Hausa

Origen of Alexandria

Ante-Nicene · to AD 325 · 2,651 passages across 61 books

On Romans

281–296 of 296
Romans 16:6

Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.

Paul is teaching here that women too ought to work for the churches of God. They work when they teach children how to behave, when they love their husbands, when they feed their children, when they are modest and chaste, when they keep a good household, when they are kind, when they are submissive to their husbands, when they exercise hospitality, when they wash the feet of the saints, and when they do all the other things which are allotted to women in the Bible.
Romans 16:7

Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

It may be that these were Paul’s kinsmen according to the flesh, but the expression “my fellow prisoners” is what fascinates me. When was Paul in captivity? It seems that this was the captivity of sin and that they were together with him in the blindness of unbelief. When Christ came they were set free, as was Paul.
Romans 16:10

Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household.

Paul does not say that those of the family of Aristobulus were beloved, or approved, or fellow workers in Christ. Perhaps they were not any of these things, and so he honors them only with a simple greeting.
Romans 16:11

Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.

Romans 16:14

Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them.

I think this Hermas was the author of the book called The Shepherd of Hermas, which seems to me to be a useful book and one which was inspired by God. I think the reason Paul does not praise him is that he himself tells us in his book that he was converted only after many sins. Scripture tells us not to rush to honor someone who has just repented from sin nor to give him praise as long as the angel of repentance is still over him.
Romans 16:15

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

Romans 16:16

Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.

From this and other statements like it, it appears that it was the custom to greet one another with a kiss after the prayers. The apostle calls this a holy kiss. How could Paul write that all the churches sent greetings, when he was only in one of them at the time? I think we have to understand this to mean that there was one spirit common to Paul and to all the churches, so that he could speak on behalf of them all.
Romans 16:19

For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

This is similar to what Paul wrote to the Corinthians when he said: “Be babes in evil, but in your thinking be mature.” The Lord also said much the same thing: “The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light.”
Romans 16:20

And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

It seems to me that “Satan” here refers to any spirit which is opposed to God. For in our language, Satan means “adversary.”But just as the apostle teaches that if they behave and demonstrate that they are the kind of people he says they are, then he promises that Satan will soon be crushed under their feet by the God of peace, so the same God of peace will stir up Satan in the hearts of those who do not keep his peace with a pure heart and a clean conscience. Thus whoever neglects the blessing of peace will suffer the bitter pangs of the adversaries until he remembers the sweetness of the peace which he has rejected. Therefore we are edified by both of these things, for God is said to stir up Satan against those who neglect him and to subdue him for the benefit of those who dedicate themselves to him, giving them the palm of victory over their vanquished foe and pouring out on them the rewards of victory.
Romans 16:21

Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.

Timothy is well known from the Acts of the Apostles, where it is recorded that he was from Derbe, the son of a believing widow and of a Gentile father. Paul asked him to remain at Ephesus in order to warn the people there not to teach anything different from what they had been taught nor to listen to myths and endless genealogies.Lucius may have been the same person as Luke the Evangelist, because names are sometimes given in the native form and sometimes in the Greek or Roman one.
Jason is the same person as the one who, when there were riots against Paul and Silas at Thessalonica, posted a bond for them so that they might have the freedom to preach. Sosipater was the son of Pyrrhus, from Berrhoea. … Paul calls them all his kinsmen because, although they were Gentiles, they were his brethren in the faith.
Romans 16:23

Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.

This is the same Gaius whom Paul mentioned as having baptized at Corinth. Paul would not have mentioned that Erastus was the city treasurer if he did not intend a spiritual meaning as well, viz., that Erastus was the treasurer or paymaster of that city whose builder and maker is God. This is why he did not indicate in what city Erastus served as treasurer!
Romans 16:24

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

Marcion, who interpolated both the Gospels and the Epistles, deleted this passage [Romans 16:24] from the text, and not only this but everything [after 16:25] as well. In other manuscripts not edited by Marcion we find this passage in different places. Some have it immediately after [16:25], and others have it here, at the end of the epistle.
Romans 16:25

Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,

Paul wants to show that there are two ways in which those who believe in the gospel are strengthened. One is by his preaching, which is the preaching of Christ. The other is by the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret for long ages and which has now been revealed in Christ … not without suitable witnesses but with the backing of the prophetic Scriptures.
Romans 16:26 · 2 passages

But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

Although the message is made known to all nations, it is not made known to all people, because only a few chosen ones are able to understand the wisdom and knowledge of God, of whom it is said: “Many are called, but few are chosen.”
Those who advance in the knowledge of Christianity do not treat the things written in the law with disrespect. On the contrary, they bestow even greater honor upon them, showing what a depth of wise and mysterious reasons is contained in these writings, which are not fully comprehended by the Jews, who treat them superficially and even as if they were to some extent mythical.
Romans 16:27

To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

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