Timothy, my fellow labourer, saluteth you: and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
ασπαζονται υμας τιμοθεος ο συνεργος μου και λουκιος και ιασων και σωσιπατρος οι συγγενεις μου
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse
“Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you.” Do you see again the customary praises? “And Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen.” Luke also mentions Jason and presents his courage, saying, “they dragged Jason and some brethren to the city rulers, crying out” (Acts 17:6). Naturally the others also were notable men, since Paul would not simply have mentioned them as kinsmen unless they were like him in piety.
“Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you.” Timothy labored with him in the preaching of the Gospel, and to do what Paul did is great praise. “And Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen.” This Jason is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as having very courageously endured dangers (Acts 17:6). They were kinsmen of the Apostle not only according to the flesh, but also, and much more importantly, according to piety. If they had not been such, he would not have mentioned them.
Timothy, Paul’s fellow worker, was like a fellow bishop and governed the church with great diligence. The Jews hated him so much that he had to undergo circumcision. His mother was a Hebrew woman, and without circumcision he could not be a teacher. Paul calls these men “kinsmen” partly by lineage and partly by faith.
One is renowned for sharing in the work, and the others for kinship. Yet a fellow worker is far more honorable than a kinsman. Such is Timothy, whom Paul circumcised in Lystra (Acts 16:1-3) and to whom he wrote two epistles. The book of Acts also mentions Jason (Acts 17:5-9).
“Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen.” Some consider this Lucius to be the same person as Luke the Evangelist, but his name is nowhere found in such an abbreviated form. More likely this is Lucius of Cyrene, mentioned in Acts 13:1. From the same book of Acts, Jason (Acts 17:5) and Sosipater (Acts 20:4) are known. But what kinship existed between them and Paul is unknown.
The persons from whom the Apostle sends greetings to the Romans were as renowned as those who were greeted by name.
Thus, for example, Timothy was one of the Seventy Apostles, a known disciple of the Apostle Paul, who later was bishop in Ephesus.
The Apostle Paul later wrote two epistles to him.
Lucius was one of the Seventy Apostles and bishop of Cyrene. His memory is celebrated on January 4 and September 10.
Sosipater was among the Seventy Apostles and suffered under the reign of Nero. His memory is blessed on January 4, April 28, and November 10.
Jason was the man who, at danger to his own life, took the Apostle Paul under his protection in Thessalonica during the disturbance.
Later he was bishop in Tarsus. His memory is celebrated on April 28.
Erastus, of the Seventy Apostles, was first steward of the Church of Jerusalem, and later bishop of Paneas.
Quartus was bishop in Beirut. Their memory is blessed on January 4 and November 10, together with Tertius, the copyist of the epistle, who made his own postscript to it.
Tertius was later bishop in Iconium after Sosipater.
Gaius the host was the same Gaius to whom John the Theologian later wrote his third epistle, when Gaius was bishop in one of the cities of Asia Minor near Ephesus.
During the Apostle Paul’s stay in Corinth, he helped him in many ways, especially by protecting him during the disturbance. His memory is blessed on November 5.
They were acquainted with those Roman Christians who had been on this side and had returned to Rome. When the epistle was finished, they asked the Apostle to add greetings from them also, and Saint Paul fulfills this.
All the persons from whom greetings are written here were distinguished in the Church.
“One is distinguished by participation in the work of the gospel, and the others by kinship. But a fellow worker is much more honorable than a kinsman.
Such is Timothy, whom Paul circumcised in Lystra and to whom he later wrote two epistles,” says blessed Theodoret.
Lucius may be the one mentioned together with the other prophets and teachers of Antioch: Lucius of Cyrene, cf. Acts 13:1.
“Saint Luke also mentions Jason in Acts and shows us his courage, saying, ‘they dragged him before the city authorities, crying out,’ cf. Acts 17:6.
It is likely that the others too were distinguished men. Paul would not have mentioned kinsmen simply, if they had not resembled him in piety,” says Saint Chrysostom.
The Jason mentioned by Saint Chrysostom is the Jason with whom Saint Paul stayed in Thessalonica.
When the Thessalonian Jews rose up against Saint Paul, they did not find him at Jason’s house. Therefore they dragged Jason himself to trial, where he paid to be freed from trouble.
Sosipater may be the one mentioned among Saint Paul’s companions on his return journey from Greece, at precisely this time, shortly after the Epistle to the Romans was written: Sosipater of Berea, son of Pyrrhus, cf. Acts 20:4.
According to tradition, Lucius, of the Seventy, was later bishop in Laodicea of Syria. His memory is September 10.
Jason, also of the Seventy, was later bishop in Tarsus. His memory is April 28.
Sosipater, likewise of the Seventy, was bishop in Iconium. His memory is November 10. Jason and Sosipater are also commemorated on April 28.
They founded the Church in Corcyra, as is said here in the Menaion readings of Saint Dimitry of Rostov.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 15 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS