude to Prisca and Aquila for having saved Paul’s mission to the Gentiles. What a wonderful thing it would be to know just what happened. It was an event of the highest drama and significance, and known from one end of the pagan empire to the other; but now, alas, it is a deed buried under centuries of silence, with only this single finger of divine light having been left as a record of so brave and unselfish an act. Surely, the Word of the Lord is not like the words of men. In view of what surely happened, all of the illustrious achievements of this great apostle must be credited to this noble couple who saved his life. No wonder the pen of inspiration wrote their names first.
That is the background against which this salutation appears in Romans 16, and here Paul makes the comment that Priscilla and Aquila were willing to lay down their necks for his sake. In Acts 18, Paul’s life was evidently in jeopardy, and this devoted couple defended him in peril of their own lives. He calls them “my helpers in Christ Jesus.”
There must have been an impelling bond of attachment between the soul of this great man, Paul, and this couple who had stood by him in years gone by. He says, “Unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.” We render from these words that Aquila and Priscilla helped made it possible for Paul to carry the Gospel to the Gentiles. It was while he was with them that the crisis came, and Paul, realizing he had fulfilled his obligation to bring the Gospel of Christ to the Jews and had been summarily refused, then turned to the Gentiles and carried the glad tidings of Christ to them. It is in this sense that Aquila and Priscilla had the gratitude not only of Paul personally, but of all the churches of the Gentiles. What a debt the Gentiles owed to that couple who defended the life of Paul at that time of crisis.
After the lapse of all these ages, we who are Gentiles should feel a sense of deep gratitude to this humble couple, a tentmaker and his wife in the city of Corinth, who made it possible for Paul to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles. Their names are written in God’s Book. Paul did not forget to be grateful to them, and to remind his Roman brethren and all the Gentile churches what a debt of gratitude they, too, owed. It is a reminder to all of us that gratitude should not pass with the years. If some have stood by us at a time of peril and crisis, their deeds of valor and loving-kindness should be remembered throughout our lives. Paul here becomes an example of such lifelong gratitude.
But this husband and wife had evidently gone on actively in the path of faith throughout the years and now Paul says, “Likewise greet the church that is in their house.” Here we have the elemental touch which Paul seems to be so fond of giving in the pathway of faith. We live in an age of religious grandeur. Today many seem to think that it would be impossible to have a church unless it bore the aspect of a cathedral. However, such thinking is materialist and worldly. The mistake we make is that we attach the name of the church to the building instead of to the people who are within it. The Church of our Lord is composed of obedient believers of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a living structure and not a dead one. It is a building not made with hands. It is the dwelling place of the Almighty who lives in the hearts of those who love Him. With charming Christian simplicity, Paul is referring to the fact that those who love the Lord were accustomed to be in the home of this couple, and so he refers to the church that is in their house. Wherever the Lord’s people meet, there is the local church. We may build the finest structure of wood and stone but we will never make it a church in the New Testament sense. The church is composed of men and women whose hearts are regenerated and who are “builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
Then Paul goes on down through this list of famous men and women who had made their mark in the pathway of faith in company with Paul. Notice how affectionately and personally he speaks of them: “Salute my well-beloved Epænetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.” Two facts regarding this person catch the attention: (1) that he was converted in Asia (probably at Ephesus) while Paul was there, and (2) that his name is here closely listed with those of Prisca and Aquila. This would give plausibility to the speculation that it is possible Epaenetus was converted by Prisca and Aquila, and that for this reason his name is mentioned after their names. It is even surmised that he was a tentmaker, worked in Aquila’s shop, and thus came to Rome with this couple. Paul would thus know him intimately, and “my beloved” would fit exactly.
The Gospel of Christ had been sounded out into Achaia soon after Paul visited Thessalonica. These Thessalonian believers who were young in the faith spread the glad tidings of Christ abroad throughout all the land, and evidently this dear man Epænetus was among the first to receive the Gospel and believe it. Paul speaks of him as “my well-beloved.” No human tongue could ever properly describe the affection that exists among men who are devoted to Christ, whose hearts are drawn together by their common attachment to the Lord Jesus. Paul speaks of these various fellow believers as my well-beloved, my fellow prisoners, my beloved in the Lord, our helper, and my beloved.
