independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecontentphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
Flush-left = a main (independent) clause. Each dependent line begins directly beneath the word it attaches to in the line above — the anchor word is dotted-underlined, and lights up when you hover its dependent clause; each tag also names the attachment. A dashed border marks verbless, elliptical, or suspended lines. Where a long sentence's staircase runs wider than the page, the diagram scrolls sideways. (In print, or without JavaScript, lines fall back to stepped indent columns.)
The commendation of Phoebe 16:1–2
1
Συνίστημι δὲ ὑμῖν Φοίβην τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἡμῶν,independent — the letter of commendation — she likely carries the epistle
οὖσαν διάκονον τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἐν Κεγχρεαῖς,participial — διάκονον — a recognized ministry of the Cenchreae church, not a mere courtesy
2
ἵνα αὐτὴν προσδέξησθε ἐν κυρίῳ ἀξίως τῶν ἁγίων,purpose — the commendation's aim — a welcome befitting the holy ones
καὶ παραστῆτε αὐτῇ ἐν ᾧ ἂν ὑμῶν χρῄζῃ πράγματι,purpose — the second request — the ἐν ᾧ ἂν relative kept inline: any business whatever
καὶ γὰρ αὐτὴ προστάτις πολλῶν ἐγενήθη καὶ ἐμοῦ αὐτοῦ.cause — the ground — προστάτις, patron-benefactor: help her as she has helped
The greetings — greet every one of them 16:3–16
vv. 3–5a — Prisca and Aquila: the couple, the debt of thanks, the house-church
3
Ἀσπάσασθε Πρίσκαν καὶ Ἀκύλαν τοὺς συνεργούς μου ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ,independent — the list opens — the wife named first (Acts 18; 1 Cor 16:19)
4
οἵτινες ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς μου τὸν ἑαυτῶν τράχηλον ὑπέθηκαν,relative — οἵτινες — the couple jointly: their necks under the axe for his life
οἷς οὐκ ἐγὼ μόνος εὐχαριστῶ ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ἐκκλησίαι τῶν ἐθνῶν,relative — the debt widened — the whole Gentile mission owes them
5
καὶ τὴν κατ' οἶκον αὐτῶν ἐκκλησίαν.phrase modifier — the third object of the v. 3 command — the house-church greeted with its hosts
vv. 5b–13 — the named saints, one by one
ἀσπάσασθε Ἐπαίνετον τὸν ἀγαπητόν μου,independent — the epithet inline — the layout's rule for the list
ὅς ἐστιν ἀπαρχὴ τῆς Ἀσίας εἰς Χριστόν.relative — ἀπαρχή — the first sheaf of the Asian harvest (cf. 1 Cor 16:15)
6
ἀσπάσασθε Μαρίαν,independent — a Jewish name in the Roman list
ἥτις πολλὰ ἐκοπίασεν εἰς ὑμᾶς.relative — κοπιάω — Paul's word for gospel labor, here of a woman's work for Rome
7
ἀσπάσασθε Ἀνδρόνικον καὶ Ἰουνίαν τοὺς συγγενεῖς μου καὶ συναιχμαλώτους μου,independent — Ἰουνίαν read as the woman Junia — likely another husband-wife pair
οἵτινές εἰσιν ἐπίσημοι ἐν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις,relative — read inclusively — notable among the ἀπόστολοι (the rival sense: well known to them)
οἳ καὶ πρὸ ἐμοῦ γέγοναν ἐν Χριστῷ.relative — seniority in Christ — believers before Damascus
8
ἀσπάσασθε Ἀμπλιᾶτον τὸν ἀγαπητόν μου ἐν κυρίῳ.independent — a common slave name — the social face of the Roman church
9
ἀσπάσασθε Οὐρβανὸν τὸν συνεργὸν ἡμῶν ἐν Χριστῷ καὶ Στάχυν τὸν ἀγαπητόν μου.independent — συνεργὸν ἡμῶν — 'our', the shared work; both epithets inline
10
ἀσπάσασθε Ἀπελλῆν τὸν δόκιμον ἐν Χριστῷ.independent — δόκιμος — tested and found genuine
ἀσπάσασθε τοὺς ἐκ τῶν Ἀριστοβούλου.independent — a household greeted — perhaps the Herodian Aristobulus's slaves
11
ἀσπάσασθε Ἡρῳδίωνα τὸν συγγενῆ μου.independent — συγγενής — a fellow Jew, his name echoing the Herodian house
ἀσπάσασθε τοὺς ἐκ τῶν Ναρκίσσου τοὺς ὄντας ἐν κυρίῳ.independent — τοὺς ὄντας ἐν κυρίῳ inline — the believing part of the household
12
ἀσπάσασθε Τρύφαιναν καὶ Τρυφῶσαν τὰς κοπιώσας ἐν κυρίῳ.independent — 'Dainty' and 'Delicate' — named as laborers; the participle inline
ἀσπάσασθε Περσίδα τὴν ἀγαπητήν,independent — τὴν ἀγαπητήν — the church's beloved, not 'my'
ἥτις πολλὰ ἐκοπίασεν ἐν κυρίῳ.relative — the fourth woman commended for κόπος — her labor already done (aorist)
13
ἀσπάσασθε Ῥοῦφον τὸν ἐκλεκτὸν ἐν κυρίῳ καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐμοῦ.independent — perhaps Mark 15:21's Rufus; καὶ ἐμοῦ — a mother to Paul too
vv. 14–15 — the household clusters
14
ἀσπάσασθε Ἀσύγκριτον, Φλέγοντα, Ἑρμῆν, Πατροβᾶν, Ἑρμᾶν, καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτοῖς ἀδελφούς.independent — five names and their circle — a house-assembly greeted whole
15
ἀσπάσασθε Φιλόλογον καὶ Ἰουλίαν, Νηρέα καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ὀλυμπᾶν, καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτοῖς πάντας ἁγίους.independent — a second cluster — pairs and their company of saints
v. 16 — the holy kiss; all the churches
16
ἀσπάσασθε ἀλλήλους ἐν φιλήματι ἁγίῳ.independent — the list turns inward — the kiss makes them the greeters
ἀσπάζονται ὑμᾶς αἱ ἐκκλησίαι πᾶσαι τοῦ Χριστοῦ.independent — the counter-greeting — πᾶσαι: the whole network behind Paul
The warning — watch those who make the divisions 16:17–20
vv. 17–18 — mark and avoid: the belly-servers unmasked
17
Παρακαλῶ δὲ ὑμᾶς, ἀδελφοί,independent — the sudden turn — warning breaks into the greetings
σκοπεῖν τοὺς τὰς διχοστασίας καὶ τὰ σκάνδαλα παρὰ τὴν διδαχὴν ἣν ὑμεῖς ἐμάθετε ποιοῦντας,content — the appeal's content — the object sandwiched inside τοὺς … ποιοῦντας; the ἣν-relative kept inline
καὶ ἐκκλίνετε ἀπ' αὐτῶν·independent — infinitive gives way to direct imperative — watch, then swerve
18
οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι τῷ κυρίῳ ἡμῶν Χριστῷ οὐ δουλεύουσιν ἀλλὰ τῇ ἑαυτῶν κοιλίᾳ,cause — the ground — οὐ … ἀλλά: the master they really serve (cf. Phil 3:19)
καὶ διὰ τῆς χρηστολογίας καὶ εὐλογίας ἐξαπατῶσιν τὰς καρδίας τῶν ἀκάκων.cause — the method — χρηστολογία: talk that sounds like Christ's goodness
vv. 19–20 — your obedience known; Satan crushed; the grace
19
ἡ γὰρ ὑμῶν ὑπακοὴ εἰς πάντας ἀφίκετο·independent — γάρ — why he can warn with confidence: their fame in obedience (1:8)
ἐφ' ὑμῖν οὖν χαίρω,independent — the commendation before the caution
θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς σοφοὺς εἶναι εἰς τὸ ἀγαθόν, ἀκεραίους δὲ εἰς τὸ κακόν.independent — the double predicate in one clause — ἀκέραιος: unblended with evil (cf. Matt 10:16)
20
ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης συντρίψει τὸν Σατανᾶν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας ὑμῶν ἐν τάχει.independent — the promise — Gen 3:15 under Roman feet; the dividers are the serpent's work
ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ μεθ' ὑμῶν.independent — the grace-benediction — verbless; the critical text's only one (v. 24 omitted)
The companions' greetings 16:21–23
21
Ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς Τιμόθεος ὁ συνεργός μου,independent — the inner circle — Timothy first
καὶ Λούκιος καὶ Ἰάσων καὶ Σωσίπατρος οἱ συγγενεῖς μου.phrase modifier — co-senders under the one singular verb — three fellow Jews
22
ἀσπάζομαι ὑμᾶς ἐγὼ Τέρτιος ὁ γράψας τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἐν κυρίῳ.independent — the amanuensis speaks in his own voice — ἐν κυρίῳ read with the greeting, not with ὁ γράψας
23
ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς Γάϊος ὁ ξένος μου καὶ ὅλης τῆς ἐκκλησίας.independent — ξένος — the host (1 Cor 1:14); the whole Corinthian assembly under his roof
ἀσπάζεται ὑμᾶς Ἔραστος ὁ οἰκονόμος τῆς πόλεως καὶ Κούαρτος ὁ ἀδελφός.independent — the city official (cf. the Erastus inscription at Corinth) — and Quartus, simply 'the brother'
The doxology — to him who is able 16:25–27
25
Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ ὑμᾶς στηρίξαιindependent — the dative frame, suspended — no governing verb will ever come
κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιόν μου καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,phrase modifier — the first measure of the strengthening — 'my gospel' (2:16), which is Christ preached
κατὰ ἀποκάλυψιν μυστηρίουphrase modifier — the second measure — the μυστήριον that carries the participle column below
χρόνοις αἰωνίοις σεσιγημένου,participial — the mystery's past — silence through the aeons
26
φανερωθέντος δὲ νῦνparticipial — the turn — σεσιγημένου / φανερωθέντος, the letter's now-and-then (3:21)
διά τε γραφῶν προφητικῶν κατ' ἐπιταγὴν τοῦ αἰωνίου θεοῦ εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη γνωρισθέντος,participial — the third participle — its fronted means, warrant, and aim (εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως, cf. 1:5) kept inline
27
μόνῳ σοφῷ θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,phrase modifier — the frame resumed — apposition to Τῷ δυναμένῳ: the suspension finally lands
ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν.relative — ᾧ read of God (though Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ stands nearer) — the anacoluthon resolved in doxology, sealed with ἀμήν
Analysis. Romans 16 is a page of flush-left purple: some fifteen greeting-verbs — thirteen Ἀσπάσασθε commands, then ἀσπάζεται/ἀσπάζομαι from the senders' side — stand in a column, and the chapter's texture is the roll-call. The layout's rule for the list is fixed and kept throughout: bare honorific epithets (τὸν ἀγαπητόν μου, τὸν δόκιμον ἐν Χριστῷ, τοὺς συνεργούς μου, even the attributive participles τὰς κοπιώσας and τοὺς ὄντας ἐν κυρίῳ) stay inline with their greeting, while every finite relative expansion (οἵτινες … ὑπέθηκαν, οἷς … εὐχαριστῶ, ὅς ἐστιν ἀπαρχή, ἥτις … ἐκοπίασεν twice, οἵτινές εἰσιν ἐπίσημοι, οἳ … γέγοναν) drops to its own blue line under the name it honors. Only two shapes break the column. The Phoebe commendation (vv. 1–2): one Συνίστημι carrying the double ἵνα-request (receive her, stand by her) with its καὶ γάρ ground beneath — she was προστάτις first. And the closing doxology (vv. 25–27), the chapter's one deep sentence: the dative frame Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ suspended (dashed) over its two κατά-measures, the μυστήριον carrying a three-participle column — σεσιγημένου, φανερωθέντος, γνωρισθέντος — and the frame resumed at μόνῳ σοφῷ θεῷ only to be carried off by ᾧ: the sentence never finds a main verb, and the doxology rides out on the relative. Choices taken: Ἰουνίαν (v. 7) is read as the woman Junia, and ἐπίσημοι ἐν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις as 'outstanding among the apostles' (the rival 'well known to the apostles' is noted); Phoebe's διάκονον is a recognized ministry of the Cenchreae church and προστάτις a patron-benefactor, not a mere 'helper'; ἐν κυρίῳ in v. 22 is read with ἀσπάζομαι (Tertius greets in the Lord) rather than with ὁ γράψας; εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως (v. 26) is kept inside the γνωρισθέντος line as the disclosure's aim (cf. 1:5); and the critical text is followed in omitting v. 24, so the numbering runs 1–23, 25–27.