Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.
Romans 16:11 belongs to Paul's long list of personal greetings by name to individual believers and households connected with the church at Rome, saluting Herodion his kinsman and greeting those of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Herodion stands as one of several kinsmen named in the same list, and while Junia and Lucius are Roman names the others are Greek, which may point to strong Roman connections and inherited citizenship, while the use of kinsmen indicates his relatives were dispersed beyond their home region. The people and families named are acquaintances and fellow laborers, and the Roman church is largely the fruit of Paul's work.
The numerous salutations in the chapter show how the church at Rome was formed and who belonged to it, for it was founded by Jews and proselytes from Jerusalem converted on the Day of Pentecost with others added afterward, and those greeted in this verse were part of that company, many of whom had met Paul on his travels. By naming Herodion and the believers of the household of Narcissus together with men and women impartially and singling each one out by name, the greeting shows the largeness and heartiness of Paul's sympathy and the special care of the Holy Spirit for each individual member of the household of faith. The same chapter also names women who served and labored in the gospel, including Priscilla and Mary and Tryphena and Tryphosa and Persis and the mother of Rufus and Julia and the sister of Nereus and Phebe, showing that women had an active part and labored with Paul and that he recognized women connected with the church.
This verse itself does not name a woman. The chapter's teaching shows Paul believed in the labor of women and in women speaking, so that praying, prophesying, or public speaking by a woman in a proper, modest manner under the Spirit's leading is not inconsistent with his teaching. Peter's name is absent from this verse and the rest of the greetings in the chapter, which is evidence that Peter was not living in Rome when Romans was written. Paul would certainly not have omitted Peter's name in saluting the members by name if Peter had been there, especially as the chief person in the church and as one whose hospitality Paul had once shared for fifteen days in Jerusalem. Peter was therefore far from being bishop of Rome at that time, and if he was ever in Rome it was after Romans was written and long after the church there was established and flourishing, and this testimony is sufficient to settle that neither the church of Christ nor the church of Rome was founded upon Peter.
Romans 16:11 belongs to Paul's long list of personal greetings by name to individual believers and households connected with the church at Rome, saluting Herodion his kinsman and greeting those of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Herodion stands as one of several kinsmen named in the same list, and while Junia and Lucius are Roman names the others are Greek, which may point to strong Roman connections and inherited citizenship, while the use of kinsmen indicates his relatives were dispersed beyond their home region. The people and families named are acquaintances and fellow laborers, and the Roman church is largely the fruit of Paul's work.
The numerous salutations in the chapter show how the church at Rome was formed and who belonged to it, for it was founded by Jews and proselytes from Jerusalem converted on the Day of Pentecost with others added afterward, and those greeted in this verse were part of that company, many of whom had met Paul on his travels. By naming Herodion and the believers of the household of Narcissus together with men and women impartially and singling each one out by name, the greeting shows the largeness and heartiness of Paul's sympathy and the special care of the Holy Spirit for each individual member of the household of faith. The same chapter also names women who served and labored in the gospel, including Priscilla and Mary and Tryphena and Tryphosa and Persis and the mother of Rufus and Julia and the sister of Nereus and Phebe, showing that women had an active part and labored with Paul and that he recognized women connected with the church.
This verse itself does not name a woman. The chapter's teaching shows Paul believed in the labor of women and in women speaking, so that praying, prophesying, or public speaking by a woman in a proper, modest manner under the Spirit's leading is not inconsistent with his teaching. Peter's name is absent from this verse and the rest of the greetings in the chapter, which is evidence that Peter was not living in Rome when Romans was written. Paul would certainly not have omitted Peter's name in saluting the members by name if Peter had been there, especially as the chief person in the church and as one whose hospitality Paul had once shared for fifteen days in Jerusalem. Peter was therefore far from being bishop of Rome at that time, and if he was ever in Rome it was after Romans was written and long after the church there was established and flourishing, and this testimony is sufficient to settle that neither the church of Christ nor the church of Rome was founded upon Peter.