Tag Archives: Romans 16:10

ἀσπάσασθε Ἀπελλῆν τὸν δόκιμον ἐν Χριστῷ. ἀσπάσασθε τοὺς ἐκ τῶν Ἀριστοβούλου

Romans 16:10 reflects Paul’s deep relational network in the early church. The greetings offered are more than formal—they honor character, affirm identity in Christ, and recognize the church’s spread into diverse social circles. The Greek text communicates precision, respect, and affection in just a few words.

Grammatical Foundations

ἀσπάσασθε Ἀπελλῆν τὸν δόκιμον ἐν Χριστῷ—“Greet Apelles, the approved one in Christ.”

ἀσπάσασθε—aorist middle imperative, 2nd person plural from ἀσπάζομαι, meaning “greet,” used here as a formal or affectionate salutation. Ἀπελλῆν—accusative masculine singular proper noun, the name of a Christian in Rome.… Learn Koine Greek

Personalized Fellowship: Literary and Theological Context of Romans 16:10

Romans 16:10 — σπάσασθε Ἀπελλῆν τὸν δόκιμον ἐν Χριστῷ. ἀσπάσασθε τοὺς ἐκ τῶν Ἀριστοβούλου. (“Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those from the household of Aristobulus.”)

This verse forms part of Paul’s extended list of personal greetings in Romans 16—a rare and precious window into the relational texture of the early church. Here, grammar serves the theological and communal function of acknowledging believers by name and status. The imperative structure, participial modifiers, and prepositional phrases together establish a tone of warmth, respect, and communal solidarity rooted in union with Christ.

Grammatical Feature Analysis: Imperatives and Participial Modification

Each greeting uses the imperative:

σπάσασθε — aorist middle imperative, 2nd person plural from σπάζομαι (“to greet, to salute, to embrace verbally or physically”).… Learn Koine Greek