Romans 16:18

Romans 16:18 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
• New International Version (NIV)For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

Context of Romans 16:18

16When you meet, kiss each other as Christian brothers and sisters. The people of all the Christian churches here say ‘hello’ to you. 17My Christian friends, I want to tell you something important. Be very careful about people who teach wrong things. They teach things that are different from God's true message that you learned. Those people cause you to quarrel with each other. They cause people to turn away from God. You must stay away from them. People who are like that are not servants of our Lord Christ. Instead, they are doing the things which please themselves. They speak words that seem very nice, but they deceive people who easily accept a false message. 19Everyone knows that you obey God well. So I am very happy because of you. But I want you to understand clearly what things are good. And I want you to stay away from the things that are bad. 20God gives us peace in our minds. He will quickly help you to win against the power of Satan. I pray that our Lord Jesus will continue to be kind to you.

Romans 16:18 word by word

οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν Χριστῷ οὐ δουλεύουσιν ἀλλὰ τῇ ἑαυτῶν κοιλίᾳ, καὶ διὰ τῆς χρηστολογίας καὶ εὐλογίας ἐξαπατῶσιν τὰς καρδίας τῶν ἀκάκων.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• they that are suchτοιοῦτοςtoioutos · such as thisG5108
• serveδουλεύωdouleuō · be a slaveG1398
• notοὐou · noG3756
• ourἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• Lordκύριοςkurios · lord: GodG2962
• JesusἸησοῦςIēsous · JesusG2424
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• butἀλλάalla · butG235
• their ownἑαυτοῦheautou · themselfG1438
• bellyκοιλίαkoilia · belly/womb/stomachG2836
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• byδιάdia · through/because ofG1223
• good wordsχρηστολογίαchrēstologia · smooth talkG5542
• fair speechesεὐλογίαeulogia · praiseG2129
• deceiveἐξαπατάωexapataō · to deceiveG1818
• the heartsκαρδίαkardia · heartG2588
• of the simpleἄκακοςakakos · innocentG172

Cross-references for Romans 16:18

• Matthew 6:24Jesus said, ‘Nobody can work as a slave for two masters at the same time. Maybe he will hate one of the masters, but he will love the other one. Or he will work well for one master, but he will think bad things about the other master. God and money are like different masters. You cannot work for both of them.
• John 12:26Anyone who wants to be my servant must follow me. Then he will be with me, where I am. My Father will praise anyone who is my servant.
• Galatians 1:10When I say these things, I am not trying to please people. No, it is God that I want to please. If I only wanted to make people happy, then I would not be a servant of Christ.
• Philippians 2:21Everyone else thinks only about themselves. They have no interest in the things that are important to Jesus Christ.
• Colossians 3:24You know that you will receive the good things that the Lord has promised to his people. He will give you what is right for you. The Lord Jesus Christ is the master that you serve.
• James 1:1This letter is from me, James. I am a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the 12 tribes of God's people who live in many different parts of the world. I say ‘hello’ to all of you.
• Jude 1:1This letter is from me, Jude. I am Jesus Christ's servant and I am James's brother. I am writing to you people that God, the Father, loves. God has chosen you to be his own people. He is keeping you safe until the time when Jesus Christ returns.
• Revelation 1:1This book describes the things that God showed to Jesus Christ. He wanted Jesus to show these things to his own servants. They are events that must happen soon. Jesus sent his angel to show them to me, his servant John.
• 1 Samuel 2:12Eli's sons were wicked men. They did not respect the Lord.
• Isaiah 56:10Israel's guards are blind! They do not see what is happening. They are all like dogs that cannot make a noise. They cannot warn people about danger. They love to lie on the ground and they dream while they sleep.
• Ezekiel 13:19You have made people give you a little bit of barley or bread to eat. That is how they pay you to insult my name! You tell lies to my people, and they listen to you! As a result, you cause people to die who do not deserve to die. And people who do not deserve to live continue to live.
• Hosea 4:8They get food to eat when the people bring their sin offerings to them. So the priests are happy when the people do bad things, because they get more food to eat.
• Micah 3:5The Lord says this: ‘It will be very bad for the prophets who tell false messages. They lead my people the wrong way with false promises. If people give food to them, then they are happy. So they promise that there will be no war. But, if people do not feed them, they become angry. They promise that war will come.
• Malachi 1:10‘It would be better if one of you shut the temple doors! Then you would not be able to offer useless sacrifices on my altar. I am not happy with you. I will not accept any more gifts from you.’ That is what the Lord Almighty says.
• Matthew 24:48But another servant might be bad. He might say to himself, “My master will not come yet.”
• Philippians 3:19In the end, God will destroy them. Their stomach is what they worship. They are proud of things that should make them ashamed. Their thoughts are full of things that belong to this world.

Commentaries on Romans 16:18

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18They - serve not our Lord Jesus - They profess to be apostles, but they are not apostles of Christ; they neither do his will, nor preach his doctrine; they serve their own belly - they hate intruded themselves into the Church of Christ that they might get a secular support; it is for worldly gain alone that they take up the profession of the ministry: they have no Divine credentials; they convert not the heathen nor the ungodly, for they have no Divine…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18Serve not - Obey not. Though they are professedly, yet they are not his real friends and followers. But their own belly - Their own “lusts;” their own private interests; they do this to obtain support. The authors of parties and divisions, in church and state, have this usually in view. It is for the indulgence of some earthly appetite; to obtain function or property; or to gratify the love of dominion. And by good words - Mild, fair, plausible speeches…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-20Verses 17-20 How earnest, how endearing are these exhortations! Whatever differs from the sound doctrine of the Scriptures, opens a door to divisions and offences. If truth be forsaken, unity and peace will not last long. Many call Christ, Master and Lord, who are far from serving him. But they serve their carnal, sensual, worldly interests. They corrupt the head by deceiving the heart; perverting the judgments by winding themselves into the affections…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-27This final section includes elements often found at the end of New Testament letters: a discussion of travel plans (15:14–29), requests for prayer (15:30–33), references to ministry partners (16:1–2, 21–23), greetings (16:3–16), and a short hymn of praise (16:25–27). Only the warning about false teachers is a non-standard feature in this conclusion (16:17–19).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1818. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ--"our Lord Christ" appears to be the true reading. but their own belly--not in the grosset sense, but as "living for low ends of their own" (compare Php 3:19). and by good words and fair speeches deceive the simple--the unwary, the unsuspecting. (See Pr 14:15).Read the comment

Topics related to Romans 16:18

• Company
• Deceit
• Doctrines
• Hypocrisy
• Minister, Christian
• Strife
• Words

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Jesus
• Christ, Messiah
• Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christ Jesus
• Jesus Christ
• Apostle
• Belly
• Commend
• Mark
• Romans, Epistle to the

Commentaries on Romans 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings