through a longer space of time, provided they who have first begun are not wearied in their course.
474
- He again testifies his gratitude, in recording the kindness of Mary to him. Nor is there any
doubt but that he commemorates these praises, in order to recommend those whom he praised to
the Romans.^475
7.Salute Andronicus Though Paul is not wont to make much of kindred, and of other things
belonging to the flesh, yet as the relationship which Junia and Andronicus bore to him, might avail
somewhat to make them more fully known, he neglected not this commendation. There is more
weight in the second eulogy, when he calls them his fellow-prisoners;^476 for among the honors
belonging to the warfare of Christ, bonds are not to be counted the least. In the third place, he calls
them Apostles: he uses not this word in its proper and common meaning, but extends it wider, even
to all those who not only teach in one Church, but also spend their labor in promulgating the gospel
everywhere. He then, in a general way, calls those in this place Apostles, who planted Churches
by carrying here and there the doctrine of salvation; for elsewhere he confines this title to that first
order which Christ at the beginning established, when he appointed the twelve disciples. It would
have been otherwise strange, that this dignity should be only ascribed to them, and to a few others.
But as they had embraced the gospel by faith before Paul, he hesitates not to set them on this account
before himself.^477
11.Who are of the family of Narcissus It would have been unbecoming to have passed by Peter
in so long a catalogue, if he was then at Rome: yet he must have been there, if we believe the
Romanists. But since in doubtful things nothing is better than to follow probable conjecture, no
one, who judges impartially, will be persuaded that what they affirm is true; for he could not surely
have been omitted by Paul.
It is further to be noticed, that we hear nothing here of splendid and magnificent titles, by which
we might conclude that men high in rank were Christians; for all those whom Paul mentions were
the obscure and the ignoble at Rome. Narcissus, whom he here names, was, I think, the freeman
of Claudius, a man notorious for many crimes and vices. The more wonderful was the goodness
of God, which penetrated into that impure house, abounding in all kinds of wickedness; not that
Narcissus himself had been converted to Christ, but it was a great thing that a house, which was
like hell, should be visited by the grace of Christ. And as they, who lived under a foul pander, the
most voracious robber, and the most corrupt of men, worshipped Christ in purity, there is no reason
that servants should wait for their masters, but every one ought to follow Christ for himself. Yea,
(^474) Epaenetus, who is here called the first-fruit of Achaia, may have been off the family of Stephanas, who is said to have been
the first-fruit in 1 Corinthians 16:15. But the majority of copies has Asia, , here, instead of Achaia,. By Asia is often
meant Asia Minor, and so here, no doubt, if it be the right reading. — Ed.
(^475) It is said of Mary, that she “labored much,” μ , towards us, or among us; “inter nos — among us,” Beza; “pro nobis —
for us,” Grotius. The reading μ , towards you, has many MSS. in its favor, and also μ , among you. — Ed.
(^476) It is not certain to what the Apostle refers; for we have no particular account of him hitherto as a prisoner, except for a short
time at Philippi, Acts 16:23-40; and it is probable, that it was on that occasion that they had been his fellow-prisoners; for it
appears from the narrative, that there were more prisoners than Paul and Silas, as it is said that the “prisoners” heard them singing,
Acts 16:25; and Paul’s saying to the jailer, in Acts 16:28, “we are all here,” clearly implies that he had some with him besides
Silas. — Ed.
(^477) The words μ , noted among the Apostles, can hardly admit of a meaning different from what is here given,
though some have explained the sense to be, that they were much esteemed by Apostles, or that they were “distinguished in the
Apostles’ judgment,” or that they were well known to the Apostles. But as “Apostles” in some other instances mean teachers,
as Barnabas was, (Acts 14:14,) the explanation here given is most to be approved. — Ed.