God’s various ways of speaking in Scripture are fascinating. It is not only what God says but how He says it that captures our attention. Letters teach. Psalms have meter and form. Prophets preach. Narratives tell a story.
Some books are a mix. Acts narrates but teaches with sermons. Romans teaches but has a narrative feel in its final chapter with a host of greetings. Though these greetings are unique to those people then, it is God’s timeless Word for us today. What are some good lessons that we can grab from the greetings of Romans 16?
Greet one another in the Lord.
Paul commands, “Greet one another with a holy kiss” (Romans 16:16a). I understand that a proper expression of love in a Christian context, even if not a kiss of some sort, will do. The rest of the greetings in Romans 16:3–16 (and Romans 16:21–23) can function for examples in greeting one another as Christians. Paul commands the Romans to greet individuals, families, and churches seventeen times. Four more examples of greetings come in Romans 16:21–23.
Be personal.
Though Paul had not yet visited Rome (Romans 1:13), he knew many Roman Christians. He personalized his greetings, identifying twenty-nine people in Romans 16:1–16 and four more in sending greetings to them in Romans 16:21–23. Ministry is personal.
Remember that unity is found in Christ.
Whether “in Christ” or “in the Lord,” Paul uses these phrases for a combined ten times in Romans 16:1–16. We often revel in what it means to be “in Christ” in Ephesians 1. In Romans 16, we see similar truths. Whether in Christ, Christ Jesus, or the Lord, we welcome Christian servants (Romans 16:1), have fellow workers (Romans 16:3, 9), become converts (Romans 16:5), become Christians (Romans 16:7), are loved (Romans 16:8), have approval (Romans 16:10), are distinguished from other family members (Romans 16:11), work hard (Romans 16:12), and are chosen (Romans 16:13). We find our unity in Christ!
Churches should be partners in the Great Commission.
It seems Paul greets Christians within family systems in Romans 16:10–11, not whole churches. Still, we have at least 3 local churches that Paul address in Romans 16:3, 14, and 15. They all knew each other as they received this letter together, and its purpose was to join Paul in carrying out the Great Commission together (cf. Romans 1:8–15; 15:14–29).
Recognize others for their labor in the Lord.
Paul uses “worker words” five times. He called people “fellow workers,” “workers,” or those who “worked hard” (Romans 16:3, 6, 9, 12a, 12b). He recognized their labors for the Lord.
Express Christian love to one another.
Paul calls four people “beloved” (Romans 16:5, 8, 9, 12). He could have said this of all, but he did not overdo it. Every Christian should love every Christian, and God loves us more than all.
Greet one another in the Lord. Be personal. Remember that unity is found in Christ. Churches should be partners in the Great Commission. Recognize others for their labor in the Lord. Express Christian love to one another. These are some good lessons that we can grab from the greetings of Romans 16!
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Photo by Vladislav Klapin on Unsplash
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Appendix: What’s in a Name?
Paul’s point in Romans 16:1–16 is certainly not to read anything into the meanings of the names that he addresses. I don’t even know what the givers of these names were thinking when they gave them or what their owners came to think of them. Nonetheless, it was a fun exercise to dig through a number of sources to figure out the possible meanings of the names listed below. There are 27 names, and Paul identifies two others without their names (the mother of Rufus and the sister of Nereus).
- Phoebe: “radiant”; perhaps “a surname of Artemis” (NBD)
- Prisca: ancient; venerable; worthy; “little old lady”
- Aquila: eagle
- Epaenetus: “praised”; as a verb, translated “extol” in Romans 15:11
- Mary: many say “bitter”; could also be a “gift from God” or “celebrated”
- Andronicus: powerful man, conquerer; roots stem from “man” (andros) and “power” (nikē)
- Junia: “youthful” or perhaps a derivative of Juno, the goddess queen married to Jupiter, the protector of marriage, women, and childbirth
- Ampliatus: “ample” or “enlarged” in terms of character or stature
- Urbanus: “refined,” “polite,” “polished,” “of the city”
- Stachys: same word in the Greek as a head of grain or an ear of corn; maybe even “the flower of the aromatic plant spikenard” (BDAG)
- Apelles: “called” if from the Latin appellō (“to call”); root may also stem from apellomai (“to separate, exclude)
- Aristobulus: roots are “best” and “counselor,” meaning “best counselor” or someone who will make excellent plans
- Herodion: “heroic” or “valiant”; or, if a slave, simply “belonging to Herod”
- Narcissus: from the flower narkē, producing lethargy or astonishment; same root form which we get the English “narcotic”
- Tryphaena: dainty or luxurious; possibly from thruptō (“to break into small pieces,” BDAG) or truph(“to lead a life of self-indulgence, live for pleasure,” BDAG)
- Tryphosa: luxurious; same root as above; these two were likely sisters with similar names
- Persis: “a Persian woman” or perhaps “one who takes by storm”
- Rufus: red
- Asyncritus: incomparable; roots are “not,” “with,” and “judgment,” as if to say that he could not be compared to others
- Phlegon: “burning,” giving the idea of “zealous”
- Hermes: the name of the Greek god who was the interpreter and spokesman for the others; could perhaps have notions of being a teacher or someone who brought good tidings
- Patrobas: has the idea of being like his father; father is patēr in the Greek
- Hermas: a variant of Hermes (see above)
- Philologus: roots are “love” and “word,” meaning “a lover of words or the Word”; has ideas of being a scholar
- Julia: soft-haired or maybe even curly-haired
- Nereus: perhaps from a minor Greek sea-god over the Nereids; “water nymph”
- Olympas: “heavenly” or “bright”
It is also interesting to note that…
- Some names were common for slaves: Nereus, Hermes, Persis, Herodion, Tryphosa, Tryphaena, Ampliatus, Julia, Junia, and Maria (Schreiner)
- Nine of the names belonged to women: women: Prisca, Mary, Junia, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, Persis, the mother of Rufus, and Julia (Schreiner)
Sources
- Balz, Horst Robert, and Gerhard Schneider. in Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1990–.
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- Bromiley, Geoffrey W., ed. in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Revised. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979–1988.
- Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.
- Schreiner, Thomas R. Romans. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1998.
- Smith, Stelman, and Judson Cornwall. in The Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names. North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos, 1998.
- Strong, James. in Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship, 1995.
- Thomas, Robert L. in New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek Dictionaries : Updated Edition. Anaheim: Foundation, 1998.
- Wood, D. R. W., and I. Howard Marshall. in New Bible Dictionary. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1996.
- Zodhiates, Spiros. in The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament. Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000.