Who is greeted and what warning and praise close the letter?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Phebe’s commendation and detailed salutations accompany warning against doctrine-contrary dissension, grace blessings and praise of revealed mystery.

Chapter breakdown

Paul commends their sister Phebe, who is in the ministry of the church at Cenchrae. They should receive her in the Lord as befits saints and assist whatever business she needs, for she has assisted many, including Paul. He greets Prisca and Aquila, his helpers in Christ who laid down their necks for his life, and whom he and the Gentile churches thank, together with the church in their house. He greets beloved Epenetus, Asia’s firstfruits; Mary, who laboured much among them; and Andronicus and Junias, his kinsmen and fellow prisoners, notable among the apostles and in Christ before him.

He greets Ampliatus, most beloved in the Lord; Urbanus, a helper in Christ, and beloved Stachys; Apelles, approved in Christ; Aristobulus’s household; his kinsman Herodian; and those of Narcissus’s household in the Lord. Tryphaena and Tryphosa labour in the Lord, and beloved Persis has laboured much. He greets Rufus, elect in the Lord, and his mother and Paul’s; Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes and the brethren with them; and Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympias and all the saints with them. They should greet one another with a holy kiss; Christ’s churches greet them.

They should mark and avoid those making dissensions and offences contrary to the doctrine learned. Such people serve their own belly rather than Christ, seducing innocent hearts with pleasing speeches and good words. Paul rejoices that the readers’ obedience is published everywhere, wishing them wise in good and simple in evil. The God of peace will speedily crush Satan under their feet. He wishes them the Lord Jesus’s grace.

Timothy, Paul’s fellow labourer, and his kinsmen Lucius, Jason and Sosipater send greetings. Tertius identifies himself as the writer of the epistle and greets them in the Lord. Caius, Paul’s host and that of the whole church, the city treasurer Erastus, and brother Quartus greet them. Paul again wishes grace to all. He gives eternal honour and glory through Jesus to the only wise God, able to establish them according to his gospel and Jesus’s preaching: the mystery secret from eternity is now manifest through prophetic scriptures, by God’s command, made known to the nations for the obedience of faith.

The story inside

All names retained as printed, including Herodian and Caius. No diaconal title, dictated writing process, trial of Apelles or universal-outcome doctrine is invented.

Lessons worth keeping

1
Phebe’s business is unspecified.
2
Tertius states he wrote, without describing dictation.
3
Dissensions/offences are qualified as contrary learned doctrine.

Test your recall

Who calls himself writer and who is called city treasurer?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 129036–129049
16:1. And I commend to you Phebe, our sister, who is in the ministry of the church, that is in Cenchrae: 16:2. That you receive her in the Lord as becometh saints and that you assist her in whatsoever business she shall have need of you. For she also hath assisted many, and myself also. 16:3. Salute Prisca and Aquila, my helpers, in Christ Jesus 16:4. (Who have for my life laid down their own necks: to whom not I only give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles), 16:5. And the church which is in their house. Salute Epenetus, my beloved: who is the firstfruits of Asia in Christ.
Lines 129081–129094
16:17. Now I beseech you, brethren, to mark them who make dissensions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them. 16:18. For they that are such serve not Christ our Lord but their own belly: and by pleasing speeches and good words seduce the hearts of the innocent. 16:19. For your obedience is published in every place. I rejoice therefore in you. But I would have you to be wise in good and simple in evil. 16:20. And the God of peace crush Satan under your feet speedily. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Lines 129106–129115
16:25. Now to him that is able to establish you, according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret from eternity; 16:26. (Which now is made manifest by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the precept of the eternal God, for the obedience of faith) known among all nations: 16:27. To God, the only wise, through Jesus Christ, to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.