1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.
2Welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her with anything she may need from you. For she has been a great help to many people, including me.
3Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
4who have risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
5Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my beloved Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
6Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you.
7Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow countrymen and fellow prisoners. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
8Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.
9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.
10Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.
11Greet Herodion, my fellow countryman. Greet those from the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
12Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, women who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet my beloved Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord.
13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.
14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers with them.
15Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them.
16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send you greetings.
17Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.
18For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
19Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
21Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow countrymen.
22I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23Gaius, who has hosted me and all the church, sends you greetings. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you greetings, as does our brother Quartus.
24(This translation does not include this verse.)
25Now to Him who is able to strengthen you by my gospel and by the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery concealed for ages past
26but now revealed and made known through the writings of the prophets by the command of the eternal God, in order to lead all nations to the obedience that comes from faith—
27to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Romans 16 Section and Chapter Commentary
Rom 16:1-16
Women as Paul's coworkers and leaders without comment
Paul names numerous women, Phoebe, Prisca, Junia, Mary, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, Rufus' mother, and Nereus' sister, as his coworkers, apostles, and benefactors in Romans 16. The fact that Paul mentions these women and their significant roles without needing to explain or justify their positions suggests that women's leadership and active participation were accepted, or at least not controversial, within the early Christian communities he addressed.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 2: Neither Male nor Female | Galatia and Rome · watch the clip
Rom 16:1-7
Women's Silence and Authority in 1 Timothy
First Timothy explicitly states, 'I permit no woman to teach or have authority over a man; she is to keep silent.' This directive strongly contrasts with Paul's authentic letters, which show women as missionaries, coworkers, deacons (Romans 16), and prophets (1 Corinthians 11), suggesting a non-Pauline perspective on women's roles in church leadership.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 4: In Thecla's Wake | Women, Gender, and the Legacies of Paul in Early Christianity · watch the clip
Thecla's Commission to Teach in the Acts of Paul and Thecla
The Acts of Paul and Thecla depicts Thecla receiving a commission from Paul to 'Go and teach the word of God' in Iconium, after she has baptized herself and adopted a male appearance. This portrayal of a woman as a missionary and teacher aligns with Paul's authentic letters, which mention female coworkers and leaders like Junia and Phoebe, but stands in stark contrast to the restrictions on women's teaching found in the Pastoral Epistles.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 4: In Thecla's Wake | Women, Gender, and the Legacies of Paul in Early Christianity · watch the clip
Women in Leadership Roles in Paul's Churches (Romans 16)
Paul's greetings in Romans 16 demonstrate that women held significant leadership positions in his churches. He refers to Phoebe as a 'deacon' (minister) of the church in Cenchreae, and Prisca (Priscilla) is mentioned before her husband Aquila as a 'fellow worker' who hosted a church in their home. Most notably, Junia is identified as an 'apostle,' indicating that Paul recognized women in the highest leadership roles.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Paul Said WHAT About Women? Debunking Misused Bible Verses · watch the clip
Women as Deacons, Co-workers, and Apostles in Paul's Undisputed Letters
In Paul's undisputed letters, particularly Romans chapter 16, women are mentioned in significant leadership roles. Paul greets several women by name, including one who is a deacon (minister) and carries his letter, others who host churches in their homes, and some he calls co-workers. Notably, Junia is referred to as one of the 'foremost apostles,' a title that some later translators incorrectly changed to a male name.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Must Women Keep Silent? What Were Jesus' and Paul's Actual Views of Women in the Church? · watch the clip
Romans 16 Verse Notes
Rom 16:1-2
Phoebe as a deacon and benefactor
Paul commends Phoebe, identifying her as a 'deacon of the church at Cenchreae' and a 'benefactor of many and of myself as well.' This indicates Phoebe held a significant leadership role in her church and provided financial or other support to the Jesus movement, including Paul himself, suggesting women's active participation in early Christian ministry and patronage.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 2: Neither Male nor Female | Galatia and Rome · watch the clip
Rom 16:1
Romans: Paul writes ahead to a church he did not found
Mendez says Paul writes Romans from Corinth, sending Phoebe, a deaconess at Cenchreae, and mentioning Erastus the city treasurer, whose name may match a Corinthian inscription. Because Paul did not found the Roman church, he writes warmly (Romans 1:8), and perhaps because they do not know him he lays out his theology at length, with 1:16, not ashamed of the gospel, as the thesis: salvation for Jew and Greek alike. He announces in 15:24-25 a trip to Jerusalem and then Spain, and in chapters 12 to 15 urges respect for authorities and for one another over food and observances.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 19: Paul’s Churches | Inventing Christian Communities · watch the clip
Phoebe as Letter Carrier and Reader
Romans 16:1 mentions Phoebe as the carrier of the letter to the Romans. Given that letter carriers often read the letters aloud to the congregations, it is plausible that a woman, Phoebe, was the first to publicly read Paul's letter to the Romans in a church context.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 20: Collecting Paul’s Letters · watch the clip
Absence of Peter in Paul's Letter to the Romans
Paul's letter to the Romans, written around 60-62 AD, greets over 25 individuals by name in Rome, despite Paul never having visited the city. Notably, Peter is not among those greeted, even though Paul knew him well from meetings in Jerusalem and an argument in Antioch. This omission strongly suggests Peter was not present in Rome when Paul wrote the letter.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Peter Really Found the Church in Rome? · watch the clip
Rom 16:3-5
Prisca as a prominent coworker and house church leader
Paul greets Prisca and Aquila as his 'coworkers in Christ Jesus,' noting they risked their lives for him and hosted a church in their house. The mention of Prisca first, contrary to typical ancient naming conventions, suggests her prominence as a missionary and leader, potentially serving as an early 'bishop' by hosting and presiding over a house church.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 2: Neither Male nor Female | Galatia and Rome · watch the clip
Rom 16:5
Early Church Organization in Rome and Corinth
Paul's letter to the Romans indicates that the church in Rome met in various homes, with no mention of a centralized hierarchy like a bishop, elders, or deacons. Similarly, in his letters to the Corinthians, Paul addresses numerous problems within the church but directs his counsel to the entire community, not to specific leaders, suggesting a Spirit-led, non-hierarchical structure. In Philippi, however, Paul does greet elders and deacons, indicating some developing structure there.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Peter Really Found the Church in Rome? · watch the clip
Epaenetus: First Convert in Asia
In Romans 16:5, Paul refers to Epaenetus as 'my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ in Asia.' This detail is often overlooked in favor of other prominent figures mentioned in the same chapter, such as Junia.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · How to Detect a Forgery: The Secret Gospel of Mark · watch the clip
Rom 16:7
Junia as a prominent apostle
Paul identifies Junia, alongside Andronicus, as a 'fellow Israelite' who was 'prominent among the apostles' and converted to Christ before him. This passage provides clear evidence of a woman holding the esteemed title of 'apostle' in the early Jesus movement, indicating a significant leadership and missionary role.
