Timotheus - Timothy; to whom the Epistles which bear his name were written. He was long the companion of Paul in his labors; Acts 16:1; 1 Corinthians 16:10; 2 Corinthians 1:1, 2 Corinthians 1:19; Philippians 2:29; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; 1 Timothy 1:2; Hebrews 13:23.

And Lucius - He is mentioned in Acts 13:1, as a prophet and teacher, a native of Cyrene. Nothing more is known of him.

My kinsmen - Romans 16:7.

Timotheus my workfellow - This is on all hands allowed to be the same Timothy to whom St. Paul directs the two epistles which are still extant. See some account of him in the notes on Acts 16:1 (note), etc.

Lucius - This was probably Luke the evangelist, and writer of the book called The Acts of the Apostles. For a short account of him see the Preface to that book.

Jason - It is likely that this is the same person mentioned Acts 17:7, who at Thessalonica received the apostles into his house, and befriended them at the risk both of his property and life.

Sosipater - He was a Berean, the son of one Pyrrhus, a Jew, by birth, and accompanied St. Paul from Greece into Asia, and probably into Judea. See Acts 20:4.

Timotheus my work fellow,.... Now follow the salutations of the friends and companions of the apostle: we may imagine that when this epistle was just concluding, that these his friends being about him, one said, pray send my Christian salutation to our dear friends at Rome, so said a second, and likewise a third, and so on, and Timotheus he began. This is the same person with Timothy, a disciple the apostle met with at Derbe, whose father was a Greek, and his mother a Jewess, and a believer in Christ. This same man he circumcised because of the Jews, and took him along with him, and was his companion in his travels, and very assisting to him in the work of the ministry, in spreading the Gospel, and promoting the interest of Jesus Christ; and therefore he here calls him his "work fellow"; he wrote two epistles to him afterwards when at a distance front him, in which he often calls him his son, his dear and well beloved son, having a great affection for him, because as a son with a father he served with him in the Gospel of Christ:

and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater my kinsmen salute you. This Lucius was either Lucius of Cyrene, who was one of the prophets in the church at Antioch, Acts 13:1, though indeed he is never said to travel with the apostle, or to be at Corinth, from whence this epistle was written; or rather, therefore, as others think, Luke the evangelist, who was a constant companion of the apostle, and was at Corinth with him at this time, as appears from Acts 20:5; Jason no doubt is he of Thessalonica, that received Paul and Silas into his house, and when an uproar was made concerning them, was brought before the rulers of the city, and gave security for them, Acts 17:5. This is a Jewish name, and he himself was a Jew, as is clear from his being a kinsman of the apostle's; his name was "Jeshua" or "Jesus"; so we read of one Jason, the brother of Onias the high priest of the Jews,

"But after the death of Seleucus, when Antiochus, called Epiphanes, took the kingdom,

Jason the brother of Onias laboured underhand to be high priest,'' (2 Maccabees 4:7)

and whose name, as Josephus (a) relates, was Jesus, but he chose to be called Jason, very likely because that was a name among the Greeks, whose fashions he was fond of. Sosipater was Sopater of Berea, who, with others, accompanied the apostle into Asia, Acts 20:4; he also was a Jew, and his Jewish name, as Grotius conjectures, might be Abisha, or rather Abishua, the name of the son of Phinehas the high priest, 1 Chronicles 6:4. Mention is also made of one of this name, Sosipater, in

"12. Howbeit Dositheus and

Sosipater, who were of Maccabeus' captains, went forth, and slew those that Timotheus had left in the fortress, above ten thousand men. 24. Moreover Timotheus himself fell into the hands of Dositheus and

Sosipater, whom he besought with much craft to let him go with his life, because he had many of the Jews' parents, and the brethren of some of them, who, if they put him to death, should not be regarded.'' (2 Maccabees 12:12,24)

These three last were Paul's kinsmen after the flesh, as well as in the spirit; being of the same nation, and perhaps of the same tribe, and it may be of the same family; they are all three mentioned among the severity disciples: Lucius is said to be bishop of Laodicea in Syria, Jason of Tarsus, and Sosipater of Iconium; See Gill on Luke 10:1.

(a) Antiqu. l. 12. c. 5. sect. 1.

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.

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

(5) He adds salutations, partly to renew mutual friendship, and partly to the end that this epistle might be of some weight with the Romans, having the confirmation of so many that subscribed to it.

16:21 Timothy. That Timothy was with Paul at this time, we learn from Ac 20:4. He joins with other companions of Paul in greetings.

Lucius. Possibly, Lucius of Cyrene (Ac 13:1).

Jason. Possibly the one named in Ac 17:5.

Sosipater. The same name as Sopater. See Ac 20:4.

Kinsmen. Countrymen; Jews.

16:21 Timotheus my fellowlabourer - Here he is named even before St. Paul's kinsmen. But as he had never been at Rome, he is not named in the beginning of the epistle.

21. Timotheus, my work-fellow-"my fellow labourer"; see Ac 16:1-5. The apostle mentions him here rather than in the opening address to this church, as he had not been at Rome [Bengel].

and Lucius-not Luke, for the fuller form of "Lucas" is not "Lucius" but "Lucanus." The person meant seems to be "Lucius of Cyrene," who was among the "prophets and teachers" at Antioch with our apostle, before he was summoned into the missionary field (Ac 13:1).

and Jason-See Ac 17:5. He had probably accompanied or followed the apostle from Thessalonica to Corinth.

Sosipater-See Ac 20:4.

16:21-24 The apostle adds affectionate remembrances from persons with him, known to the Roman Christians. It is a great comfort to see the holiness and usefulness of our kindred. Not many mighty, not many noble are called, but some are. It is lawful for believers to bear civil offices; and it were to be wished that all offices in Christian states, and in the church, were bestowed upon prudent and steady Christians.