Romans  ◦   Chapter 16

1I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, a friend of God and servant of the church in Cenchrea.2I ask you to welcome her in God's love worthy of the saints, and to provide her with any help she may need, for she has been helpful to many people, including me.

3Welcome Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Jesus Christ.4They risked their lives for me. And not only I, but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

5Welcome also the believers that meet at their house. Welcome my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first person in the province of Asia to trust in Jesus Christ.

6Welcome Mary; she worked very hard for you.

7Welcome Andronicus and Junias, members of my family, who have been imprisoned with me. They are outstanding apostles who had accepted the truth brought by Jesus before I did.

8Welcome Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord.

9Welcome Urbanus, a faithful representative of Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

10Welcome Apelles, tried and matured in Christ.

Welcome the family of Aristobulus.

11Welcome Herodion, a member of my family.

Welcome the family members of Narcissus, who have accepted the truth Jesus has brought.

12Welcome Tryphena and Tryphosa–these women have worked hard to promote God's cause.

Welcome my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked hard promoting God's cause.

13Welcome Rufus, healed by the truth, and his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.

14Welcome Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers in Christ with them.

15Welcome Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sisters, and Olympas, and all the saints with them.

16Welcome each other with the right-hand of fellowship and the bond of Christian unity. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

17I caution you, brothers and sisters: Be alert and on-guard, watching for those who spread rumors and gossip, misrepresent God, or in any other way cause division and obstruct the truth about God as revealed in Jesus. Keep away from them,18for no matter what they profess, such people are not serving our Lord Jesus Christ, but are actually working against him. By eloquent speeches, emotional appeals and boisterous preaching they deceive the immature and naive.19Everyone has heard about how willing you are to humbly listen and follow wherever the truth in Christ leads. I am so proud of you, and your Christlike lives bring joy to my heart. I want you to be wise about the power of goodness, and to avoid all that is evil.

20And when we open our hearts to love others completely, totally selflessly at all costs, rejecting Satan's methods of selfishness, then the God of peace crushes Satan and all his lies under our feet. May the grace of Christ be with you.

21Timothy, my co-worker in distributing God's healing Remedy, sends his warm regards to you, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater–members of my family.

22I, Tertius, who transcribed this letter for Paul, greet you in the Lord.

23Gaius, who has been so hospitable to me and to the entire church here, sends his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus also send you their greetings.24May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.

25Now to God, who is able to perfectly heal your mind and heart by the good news revealed in Jesus Christ–this good news is the revelation of God's character that was obscured by Satan's lies long ago,26but now has been clearly revealed and made known through Christ's life and the prophetic writings by God's direction, so that the entire world might reject Satan's lies about God, see the truth as revealed in Jesus and again trust God fully and follow his treatment plan–27to the only wise God be glory forever through the truth revealed by Jesus Christ! Amen.