Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints with them.
Truth to Learn
All Christians are saints and are God’s children.
Behind the Words
The name “Philologus” means “one who loves to learn.”
“Nereus,” by some sources is said to be derived from Nereo or Neriene. It is a name that signifies “strength” and is the word from which Emperor Nero’s name is derived.
“Sister” is from the Greek noun adelphē. This is the feminine form of the word adelphos, which means “brother.” Hence, adelphē means “sister.”
The word “saints” is translated from the Greek noun hagios, meaning “holy” or “set-apart.” It refers to things which have been set-apart from common usage and dedicated to use for God’s service. Throughout the New Testament, it is a term used of those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior who are, therefore, sanctified or set-apart from the commonness of mankind and dedicated to God for His use and His glory.
Meaning Explained
Philologus, like a number of others in Paul’s greeting list, was named among the seventy disciples sent out by our Lord referenced in Luke 10:1. A man by this name (perhaps this same person) later became Bishop at Sinope (a city in present day Turkey). Julia (also sometimes written as Junia) is believed to have been his wife.
Nereus and his sister are the next ones greeted by Paul. We know nothing of this man or his sister. It is interesting to note in this lengthy list of people to whom Paul sends greetings by name that he does not greet Nereus’ sister by name. This would seem to indicate that either Paul forgot her name (unlikely, given his demonstrated ability to remember names) or he never knew her name.
The final person greeted by name in this verse is Olympas (or Olympius) who, like many others in this list, was listed among the seventy disciples sent out by our Lord. Olympius is also identified in writings outside the Bible as one of the Christian martyrs in Rome.
As in the previous verse, it appears that this group of five people may have been the core of a church group meeting together for worship and/or fellowship. The fact that Paul refers to the “saints” who are with this group indicates that it is more than just a group of friends, that it is a gathering of Christian believers.
By the way: The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the Apostle Peter was designated as the first Bishop of the Roman Church or “Pope” as he is called today. If this were true, one would expect Paul to have sent him greetings as part of this extensive list of personal salutations.
Application
If you are a born again Christian, the Bible declares you to be a saint. That means, as we have said previously, that you have been specifically set-apart by God for His use. You are not a commoner; you are a holy child of the King of Kings!
In God's service, for His glory,
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