1 I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church at Cenchrea. [Note: This was a seaport town about seven miles east of Corinth].
2 Welcome her [as someone to fellowship] in the Lord, in a way that God's people should. And you people should help her in whatever way she needs you, for she herself has helped many people, including me.
3 I send greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow-workers in [the service of] Christ Jesus.
4 They risked their own lives for me, so not only I, but also all the Gentile churches [i.e., people converted from among the Gentiles] are grateful to them [for this].
5 I also send greetings to the church that meets in their house. Greetings to my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia [Note: This was a province in the western part of present-day Turkey].
6 Greetings to Mary, who worked very hard for you [i.e., she served the church in Rome].
7 Greetings to Andronicus and Junias, my fellow-Jews [or possibly actual relatives] who were in prison with me. These [men] are considered outstanding by the apostles, and were Christians before I was [converted].
8 Greetings to Ampliatus, my dear friend in [the fellowship of] the Lord.
9 Greetings to Urbanus, our fellow-worker in [the service of] Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
10 Greetings to Apelles, [who was tested and] approved in [the service of] Christ. Greetings to members of the family of Aristobulus.
11 Greetings to Herodion, my fellow-Jew. [See verse 7]. Greetings to those members of the family of Narcissus who are Christians.
12 Greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, who are workers in [the service of] the Lord and to Persis, my dear friend who worked hard in [the service of] the Lord.
13 Greetings to Rufus, an outstanding servant in [the service of] the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me also.
14 Greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the [other] brothers who are with them.
15 Greetings to Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all [the others] of God's people who are with them.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss [i.e., to signify affection, yet without sensuality]. All of the churches of Christ [i.e., which Paul established or preached in] send you their greetings.
17 Now I urge you, brothers, watch out for those who are causing divisions and occasions for falling [away from God over matters] contrary to the teaching you have learned, and withdraw from them [i.e., stop listening to their false teaching].
18 For such men are not serving our Lord Christ but their own [unspiritual] appetites. They are deceiving the minds of innocent people by their smooth talk and flattering words.
19 For everyone has heard about your obedience [to the truth], and [because of this], I am very happy over you. But I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil.
20 And the God, who brings peace, will soon crush Satan under your feet [i.e., bring an end to the divisive work of the false teachers there]. May the unearned favor of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
21 My fellow-worker Timothy sends his greetings to you, and so do my fellow-Jews Lucius, Jason and Sosipater. [See verse 7].
22 I am Tertius, who is writing this letter [for Paul], and I send you my greetings in [the fellowship of] the Lord.
23 Gaius, who is hosting me [i.e., Paul] and the whole church [here], sends you his greetings. [Note: This was probably the Gaius who lived in Corinth (I Cor. 1:14) and was apparently both wealthy and generous]. Erastus, the city treasurer [of Corinth] sends his greetings to you, along with our brother Quartus. {{Some manuscripts contain verse 24), which repeats the benediction of verse 20}}
25 Now may there be glory for ever, through Jesus Christ, to the only wise God, who is able to make you stand firm [in the faith], according to the good news and proclamation of Jesus Christ. This message is the secret which was [eventually] revealed, after having been kept quiet about for long ages.
26 It is now being made known through the writings of the prophets, as commanded by the eternal God, to [people of] all the nations, in order to bring about their obedience to the faith
27 [i.e., so they will believe and obey the truth]. May it be so.