Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. Truth to Learn Some Christians stand out as “choice” within the church. Behind the Words The name “Rufus” is of Roman (Latin) origin, meaning “red.” “Chosen” is translated from the noun eklektos, which is based on the verb eklegomai,...
Romans 16:12 – Hard Working Women
Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who are laboring in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. Truth to Learn There are many hard working women in the church! Behind the Words The names “Tryphena and Tryphosa” are Greek and are both derived from the verb truphaō,...
Romans 16:11 – This Precious Salvation
Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Truth to Learn Some Christians put their lives in danger when they get saved. Behind the Words The word “countryman,” which we saw in verse seven, is translated from sungenēs, meaning “same...
Romans 16:10 – Proving Ground of Faith
Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Truth to Learn Christians undergo trials of their faith. Behind the Words The word translated “approved” is dokimos, derived from the verb dokimadzō, which means “to try or test for the purpose of determining value or...
Romans 16:9 – Hugs and Kisses
Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. Truth to Learn Family members greet one another with signs of affection. Behind the Words The word “greet,” which we looked at back in verse three, is aspadzomai, which refers specifically to greeting a person with a hug. There...
Romans 16:8 – My Beloved Brother
Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. Truth to Learn Some people were specially honored by the Apostle Paul. Behind the Words “Amplias” is a shortened form of the Latin name Ampliatus, meaning “enlarged.” Some Greek manuscripts have the full name rather than the shortened form. “Beloved” is translated from...
Romans 16:7 – A Distinguished Pair
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are well thought of among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Truth to Learn Some Christians are well known for their service in the church. Behind the Words The word “countrymen” is translated from sungenēs, which...
Romans 16:6 – Hard Working Mary
Greet Mary, who did much hard work for us. Truth to Learn Some people in the church work extremely hard and get little or no recognition. Behind the Words “Mary” is translated from the Greek name Miriam, which is transliterated from the Hebrew name Miryam, meaning “rebelliously.” Some texts have...
Romans 16:5 – Committed and Active
And greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is a firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. Truth to Learn Christianity involves active participation, not passive attendance. Behind the Words “Church” is from the Greek noun ekklēsia, which is made up of ek, meaning “out of”...
Romans 16:4 – Behind The Scenes
who risked their own necks for me, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Truth to Learn Some of the most important ministries are behind the scenes. Behind the Words The word “risked” is a metaphorical translation of hupotithēmi. This...