Rom. 16:21-24 - Timothy and Other Workers

21 Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
22 I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother.
24 [The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.]

Fellow Workers for Christ

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V. 21 - “Timothy... Lucius and Jason... Sosipater” - We met Timothy in Acts 16:1-3. Lucius was a teacher in the church in Antioch (Acts 13:1). Jason may have been a leader of a house-church in Thessalonica when Paul arrived there. In the hubbub of persecution, Jason was dragged out of his house to the city authorities. Jason made sure Paul and Silas escaped from Thessalonica. (Acts 17:5-9)
When Paul left Greece after another riotous persecution, Sosipater (a.k.a. Sopater), a Berean Christian accompanied him on the way to Troas to meet with Timothy. (Acts 20:4-6).
Lucius, Jason and Sosipater are called Paul’s “kinsmen’. It is not clear if they were Jewish Christians or men from Paul’s home town, or if he was identifying them as family since they are Christian brethren.

V. 22 - “Tertius” - The person writing out the letter for Paul. I believe Tertius was a Christian, who was hired by Paul as an amanuensis (a three-dollar word for ‘scribe’).

V. 23 - “Gaius... Erastus... Quartus” - Three workers from Paul’s missionary journeys. We met Gaius in 1 Cor 1:14. He may have been from the city of Derbe, and is mentioned in 3 John 1:1. Erastus was mentioned in Acts 19:22, when he is sent with Timothy into Macedonia to work there. He is also mentioned in Paul’s letter to Timothy (2 Tim 4:20). Erastus may have been a city official - treasurer. Quatrus is not mentioned anywhere else in scripture, and maybe he was Erastus’ brother (or so some commentators have spevulated).

V. 24 - “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” - Some manuscripts do not have this verse. That’s okay.

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