Epaenetus

Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament

(Ἐπαίνετος,  Romans 16:5 -a Greek name)

Epaenetus is saluted by St. Paul and described as ‘my beloved’ and as ‘the firstfruits of Asia unto Christ’ (τὸν ἀγαπητόν μον, ὅς ἐστιν ἀπαρχὴ τῆς Ἀσίας εἰς Χριστόν). The only other persons described in Romans 16 as ‘my beloved’ are Ampliatus (τὸν ἀγαπητόν μος ἐν κυπίῳ,  Romans 16:8) and Stachys ( Romans 16:9). Persis, a woman, is saluted perhaps with intentional delicacy as ‘the beloved’ ( Romans 16:12). Epaenetus was probably a personal convert of the Apostle’s, and as such specially dear to him. He was the first to become a Christian in the Roman province of Asia (the TR [Note: Textus Receptus, Received Text.]reading Ἀχαίας must be rejected in favour of Ἀσίας, supported by the overwhelming authority of א ABCD). Assuming the Roman destination of these salutations, Epaenetus must have been at the time of writing resident in or on a visit to Rome. (The discovery of an Ephesian Epaenetus on a Roman inscription is interesting but unimportant [Sanday-Headlam, Romans 5 ( International Critical Commentary , 1902), p. 421].) But the reference to Epaenetus, together with the salutation of Prisca and Aquila (v. 3), who appear in  1 Corinthians 16:19 and again in  2 Timothy 4:19 as living in Ephesus, has given rise to the suggestion that this section of Romans was originally addressed to the Church of Ephesus. Epaenetus, however, is not said to have been an Ephesian (see Lightfoot, Biblical Essays , 1893, p. 301).

For the designation ‘firstfruits’ we must compare the description of the ‘household of Stephanas’ ( 1 Corinthians 16:15)-‘the firstfruits of Achaia’ (ἀπαρχή τῆς Ἀχαίας)-and note the suggestion that ministry in the Church was connected at first with seniority of faith, a suggestion more than supported by Clement of Rome, Ep. ad Cor . xlii. Nothing could be more natural than that the work of superintending the local Christian communities should be entrusted to those among the first converts who were found capable of undertaking it. The term ‘firstfruits’ had a special religious significance-that of dedication to God-and this idea must have been present when the original nucleus of a church was so called. Epaenetus, as the senior Christian, had a position of responsibility; and that he was actually a leader would appear from his place in these salutations-second only to ‘Prisca and Aquila my fellow-workers’ ( Romans 16:3). Cf. also Andronicus and Junias (or Junia), who are said to ‘have been in Christ’ before St. Paul, and the possibility that they were known as apostles (v. 7); also the prominence given to Mnason as an ‘original’ disciple in  Acts 21:16. The position thus given to the earliest converts of the missions and the services demanded from them may have been analogous to the privileges and obligations of the relations of the Lord. Blood-relationship with Jesus gave to those who could claim it an official status in the Church which was handed on to their descendants (see A. Harnack, Constitution and Law of the Church , Eng. translation, 1910, pp. 32-37).

T. B. Allworthy.

Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible

EPÆNETUS . A beloved friend of St. Paul at Rome, greeted in   Romans 16:5; he was the ‘firstfruits of Asia (RV [Note: Revised Version.] ) unto Christ,’ i.e. one of the first converts of that province. He was probably a native of Ephesus.

A. J. Maclean.

Fausset's Bible Dictionary

A Christian at Rome greeted by Paul as "my well beloved, who is the firstfruits of Achaia (Asia in the Alexandrinus, Vaticanus, and Sinaiticus manuscripts) unto Christ" ( Romans 16:5). "Asia" is used in the restricted sense, Mysia, Lydia, and Curia.

Morrish Bible Dictionary

A Christian at Rome saluted by Paul as his well-beloved "the first fruits of Achaia unto Christ."  Romans 16:5 .

Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary

A convert to the gospel. ( Romans 16:5)

Holman Bible Dictionary

 Romans 16:5Achaia

Easton's Bible Dictionary

 Romans 16:5

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ep - ē´ne - tus ( Ἐπαίνετος , Epaı́netos , "praised"): One of the Christians at Rome to whom greetings are sent by Paul ( Romans 16:5 ). All that is known of him is told here. Paul describes him as (1) "my beloved," (2) "who is the firstfruits of Asia unto Christ." Textus Receptus of the New Testament has "firstfruits of Achaia" but this wrong reading is due to   1 Corinthians 16:15 . He was one of the first Christians in the Roman province of Asia.

This salutation brings up the question of the destination of  Romans 16:3-16 , for it is argued that they are addressed to the church in Ephesus owing to the fact that Prisca and Aquila and Epenetus are known to have dwelt in Asia. On the other hand, there are more than 20 others in this list who are not known to have spent any time in Asia. Prisca and Aquila had once dwelt in Rome ( Acts 18:2 ), and there is nothing unusual in an Ephesian dwelling in the capital of the empire. An interesting discovery was made in Rome of an inscription in which was the name of Epenetus, an Ephesian.