Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine, belongs to Paul's closing greetings, in which Rufus is named by name and greeting is sent to Rufus's mother, whom Paul also regards as his own mother. It is one of the numerous personal salutations that make up two-thirds of the last chapter of Romans, saluting the members of the church at Rome by name impartially to both men and women. The heartiness and impartiality of the greetings show the largeness of Paul's sympathy and the special care of the Holy Spirit for each individual member of the household of faith by singling each one out by name, which is why such greetings were written.
The numerous salutations reflect the origin and makeup of the church at Rome, which was founded by Jews and proselytes from Jerusalem converted on the Day of Pentecost with others added afterward. They show that Paul knew many believers in Rome, having likely met them on his travels. The absence of Peter's name from the list proves Peter was not in Rome when Romans was written, was not Bishop of Rome, and was not the chief person in the Roman church, since Paul would not have omitted the chief person whose hospitality he had shared in Jerusalem for fifteen days. If Peter was ever in Rome it was after Romans was written and long after the church there was established and flourishing, and the testimony of Romans 16 alone settles that neither the church of Christ nor the church of Rome was founded upon Peter.
The greeting to Rufus's mother presents her among the women who served the church, helped the apostles, and labored in the Lord. Paul honored the mother of Rufus as his own mother and counted her with Priscilla and Mary and Tryphena and Tryphosa and Persis and Julia who labored with him in the gospel, proving he affirmed the labor of women and women speaking. Rufus stands among quiet, faithful believers who were natural, unaffected, zealous, useful, and strong in faith, as an example of valuable service without being an apostle.
Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine, belongs to Paul's closing greetings, in which Rufus is named by name and greeting is sent to Rufus's mother, whom Paul also regards as his own mother. It is one of the numerous personal salutations that make up two-thirds of the last chapter of Romans, saluting the members of the church at Rome by name impartially to both men and women. The heartiness and impartiality of the greetings show the largeness of Paul's sympathy and the special care of the Holy Spirit for each individual member of the household of faith by singling each one out by name, which is why such greetings were written.
The numerous salutations reflect the origin and makeup of the church at Rome, which was founded by Jews and proselytes from Jerusalem converted on the Day of Pentecost with others added afterward. They show that Paul knew many believers in Rome, having likely met them on his travels. The absence of Peter's name from the list proves Peter was not in Rome when Romans was written, was not Bishop of Rome, and was not the chief person in the Roman church, since Paul would not have omitted the chief person whose hospitality he had shared in Jerusalem for fifteen days. If Peter was ever in Rome it was after Romans was written and long after the church there was established and flourishing, and the testimony of Romans 16 alone settles that neither the church of Christ nor the church of Rome was founded upon Peter.
The greeting to Rufus's mother presents her among the women who served the church, helped the apostles, and labored in the Lord. Paul honored the mother of Rufus as his own mother and counted her with Priscilla and Mary and Tryphena and Tryphosa and Persis and Julia who labored with him in the gospel, proving he affirmed the labor of women and women speaking. Rufus stands among quiet, faithful believers who were natural, unaffected, zealous, useful, and strong in faith, as an example of valuable service without being an apostle.