Again he offers an exhortation, and not as a counselor, but as a humble petitioner and with great respect for them, for he calls them brethren. Exposing the schemes of harmful people, he said "watch out for," that is, inquire about them with diligence. First he mentions divisions, and then offenses. For as long as unity is maintained in the body of the Church, offenses cannot enter. And the offenses are heresies, for he says, "contrary to the teaching which you have learned." He did not say "which we taught," but "which you have learned," forestalling them by this and showing that they were already persuaded and had received the teaching, and therefore ought to remain in what they had already received. Thus, divisions and offenses, or heresies, are introduced by those who teach doctrine contrary to the apostolic teaching.
Rom. 16:17. and turn away from them;
Rom. 16:18. Such people serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly.
Withdraw from them, he says. If they were doing this out of ignorance or error, they would need to be corrected. But since they sin deliberately, flee from them. He hints at the Jews, whom he customarily reproaches as gluttons; for such is their entire race. Furthermore, all heresies are born from the service of passions and the belly. How then are you not ashamed, being a brother of Christ, to make slaves of the belly your teachers? Note, moreover, that he who serves the belly does not serve Christ.
Rom. 16:18. Through flattery and fair speech (δια της χρηστολογίας και ευλογίας) they deceive the hearts of the simple.
They act deceitfully, he says, by means of flattery; for the expression "by flattery and fair speech" means: friendship on the tongue, but treachery in the heart. He did not say: they deceive you, but: "the hearts of the simple," that is, of the naive.
Rom. 16:19. Your obedience to the faith is known to all; therefore I rejoice over you.
They deceive, he said, the simple-hearted. But "your obedience," which comes from great meekness, is known to all: I alone do not bear witness to it, but the whole world. Therefore I rejoice for you, that you were not deceived.
Rom. 16:19. I want you to be wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
He hints at the fact that some of them also had been led astray. He clearly expresses the same thing that the Lord said: "be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matt. 10:16). For he desires that they be "wise" or cautious "unto good," that is, in the matter of their own salvation and their own benefit, and "simple concerning evil," that is, in not doing harm to others, for the simple person causes no one harm.
Rom. 16:20. God of peace shall crush Satan under your feet shortly.
Since there were disputes, he calls upon the Giver of peace to put an end to the divisions. He does not say "will subdue," but what is much stronger: "will crush," and will crush not only those who introduce divisions, but also their leader. He also offers comfort regarding the timing, for he added: shortly. The word "will crush" expresses both a prayer and a prophecy, because it stands in the future tense.
Rom. 16:20. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you! Amen.
He also reminded them of grace, so that, judging by what they had already received, they would become more zealous in believing with regard to the future as well; for if the Lord saved them at the time when they were enemies, how much more will He now crush Satan. Notice, then: the apostle separates neither deeds from prayer, nor prayer from deeds. First he testified of their obedience, and then he began to pray, by which he made it known that not only before, but also now, even if we are skilled, we have need of the grace of God.
Rom. 16:21. Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you,
Timothy labored with him in the gospel; and to do the same thing that Paul did is great praise.
Rom. 16:21. Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
This Jason is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as one who endured dangers most courageously (Acts 17:6). And they are kinsmen of the apostle not only according to the flesh, but also, what is far more important, according to piety; for if they had not been such, he would not have mentioned them.
Rom. 16:22. I greet you in the Lord, I too, Tertius, who wrote this epistle.
A great thing it is to be a scribe of Paul. And Tertius writes this not in order to praise himself, but in order to attract to himself the greater love of the Romans, as one who served in the writing of the epistle to them.
Rom. 16:23. Greetings to you from Gaius, my host and host of the whole church.
That is, the one who received me in his house. Furthermore, that Gaius received in his home the whole Church and Paul himself, this is great praise; for Paul would not have gone to him if he had not found him worthy.
Rom. 16:23. Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you, and brother Quartus.
The steward and treasurer of the city of Corinth. He mentions him so that you may learn that neither wealth nor rank serves as a hindrance to anyone in faith and righteous living.
Rom. 16:24. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.