Romans 16:1. I commend unto you, &c.— This chapter consists chiefly of salutations. Throughout the whole Epistle the Apostle has demonstrated his affectionate regards to the whole society of Christians at Rome. But it was still more engaging to take a friendly notice of the principal persons by name, adding to several of them the honourable character whichthey deserved, or some special mark of his esteem. In the midst of these expressions of his love, the great design of writing the Epistle, and establishing their happiness, recurs to his thoughts. The Jewish converts were exceeding zealous to reduce all professors of Christianity to a submission to the law of Moses; and on this account not only propagated bad principles of religion, but almost every where broke in upon the peace and unity of the Gentile churches. This was the case of the churches in Galatia; but was not yet the unhappy case of the church at Rome. But the Apostle fearing it might, after all that he has done in this Epistle to settle them upon the principles of pure Gospel, throws in here a very pathetic caution against such authors and fomenters of divisions, Romans 16:17-20. He concludes, after repeated benedictions, (like one who with his whole soul wished their highest felicity,) with a doxology to the only-wise God.
I commend Phebe—which is a servant, &c.— It might be translated, who is a deaconess of the church at Cenchrea, a port belonging to the city of Corinth, whence St. Paul wrote this letter. It is agreed that the deacons were officers employed in distributing the church's stock among the necessitous. They were to be persons of an eminent character, 1Ti 3:8-11 and therefore their service in the church might not consist only in relieving the poor, but in visiting the sick, in exhorting, comforting, and teaching, as occasion required. Corinth was a city of Greece, and, according to the customs of that country, men could not well be allowed to perform those good offices to the women: for men to have visited and conversed with women, would have been counted a very great indecency, and must have brought a scandal upon the Christian profession; as in Greece the women were treated in a manner very different from the usages of the western parts of Europe. This appears from Cornelius Nepos, who observes in his preface, "A great many things in our customs are decent, which are thought scandalous among them: for which of the Romans thinks it a shame to take his spouse to a feast? Or whose wife keeps not in the first room of the house, and converses with company? Which is quite otherwise in Greece, where she is never admitted to a feast, unless of relations, and always keeps in a retired part of the house, which is called the woman's apartment, whither nobody comes, unless allied to her bynear relation." This being the case, it is not improbable that some women of probity and good understanding might be chosen to attend as deaconesses upon their own sex. And this custom of keeping the women in a state of separation might occasion, in Greece, other allowable peculiarities in religious affairs. It is certain that they sometimes exercised their devotions apart from their husbands (1 Corinthians 7:5.); and that they had separate assemblies for religious worship will appear probable, if we consider that the Apostle, when he is giving rules about prophesying, absolutely enjoins silence to the women in the church, or public assembly; 1 Corinthians 14:34-35. They were not allowed to speak or prophesy there, by the commandment of the Lord, 1Co 14:37 or so much as to ask any question in the public assembly about what was taught, but directed to consult their husbands at home: much less were they allowed to teach or usurp authority over the men, but are expressly ordered to learn in silence, with all subjection, 1 Timothy 2:11-12. And yet the Apostle supposes, 1Co 11:3-16 without any mark of disapprobation, that the woman might pray and prophesy, that is, speak unto others to edification, exhortation, and comfort; for that is here the meaning of prophesying, as the Apostle informs us, 1Co 14:3 therefore prophesying is an address to others, or to a company of persons. Here then the Apostle gives directions about the woman's praying and prophesying in an assembly, or where others were present, and yet, in the above-quoted places, he expressly enjoins silence, and forbids her speaking, and consequently prophesying, in the churches.—How shall we bring these things to a consistency?—Thus: the prohibitions and injunctions, 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, 1Ti 2:11-12 expressly relate to those assemblies, in which the whole church, men and women, met for the worship of God. In such assemblies the women were to be in silence; consequently (unless the Apostle contradicted himself in the same Epistle, and in a matter upon which he discourses largely and expressly) those assemblies in which women are supposed and allowed to pray and prophesy, were separate meetings, which consisted of none but women. Of the decent appearance of women at such meetings, he discourses, 1Co 11:3-16 where we may observe there is not one word of the church;—of praying or prophesying in the church;—for he did not consider those assemblies of women as proper churches. Then at 1Co 11:17 he begins to correct disorders in their proper assemblies, when they came together in the church, men and women (1Co 11:28); and discourses upon this subject to the end of ch. 14. In favour of this opinion, Grotius, on the verse before us, remarks, "that in Greece there were Πρεσβυτιδες, female presbyters, as well as deacons, for the instruction of their own sex; which female presbyters were ordained by the laying on of hands; till the council of Laodicea;" and for this he appeals to the eleventh canon of that council. This order of priestesses must grow out of the custom of women's holding separate assemblies for their mutual instruction and edification. In those assemblies theysupposed that they might lay aside the veil, the token of inferiority and subjection, and perform their religious exercises uncovered, as if they were upon a par with the men. This the Apostle opposes, and gives his reasons, 1 Corinthians 11:3-9. "But,—the women might object,—we have no men among us; why should we wear the badge of subjection, when we are among ourselves, and therefore are to be considered only in relation to ourselves?" The Apostle answers, Romans 16:10. You ought to have power (that is, a veil, the sign of the man's power or authority upon your head, because or on account of the MESSENGERS; for so the word Αγγελους, which we translate Angels, most naturally and properly signifies; and so it is rendered, Matthew 11:10, Luke 7:24; Luke 7:27; Luke 9:52; James 2:25. This furnishes a hint of what the reason of the case plainly suggests, that the men, upon sundry occasions, especially to inspect their conduct, sent messengers to those female assemblies. If we duly reflect upon the general custom of confining and restraining the women, even at home, in their own houses, we need not doubt but those meetings were under particular regulations; and that care would be taken to send proper persons to see how they behaved in them; not to mention that a woman might be wanted at home, and a messenger might be sent to require her attendance. However, it is very probable, that access to messengers was one of the conditions upon which the women held these religious assemblies; and these messengers, coming in the name of their husbands, brought, in a sense, their authority along with them; on which account the women ought to observe a just decorum, as if their husbands were present, seeing that they were in effect still under their eye:—The woman ought to have power upon her head, on account of the messengers. Mr. Locke, in his note on 1Co 11:3 supposes women were allowed to prophesy in public assemblies, where men were present; not indeed as ordinary doctors and teachers, but when their "prophesying was a spiritual gift, performed by the immediate and extraordinary motion and impulse of the Holy Ghost." But this great commentator did not observe, that women are expressly and absolutely enjoined silence in the churches, by the commandment of the Lord, among the rules relative to speaking in this very kind of prophesying, by revelation. See 1 Corinthians 14:29-37. Whence, particularly from 1Co 14:32-33 we may conclude, that a revelation given by the Spirit of God was not, at least in general, attended with any such extraordinary motion or impulse, as constrained the person to speak to whom it was given. With regard to the time of speaking, he might use his discretion;—when he thought proper, he might begin to speak; and when he pleased, he might hold his speech, as decency and good order should require. Therefore, though the Spirit of prophesy might be poured out upon a Christian woman in the church; or though some truth might be revealed to her, yet she might keep it to herself, and was obliged to keep it to herself, among the Christian men, and to confer only with her husband about it, who, it seems likely, might communicate it to the church, if he thought fit.

