Fellow-workers. In christian labor, as they had been in tent-making.
4, Who (oftwes). The double relative, with an explanatory force: seewng that they.
Laid down their own necks (tov éavtav tpaynrov virédn- xav). Laid down is, literally, placed under (the axe). Whether the expression is literal or figurative, or if literal, when the in- cident occurred, cannot be determined.
5. The church that is in their house (rHv Kat’ oixov avtav éxxrnaiav). The phrase church that is in their (or his) house oceurs 1 Cor. xvi. 19, of Aquila and Priscilla; Col. iv. 15, of Nymphas; Philem. 2, of Philemon. A similar gathering may be implied in Rom. xvi. 14, 15. Bishop Lightfoot says there is no clear example of a separate building set apart for christ- ian worship within the limits of the Roman Empire before the
Cu. XVL] THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. 179
third century. The Christian congregations were, therefore, dependent upon the hospitality of prominent church members who furnished their own houses for this purpose. Hence their places of assembly were not called ¢emples until late ; but houses of God ; houses of the churches ; houses of prayer.
Numerous guilds or clubs existed at Rome for furnishing proper burial rites to the poor. Extant inscriptions testify to the existence of nearly eighty of these, each consisting of the members of a different trade or profession, or united in the worship of some deity. The Christians availed themselves of this practice in order to evade Trajan’s edict against clubs, which included their own ordinary assemblies, but which made a special exception in favor of associations consisting of poorer members of society, who met to contribute to funeral expenses. This led to the use of the catacombs, or of buildings erected over them for this purpose.*
The expression here denotes, not the whole church, but that portion of it which met at Aquila’s house.
Epaenetus. A Greek name, meaning praised. It is, how- ever, impossible to infer the nationality from the name with any certainty, since it was common for the Jews to have a sec- ond name, which they adopted during their residence in heathen countries. Compare John Mark (Acts xii. 12); Justus (Acts i. 23); Niger (Acts xiii. 1); Crispus (Acts xviii. 8).
The first-fruits of Achaia. The best texts read of Asva. An early convert of the Roman province of Asia. See on Acts ii. 9. This is adduced as an argument that this chapter was addressed to Ephesus.t
6. Mary (Mapidp Mariam). Westcott and Hort read Ma- plav. A Jewish name, the same as Miriam, meaning obstinacy, rebelliousness.
Bestowed labor (éxomiacev). See on Luke v. 5.
7. Andronicus and Junia. The latter name may be either masculine or feminine. If the latter, the person was probably
* See Northcote and Brownlow: ‘‘ Roma Sotterranea.” ¢ See Farrar, ‘‘ Expositor,” first series, ix., 212.
180 WORD STUDIES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. (Cu. XVL.
the wife of Andronicus. If the former, the name is to be rend- ered Junias, as Rev. The following words point to this con- clusion.
Kinsmen (cuyyeveis). The primary meaning is related by blood ; but it is used in the wider sense of fellow-countrymen. So ech. ix. 3.
Of note (émionwor). A good rendering etymologically, the word meaning, literally, bearing a mark (ofa, nota).
Fellow-prisoners (cuvarypaddrous). See on captives, Luke iv. 18.
8. Amplias. A contraction of Ampliatus, which is the reading of the best texts.
9. Urbane. The correct reading is Urbanus, city-bred. Stachys. Meaning an ear of corn.
10. Apelles. It occurs in Horace as the name of a Jew, un- der the form Apella (“ Satire,” i., 5, 100).
Them which are of Aristobulus’ household. Possibly household slaves. They might have borne the name of Aristo- bulus even if they had passed into the service of another master, since household slaves thus transferred, continued to bear the name of their former proprietor. Lightfoot thinks that this Aristobulus may have been the grandson of Herod the Great, who was still living in the time of Claudius.