Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

An overview of chapter 16 before we go into the verse by verse study.

What does Romans chapter 16 mean?

Romans 16 is the final passage in Paul’s long letter to the Christians in Rome. It contains four sections: his greetings to specific people in Rome, a quick and urgent warning about the danger of false teachers, greetings from those who are with him in Corinth, and a final hymn of praise to God called a doxology.

Though Paul has not yet been to Rome at the time of this writing, he knows many of the believers there personally or by reputation. He begins these greetings by commending the lady who will deliver this letter to them. Phoebe is a servant of the church a Cenchreae, a town not far from Corinth. She is described as a patron or benefactor to Paul and many others (Romans 16:1–2).

Next Paul mentions Prisca—or Priscilla—and Aquila, a married couple Paul has spent much time with both in their secular work of making tents and in the ministry. Aquila was forced to leave Rome when Jews were banned from the city. Apparently, the pair returned after the ban was lifted, perhaps accompanied by a man named Epaenetus, described as the first convert to Christ in the region where Priscilla and Aquila ministered (Romans 16:3–4).

The rest of Paul’s greetings include people we know little or nothing about outside of this list, though some seem to have been slaves, members of royal households, close friends, and groups that met together in several different house churches in Rome (Romans 16:5–16).

Before signing off, Paul seems compelled to offer a quick warning about false teachers who might show up among the Christians in Rome. These people will cause division and teach a distorted version of Christian doctrine. Their deception had the potential to lead naive people away from Christ. Paul tells his readers both to look out for them and to avoid them (Romans 16:17–20).

Next, Paul sends greetings from those who are with him in Corinth, including his longtime partner and student in ministry Timothy. Of the six others he mentions, several show up elsewhere in the New Testament and were known to be companions and fellow workers with Paul. Paul seems to have always worked with a team and never as a solitary minister of the gospel (Romans 16:21–23).

The text labelled as the 24th verse of this chapter is not usually included in modern translations. It repeats the statement made in verse 20 and is only found in later manuscripts. More than likely, it was inadvertently added during the copying process, but was not part of Paul’s original writing (Romans 16:24).

Paul ends his letter with a hymn of praise to God called a doxology. In keeping with the point of this letter, his doxology praises the God who has revealed the long-hidden mystery of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul calls it his gospel, making clear to the Romans that they—and we—should hold his teaching in this letter as the authoritative truth about Jesus. The final words of Paul’s majestic letter about God’s grace and forgiveness for all who come to Him by faith in Jesus declare that God be glorified forever through Jesus Christ (Romans 16:25–27).

Verse by Verse

Verse 1: I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae,

Paul continues to wrap up his long letter to the Romans. He launches into a list of recommendations and greetings, mentioning quite a few people by name.

He begins with Phoebe. She is the person who will deliver Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome, traveling from where Paul was staying in Corinth. Cenchreae was a seaport town located not far from Corinth. Paul describes Phoebe as “our sister” [in Christ] and as a servant of the church in Cenchreae.

The Greek word Paul uses for servant is diakonon, the same word sometimes translated as “deacon.” It’s possible Phoebe held some official position in the church, which may be one reason she was qualified to deliver the letter to the Romans on behalf of Paul. It’s of note that Phoebe is referred to as a diakonon “of the church,” rather than a servant in general. Likewise, in the next verse, she will be described as a prostatis, a term which often refers to a female guardian or overseer.

While Paul’s explanation of the role of an elder is clear, when it comes to gender (1 Timothy 3:1–7), verses such as Romans 16:1 are one reason some Christians believe roles such as deaconess are biblically valid.

Verse 2: that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

In the previous verse, Paul introduced Phoebe to the Christians in Rome. She is likely the one delivering this letter to them from where Paul was staying in Corinth. He described her as a servant of the church in Cenchreae.

Now he instructs his readers to welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints. In other words, they were to receive her honorably as they would welcome a sister in Christ. In addition, they were to help her with whatever she needed while she was with them. This instruction fits with Paul’s command in Romans 12 that living-sacrifice Christians seek to show hospitality (Romans 12:13).

Paul reveals that Phoebe has been a “patron.” This is from the Greek word prostatis, a feminine noun specifically meaning a woman in some supervisory or guardian’s role, or one who aids through providing resources. It’s possible that Phoebe helped support Paul’s work financially or in other ways. Given her description in verse 1 using the word diakonon, some interpreters believe Phoebe was a deaconess—a female deacon—sent by Paul to deliver this letter.

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

Beginning with this verse, Paul reels off a list of 16 sentences that begin with the word “greet.” Though Paul has not yet been to Rome, he clearly knows quite a few of the believers there. He instructs his readers to greet these people on his behalf and, likely, so that each of them can represent him to the larger church in Rome.

He begins with a married couple called Prisca—or Priscilla—and Aquila, referring to them as his fellow workers in Christ. Compared to some of the other references given here, we know quite a bit about this faithful couple. From Acts 18:1–3, we learn how Paul first met them in Corinth and worked with them for a time in the trade of making tents. The couple had previously lived in Italy, but they were forced to leave when the emperor Claudius commanded all the Jews out of Rome.

In addition to partnering with Paul in tent-making, the pair came to Christ and worked with him in ministry. They traveled with him to Ephesus, where he left them to establish a church that ended up meeting in their large home (Acts 18:18–19; 1 Corinthians 16:19). Apparently knowledgeable in the things of God, they graciously taught a passionate young evangelist named Apollos a better understanding of the gospel (Acts 18:26). Paul eventually returned to Ephesus and served with them there for quite a while.

Now Aquilla and Priscilla were back in Rome, likely having returned after the death of Claudius and the end of his ban on Jews in AD 54. Paul had a long and close relationship with this couple.

Verse 4: who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.

The previous verse began with Paul’s instruction to his readers to greet Prisca/Priscilla and Aquila, a Christian couple he had worked with both in making tents and in ministry. Their relationship to Paul is detailed in other passages of Scripture (Acts 18:18–19; 1 Corinthians 16:19). They are also credited with educating a passionate-but-uninformed man, Apollos, giving him a better understanding of the gospel (Acts 18:26).

In addition to Paul’s long and close relationship with these two, he describes them as having “risked their necks.” The Greek phrase here serves the same symbolic role as the English translation: these two risked their lives to save Paul. We don’t have a record of when this happened, but they were likely present when Paul was nearly killed during a riot in Ephesus (Acts 19:23–41). It may also be a more general reference to their willingness to endure danger and threat of loss for the sake of Paul’s mission.

Paul writes that he gives them thanks, likely not just for risking their lives for his sake but also for years of service and close friendship. In addition, he says, all the Gentile churches give thanks for this couple, as well. Perhaps Paul means that all these churches are grateful that Paul lived to finish his ministry because of Priscilla and Aquila or perhaps he is referring to their long service to many different people.

Verse 5: Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.

Paul concludes his instructions that his readers greet his longtime friends and co-workers Priscilla and Aquila with another greeting. He asks that they greet the church that meets in their house. By this, we know that Priscilla and Aquila were likely quite wealthy by the standards of their day, having a home large enough to host one of the house churches. They had done the same when they lived in Ephesus (1 Corinthians 16:9).

Since Paul greets the church that meets at their house, this likely indicates that the church in Rome was large enough to gather at multiple locations.

Next Paul asks his readers to greet a man named Epaenetus. Paul describes him as the first convert to Christianity in Asia. The literal word used here is aparchē, sometimes translated as “firstfruits.” Ephesus, where Priscilla and Aquila helped to establish a church, is a major city in the Roman province of Asia. Scholars speculate that Epaenetus was led to Christ by Priscilla and Aquila and then traveled to Rome with them to help with the ministry there.

Verse 6: Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you.

Paul continues the list of people he would like his readers in Rome to greet for him, mentioning most by name and at least one commendable quality. Next, he asks that they greet a woman named Mary, or possibly “Mariam.” As seen in other passages in the New Testament, the name “Mary” was so common that it was not unusual to see several women in the same group bearing it (Luke 24:10; Matthew 28:1) Her very common name indicates she may have been a Jewish woman, though “Mary” was occasionally used by Gentiles, as well.

Paul praises Mary for working very hard for the church in Rome. In fact, she “toiled greatly.” We don’t know what this work consisted of or how Paul would have known her, but she is praised for her diligence in serving the Christians there.

Verse 7: Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.

Paul’s next greeting is directed to a pair known as Andronicus and Junia/Junias. Though we don’t know for sure, most scholars think it likely Junia is a woman’s name, making this the second married couple included in Paul’s list of greetings.

Andronicus and Junia are described as Paul’s “kinsmen,” likely meaning that they were Jewish. If so, Andronicus, given his name, was probably a Hellenistic Jew, meaning that he had grown up as a Jewish person assimilated into Greek culture and speaking Greek instead of Hebrew. Paul refers to the pair as fellow prisoners. Paul often spent time in jails and prisons for preaching the gospel. Apparently, Andronicus and Junia shared that experience, though we don’t know if they were in prison with Paul at the same time.

