The Meaning of Romans 16:21 Explained

Romans 16:21

KJV: Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.

YLT: Salute you do Timotheus, my fellow-workman, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kindred;

Darby: Timotheus, my fellow-workman, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.

ASV: Timothy my fellow-worker saluteth you; and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Timotheus  my  workfellow,  and  Lucius,  and  Jason,  and  Sosipater,  my  kinsmen,  salute  you. 

What does Romans 16:21 Mean?

Context Summary

Romans 16:17-27 - Receive Helpers: Shun Hinderers
Those who cause divisions on obscure points of doctrine are to be avoided, lest they lead us away from the fundamentals. We need to be wise in heavenly wisdom and guileless in regard to evil. The pure, childlike heart is quick to discern the right and wrong, because of the breath that evil leaves on its clear mirror.
In the ease of each believer, however weak and helpless, God is pledged to fulfill to us Genesis 3:15. Not merely will He help us to do it, but He will do it for us. It is a remarkable conjunction; God against the devil and peace bruising.
These postscripts, from Romans 16:17, were probably written by Paul's own hand. See 1 Corinthians 16:21. We are not all, as were Gaius and Erastus, men of note and wealth, but we can all resemble Quartus, "a brother." The mystery or secret with which the Epistle closes refers to the redemption wrought out by Jesus during His earthly ministry, 1 Timothy 3:16. But this was no new thing, as it had been in the mind of God from times eternal, Revelation 13:8 [source]

Chapter Summary: Romans 16

1  Paul wills the brothers to greet many;
17  and advises them to take heed of those which cause dissension and offenses;
21  and after various salutations ends with praise and thanks to God

Greek Commentary for Romans 16:21

[]
Romans 16:21-23 form a sort of postscript with greetings from Paul‘s companions in Corinth. Timothy was with Paul in Macedonia ( 2 Corinthians 1:1 ) before he came to Corinth. Lucius may be the one mentioned in Acts 13:1 . Jason was once Paul‘s host ( Acts 17:5-9 ) in Thessalonica, Sosipater may be the longer form of Sopater of Acts 20:4 . They are all Paul‘s fellow-countrymen ( συγγενεις — suggeneis ). [source]
Lucius and Jason - Sosipater []
For Lucius, see on Acts 13:1. Jason, possibly the Jason of Acts 17:5. Sosipater, possibly the Sopater of Acts 20:4. Both names were common. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Romans 16:21

Acts 20:4 Sopater []
The best texts add, the son of Pyrrhus. Compare Romans 16:21. [source]
Acts 13:1 Lucius of Cyrene []
Attempts have been made to identify him with Luke the evangelist; but the name Lucas is an abbreviation of Lucanus, and not of Lucius. It is worth noting, however, that, according to Herodotus (iii., 131), the physicians of Cyrene had the reputation of being the second best in Greece, those of Crotona being the best; and that Galen the physician says that Lucius was before him a distinguished physician in Tarsus of Cilicia. From this it has been conjectured that Luke was born and instructed in medicine in Cyrene, and left that place for Tarsus, where he made Paul's acquaintance, and was, perhaps, converted by him (Dr. Howard Crosby, “The New Testament, Old and New Version”). But, apart from the form of the name (see above), the mention of the evangelist's name here is not in accord with his usual practice, since he nowhere mentions his own name, either in the Gospel or in the Acts; and if the present passage were an exception, we should have expected to find his name last in the list of the worthies of Antioch. Of the five here named, four are known to be Jews; and therefore, probably, Lucius was also a Jew from Cyrene, where Jews are known to have abounded. Luke the evangelist, on the contrary, was a Gentile. Nothing certain can be inferred from Romans 16:21, where Lucius is enumerated by Paul among his kinsmen. If συγγενεῖς , kinsmen, means here, as is claimed by some, countrymen, it would prove Lucius to be a Jew; but the word is commonly used of relatives in the New Testament. In Romans 9:3, Paul applies the term to his fellow-countrymen, “my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites. ” [source]
Romans 16:21  []
Romans 16:21-23 form a sort of postscript with greetings from Paul‘s companions in Corinth. Timothy was with Paul in Macedonia ( 2 Corinthians 1:1 ) before he came to Corinth. Lucius may be the one mentioned in Acts 13:1 . Jason was once Paul‘s host ( Acts 17:5-9 ) in Thessalonica, Sosipater may be the longer form of Sopater of Acts 20:4 . They are all Paul‘s fellow-countrymen ( συγγενεις — suggeneis ). [source]

What do the individual words in Romans 16:21 mean?

Greets you Timothy the fellow worker of me also Lucius and Jason Sosipater the kinsmen
Ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς Τιμόθεος συνεργός μου καὶ Λούκιος καὶ Ἰάσων Σωσίπατρος οἱ συγγενεῖς

Ἀσπάζεται  Greets 
Parse: Verb, Present Indicative Middle or Passive, 3rd Person Singular
Root: ἀπασπάζομαι 
Sense: to draw to one’s self.
Τιμόθεος  Timothy 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Τιμόθεος  
Sense: a resident of Lystra, apparently, whose father was a Greek and mother a Jewess; he was Paul’s travelling companion and fellow labourer.
συνεργός  fellow  worker 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: συνεργός  
Sense: a companion in work, fellow worker.
μου  of  me 
Parse: Personal / Possessive Pronoun, Genitive 1st Person Singular
Root: ἐγώ  
Sense: I, me, my.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
Λούκιος  Lucius 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Λούκιος  
Sense: a man from Cyrene who was a prophet and a teacher of the church in Antioch (Acts 3:), perhaps the same one as mentioned in Ro.
Ἰάσων  Jason 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Ἰάσων  
Sense: a Thessalonians who entertained Paul and Silas, and maybe a cousin of Paul (Ro.
Σωσίπατρος  Sosipater 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Σωσίπατρος  
Sense: a kinsman or fellow tribesman of Paul.
συγγενεῖς  kinsmen 
Parse: Adjective, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: συγγενής 
Sense: of the same kin, akin to, related by blood.