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Heidegger's Bible Handbook: Romans: Subscript

8. The Subscript of the same is not Canonical, but is likely.


The Subscript of the same Epistle is: πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ἐγράφη ἀπὸ Κορίνθου διὰ Φοίβης τῆς διακόνου τῆς ἐν Κεγχρεαῖς Ἐκκλησίας, Written to the Romans from Corinth, and sent by Phebe servant of the church at Cenchrea. Thus it stands in the Greek Codices, although in the Ethiopic version and Codex Claromontanus[1] it is totally wanting, as is the case for the subscripts of the remaining Epistles. Therefore, Beza and others deny that the Apostle Paul knew subscripts of this sort, and they add that they were added in later ages by certain men without sufficient consideration, and are therefore not Divine, indeed, that certain false ones were subjoined, to 1 Timothy and Hebrews, for example. But, however this may be, that at least the subscript of this Epistle is true, we do not at all doubt. For Paul himself, Romans 16:1, made mention of the γραμματοφόρου/letter-bearer, a Minister of the Church of Cenchrea, a port of the Corinthians, near to Corinth. Therefore, that it was written at Corinth, not at the first coming of Paul to Corinth, but at his second, of which mention is made in Acts 19:21, compared with Romans 15:24, and was sent by Phebe, is probable enough; and Origen also, in his Preface to the Epistle to the Romans, by several arguments, procures confidence in that opinion.

[1] Codex Claromontanus is a fifth or sixth century Greek (uncial, Western text-type) and Latin manuscripts of Paul’s Epistles.

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