Depending on the translation, the couple is said to have been either well known “to” the apostles or “among” them. Given Paul’s next statement in the following verse, it seems likely Andronicus and Junia at least knew the original 12 who came to hold the official office of Apostle. Paul writes that they were in Christ before him, meaning that Andronicus and Junia may have been Christians long enough to have been part of the very birth of the church led by Peter and the others in Jerusalem.

Some scholars suggest that Paul referred to the pair as being “among” the apostles themselves, using the term in a general sense as he sometimes did to refer to other messengers of the gospel like Barnabas and Silas (Acts 14:14; 1 Thessalonians 2:6). Andronicus and Junia must have been vocal in proclaiming Jesus if they spent time in prison for it.

Verse 8: Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.

Paul continues to list people whom he would like his readers to greet for him. Paul apparently knew quite a few people in Rome, and it’s a long list. Very little specific information is known to us about many names on the list, including the one in this verse.

For the second time, Paul refers to someone as “beloved.” He calls Ampliatus his beloved in the Lord. Perhaps Paul had an especially close relationship with this man or perhaps Paul merely wished to say something kind about Ampliatus. Paul had instructed his readers to love all Christians in the Lord (Romans 12:10).

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

Paul continues to list people he would like his readers in Rome to greet for him. Because of his name, as with Ampliatus, some scholars suggest that Urbanus may have been a slave or former slave. Paul describes him as “our” fellow worker in Christ instead of “my” fellow worker. Perhaps Paul did not know him well. Or, he was deliberately emphasizing the idea that this man was equally a part of God’s family.

Paul describes Stachys as beloved or “the one loved by me,” as he has does with several others on this list. Perhaps Paul was especially close to these men or perhaps he is modeling a devoted love for all who are in Christ (Romans 12:10).

Verse 10: Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus.

Next on Paul’s list for his Roman readers to greet is Apelles. We don’t know anything about the man other than the fact that Paul describes him as approved in Christ. It may be that Apelles faced and overcame some challenge to his faith or Paul may mean that he is approved in the more general sense of the word as one who is respected by others (Romans 14:18).

Paul then wishes greetings for a group of people: those belonging to the household of a man named Aristobulus. Some scholars associate this person with the grandson of Herod the Great and the brother of King Herod Agrippa I. That Aristobulus died in A.D. 48, which would explain why Paul doesn’t send greetings to him. Instead, he asks the Roman Christians to greet the family members (and likely the slaves) of his household, indicating that Paul knew some of them or that they were known to have come to faith in Christ.

Verse 11: Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus.

Paul continues to list individuals and families to whom he would like his readers to pass on his greetings. Now Paul mentions a man named Herodion. Since this would have been an unusual name in Rome, scholars suggest this may have been either a family member or former slave who served one of the royal lines of the Herods. Since Paul calls him a kinsman or relative, it is assumed the man is Jewish.

Paul also offers his greetings to those in the Lord who belong to the family of a man called Narcissus. Paul does not offer greetings to Narcissus directly. In other words, Paul offers his greeting to the Christian members of this man’s family, suggesting that some in the family had not come to faith in Christ. It’s possible this is the same Narcissus known from history as a servant to the Roman Emperor Claudius. Claudius died in AD 54. Narcissus is said to have committed suicide sometime later.

Verse 12: Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.

Paul adds three more names to his list of people for his readers in Rome to greet on his behalf. Tryphaena and Tryphosa are thought to be sisters and perhaps slaves or former slaves. Their names come from a word that means “delicate” or “dainty.” Paul describes them as women who worked hard in the Lord. Persis, perhaps another slave or former slave, is also described as one who worked hard in the Lord and who is beloved.

Paul often commends Christians for their diligence and hard work, especially when done in ministry or in the Lord. In the previous chapter, he described himself as being proud of his own work while quickly acknowledging that it was Christ who had accomplished that work through him (Romans 15:17–19). One of the mysteries of the Christian life is that God uses His own power to amplify our hard work in the Lord for His grand purposes.

Verse 13: Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.

Paul continues to list people he would like his Roman readers to greet for him. Now he comes to Rufus. It is not known if this Rufus is the same one mentioned in Mark 15:21 as the son of Simon of Cyrene, who carried the cross of Jesus. If this is that Rufus, then he would have been of North African descent.

