Romans 16:15

Rom 16:15 . Philologus and Julia, as connected here, were probably husband and wife; or, as in the next pair, brother and sister. Both, especially the latter, are among the commonest slave names. There are Acts of Nereus and Achilleus in the Acta Sanctorum connected with the early Roman Church. “The sister’s name is not given, but one Nereis was a member of the [imperial] household about this time, as appears from an inscription already quoted” (Lightfoot, loc. cit. , p. 177). Olympas is a contraction of Olympiodorus. τοὺς σὺν αὐτοῖς πάντας ἁγίους : see on last verse. The πάντας may suggest that a larger number of persons is to be included here.

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 15. Salute Philologus, c.] Of these several persons, though much has been conjectured, nothing certain is known. Even the names of some are so ambiguous that we know not whether they were men or women. They were persons well known to St. Paul, and undoubtedly were such as had gone from different places where the apostle had preached to sojourn or settle at Rome. One thing we may remark, that there is no mention of St. Peter, who, according to the Roman and papistical catalogue of bishops, must have been at Rome at this time if he were not now at Rome, the foundation stone of Rome's ascendancy, of Peter's supremacy, and of the uninterrupted succession, is taken away, and the whole fabric falls to the ground. But if Peter were at Rome at this time, Paul would have sent his salutations to him in the first place; and if Peter were there, he must have been there, according to the papistical doctrine, as bishop and vicar of Jesus Christ; but if he were there, is it likely that he should have been passed by, while Andronicus and Junia are mentioned as of note among the apostles, Ro 16:7, and that St. Paul should call on the people to remedy the disorders that had crept in among themselves; should not these directions have been given to Peter, the head of the Church? And if there were a Church, in the papistical sense of the word, founded there, of which Peter was the head, is it likely that that Church should be in the house of Priscilla and Aquila, Ro 16:5. But it is a loss of time to refute such ridiculous and groundless pretensions. It is very likely that Peter, so far from being universal bishop at Rome, never saw the city in his life.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. Philologus] A Greek name.

Julia] Possibly the wife of Philologus.—The name may (as in the case of Junia: see note on Rom_16:7;) be really Julias, i.e., Julianus; a masculine name. But the mention just after of “Nereus and his sister” weighs, however lightly, in the other direction. So Meyer.

Nereus] A Greek name; that of a minor sea-god, tutelar of the Mediterranean under Poseidon. See second note on Rom_16:1.

Olympas] A Greek masculine name.

the saints which are with them] See last note on Rom_16:14.

At the close of this long roll of names we cannot but remark on it as a noble and beautiful illustration of the “family-affection of Christianity.” It is often observed that a peculiar charm attaches to successions of names,

“Lancelot, or Pelleas, or Pellenore;”

and such a rhythmical charm is not absent here. But far above it is the charm of the pure intense spiritual intimacy of hearts, an intimacy created by the possession of “one Lord, one Hope,” and which with the advent of the Gospel touched the weary world as a new and unknown visitor from heaven. We might quote many parallels from later Christian literature; but one will be enough—the dying farewell to his flock of a man who had no small measure of the holy love and zeal of St Paul—Felix Neff, the “Apostle of the Hautes Alpes.” Two days before his death (April, 1829,) “being scarcely able to see, he traced the following lines at different intervals, in large and irregular characters, which filled a page: ‘Adieu, dear friend André Blanc; Antoine Blanc; the Pelissiers, whom I dearly love; François Dumont and his wife; Isaac and his wife; Aimé Deslois; Emilie Bonnet, &c., &c., Alexandrine, and their mother—all, all the brethren and sisters at Mens—Adieu, adieu. I am departing to our Father (je monte vers notre Père) in perfect peace.—Victory, victory, victory, by Jesus Christ.—Felix Neff.’ ” (Vie, Toulouse, 1875.)

