Some 21 times in Romans 16, Paul uses the word “greet” in sending kind regards to many brethren that he knows in Rome. Consider some of the people he greets:
- Those who risked their lives for Paul – Prisca & Aquila (Rom. 16:3).
- Various workers in the Lord – Mary (Rom. 16:6), Urbanus (Rom. 16:9), Tryphanaena and Tryphosa, and Persis (Rom. 16:12).
- Those who suffered with Paul – Andronicus, Junia (Rom. 16:7).
- Those who are well loved, but mostly unknown to us – Urbanus, Stachys (Rom. 16:9), Apelles, the family of Aristobulus (Rom. 16:10), Herodion, those who belong to the family of Narcissus (Rom. 16:11), Rufus and his mother (Rom. 16:13), Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and many others (Rom. 16:14), Philologus, Julia, Nereus, Nereus’s sister, Olympus, and even more (Rom. 16:15).
- Others besides Paul also sent greetings to these brethren – Timothy (Rom. 16:21), Tertius (Rom. 16:22), Gaius, Erastus, and Quartus (Rom. 16:23).
What a way to end this great letter to the Romans! This wasn’t merely an academic paper on the Righteousness and Justification of God, nor was it merely a sermon to faceless individuals. When Paul, through the Holy Spirit, penned these words, he had these brethren on his mind and in his heart. So too, did our Lord. Paul valued them, and his greetings to them stand as a testament to God’s value of these Christians who we may only know more about on the other side of eternity. Until then, don’t forget to greet those brethren you love, for the churches of Christ greet you (Rom. 16:16).
– LS
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