Paul Sends Greetings to the Christians in Rome

Thinking about Romans 16:1-16.

Photo by Octavian Dan on Unsplash

I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. Greet Mary, who labored much for us. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen 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. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. (Romans 16:1-16)

After revealing his future plans and desires, Paul begins closing out his letter to the Christians in Rome by “vouching for” a sister in Christ, and by greeting many of the Christians he knew in Rome.

Paul Vouches for Phoebe.

Paul “commends” or “vouches for” a sister in Christ named Phoebe. Paul says she is a “servant of the church in Cenchrea,” which was just a few miles from Corinth. She was probably the one who carried Paul’s letter to the churches in Rome.

The word Paul uses that is translated as “servant” is the Greek word “diakonos,” which is where our word “deacon” comes from. Bauer’s lexicon refers to two primary meanings of diakonos.

• The first “refers to persons who serve as intermediaries in transactions…This meaning has application to apostles and other Christian leaders charged by God to spread the gospel message. If Phoebe was the courier of the letter to Rome, that function would certainly fit under this heading” (Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 575).

• The second “has to do with someone who gets something done at the request of a superior…Apparently, Phoebe, as the carrier of the letter to Rome and commissioned by Paul for that task, would certainly fit with this description of diakonos” - (Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 575).

In [Romans] 16:1, the key question is how diakonos functions in that context. It can be used for a specific office (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8), and that meaning is possible in 16:1. However, in view of the predominant nontechnical usage in the New Testament, “the probability is against a reference to a recognized office in the church here” (Ferguson, The Church of Christ, 338). Much more important for determining Phoebe’s status and influence is the description of her as a “prostatis” in 16:2. To have that position, she was likely a person of wealth and standing, probably owning a house that provided a place for the church to meet and hospitality for Paul and other believers. - (Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 576)

I think the best conclusion from what Paul says about Phoebe is that she was a dedicated servant of the church, who had helped many Christians financially - including the apostle Paul. It is rather unlikely that Phoebe would have been a deacon in the “official sense” because one of the qualifications of deacons is that they are the husband of one wife (1 Timothy 3:12).

Paul Sends Greetings to the Christians in Rome.

Paul greets many of the Christians in Rome he knew by name in Romans 16:3-15.

Some of them he knew very well - such as Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:1-3). Since they had stayed for some time in Corinth, they were probably also familiar with Phoebe and her Christian character.

Paul praises the Christians in this list for their work in Christ - sometimes alongside the apostle Paul.

Paul was somewhat unknown by some of the Christians in Rome. Part of what he is probably trying to do in this section is to point out everyone he does know, so if anyone has questions about his intentions in writing this letter, people who know him can speak to his labor in the gospel and his genuine care for the Lord’s church.

He encourages them to greet one another with a “holy kiss” - which was a common greeting in that culture of a quick “peck” on the cheek. After dealing with some tension between Gentiles and Jews, he wanted to encourage the idea of the Lord’s church being a family.

He closed this section by sending greetings to the Christians in Rome from “the churches of Christ” - which means the churches which belong to Christ.