Romans 16

Good News Translation (GNT)

Personal Greetings

16 I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who serves the church at Cenchreae. ² Receive her in the Lord’s name, as God’s people should, and give her any help she may need from you; for she herself has been a good friend to many people and also to me.

³ I send greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in the service of Christ Jesus; ⁴ they risked their lives for me. I am grateful to them—not only I, but all the Gentile churches as well.⁵ Greetings also to the church that meets in their house.

Greetings to my dear friend Epaenetus, who was the first in the province of Asia to believe in Christ.⁶ Greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for you. ⁷ Greetings also to Andronicus and Junia, fellow Jews who were in prison with me; they are well known among the apostles, and they became Christians before I did.

⁸ My greetings to Ampliatus, my dear friend in the fellowship of the Lord. ⁹ Greetings also to Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ’s service, and to Stachys, my dear friend. ¹⁰ Greetings to Apelles, whose loyalty to Christ has been proved. Greetings to those who belong to the family of Aristobulus.¹¹ Greetings to Herodion, a fellow Jew, and to the Christians in the family of Narcissus.

¹² My greetings to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who work in the Lord’s service, and to my dear friend Persis, who has done so much work for the Lord. ¹³ I send greetings to Rufus, that outstanding worker in the Lord’s service, and to his mother, who has always treated me like a son. ¹⁴ My greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and all the other Christians with them. ¹⁵ Greetings to Philologus and Julia, to Nereus and his sister, to Olympas and to all of God’s people who are with them.

¹⁶ Greet one another with the kiss of peace. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings.

Final Instructions

¹⁷ I urge you, my friends: watch out for those who cause divisions and upset people’s faith and go against the teaching which you have received. Keep away from them! ¹⁸ For those who do such things are not serving Christ our Lord, but their own appetites. By their fine words and flattering speech they deceive innocent people. ¹⁹ Everyone has heard of your loyalty to the gospel, and for this reason I am happy about you. I want you to be wise about what is good, but innocent in what is evil. ²⁰ And God, our source of peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet.

The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.

²¹ Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings; and so do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, fellow Jews.

²² I, Tertius, the writer of this letter, send you Christian greetings.

²³ My host Gaius, in whose house the church meets, sends you his greetings; Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. ²⁴ 

Concluding Prayer of Praise

²⁵ Let us give glory to God! He is able to make you stand firm in your faith, according to the Good News I preach about Jesus Christ and according to the revelation of the secret truth which was hidden for long ages in the past. ²⁶ Now, however, that truth has been brought out into the open through the writings of the prophets; and by the command of the eternal God it is made known to all nations, so that all may believe and obey.

²⁷ To the only God, who alone is all-wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever! Amen.

What more can be said, but the last line: To the only God, who is all-wise, be glory through Jesus Christ, forever! Amen! Alleluia! Merry Christmas and God bless us, everyone!

But wait, there’s more! Here’s a lovely Christmas song for you, my favorite! O Holy, Night. Merry Christmas to you and yours from Bishop Leo and Holly Michael, and Jake, Betsy and Nick!