female name, and the person intended is supposed to have been the wift or sister of Andronicus. My kinsmen^ i. e. relatives, and not merely of the same nation; at least there seems no sufficient reason for taking the word in this latter general sense. Fellow prisoners. Paul, in 2 Cor. 11: 23, vp-hen enumerating his labours, says, "In stripes above mea- sure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft," &c. He was, therefore, often in bonds (Clemens Romanus, in his Epistle to the Corinthians, sec. 5, says seven times) ; he may, therefore, have had numerous fellow prisoners. Who are of note among the apostles. This may mean either, they were distinguished apostles ; or, they were highly respected by the apostles. The latter is most probably the correct interpretation, 1. Be- cause the word apostle^ unless connected with some other word, as in the phrase " messengers (apostles) of the churches," is very rarely applied in the New Testament to any other than the original messengers of Jesus Christ. The word has a fixed meaning, from which we should not depart without special reason. 2. Because the article, among the apos- tles, seems to point out the definite well-known class of persons almost exclusively so called. 3. The original, of course, admits this interpre- tation ; it is the simple meaning of the words. Who also were in Christ hefore we, i. e. who were Christians before me.
(8 — 15) My beloved in the Lord. The preposition in here, as fre- quently elsewhere, points out the relation or respect in which the word to which it refers is to be understood ; brother beloved both in the flesh and in the Lord,, Phil. 5:16, both in reference to our external relations, and our relation to the Lord. And thus in the following, v. 9, our helper in Christ,, i. e. as it regards Christ; v. 10, approved in Christ,, i. e. in his relation to Christ; an approved or tried Christian ; v. 12, who labour in the Lord ; and, which laboured Tnuch in the Lord,, i. e. who, as it re- gards the Lord, laboured much; it was a Christian or religious service. The names Tryphena, Tryphosa,, and Persis are all feminine. The last is commonly supposed to indicate the native country of the person who bore it, as it was not unusual to name persons from the place of their origin, as Mysa, Syria, Lydia,, Andria,, &c. ; such names, however, soon became common, and were given without any reference to the birth-place of those who received them. Chosen in the Lord, i. e. either one chosen by the Lord ; or, as is most probable in this connexion, chosen (i. e. ap- proved, precious ; see 1 Pet. 2 : 4), in his relation to the Lord, as a Christian.
(16) Salute one another with a holy kiss. Reference to this custom is made also in 1 Cor. 16 : 20. iThess. 5 : 26. 1 Pet. 5 : 14. It is sup- posed to have been of oriental origin, and continued for a longtime in the early churches ; after prayer, and especially before the celebration of the Lord's supper, the brethren saluting in this way the brethren, and the sisters the sisters. This salutation was expressive of mutual aflfec- tion and equality before God.
(17) Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions