A Family of Faithful Servants
16 1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 so that you may welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of our Father's people, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a benefactor of many, and of myself as well.
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Greet also the church that meets in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the firstfruits in Asia for Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard among you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews and fellow prisoners. They are well known among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet my beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all our Father's people who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way, contrary to the teaching you have learned; turn away from them. 18 For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so I rejoice over you; but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 Our Father of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. a a v20 The promise that the enemy will be crushed under your feet reaches all the way back to the first promise in the garden — our Father always meant to defeat the serpent and bring his children home.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews. 22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you, and so does our brother Quartus. 24 b b v24 This verse is not in the earliest manuscripts; later copies add: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of our eternal Father, so that all the nations might come to the obedience of faith 27 —to our only wise Father, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever! Amen. c c v27 Paul's closing praise rises to our Father — the only wise God — and it travels through Jesus Christ, the one who opened the way home.