Romans 16

¹ I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly that is at Cenchreae,

² that you receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and that you assist her in whatever matter she may need from you, for she herself also has been a helper of many, and of my own self.

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

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

⁵ Greet the assembly that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first fruits of Achaia to Christ.

⁶ Greet Mary, who labored much for us.

⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners, who are notable among the apostles, who were also in Christ before me.

⁸ Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord.

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

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

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

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

¹³ Greet Rufus, the chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

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

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

¹⁶ Greet one another with a holy kiss. The assemblies of Christ greet you.

¹⁷ Now I beg you, brothers, look out for those who are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them.

¹⁸ For those who are such don’t serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the innocent.

¹⁹ For your obedience has become known to all. I rejoice therefore over you. But I desire to have you wise in that which is good, but innocent in that which is evil.

²⁰ And the God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

²¹ Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives.

²² I, Tertius, who write the letter, greet you in the Lord.

²³ Gaius, my host and host of the whole assembly, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, as does Quartus, the brother.

²⁴ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all! Amen.

²⁵ Verse omitted in this WEB edition. See the source notes.

Around Romans 16

Book context

RomansEditorial draft

Paul writes to believers “in Rome” (1:1, 1:7), a church he had often planned to visit but had not yet reached (1:13), as he prepares to go to Jerusalem to serve the saints (15:25). The letter presents the Good News as “the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek” (1:16 to 17), then turns to how believers live in response to God’s mercy (12:1). Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897) outlines it as an introduction (1:1 to 15), the gospel of righteousness by faith (1:16 to 11:36), practical instruction (12:1 to 15:13) and a conclusion with many personal greetings (15:14 to the end). Easton places it in Corinth in AD 58; Phoebe, commended in 16:1, may have carried it.

Why we say this

HisFullGlory editorial · common interpretation · not yet reviewed by a theological reader

From the text itself

Sources

Notes summarise their sources in our own words. Where Christians or scholars disagree, the note says so. Notes are not original-language evidence and do not replace the text.

AI explanation

Romans 16 · Written by an AI model · Not reviewed by a theological reader

This explanation was written by an AI model to help you get started. It names no sources and can contain mistakes. Scripture comes first, and context with sources is shown separately on this page.

What this chapter says

The letter that has argued about law, grace and the whole sweep of God’s plan now ends with names. “I commend to you Phoebe, our sister,” Paul begins, a servant of the assembly at Cenchreae, a helper of many, and of himself. Then the greetings pour out: Prisca and Aquila, who risked their necks for his life, and the church that meets in their house; Mary, who labored much; Andronicus and Junia, “notable among the apostles”; Tryphaena and Tryphosa; Persis; Rufus and his mother.

A sharper note follows. Paul warns his readers to watch for people who cause divisions with smooth speech. He prays that God will quickly crush Satan under their feet.

Then the secretary breaks in: “I, Tertius, who write the letter, greet you in the Lord.” More names follow, among them Erastus, the city’s treasurer.

Background

Many scholars think Phoebe carried the letter to Rome, and that makes her its first reader to the church. The greetings show a large network of people, men and women, Jews and Gentiles, some enslaved and some not. Christians differ on Junia: whether the name is a woman’s or a man’s, and whether “notable among the apostles” means that she was counted as an apostle or was well regarded by them. Ancient copies place the closing praise in different positions, and this edition leaves it out here.

About this explanation

Written by Claude Sonnet 5.5, an AI model, on 16 October 2026. It draws on the WEB text and general knowledge and was not checked against sources by a person. Every quotation from Scripture is checked automatically against the WEB text.

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