New Living Translation
Romans 16:18
18Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent 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 sacred kiss. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings. 17And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. 19But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. 20The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace 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. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.
- John 12:26Anyone who wants to serve me must follow me, because my servants must be where I am. And the Father will honor anyone who serves me.
- Galatians 1:10Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.
- Philippians 2:21All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ.
- Colossians 3:24Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.
- James 1:1This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!
- Jude 1:1This letter is from Jude, a slave of Jesus Christ and a brother of James. I am writing to all who have been called by God the Father, who loves you and keeps you safe in the care of Jesus Christ.
- Revelation 1:1This is a revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant John,
- 1 Samuel 2:12Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the Lord
- Isaiah 56:10For the leaders of my people— the Lord’s watchmen, his shepherds— are blind and ignorant. They are like silent watchdogs that give no warning when danger comes. They love to lie around, sleeping and dreaming.
- Ezekiel 13:19You bring shame on me among my people for a few handfuls of barley or a piece of bread. By lying to my people who love to listen to lies, you kill those who should not die, and you promise life to those who should not live.
- Hosea 4:8“When the people bring their sin offerings, the priests get fed. So the priests are glad when the people sin!
- Micah 3:5This is what the Lord says: “You false prophets are leading my people astray! You promise peace for those who give you food, but you declare war on those who refuse to feed you.
- Malachi 1:10“How I wish one of you would shut the Temple doors so that these worthless sacrifices could not be offered! I am not pleased with you,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “and I will not accept your offerings.
- Matthew 24:48But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’
- Philippians 3:19They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.
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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