Romans 16:3. Greet Priscilla and Aquila— This excellent couple appear by this passage to have returned to Rome on the ceasing of that edict against the Jews, which had driven them thence in the reign of Claudius; Acts 18:2. Priscilla seems to have been a woman of great note, and probably of distinguished genius and influence; which appears, not only from the manner in which she is here named, but also from the edification which the eloquent Apollos received from her instructions, in concurrence with those of her husband. See Doddridge, and Calmet.

Romans 16:5. Who is the first-fruits of Achaia— It is probable that Epenetus might be converted at the same time with Stephanas, called also the first-fruits of Achaia; 1Co 16:15 for there is no manner of necessity to understand by that expression the veryfirst Christian convert. Epenetus possibly might be one of that happy family, to whom this appellation is given.

Romans 16:7. Andronicus and Junia— Or, Junias. Diodati thinks that by apostles in this verse are meant the evangelists; and that the meaning is, that these persons were noted messengers of the churches; but it is more probable that they were some early converts, who had been known and much esteemed by the apostles before the dispersion occasioned by the death of Stephen: and if so, St. Paul perhaps might once have been active in persecuting them, and have learned their names at first with an hostile intent of hunting them down to destruction. See Craddock's Apostol. Hist. Diodati, and Doddridge.

Romans 16:10. Them—of Aristobulus' household— There is no certain evidence that either Aristobulus, or Narcissus, Rom 16:11 were Christians. It seems most probable that they were persons of high rank, who had each a large family of slaves or domestics; some of whom being Christian converts, the Apostle would not forget them, low as their rank was in life, when he was saluting his brethren in so particular a manner. We may observe what a regard the Apostle had for foreign churches, when he informed himself of the names, circumstances, and abode of so many of them in Rome. See Doddridge.

Romans 16:11. In the Lord— From this and the following verse we may observe, that when the whole family was converted, the Apostle writes to the church in such a house; when not, the salutation is directed to as many as were in the Lord in that fami

Romans 16:13. And his mother and mine— Hence some have thought, that Rufus was at least half-brother to St. Paul; but perhaps he might in this expression refer to the maternal care which this good woman had taken of him.

Romans 16:15. And all the saints, &c.— Dr. Calvin and many others observe, as before hinted, that had St. Peter been now at Rome, he would undoubtedly have been named, since no one in this numerous catalogue was of a dignity and eminence by any means comparable to him;—and yet if he were not there at this time, the whole tradition of the Romish bishops, as that church delivers it, fails in the most fundamental article of all.

Romans 16:18. And fair speeches— 'Ευλογιας, flattering forms of address. We hence learn what were the weapons which these false apostles opposed to the miracles of the true. See Titus 1:10-11.

Romans 16:20. Shall bruise Satan, &c.— Satan is here put for his instruments;—the troublers of the church's peace. See 2 Corinthians 11:15. "God shall break the force and attempts of Satan upon your peace, by those his instruments, who would engage you in quarrels and discords." See Locke. At the same time, the words may be taken in the most spiritual sense, as implying that all the spiritual enemies of every faithful soul among them should soon be destroyed.

Romans 16:22. I Tertius, who wrote this Epistle, &c.— It was the general custom of those times to dictate to an amanuensis;—especially with men of learningand business. An anonymous critic would read this verse, I Tertius, who wrote this Epistle, for the glory of the Lord, salute you. It seems that Tertius, who was St. Paul's secretary or amanuensis, was well known to the Roman brethren. From his name he may be supposed to have been a Roman. Others think that this is Silas, because his name is of the same signification with Tertius.