Paul describes Rufus as one chosen in the Lord, perhaps meaning that Paul felt Rufus had been singled out by God for a specific work. It is also possible that Paul simply described Rufus as being one of the elect, a description he gave to all believers (Ephesians 1:4).

Paul offers greeting as well to Rufus’s mother, saying that she had been a mother to him, too. She was not his biological mother. Instead, she had served Paul in a maternal way, functioning as a spiritual mother in his life.

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

Paul is wrapping up his list of people whom he wishes for his readers in Rome to greet. He begins now simply listing names instead of offering quick commendations or descriptions of each one. Though he has never been to Rome, he knows personally or by reputation quite a few believers in the large city.

It is possible that Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers with them all met in the same house church in Rome. Nothing else is known about them.

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

Paul comes to the end of his list of people he wants his readers to greet for him in Rome. Those mentioned in this verse may have belonged to yet another house church. Apparently, the church in Rome consisted of several smaller groups that met in individual homes. Perhaps Paul’s letter would be read aloud in each group and then passed around.

This group likely includes another husband-and-wife pairing in Philologus and Julia, since they are mentioned together. Paul offers greetings to Nereus and his sister, as well as to Olympas. Perhaps he didn’t know the names of any of the others who met in this home.

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

Paul has concluded the list of people to whom he would like his Roman readers to pass on his greetings. He wraps up this section with an encouragement for them all to greet each other with a holy kiss. Paul concluded many of his letter in this way (1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26).

Many modern Christians, especially in the west, might not fully understand this idea. Nevertheless, a kiss on one or both cheeks has been a common greeting between friends in many cultures throughout human history. It was practiced in the early church as a way of confirming the sibling bond of love between believers in Christ. Paul likely refers to it as a “holy” kiss to set it apart from other kinds of kissing.

Paul also offers general greetings to the church in Rome from all the Christian churches he has been associated with. As always, Paul emphasizes the ultimate unity of all the churches that are of Christ.

Verse 17: I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.

The end of Paul’s letter to the Romans includes three different sections that could each function as a conclusion. After completing his list of greetings, he jumps back into some last-minute instructions before transitioning into a doxology and fully bringing the letter to a close.

These instructions begin with an urgent warning against divisions between believers. Paul is deeply concerned that all those who are in Christ remain unified as a single body. He aims some of the harshest language in his letter against people who would cause divisions, especially those who do so by false teaching.

Paul appeals to the Christians in Rome to keep looking out for anyone who joins them but begins to teach ideas that are different than what they’ve already been taught by him and other qualified apostles. This is a warning Paul gives, also in dire terms, in his other writings (Galatians 1:8–9; 1 Timothy 6:3–4).

These false teachers will seek to cause division, often by recruiting some to join them on one side or another of an issue. They will create obstacles to trip up the family of believers by pitting them against each other over new, false ideas about doctrine. By doctrine, Paul means an understanding of what is true about God, humanity, Christ, salvation, sin, etc.

The church at Rome may not yet have been infiltrated by false teachers, but Paul understood better than most that it would happen. He insisted that these believers keep looking for false teachers to show up. When they did, the prescription was simple: avoid them. Shun them. Don’t give them a chance to make the case for their distorted version of truth; put them on “mute.”

Verse 18: For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

Paul is offering some last-minute instruction to his readers about the dangers of false teachers. These are people who come among Christians and teach distorted versions of Christian truth as it had been taught by Paul and the other apostles. Paul had encountered such deceivers in many places, though it is not clear if they had reached the church in Rome, yet. It is also not clear which specific false teachings Paul is thinking of.

One temptation faced when encountering false teachers is to think they are sincere Christians who are simply offering a slightly different view, perhaps a better understanding, of the same great truths. Paul rejects that idea. The false teachers he has in mind do not in any way serve Christ. Instead, they serve their own appetites.

Perhaps by appetites, Paul means to show that these false teachers are most interested in sensual experiences, referring to literal appetites for food, drink, sexual experience, and money. Or perhaps he means that their end goal is to use deception to eventually gain financially from their false teaching, increasing their ability to serve their appetites. Most importantly, they do not serve the Lord.

The real problem with the false teachers is that they are effective. Those young or immature in their faith in Christ are most vulnerable to their attack. These teachers are good talkers, smooth and articulate and convincing. They use flattery, heaping on the compliments and false respect. Those not experienced with this sales tactic buy in and are deceived, led away from the truth and faith in Christ.

