Personal Greetings
Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. Rom 16:13
Salute Rufus... This is perhaps the one mentioned in Mark 15:21. His mother acted as a mother to Paul so they were very close.
Biblical scholars generally agree that he was one of the sons of Simon of Cyrene, the man enlisted to carry Jesus’ cross and was likely saved through that contact with Christ. Mark wrote his gospel in Rome, possibly after the letter to Rome was written and circulated. Paul would not have mentioned Rufus if that name were not well known to the church in Rome.
chosen in the... Meaning he was elected to salvation. This indicates he was widely known as an extraordinary believer because of his great love and service.
Rufus was not Paul’s natural brother. Rather Rufus’ mother, the wife of Simon of Cyrene, at some time had cared for Paul during his ministry travels.
Whether Rufus is the same person mentioned in Mark 15:21 or not is uncertain. If so, then he, as a son of Simon of Cyrene, was a North African. Paul said Rufus was chosen in the Lord, a statement true of every believer (cf. Eph. 1:4).
Consequently the word translated “chosen” may mean “eminent,” since it was given to Rufus as a statement of distinction. The greeting included Rufus’ mother who, Paul said, had also been a mother to him. Paul obviously did not say she was his actual mother, but he had been the recipient of her motherly care.
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