(Verse 11.) Salute Herodion my kinsman. This man, whom he calls only a kinsman, he shows to be devoted in the charity of the new birth; yet he has not marked out any diligent work of his. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. This Narcissus is said to have been a presbyter at that time, as is read in other codices. And since he was not present, you see for what reason he greets as saints in the Lord those who were of his household. This Narcissus the presbyter was performing the office of one travelling abroad, strengthening believers by his exhortations; and since the Apostle did not know the merits of those who had been with him, he spoke thus: Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, in the Lord; that is: “Those of them whom you know to be worthy of my greeting, who have set their hope in the Lord, greet in my name.”

(Verse 12.) Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. These he declares worthy of one honour in Christ. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord. She seems to be placed before those mentioned above, because she laboured much in the Lord. This labour lies in exhortation, and in ministering to the saints, and in affliction, and in want for Christ’s sake; for, being driven out, they left their homes, and were a reproach to the faithless.

(Verse 13.) Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. He placed this Rufus before his mother on account of his being chosen for the administration of the grace of God, in which a woman has no place; for he was chosen, that is, advanced by the Lord to carry out His affairs. Yet he had so holy a mother that the Apostle called her his own mother too.

(Verse 14.) Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them. These he greets together, because he knew them to be of one accord in Christ, that is, joined in Christian friendship. He greets at the same time the brethren who were with them, whose names he has passed over.

(Verse 15.) Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, Olympas, and all the saints which are with them. All these are understood to have been of one mind, and for this reason he greets them together; and their merit is known from those who were with them; for he calls them saints, so that he may be seen to greet them deservedly.

(Verse 16.) Salute one another with an holy kiss. All to whom he writes, and whom he names, he bids greet one another with a holy kiss, that is, in the peace of Christ: not in the desire of the flesh, but in the Holy Spirit; so that the kisses may be religious, not carnal. All the churches of Christ salute you. From this it is understood that there is something called a church which is not Christ’s. Hence David too calls the conspiracy of the wicked the church of evildoers (Psalm 26:5). He says, then, that the churches of all those places greet them, so that they may grow in the faith. This, then, he referred to the earlier meaning: to show that it is Christ in whom salvation is, and that He is the one whose people the faithful are, and by whose nod the whole creation lives. For He is the author of life, as the apostle Peter says (Acts 3:15), not the Law, in which some of them thought they ought to hope.

(Verses 17–18.) Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. In this place he broke out against the persons of the false apostles, whom throughout the epistle he warned them to beware of, as he does now too; but he suppressed their teaching without bringing it into the open. For they were compelling believers to Judaise, so as to make void the benefit of God towards them, as I mentioned above. For, putting together words about genealogy, they fitted treatises to themselves to commend their own tradition, by which they might deceive the hearts of the simple.

(Verse 19.) For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. This is what he says at the beginning of the epistle (Romans 1:8), that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world; and it signifies that he is confident of their obedience. For it was incredible that, after they had known the truth, they should subject themselves, as prudent men, to a foolish thing. I am glad therefore on your behalf. This sense too is from the earlier part of the epistle: for he rejoices that the Romans, who are seen to hold the empire, have subjected themselves to the Christian faith. But yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. Those are wise unto good who work good things; and those are simple concerning evil who are ignorant of evil works, that is, who do not know the practice of malice.

(Verse 20.) And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly: that is, in a short time. He says this of his own coming: that his coming would crush the devil, because they were going to receive spiritual grace; a thing Satan envies, since he wishes men to remain in error, and the rest to be at variance, though they are of one profession. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. The grace which he promised them at his coming he wishes to be with them already; for if they deserve to receive it, it is already with them in hope.

(Verse 21.) Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. Timothy is the sharer of his labours, as a fellow bishop, who governed the Church with great anxious care, being so exposed to the envy of the Jews that at the beginning he was circumcised because of the offence of the Jews; since, his mother being a Jewess, he could not be a teacher while uncircumcised. The others he calls kinsmen, partly by race and partly on account of the faith.

(Verse 22.) I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord. Tertius by name, not by number. This is the scribe of the epistle, whom he allowed to greet in his own name the Roman people to whom he writes, as he bids them greet the others whom he names. For as yet there were rulers for the churches in few places.

(Verse 23.) Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. This is, I think, the Gaius to whom the apostle John writes (3 John 1), rejoicing in the charity which he showed to the brotherhood, supplying them with the means they needed. And whereas above he says, All the churches of Christ salute you, now he repeats it, saying, The whole church saluteth you, which I do not think was repeated idly; for so great and so careful a man set down nothing superfluous. But since he says, All the churches of Christ salute you, that is, all the saints — as he says in another place, And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh (Galatians 5:24) — now he adds that these too greet them who are followers, so as to signify the blessed people of the Church; for in every church there are two peoples. He may also have named the churches of two provinces, so as to have spoken first of all the churches of one place and then of another; or else of the Jews and the Gentiles.

(Verse 23.) Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother. The treasurer of the city is a kind of curator, who governed the city as justice directed, especially in regulating prices. All these he lists by name in his greeting to the Romans, so that they might know what kind of men, and how great, were rejoicing together at the good beginning they had made.

(Verses 25–27.) 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, 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: to God only wise, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. He gives glory to God the Father, of whom are all things; that, since He is able, He may deign to complete what the Romans have begun, strengthening their minds in the faith for the advancement of the Gospel, and the revelation of the mystery hidden from the ages, but made manifest through Christ, or in Christ (Ephesians 3:9). For the mystery which was always hidden in God was declared in the times of Christ: that God is not solitary, since with Him from eternity are both the Son and the Paraclete; and in this truth He decreed that the whole creation should be saved through knowledge of it. The truth of this mystery had indeed been marked out through the prophets in certain figures, known to the only wise God; and He willed the Gentiles to be partakers of this grace — which was hidden from the race of men. He alone, then, is wise, because from Him is all wisdom, as Solomon says: All wisdom cometh from the Lord God, and hath been with him for ever (Ecclesiasticus 1:1). This Wisdom is Christ, because He is of Him and was always with Him; through whom be glory to Him for ever and ever. Amen. Therefore nothing is full without Christ, because all things are through Him: for He being acknowledged, praise is given through Him to God the Father; for the Father is understood through Christ, as through His Wisdom, in which He has saved those who believe. Glory, then, to the Father through the Son, that is, glory to both in the Holy Spirit; for each is in one glory.

(Verse 28.) The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. At the close he sets Christ, through whom we were made and again re-formed by His grace, so that He may cleave to our minds; for if we are mindful of His benefits, He will always protect us, as He said: And lo, He says, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen (Matthew 28:20).