by Walter A. Boyd (South Africa)
Paper 23
(B) His Salutations to Rome (Romans 16.8-16).
In this paper we will discuss the remaining particular salutations in v8-15, and the general salutation in v16. There would appear to have been a number of assemblies in the city of Rome, as indicated by the expressions "the church that is in their house," v5; "them which are of Aristobulus’ household," v10; "the household of Narcissus," v11; "and the brethren which are with them," v14; "and all the saints which are with them," v16. It is interesting and instructive that, with at least six assemblies in the city, Paul did not write to a representative such as a "Bishop," or to a representative body of men as an area-oversight. He wrote in such a way that his letter would reach each assembly, and encourage the strengthening of bonds between all those assemblies. Among the various companies of saints it would not be unreasonable to assume that there were different degrees of loyalty to the truth of Scripture; yet he did not differentiate between them or segregate them. The teaching for any one assembly was profitable and useful for all of them.
Among these various assemblies there were particular individuals to whom Paul wanted to make personal reference, and he gives his reason for mentioning each name. It is a record of the many true friends he had in Rome, and as we peruse their names we can learn valuable principles in the character of his commendation of them.
1. The Sensitiveness of his mention. With each name Paul uses a beautifully delicate touch with his pen; but there is no hint of fleshly flattery or favouritism. He outlines the facts of their fellowship with him: "beloved, well-beloved, helper, kinsman, work-fellow, and host." Paul does not specify the exact nature of what these helpers had done, simply that it was in fellowship with his service for the Lord.
2. The Warmth of his fellowship. As he travelled and preached the gospel, these saints had provided help and friendship for Paul. Their help meant a lot to him, and he had carefully noted their valuable contributions to the work of God. Now, when the opportunity has arisen, he pays them respect and recognition in a warm-hearted way. This is not a mere list of deeds or duties, but the appreciation by an eminent servant of God of what they had done to help him. It comes right from his heart, and with all the sincerity that a man can apply by Divine inspiration.
3. The Intensity of his love. The expression, "beloved," in its various forms is used a number of times by the apostle. While there is no doubt that Paul loved all the saints, there were some whose memory evoked in his heart a feeling of deep, sincere love. So this is not fawning, nor an insincere greeting. In one case (Persis, v12), he tells us what she did: she "laboured much in the Lord." In another case, he just tells us that Amplias is "beloved in the Lord." Perhaps it was not appropriate for Paul to give specific reasons for his deep love for Amplias (v8); but we cannot mistake the intensity of his love in the Lord for this particular saint.
4. The Variety of his perspectives. As Paul writes about these Christians, he views their relationship with him from different standpoints. He writes of some as being "in Christ;" of others as being "in the Lord;" and of some as "unto Christ," which lets us see that Paul does not generalise in his appreciation of his friends — he has a specific commendation for each:
The Family of Saints — mother (v13), brethren (v14), sister (v15).
The Field of Service — much labour (v6), helpers (v3,9), labour (v12).
The Fight of Soldiers — fellow-prisoners (v7).
The Fruits of Salvation — firstfruits of Achaia (v5).
The Fidelity of Saints — my beloved (v8,9).
Rather than a perusal of doubtful historical speculations about the various names listed, a careful consideration of these various designations and spheres of relationship will yield a much richer harvest of meditation and blessing.
V8 — "Amplias my beloved in the Lord." Amplias was a brother with a Latin name, who, along with two other brethren and one sister, was beloved in the Lord. Among slaves, Amplias was quite a common name; yet in the cemetery of Domatilla, one of the earliest catacombs, there is a highly decorated tomb that bears the single inscription of this name. This would suggest that he was a Roman slave who had considerable standing among the Christians. The name means ‘enlarged,’ or ‘made great.’ What a testimony of grace, that a lowly slave should be so highly thought of by the saints, and well-beloved by the apostle.
V9 — "Urbane, our helper in Christ and Stachys my beloved." Urbane (Urbanus R.V.) is afforded the same classification as Priscilla and Aquila (v3): ‘fellow-worker.’ We are not told anything of the nature or extent of his work; but from the phrase, "in Christ," we get an indication that he had been specially called to help in the furtherance of Paul’s great teaching of "the mystery" of the church. This would include the spread of the gospel among unbelievers, and the strengthening of believers: bringing in those who are outside, and building up those who are inside, was constantly a burden upon Paul’s heart.
"Stachys my beloved." Like Amplias (v8), Stachys is described simply as "my beloved." A cynic might say that, since most are mentioned for what they did, he is only mentioned in this bland way lest he should feel excluded or belittled. Not so! But it is true that some are mentioned for what they did, and Stachys solely on the basis of what he was. Paul does not tell us why; but for some reason he was loved — likely because of the type of character he was. Some Christians are such an example of the grace of God, with the fruit of the Spirit evident in their lives, that it is almost impossible not to love them. We should try to live so that the grace of God and the fruit of the Spirit are manifested in such a way that, Stachys-like, we are loved for what we are.
V10 — "Apelles approved in Christ … them which are of Aristobulus’ household." The greeting to Apelles tells us that he had been tested and approved in relation to his testimony or claims as a Christian — hence the mention of "in Christ." His approval was not so much personal, as positional. Whatever the test was, he had shown beyond all doubt that he was worthy of the claim to be ‘in Christ.’ He had been tested and tried, and had emerged triumphantly. In secular history the household of Aristobulus appears as one of the great noble families in Rome, being close to Caesar. What a triumph for the gospel of Christ, that salvation reached the servants in a household so close to the seat of power in Imperial Rome. When Paul writes to Philippi, he sends greetings from "they that are of Caesar’s household" Phil.4.22. Writing from the city of Rome, he includes greetings from Christians who are household-servants to Caesar. It is unclear whether this is the immediate household of Caesar or the Praetorian Guard, but that is not important. In our passage in Romans it is worth noting that the words "household of" are absent — suggesting a closer relationship with Aristobulus and Narcissus than servants. It is possible that Paul is writing about the immediate families of these two great men.
V11— "Herodian my kinsman … them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord." Continuing the theme of the previous verse, if the gospel reached into families of such note in Rome, we have an insight into the great advances of the gospel to the Gentile world. This adds importance to the repeated plea in ch.14,15 for unity among the saints at Rome. In the fellowship of Christians there were high and low, rich and poor, Jew and Gentile, master and slave, male and female. As he sends his greetings to such a diverse group of people, Paul singles out some from each class for special mention and affection. His own actions corroborate his teaching on unity: his behaviour does not contradict what he teaches.
V12 — "Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. The beloved Persis which laboured much in the Lord." Paul is careful to make note of any contribution to the work of God, irrespective of its substance or source. Most agree that these were three sisters. His hearty commendation of their assistance in the furtherance of the work of God is a helpful answer to the suggestion in some quarters, that Paul downgraded women. As shown also in Phil.4.3, Paul did appreciate the toil of sisters in the Lord. In the commendation of Persis, the quantity of her labour is identified by the word "much." Down through the centuries the progress of the gospel owes much to many diligent sisters who actively promoted the cause of Christ. They have had a powerful and pervasive influence in spiritual work, and it is fitting that they should be mentioned as praiseworthy. To be of influence in this work does not mean that they should depart from their God-given sphere, as clearly taught in the New Testament, 1Cor.14.34; 1Tim.2.11-15; Tit.2.4,5. Where they have departed from spiritual service in a God-given sphere, the results have demonstrated that their actions should not be copied, 1Tim.2.14,15.
V13 — "Rufus, chosen in the Lord and his mother and mine." Traditionally, Rufus is identified as the son of Simon of Cyrene, Mk.15.21. That may be so; but among slaves Rufus was a common name. The word ‘chosen’ is usually understood as ‘elected,’ but it can also have the meaning of ‘favourite,’ or ‘special.’ The context always determines how it should be understood. In a list where all those mentioned are ‘elect,’ in the sense of Rom.8.33, it may well bear the other meaning of someone who was a favourite, or specially favoured, by the apostle. When you bear in mind that Paul regarded Rufus’ mother as his own, that may explain his special regard for her son. She had shown motherly love and labour to the apostle, and this would have brought Paul into close contact with their home, and given Rufus a special place of brotherly favour with Paul.
V14 — "Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes and the brethren which are with them." V15 — "Philologus and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them." In these two verses, the apostle identifies a number of individuals, both men and women; and those who "are with them." It is most likely that these verses refer to different assemblies of believers in the city. As we come to the end of this list of select individuals, there is a searching question worth asking: if Paul were writing a letter to the assemblies in my area, how would he describe me? Indeed, would he mention me at all? We should endeavour to live and labour in such a way as to ensure inclusion in a list of commendations, like v3-16. At all costs we should avoid identification with the division-makers of v17 and 18!
2. General Instruction and Salutation v16. While the general salutation is nowhere nearly so extensive as the specific ones we have examined, both in this paper and the previous one, it is nonetheless genuine and meaningful.
V16 - "Salute one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you." The practice of greeting with a kiss is seen in Lk.7.45; 1Cor.16.20; 2Cor.13.12; 1Thess.5.26 and 1Pet.5.14. It is variously called ‘a kiss,’ ‘a holy kiss,’ and ‘a kiss of love.’ A kiss signifies that it is not a dead greeting — there is no aloofness about it. A holy kiss signifies that it is not a dubious greeting — there is nothing sensual or indecent about it. A kiss of love signifies that it is not a deceitful greeting — there is nothing insincere or false about it. In our society, where people are becoming more self sufficient and proud, we should ensure that our greetings are warm and genuine. Where innuendo and loose living are rampant, we should ensure that our greetings are holy and pure. With the prevalence of dishonesty and falsehood around us in the world, we should ensure that when we greet one another we mean what we say.
It is only here that Paul uses the term, "churches of Christ." It embraces all the assemblies, and identifies them as belonging to Christ in a unique and intimate way. For whatever reason he uses this universal type of expression, Paul wants to assure the saints in Rome that they are within the interest of all the churches of Christ. Because Paul had not yet visited Rome, perhaps they felt estranged from other assemblies who had enjoyed his presence and labour; so he wants to assure them of the affection of other saints, and that they are not disadvantaged by geographical location. In our contact and communication with one another, we should emulate Paul’s embracive love for every saint, and do everything we can to encourage love between assemblies; rather than speak or act in a way that cultivates division amongst those who are "in Christ," and "in the Lord."
—to be continued (D.V.)