Paul’s prescription from the previous verse stands. Believers must avoid these deceptive teachers. Engaging with them and allowing them to linger in the community is too dangerous for the church (Galatians 1:8–9; 1 Timothy 6:3–4).

Verse 19: For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.

Paul has been warning the Christians in Rome just how dangerous false teachers can be. He has urged them to be on the lookout for anyone who will teach a distorted version of Christian truth, as well as to avoid such people when they do show up. These liars are very effective, Paul insists, at deceiving those who are naive or innocent.

Now he rushes to say that the Christians in Rome have a stellar reputation for obedience to the genuine truth of the gospel. They have not been misled. By this Paul likely means that they have both trusted in Christ and have set aside sinful lifestyles. Paul rejoices that this is true of them.

Still, Paul wants them to be more than just obedient. He wants them to be wise enough to recognize false teaching when it comes their way. He wants them to know the truth so thoroughly that they immediately recognize lying distortions of it.

Paul also wants for these believers in Rome to continue to be “innocent [about] what is evil.” The Greek word here is akeraios, which can also mean “unmixed, pure, or simple.” He wants them to continue to avoid sinful practices instead of becoming tainted or scarred by participating in them. Jesus said something similar: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

Verse 20: The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Paul has been warning the Christians in Rome against false teachers who will come among them and offer a distorted view of Christian truth. He wants the believers to take this warning seriously. He has written that these false teachers do not serve Christ but their own appetites. They are liars looking to deceive naive or innocent Christians.

Now, in offering a hopeful truth, Paul seems to associate these false teachers with the father of lies, Satan himself (Galatians 1:8–9). Paul’s final word on the subject seems to be that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under their feet. In other words, the work of Satan among them will ultimately fail and God will prevail through His people.

This verse echoes God’s prophetic curse on the serpent in Genesis 3:15, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

This, then, is another reason to be wary of and resist the false teachers. Because they are associated with Satan in deception about the character of God and the gospel, they will ultimately be crushed. Those who follow them will be crushed, as well. Those who remain true to the God of peace, through faith in Christ, will stand forever.

Paul adds a quick blessing to the end of these instructions about false teachers, praying that the grace of Christ would be with them.

Verse 21: Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

Paul has previously sent his greetings to specific people in Rome. Now he sends greetings from specific people with him in Corinth.

He first sends greetings from his fellow worker Timothy. Timothy worked as one of Paul’s closest partners in ministry, serving alongside and supporting the apostle for many years, beginning with the second missionary journey (Acts 16:2–3). He was present for the writing of many of Paul’s letters, including 2 Corinthians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Timothy was with Paul during his time in prison in Rome and afterwards.

Paul wrote two pivotal letters of the New Testament to Timothy, as well: 1 and 2 Timothy. Among other things, these explain how Timothy was to serve the church in Ephesus as a young pastor.

Paul also sends greetings from three other men with him at the time, identified as kinsmen—Jews along with Paul. It’s unclear who Lucius was, but Jason may very well have been the man who took so much abuse for receiving Paul when he was in Thessalonica (Acts 17:5–9). Sosipater may be Sopater the Berean, mentioned in Acts 20:4, who went with Paul during his third missionary journey. It’s possible that all three men served as representatives of the churches sending money to the poor Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.

Verse 22: I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

Paul is offering greetings to his readers in Rome from those who are with him in Corinth. In the previous verse, he sent greetings from Timothy, Lucius, and Jason. Paul apparently allowed his stenographer to add a greeting of his own. Nothing is known about Tertius outside of this verse. It was common in that era for letters to be dictated by the author, while a type of scribe—called an amanuensis—wrote them down. This was likely the role served by Tertius in this situation.

Paul regularly made use of an amanuensis. Some have speculated Paul had an issue with his eyes that made writing difficult. He ends his letter to the Galatians, for instance, by writing the words himself, pointing out what large letters he is using (Galatians 6:11).

Verse 23: Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.

Paul sends greetings to the Christians in Rome from three more of the men with him in Corinth. Three men named Gaius are mentioned in the New Testament (Acts 20:4; 3 John 1; 1 Corinthians 1:14). This one is most probably the same one mentioned by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:14 as a man he baptized while in Corinth. Paul is apparently staying at Gaius’s house. He describes Gaius as a host to the entire church, perhaps meaning that his regular practice is to host Christians from out of town or that the church in Corinth, or some part of it, meets in Gaius’s home.

