Commentary - Romans 16:3-16

Bird's-eye view

After fifteen chapters of the most profound and densely packed theology in all of Scripture, the apostle Paul concludes his letter to the Romans with a chapter full of personal greetings. Some might be tempted to skim this section as a mere list of names, but to do so would be to miss the gospel in shoe leather. This is theology embodied. Here we see the fruit of the doctrine of justification, reconciliation, and adoption. People from every conceivable background, Jew and Gentile, man and woman, slave and free, prominent and obscure, are now brothers and sisters in Christ. They are fellow workers, beloved, approved, and chosen in the Lord. This chapter is a vibrant snapshot of the early church, not as an abstract institution, but as a network of real relationships, forged in shared labor, suffering, and affection. Paul’s greetings reveal the deep personal cost of his ministry and the profound corporate nature of the Christian life. The gospel creates a new family, a new society, that transcends all earthly distinctions.

These greetings are not just sentimental postscripts. They are strategic and pastoral. Paul is commending and reinforcing the very people who embody the unity he has been writing about. He highlights the tireless labor of some, the sacrificial courage of others, and the hospitality that formed the backbone of the church’s existence through the house churches. In a letter to a church he has never visited, Paul demonstrates an astonishingly intimate knowledge of its key members, thereby building a bridge of fellowship before he ever arrives. The chapter culminates in a call for this diverse family to greet one another with a holy kiss, a tangible expression of their supernatural unity, and a reminder that their fellowship is a testimony to all the churches of Christ.

Outline

Context In Romans

Romans 16 serves as the personal and practical conclusion to a letter that is overwhelmingly theological. Having laid the bedrock of the gospel in chapters 1-11, and having detailed the practical outworking of that gospel in Christian living and societal engagement in chapters 12-15, Paul now turns to the personal relationships that are the context for all of it. This is not an afterthought. The unity between Jew and Gentile, the strong and the weak, which Paul labored to establish in chapters 14 and 15, is now displayed in the names he lists. This list is a living demonstration of Romans 12:5, "so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." By naming these individuals and their contributions, Paul is putting faces to the doctrines. He is showing the Romans that the glorious truths of justification by faith and adoption into God's family are not abstract concepts but are powerful enough to create a real, functioning, and affectionate community out of the disparate elements of the Roman empire.

Key Issues

The Fabric of Fellowship

It is a great mistake to treat this final chapter of Romans as a mere appendix. It is the doxology in action. The high doctrines of the gospel are not meant to terminate in our intellects, but rather to produce a particular kind of people and a particular kind of community. This chapter is a catalog of such people. What Paul has been teaching for fifteen chapters is here on display. We see courage, sacrifice, hard work, hospitality, and deep affection. This is what the gospel does. It takes individuals, saves them, and then weaves them together into a fabric of fellowship. Notice the recurring phrases: "my fellow worker," "my beloved," "in Christ," "in the Lord." The gospel creates a new set of relationships that are deeper and more binding than blood or nationality. Paul is not just greeting friends; he is celebrating the reality of the body of Christ. Every name on this list is a testimony to the power of God to save sinners and make them saints, and not just saints in isolation, but saints in community.

Verse by Verse Commentary

3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,

Paul begins with this power couple of the early church. Prisca, or Priscilla, is often named first, suggesting her prominence. They were tentmakers, like Paul, and had been expelled from Rome under Claudius's edict. They hosted Paul in Corinth, discipled the eloquent Apollos in Ephesus, and now are back in Rome, at the heart of the action. Paul calls them his fellow workers, a term of high honor. This is not a hierarchical relationship of apostle and underlings; it is a partnership in the gospel. Their work was not tangential to Paul's, but shoulder-to-shoulder with him, all of it "in Christ Jesus." That is the sphere in which all true Christian labor takes place.

4 who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;

This is an astonishing commendation. At some unrecorded point, Prisca and Aquila laid their lives on the line for Paul. The phrase "risked their own necks" is vivid, suggesting they placed their necks on the executioner's block for his sake. This was no small favor; it was ultimate loyalty. Because of this, Paul says his gratitude is shared by all the churches of the Gentiles. Why? Because by saving the life of the apostle to the Gentiles, they preserved the ministry that brought the gospel to all those churches. Their courage had continent-spanning consequences. This is a powerful reminder that acts of faithfulness, even when they seem personal and localized, can have a ripple effect throughout the kingdom of God.

5 also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.

The early church had no dedicated buildings. The center of church life was the home, and Prisca and Aquila’s home was one such center. They practiced gospel hospitality, opening their home for the assembly of the saints. Paul then turns to Epaenetus, calling him "my beloved." This is a term of deep, personal affection. Epaenetus holds a special place in Paul's heart as the "first convert," or the firstfruits, of his ministry in the province of Asia. He was the beginning of a great harvest, a living token of God's faithfulness to Paul's work there.

6 Greet Mary, who has labored much for you.

Here we have the first of several women commended for their hard work. The word for "labored" is a strong one, implying toil to the point of exhaustion. Mary had poured herself out in service to the Roman believers. We are not told the specific nature of her labor, and that is instructive. The kingdom advances through countless acts of faithful, often unseen, service. The Lord knows them all, and through the apostle, He gives public honor to this tireless woman.