A most excellent touch is found in verse 13 where Paul says, “Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.” Conybeare and Howson’s state: “Mark (Mark 15:21) mentions Simon of Cyrene as ‘the father of Alexander and Rufus;’ the latter, therefore, was a Christian well known to those for whom St. Mark wrote, and probably is the same here mentioned. It is gratifying to think that she whom St. Paul mentions here with such respectful affection, was the wife of that Simon who bore the Savior’s cross.”1
“Chosen in the Lord” is not a reference to anything such as the doctrine of election, but simply means “one of God’s choice men.” Adam Clarke called attention to Biblical expressions such as “choice gifts” (Deut. 12:11) and “choice men” (Judg. 22:16), and noted that: “By the same use of the word, the companions of Paul and Barnabas are termed ‘chosen men,’ persons in whom the church of God could confide.”2
“His mother and mine” was probably intended by Paul as a warm, personal, and respectful recognition of a gracious Christian woman who had treated him as a son and had aided and encouraged his marvelous work; but there is another possibility that cannot be omitted from consideration. When Paul became a Christian, it is possible that his own parents rejected him, and that he was adopted by the mother of Alexander and Rufus. The total absence from Paul’s writings of any mention of his parents, and the known custom of the Jews of holding a funeral for apostates from Judaism (funerals of the living dead, in their view), and withal, Paul’s plaintive cry: “For whom I have suffered the loss of all things ... that I might gain Christ” (Phil. 3:8) – all things suggest a family crisis when Paul was converted to Christ. Then, there is also the problem of Paul’s wife. The fact that he was married may be inferred from his apparent membership in the Sanhedrin; and, although no absolute certainty exists with reference to such considerations as these, there certainly exists the possibility that when Paul became a Christian, he was cast out by all of his immediate family, though not by all the kin (as evidenced in this chapter); and, in view of such possibility, there could well be more implied by this tender reference to Rufus’ mother than merely a warm personal compliment.
From this verse it seems that the mother of Rufus had proved herself a mother to Paul at a time when he was friendless. Paul did not forget that.
“Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brethren that are with them.” These people, along with other Christians who were doubtless associated with them, formed some kind of a Christian community in Rome, perhaps another household congregation rotating their meeting places in the homes of those singled out for salutation, or a grouping in some geographical area of the great city, or other. One can only be amazed at the knowledge Paul had concerning the progress of Christianity in the Roman capital.
“Salute Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints that are with them.”
Five more people are mentioned, although Nereus’ sister’s name is not given. Both men and women are included. Julia was usually a feminine name, and the bearer of it might well have been the wife of Philologus, though not likely his sister, in view of Paul’s use of that word a moment later. This was another group of Christians in Rome; and the impression is received that here was another household congregation. Not many of the Christians of that day would have owned a house large enough to accommodate such a congregation regularly; therefore, it would have been logical for them to have taken turns, Sunday by Sunday, worshipping in the homes of various members with houses large enough or convenient enough to supply the need. Such a possibility is at least suggested by the lack that there are only four or five Sundays per month, corresponding exactly with the four or five persons mentioned in each of these groups. Of course, Prisca and Aquila were able to provide a place in their home as a regular meeting place for all the services of their group, being obviously more able than most others to do such a thing.
This roll of names, so sacred to the Christian religion, is now complete; and it is no mere list of dry syllables, for these are among God’s redeemed ones from this earth. We do not know them, nor the distant world in which they lived; but it is our priceless privilege to know him in whom they lived and in whose service they lived and died.
“Salute one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ salute you.” The salutation here is not that of Paul, as if he had said, “Kiss everyone for me,” but the salutation of the members themselves extended one to another with a sacred kiss of Christian love. Such a kiss on the brow or cheek, sometimes on both cheeks, or on the hands, as in the Greek orthodox church until this day, was a common form of salutation in ancient times. It was brought over into Christianity by apostolic commandment and continued for many centuries, prevailing as custom in many places to this day. The sacred kiss as an affectionate greeting conveyed an evidence of mutual love, respect, honor, and equality, and was evidently used by Christ and the apostles themselves, hence the odium that attached to Judas’ use of such a greeting to betray the Son of God.
May the Lord enlarge our hearts to realize the Christian faith is more than forgiveness of sins. It is more than getting to heaven by and by. It is the entrance now into a kingdom where divine love permeates everything, and where the very atmosphere is charged with courtesy, loving-kindness, and gratitude. In a word, it is the love of Christ, shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit that is given unto us.