Christian converts in the early church were found at all levels of social and economic status in society. Paul describes a man named Erastus as a city official. Depending on how the term oikonomos is interpreted, he was the city treasurer, a director of public works, or some civil officer. Some have suggested that an inscription found in the ruins of ancient Corinth in 1929, mentioning a man named Erastus as an “aedile,” is this same man.

Paul sends his final greeting from a fellow believer named Quartus, a man not mentioned anywhere else in the New Testament.

The ESV does not have verse 24. Here is the verse from the KJV.

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

Many translations exclude this verse altogether, skipping from verse 23 to verse 25. It simply repeats Paul’s blessing in the second half of verse 20, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

Bible scholars are continually seeking to build the most accurate representation of the very first manuscripts of the Scriptural books. Conservative Christians understand these letters to have been inspired by God in their original form (2 Timothy 3:16). Those manuscripts were carefully preserved by scribes copying them down, word for word, over the centuries.

Occasionally, archeologists uncover earlier versions of those copied manuscripts, written more closely to the very first writing of the Word. Two things have come from this. One, it is incredibly clear how extremely faithful the Bible we have today is to the very first manuscripts. Differences that have been found are minor and do not change our understanding of any of the essential truths of God’s Word. Two, when the earliest manuscripts consistently show something different than later versions, Bible scholars adjust their translations to reflect that.

In the case of Romans 16:24, most earlier manuscripts, discovered some time after chapter and verse numbers were applied to Romans, simply do not contain it. Therefore, it is generally removed from the final translation.

Verse 25: Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages

Paul concludes his longest biblical letter with a doxology, which is like a hymn or song of praise to God. Paul begins this doxology with the statement “to him who is able” followed by a long sentence describing what God has done and is doing in and through the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not until the end of the sentence will Paul finish the thought by declaring the glory of God.

First, Paul reminds the Christians in Rome that God can strengthen them by or through “my” gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ. Paul insists that “his” gospel, meaning the one he has consistently preached and has presented in this letter to the Romans, is the final word on what is true about Jesus. Nobody should accept any other version of the gospel of Jesus. That would be a false gospel (Galatians 1:8–9).

The true gospel, the true “good news,” is that through faith in Jesus, who died to pay the penalty for our sins, all human beings can be forgiven and receive a righteousness from God that cannot be attained in any other way (Romans 3:23; 6:23, 10:9–12). This is what it means to be saved, to be given a place in God’s family forever where we will share in His glory.

Paul describes this great truth as a mystery. It was not something discovered or uncovered by himself or anyone else. Instead, it was revealed by God when the time was right. Until then, it remained hidden for the “long ages” as generations of humanity came and went until the arrival of Jesus Christ, the Son of God in human form.

Verse 26: but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith —

Paul’s one-sentence doxology continues. In the previous verse, he described the gospel, or good news about salvation by faith in Jesus, as a mystery kept secret by God for the long ages of human history.

Now, though, he writes that it has finally been disclosed or revealed by God. Along with this revelation from God about the gospel of Jesus, it became clear that the prophetic writings—what we would call the Old Testament—pointed to this truth about Jesus all along.

The truth of the gospel message has been made known to all the nations of the world. As Paul writes this, many people in the world remain to be reached with the gospel message. His meaning seems to be that all the barriers have been removed. The truth about salvation through faith in Jesus is available to be understood and believed by everyone everywhere.

Paul adds that “the eternal God” has commanded this revelation to happen. This seems to mean both that God is the one who commanded the mystery to be ended and the truth revealed at this moment in history, and that God is the one who has commanded Paul and others to take this message to all nations throughout the world.

Why has God commanded this revelation of the gospel, the good news about Jesus? He wants people to obey Him by believing in Jesus. Salvation is more than an opportunity to be saved from hell and spend eternity with God. Belief in Jesus, in the gospel as Paul has presented it in Romans, is God’s command to all peoples.

Verse 27: to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Paul brings his doxology, a hymn of praise to God, to a close by finally praising God after a string of statements describing the glorious work God has done in revealing the good news of salvation through faith in Christ.

Paul began this long last sentence of his long letter with the words “to him who” and now completes the thought with “to the only wise God.” God is shown to be wise for this beautiful means by which He has made it possible for all people to share in His glory through faith in Jesus forever.

To this God, then, Paul writes, be glory forever. By God’s design, He will be glorified—lifted up, praised, shown to be worthy—forever through Jesus Christ. Paul ends the letter with a final “amen,” meaning “so be it.”