Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.
Paul closes his letter to the believers in Rome by greeting Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympas, and the saints with them among his many named acquaintances and fellow laborers there. The long, personal list by name shows his large and hearty sympathy and the Holy Spirit's special care for each individual member of the household of faith. Julia and the sister of Nereus are greeted as saints and fellow believers with the church, and women including Phebe, Priscilla, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis are named as servants of the church who helped the apostles and labored in the Lord. Paul approved modest public witness by women when the Spirit bade them speak, so his command for women to keep silence in the churches in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 corrects only blameworthy disorder and assuming authority to teach and rule, not faithful public service and testimony for Christ. His roll of greetings omits Peter, proving Peter was not in Rome when Romans was written and was not Bishop of Rome, and showing the church at Rome was already established and flourishing and was not founded upon Peter.
Setting and Salutations
The verse belongs to Romans 13 to 16, the closing portion of the epistle set for October 26. It closes the letter Paul wrote in A.D. 58 from Corinth and sent by Phebe from Cenchrea to the Christian church at Rome, then the metropolis of the world. That church was composed of heathen who had embraced the gospel and Jews who believed in Jesus as the Messiah. The verse names Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, with all the saints with them, among the people Paul greets in Rome. They stand among the twenty-six named persons greeted, besides families, who were his acquaintances and fellow laborers.
The numerous salutations in Romans 16, including this greeting, show the origin and makeup of the church in Rome. That church was founded by Jews and proselytes from Jerusalem converted on the Day of Pentecost, with others added to them afterward. Many of those greeted, including Philologus, Julia, Nereus and the rest, were those early converts and later additions, many of whom had met Paul on his travels. The salutation expresses the personal and social kindness and forbearance commended to believers. Its long list greeting men and women impartially by name reveals the largeness and heartiness of Paul's sympathy.
The singling out of each one by name shows the special care of the Holy Spirit for each individual member of the household of faith. That individual care explains why such greetings were written.
Church Order and Witness
Romans 16, including this greeting, shows that women served the church, helped the apostles, and labored in the Lord alongside Paul. It names Phebe, Priscilla, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis as fellow workers in Christian ministry who labored with Paul in the gospel. Their ministry accords with the gifts of the Spirit and with the gospel's work of ministry. This verse belongs to that same record of godly women who helped in the gospel, mentioning women who labored in the Lord and served alongside him in Christian work.
The verse names Julia and the sister of Nereus among the saints, fellow believers, and helpers greeted as part of the church. It thereby shows that women were included in the early Christian community and numbered among its saints. The greeting to Julia and to the sister of Nereus with the saints with them recognizes them among those who labored with Paul in the gospel, showing he believed in the labor of women and in women speaking. It means he approved modest public witness by women when the Spirit bade them speak. It proves that women may bear testimony for Christ, help in His work, proclaim His truth in womanly, Christian ways, and serve publicly in the church.
It proves Paul did not forbid all speaking by women in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. The command for women to keep silence in the churches corrects blameworthy disorders of women out of place assuming authority to teach and rule, not faithful public service. Direction is also given for the appearance of women who take a public part in meetings. Paul's roll of greetings by name to the members of the church at Rome omits Peter, proving Peter was not in Rome when Romans was written and was not Bishop of Rome. If Peter had been the chief person there his name would not have been left out, since Paul knew him personally from spending fifteen days with him in Jerusalem. The list therefore shows the Roman church was already established and flourishing long before Peter ever came to Rome, if he ever did, and that neither the church of Christ nor the church of Rome was founded upon Peter.
Paul closes his letter to the believers in Rome by greeting Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympas, and the saints with them among his many named acquaintances and fellow laborers there. The long, personal list by name shows his large and hearty sympathy and the Holy Spirit's special care for each individual member of the household of faith. Julia and the sister of Nereus are greeted as saints and fellow believers with the church, and women including Phebe, Priscilla, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis are named as servants of the church who helped the apostles and labored in the Lord. Paul approved modest public witness by women when the Spirit bade them speak, so his command for women to keep silence in the churches in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 corrects only blameworthy disorder and assuming authority to teach and rule, not faithful public service and testimony for Christ. His roll of greetings omits Peter, proving Peter was not in Rome when Romans was written and was not Bishop of Rome, and showing the church at Rome was already established and flourishing and was not founded upon Peter.
Setting and Salutations
The verse belongs to Romans 13 to 16, the closing portion of the epistle set for October 26. It closes the letter Paul wrote in A.D. 58 from Corinth and sent by Phebe from Cenchrea to the Christian church at Rome, then the metropolis of the world. That church was composed of heathen who had embraced the gospel and Jews who believed in Jesus as the Messiah. The verse names Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, with all the saints with them, among the people Paul greets in Rome. They stand among the twenty-six named persons greeted, besides families, who were his acquaintances and fellow laborers.
The numerous salutations in Romans 16, including this greeting, show the origin and makeup of the church in Rome. That church was founded by Jews and proselytes from Jerusalem converted on the Day of Pentecost, with others added to them afterward. Many of those greeted, including Philologus, Julia, Nereus and the rest, were those early converts and later additions, many of whom had met Paul on his travels. The salutation expresses the personal and social kindness and forbearance commended to believers. Its long list greeting men and women impartially by name reveals the largeness and heartiness of Paul's sympathy.
The singling out of each one by name shows the special care of the Holy Spirit for each individual member of the household of faith. That individual care explains why such greetings were written.
Church Order and Witness
Romans 16, including this greeting, shows that women served the church, helped the apostles, and labored in the Lord alongside Paul. It names Phebe, Priscilla, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis as fellow workers in Christian ministry who labored with Paul in the gospel. Their ministry accords with the gifts of the Spirit and with the gospel's work of ministry. This verse belongs to that same record of godly women who helped in the gospel, mentioning women who labored in the Lord and served alongside him in Christian work.
The verse names Julia and the sister of Nereus among the saints, fellow believers, and helpers greeted as part of the church. It thereby shows that women were included in the early Christian community and numbered among its saints. The greeting to Julia and to the sister of Nereus with the saints with them recognizes them among those who labored with Paul in the gospel, showing he believed in the labor of women and in women speaking. It means he approved modest public witness by women when the Spirit bade them speak. It proves that women may bear testimony for Christ, help in His work, proclaim His truth in womanly, Christian ways, and serve publicly in the church.
It proves Paul did not forbid all speaking by women in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. The command for women to keep silence in the churches corrects blameworthy disorders of women out of place assuming authority to teach and rule, not faithful public service. Direction is also given for the appearance of women who take a public part in meetings. Paul's roll of greetings by name to the members of the church at Rome omits Peter, proving Peter was not in Rome when Romans was written and was not Bishop of Rome. If Peter had been the chief person there his name would not have been left out, since Paul knew him personally from spending fifteen days with him in Jerusalem. The list therefore shows the Roman church was already established and flourishing long before Peter ever came to Rome, if he ever did, and that neither the church of Christ nor the church of Rome was founded upon Peter.