Summarized by AI · Must Women Keep Silent? Paul's Real Views on Gender, Desire, and Women · Lecture 2: Neither Male nor Female | Galatia and Rome · watch the clip
Rom 16:13
Simon of Cyrene's sons in Mark's Gospel
Mark's Gospel uniquely identifies Simon of Cyrene, who carries Jesus' cross, as the father of Alexander and Rufus. This unusual detail suggests that these sons might have been known to Mark's original readers, possibly indicating that Mark obtained this information from witnesses connected to Simon's family. The names Alexander and Rufus are also intriguing, as Rufus is mentioned in Romans 16, and an ossuary bearing the name 'Alexander, son of Simon' was discovered in Jerusalem.
Summarized by AI · The Mysteries of the Synoptic Gospels: Discovering Matthew, Mark, and Luke · Lecture 9: Why Are the Synoptic Crucifixion Narratives So Different? · watch the clip
Rom 16:22
Paul's Dictation and Scribe Accuracy
The New Testament provides an example of dictation in Paul's letters, specifically Romans, where Tertius identifies himself as the scribe. This raises questions about the accuracy of transcription: how do we know Tertius wrote down exactly what Paul said, and could mishearings or miswritings account for inconsistencies in the text?
Summarized by AI · The Bible and the Quran: Comparing Their Historical Problems · Scholarly Dialogue: Lectures 1-4 · watch the clip
Paul's Collaborative Letter Writing
Paul's letters, such as 1 Thessalonians and Romans 16, reveal that he did not write alone. He had companions like Silvanus and Timothy, and scribes like Tertius, who assisted in drafting, writing, and delivering his letters, indicating a collaborative process for his extensive correspondence.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 20: Collecting Paul’s Letters · watch the clip
Paul's dictation and scribal errors in Galatians
Paul indicates in Galatians 6:11 that he dictated the letter, signing off the last few lines himself. This raises questions about the 'original' text if the scribe misheard or made errors during dictation. If multiple scribes copied the letter, and their copies differed, determining the true original becomes complex, especially if Paul did not review and correct every copy.
Summarized by AI · The Scribal Corruption of Scripture: How the Bible Was Changed and Why Readers May Never Know · Lecture 1: Doubts and Debates About the “Original” New Testament | Can We Really Know, and Does It Matter? · watch the clip
Paul's Dictation and Scribe's Greeting
Paul often dictated his letters to a scribe, as indicated by a passage in Romans 16 where Tertius, the scribe, includes his own greeting. This suggests that the written text was a product of both Paul's oral communication and the scribe's transcription.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Missing Manuscripts: Uncovering the Original Gospels' Text · watch the clip
Titus as an Enslaved Scribe for Paul's Letter to the Romans
The speaker suggests that Titus, mentioned in Romans 16:22, was likely an enslaved or formerly enslaved person. His name, 'Tertius' (meaning 'third'), was common for enslaved individuals, and the task of dictating a long, professional letter like Romans would typically fall to a trained scribe, often an enslaved one. This role involved creative editorial work, as ancient shorthand was ambiguous and required the scribe to make judgment calls when transcribing into longhand.
Summarized by AI · Bart D. Ehrman · YouTube · Did Slaves Give Us the New Testament? · watch the clip
Rom 16:23
Wealthy Patrons Essential for Early Church Meals
Hosting communal meals for early Christian gatherings required the resources of wealthier members, as most people in the ancient world lacked the space and food. Paul's letters confirm this, mentioning individuals like Gaius in Rome and Lydia in Acts, who provided their homes and means to support the nascent Christian communities.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 19: Paul’s Churches | Inventing Christian Communities · watch the clip
Romans: Paul writes ahead to a church he did not found
Mendez says Paul writes Romans from Corinth, sending Phoebe, a deaconess at Cenchreae, and mentioning Erastus the city treasurer, whose name may match a Corinthian inscription. Because Paul did not found the Roman church, he writes warmly (Romans 1:8), and perhaps because they do not know him he lays out his theology at length, with 1:16, not ashamed of the gospel, as the thesis: salvation for Jew and Greek alike. He announces in 15:24-25 a trip to Jerusalem and then Spain, and in chapters 12 to 15 urges respect for authorities and for one another over food and observances.
Summarized by AI · The New Testament: Exploring the Christian Bible · Lecture 19: Paul’s Churches | Inventing Christian Communities · watch the clip