7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding to the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

This is a verse packed with information. Andronicus and Junia were Paul’s "kinsmen," meaning they were fellow Jews. They were also his "fellow prisoners," meaning they had shared a jail cell with him for the sake of the gospel. They had suffered alongside him. The phrase "outstanding to the apostles" most naturally means they were highly regarded by the apostles, or that they were themselves prominent apostles in the wider sense of the term, meaning "sent ones" or foundational missionaries. Given the context, the latter is quite possible. The name Junia is feminine, and there is no good reason to take it otherwise. So here we have a woman, likely the wife of Andronicus, who is a respected, apostolic-level figure. To top it off, they were converted before Paul was, placing them among the earliest ranks of believers. They were veterans of the faith.

8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.

Another one whom Paul calls "my beloved." The name Ampliatus was common among slaves in the imperial household, which gives us a glimpse into the social diversity of the Roman church. His social standing on earth may have been low, but his standing in the kingdom is high. He is beloved by the great apostle, and more importantly, he is "in the Lord."

9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.

Urbanus is another "fellow worker," a partner in the gospel enterprise. Notice Paul says "our" fellow worker, identifying Urbanus with his whole apostolic team. Stachys is another one who has earned the affectionate title "my beloved." The repetition of these terms is not empty; it shows the deep bonds of love that the gospel forges between laborers.

10 Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.

Apelles has the distinct honor of being called "the approved in Christ." This means he was tested and found to be genuine. He was the real deal, a man of proven character and faithfulness. Paul then greets the "household of Aristobulus." Aristobulus was likely a wealthy and influential man, possibly a grandson of Herod the Great, whose household of slaves and servants had been absorbed into the emperor's household. It seems a group of believers existed within this secular administrative unit.

11 Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.

Herodion is another fellow Jew. Narcissus was a very powerful and wealthy freedman who had served the emperor Claudius. He had been executed before this letter was written, but his large household of slaves and workers would have been taken over by Nero. Paul greets the believers within that household, carefully specifying "who are in the Lord," indicating that not everyone in that secular household was a Christian.

12 Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, laborers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who labored much in the Lord.

Here are three more women singled out for their work. The names Tryphaena and Tryphosa mean "dainty" and "delicate," but their work for the Lord was anything but. They were "laborers." And then there is Persis, another "beloved" sister, who "labored much." Paul piles up the commendations. The church in Rome was clearly energized by the diligent service of its female members.

13 Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine.

Rufus is described as "a choice man," or "the elect," in the Lord. This doesn't mean he was more elect than anyone else, but that he was an outstanding example of what God's elect look like. Many believe this is the same Rufus mentioned in Mark's gospel as the son of Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus' cross (Mark 15:21). If so, it's a beautiful picture of how the shame of the cross brought salvation to an entire family. Paul's next comment is deeply touching. He greets Rufus's mother, and then adds, "and mine." At some point in Paul's ministry, this dear woman had treated him with the love and care of a mother. This is the family of God in action.

14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them.

This appears to be another group, perhaps another house church. The names are common, mostly slave names. Paul greets them and "the brothers with them," acknowledging the entire fellowship. These are not famous names, but they are written in the Lamb's book of life and in the apostle's letter.

15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

Here is a final cluster of names, likely another house church. We have two pairs, Philologus and Julia (probably husband and wife) and Nereus and his sister, along with Olympas. And again, Paul includes "all the saints who are with them." The gospel creates communities, and Paul is careful to greet the entire community, not just the leaders.

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Having greeted so many individuals, Paul now commands them to greet one another. The "holy kiss" was a common form of greeting in that culture, a sign of family affection and peace. By calling it "holy," Paul sets it apart from mere custom or romantic expression. It was to be a genuine, pure expression of their unity as brothers and sisters in Christ. It was a tangible way to break down the social barriers between master and slave, Jew and Gentile. Finally, he extends a greeting from "all the churches of Christ." The Roman church was not alone; they were part of a worldwide fellowship, a great cloud of witnesses, all united in the same Lord and the same faith.

Application

First, this chapter ought to kill any notion of a "lone ranger" Christianity. The Christian life is a deeply corporate, relational life. The gospel does not just save our individual souls for a private relationship with God; it drafts us into an army, adopts us into a family, and builds us into a temple. We are called to be "fellow workers," to labor alongside one another, to bear one another's burdens, and to show deep, genuine affection for one another.

Second, notice the dignity of labor. Again and again, Paul honors people because they "labored much." The Christian life is not a life of ease. It is a life of joyful, strenuous, and sometimes exhausting work for the sake of the King and His kingdom. Whether that work is public preaching, discipling others, showing hospitality, or the quiet service of a "Mary," it is all noted and honored by God.

Finally, we must see that our doctrine is meant to produce this kind of community. A church that has all its theological ducks in a row but is cold, unaffectionate, and lacking in hospitality has missed the point entirely. The truth of the gospel is meant to melt our hearts and open our homes. The love that Paul expresses for these saints, and the love he commands them to show one another, is the necessary fruit of the deep doctrines he has spent fifteen chapters explaining. If our theology does not make us love the brethren more, then we need to check if we have understood our theology at all.