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5. Kar’ ohov, in the house ) When any Christian was the pos- sessor of a spacious mansion, he gave it as a place for meeting together. Hitherto the believers at Rome had neither bishops nor ministers. Therefore they had nothing at that time re- sembling the papacy. It does not appear that there were more of these house-churches then at Rome ; otherwise Paul would have mentioned them also [as he does those in this ch.] Aquila therefore was at Rome, what Gaius was at Corinth, ch. xvi. 23 ; although the persecution had particularly pressed upon him, Acts xviii. 2. — ’E-ra/Wov, Epaenetus ) Paul had not hitherto been at Rome, and yet he had many intimate acquaint- ances there from Asia, or even from Greece, Palestine, Cilicia, Syria. There is no mention here of Linus or Clement, whence we may conclude, that they came to Rome afterwards. — ana pyy, first fruits) This is evidently a title of approbation, 1 Cor. xvi. 15. — ' Ayjziug) others have ’Acvag,1 and Grotius, along with the British writers quoted by Wolfius approves of it, with whom he says, how far he is correct I know not, that Whitby agrees. D. Hauberus in particular supports ' Ayatag, and some- what too liberally ascribes to the transcribers the same skill in reasoning, for which he himself is remarkable. Bibl. Betracht ., Part 3, page 93. See App. crit. Ed. ii., on this passage.
7. 'ZvyyevsTg, kinsmen) So ver. 11, 21. They were Jews, ch. ix. 3. — uKouroXoig, among the apostles ) They had seen the Lord, 1 Cor. xv. 6 ; hence they are called apostles , using the word in a wider meaning, although some of them perhaps after the ascension of the Lord turned to the faith by means of the first sermons of Peter. Others might be veterans, and I acknow- ledge as such the brethren, who numbered more than five hun- dred. The passage quoted from 1 Cor. implies, that there was a multitude of those, wdio had seen Christ and were from that fact capable of giving the apostolic testimony. — rrpb sfiov, before me) Age makes men venerable, especially in Christ. Among the men of old, it was a mark of veneration to have the prece-
1 ’A alecs is the reading of ABCD (corrected later) G Vulg. Memph. fg . Versions. Ax,»totg is only supported by the two Syr. Versions, of very ancient authorities. — Ed.