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Salute one another with an holy kiss,.... Christian salutation is a wishing all temporal, spiritual, and eternal happiness, to one another; and which, as it should be mutual, should be also hearty and sincere, and this is meant by the "holy kiss"; the allusion is to a common custom in most nations, used by friends at meeting or parting, to kiss each other, in token of their hearty love, and sincere affection and friendship for each other; and is called "holy", to distinguish it from an unchaste and lascivious one; and from an hypocritical and deceitful one, such an one as Joab gave to Amasa, when, inquiring of his health, he took him by the beard to kiss him, and stabbed him under the fifth rib, Sa2 20:9; and as Judas, who cried, hail master, to Christ, and kissed him, and betrayed him into the hands of his enemies, Mat 26:49. I say, it is an allusion to this custom, for it is only an allusion; the apostle did not mean that any outward action should be made use of, only that their Christian salutations should not be mere complaisance, or expressed by bare words, and outward gestures and actions, either of the hand or mouth; but that they should spring from real love and true friendship, and be without dissimulation, hearty and sincere:

the churches of Christ salute you. The Vulgate Latin, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic versions read, "all the churches"; that is, in Greece, or in the neighbourhood where the apostle was, and who might know of his writing to this church, and thereby send their Christian salutations to it; or if they did not know of his writing, yet as he knew their sincere affections, and hearty good will to this church, and the members of it, he in their names sent greetings to them: this shows the communion of churches, and how they ought to wish and sincerely desire each other's welfare.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.

Ver. 15. And Olympas] Viri, nomen, non mulieris. The name not of a woman, but of a man, saith Beza.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Julia; probably the wife of Philologus.

Olympas; this is thought to be the name of a man, rather than of a woman.

All the saints which are with them; that are in their several families: see Rom 16:14. There were, doubtless, many more Christians in the church of Rome, but either they were of no great note, or else not known to the apostle: and indeed it is matter of admiration, that he, who was never at Rome, should know the name and proper characters of so many there. And because he sendeth salutations to so many brethren at Rome, and makes no mention of Peter, it may be rationally inferred, that Peter was not there at the writing of this Epistle. It is questionable whether ever he were there at all; but it is without question, that he came not thither in the beginning of Claudius’s reign, and in the forty-fifth year of our Lord, as the Romanists report; nor was he bishop there for the space of five and twenty years, as they affirm.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. We have here two couplets, probably of husband and wife and of brother and sister, heading another Church group.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Salute all the saints - Had St. Peter been then at Rome, St. Paul would doubtless have saluted him by name; since no one in this numerous catalogue was of an eminence comparable to his. But if he was not then at Rome, the whole Roman tradition, with regard to the succession of their bishops, fails in the most fundamental article.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

Salute Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints that are with them . [These apostolic salutations are addressed to twenty-five individuals. Not a large group for one as widely known as Paul in a city as large as Rome, yet when we consider the limited circulation of news and the meager means of communication afforded in that day, it shows the deep affection of the apostle that he knew the whereabouts of so many of his brethren. Note also the women workers named in this small group. It was evidently only to Corinth, and not to Rome, that Paul wrote, "Let your women keep silence"-- 1Co_14:34 ; comp Phi_4:3 ]

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

15. And all the saints which are with them. Probably another household church, which met with those just named.

B. W. Johnson's The People's New Testament with Notes (1889–1891) — public domain. Electronic text from the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) ThML edition.

Philologus ... Nereus ... Olympas

These are men's names. (See: How to Translate Names and Translate Unknowns)

Julia

The name of a woman. Julia was probably the wife of Philologus. (See: How to Translate Names and Translate Unknowns)

a holy kiss

an expression of affection for fellow believers

All the churches of Christ greet you

Here Paul speaks in a general manner concerning the churches of Christ. AT: "The believers in all the churches in this area send their greetings to you" (See: Hyperbole and Generalization)

translationWords

believe

holy

kiss

church

Christ

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

15. Φιλόλογον. The name may suggest the occupation, in the secretariat or the record department; cf. Lft, op. cit[326] p. 177 n. 1.

[326] op. cit. opus citatum

Ἰουλίαν. Very common, and esp. in the imperial household.

Νηρέα. Cf. S. H. on the association of this, name with the early history of the Roman Church.

Ὀλυμπᾶν = Olympiodorus.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

15. φιλόλογος. A common slave name. Numerous instances are quoted from inscriptions of the imperial household: C.I.L. vi. 4116 dama ∙ liviae ∙ l ∙ cas … | phoebvs ∙ philologi | quoted by Lft. from Gorius, Mon. Liv. p. 168; he also quotes Murat. p. 1586. 3, p. 2043. 2; Grut. p. 630. 1. He is generally supposed to be the brother or the husband of Julia, in the latter case Nereus, his sister Nerias, and Olympas may be their children.

Ἰουλίαν. Probably the commonest of all Roman female names, certainly the commonest among slaves in the imperial household. The following inscription is interesting: C.I.L. vi. 20416 d. m. | ivliae nerei ∙ f ∙ | clavdiae. The name Julia Tryphosa occurs 20715-7 in one case apparently in a Christian inscription.

Νηρέα. This name is found in inscriptions of the imperial household, C. I. L. vi. 4344 nerevs ∙ nat ∙ german | pevcennvs ∙ germanici | anvs ∙ neronis ∙ caesaris. It is best known in the Roman Church in connexion with the Acts of Nereus and Achilleus, the eunuch chamberlains of Domitilla (see Acta Sanctorum May. iii. p. 2; Texte und Untersuchungen, Band xi. Heft 2). These names were, however, older than that legend, as seems to be shown by the inscription of Damasus (Bull. Arch. Christ. 1874, p. 20 sq.; C. Ins. Christ. ii. p. 31) which represents them as soldiers. The origin of the legend was probably that in the catacomb of Domitilla and near to her tomb, appeared these two names very prominently; this became the groundwork for the later romance. An inscription of Achilleus has been found in the cemetery of Domitilla on a stone column with a corresponding column which may have borne the name of Nereus: both date from the fourth or fifth century (Bull. Arch. Christ. 1875, p. 8 sq.). These of course are later commemorations of earlier martyrs, and it may well be that the name of Nereus was in an early inscription (like that of Ampliatus above). In any case the name is one connected with the early history of the Roman Church; and the fact that Nereus is combined with Achilleus, a name which does not appear in the Romans, suggests that the origin of the legend was archaeological, and that it was not derived from this Epistle (Lightfoot, Clement. i. p. 51; Lipsius Apokr. Apgesch. ii. 106 ff.).

Ὀλυμπᾶς: an abbreviated form like several in this list, apparently for Ὀλυμπιόδωρος.

International Critical Commentary — older volumes (1896–1929), various authors — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Vv. 15. Julia (for such is the true reading) is undoubtedly the wife of Philologus.

Frédéric Louis Godet — Commentaries on Luke, John, Romans, and 1 Corinthians — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1870s–1890s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Rom_16:8-15

My beloved in the Lord. The preposition in (ἐν), here, as frequently elsewhere, points out the relation or respect in which the word, to which it refers is to be understood; brother beloved, both in the flesh and in the Lord (Phm_1:16), both in reference to our external relations, and our relation to the Lord. And thus in the following, Rom_16:9, our helper in Christ, i.e. as it regards Christ; Rom_16:10, approved in Christ, i.e. in his relation to Christ; an approved or tried Christian; Rom_16:12, who labor in the Lord; and, which labored much in the Lord, i.e. who, as it regards the Lord, labored much; it was a Christian or religious service. The names, Tryphena, Tryphosa, and Persis, all are feminine. The last is commonly supposed to indicate the native country of the person who bore it, as it was not unusual to name persons from the place of their origin, as Mysa, Syria, Lydia, Andria, etc.; such names, however, soon became common, and were given without any reference to the birthplace of those who received them. Chosen in the Lord, i.e. not one chosen by the Lord; chosen, (i.e., approved, precious; see 1Pe_2:4,) in his relation to the Lord, as a Christian. It is not merely elect in Christ, that is, chosen to eternal life, for this could be said of every Christian; but Rufus is here designated as a chosen man, as a distinguished Christian. It is worth noticing, that at Rome, as at Corinth, few of the great or learned seem to have been called. These salutations are all addressed to men not distinguished for their rank or official dignity. Mylius, as quoted by Calov, says: Notanda hic fidelium istorum conditio: nemo hic nominatur consul, nemo quaestor aut dictator insignitur, minime omnium episcopatuum et cardinalatuum dignitate hic personant: sed operarum, laborum, captivitate titulis plerique notantur. Ita verum etiam in Romana ecclesia fuit olim, quod apostouls scribit, non multi potentis, non multi nobiles, sed stuta mundi electa sunt a Deo. Papatus autem Caesarei, qualis adjuvante diabolo, in perniciem religionis, posteris saeculis Romae involuit, ne umbra quidem apostolorum aetate istic fuit: tantum abest, ut ille originem ab apostolis ipsis traxerit.

Charles Hodge — Commentary on Romans (1835), First Corinthians (1857), and Ephesians (1856) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.