God’s Word Translation
Romans 16:18
18People like these are not serving Christ our Lord. They are serving their own desires. By their smooth talk and flattering words they deceive unsuspecting people.
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
16Greet each other with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. 17Brothers and sisters, I urge you to watch out for those people who create divisions and who make others fall away ⌞from the Christian faith⌟ by teaching doctrine that is not the same as you have learned. Stay away from them. People like these are not serving Christ our Lord. They are serving their own desires. By their smooth talk and flattering words they deceive unsuspecting people. 19Everyone has heard about your obedience and this makes me happy for you. I want you to do what is good and to avoid what is evil. 20The God of peace will quickly crush Satan under your feet. May the good will of our Lord Jesus be with you!
Read all of Romans 16Romans 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 6:24“No one can serve two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. You cannot serve God and wealth.
- John 12:26Those who serve me must follow me. My servants will be with me wherever I will be. If people serve me, the Father will honor them.
- Galatians 1:10Am I saying this now to win the approval of people or God? Am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be Christ’s servant.
- Philippians 2:21Everyone else looks after his own interests, not after those of Jesus Christ.
- Colossians 3:24You know that your real master will give you an inheritance as your reward. It is Christ, your real master, whom you are serving.
- James 1:1From James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. To God’s faithful people who have been scattered. Greetings.
- Jude 1:1From Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James. To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father, and who are kept safe for Jesus Christ.
- Revelation 1:1This is the revelation of Jesus Christ. God gave it to him to show his servants the things that must happen soon. He sent this revelation through his angel to his servant John.
- 1 Samuel 2:12Eli’s sons, ⌞Hophni and Phinehas,⌟ were good-for-nothing priests; they had no faith in the Lord.
- Isaiah 56:10⌞Israel’s⌟ watchmen are blind. None of them know anything. All of them are like dogs that are unable to bark. They lie around dreaming; they love to sleep.
- Ezekiel 13:19You dishonor me in front of my people for a few handfuls of barley and a few pieces of bread. You kill people who shouldn’t die, and you spare the lives of people who shouldn’t live. You lie to my people who are willing to listen.
- Hosea 4:8They feed on the sins of my people, and they want them to do wicked things.
- Micah 3:5This is what the Lord says about the prophets who mislead my people: When they have something to eat, they say, “All is well!” But they declare a holy war against those who don’t feed them.
- Malachi 1:10“I wish one of you would shut the doors ⌞to my house⌟ so that you could not light fires on my altar for no reason. I’m not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Armies, “and I won’t accept your offerings.
- Matthew 24:48On the other hand, that servant, if he is wicked, may think that it will be a long time before his master comes.
- Philippians 3:19In the end they will be destroyed. Their own emotions are their god, and they take pride in the shameful things they do. Their minds are set on worldly things.
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
In the dictionaries
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
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