Rhegium
Breach, a town in the south of Italy, on the Strait of Messina, at which Paul touched on his way to Rome ( Acts 28:13 ). It is now called Rheggio.
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Matthew George Easton
Easton’s Bible Dictionary
Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition (1897) · 3,964 entries on site
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Romans, Epistle to the
This epistle was probably written at Corinth. Phoebe ( Rom. 16:1 ) of Cenchrea conveyed it to Rome, and Gaius of Corinth entertained the apostle at the time of his writing it (16:23; 1 Cor. 1:14 ), and Erastus was chamberlain of the city, i.e., of Corinth ( 2 Tim. 4:20 ). The precise time at which it was written is not mentioned in the epistle, but it was obviously written when the apostle was about to “go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints”, i.e., at the close of his second visit to Greece, during the winter preceding his last visit to that city ( Rom. 15:25 ; comp. Acts 19:21 ; 20:2 , 3 , 16 ; 1 Cor. 16:1-4 ), early in A.D. 58. It is highly probable that Christianity was planted in Rome by some of those who had been at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost ( Acts 2:10 ). At this time the Jews were very numerous in Rome, and their synagogues were probably resorted to by Romans also, who in this way became acquainted with the great facts regarding Jesus as these were reported among the Jews. Thus a church composed of both Jews and Gentiles was formed at Rome. Many of the brethren went out to meet Paul on his approach to Rome. There are evidences that Christians were then in Rome in considerable numbers, and had probably more than one place of meeting ( Rom. 16:14 , 15 ). The object of the apostle in writing to this church was to explain to them the great doctrines of the gospel. His epistle was a “word in season.” Himself deeply impressed with a sense of the value of the doctrines of salvation, he opens up in a clear and connected form the whole system of the gospel in its relation both to Jew and Gentile. This epistle is peculiar in this, that it is a systematic exposition of the gospel of universal application. The subject is here treated argumentatively, and is a plea for Gentiles addressed to Jews. In the Epistle to the Galatians, the same subject is discussed, but there the apostle pleads his own authority, because the church in Galatia had been founded by him. After the introduction (1:1-15), the apostle presents in it divers aspects and relations the doctrine of justification by faith (1:16-11:36) on the ground of the imputed righteousness of Christ. He shows that salvation is all of grace, and only of grace. This main section of his letter is followed by various practical exhortations (12:1-15:13), which are followed by a conclusion containing personal explanations and salutations, which contain the names of twenty-four Christians at Rome, a benediction, and a doxology ( Rom. 15:14 -ch. 16).
Rome
The most celebrated city in the world at the time of Christ. It is said to have been founded B.C. 753. When the New Testament was written, Rome was enriched and adorned with the spoils of the world, and contained a population estimated at 1,200,000, of which the half were slaves, and including representatives of nearly every nation then known. It was distinguished for its wealth and luxury and profligacy. The empire of which it was the capital had then reached its greatest prosperity. On the day of Pentecost there were in Jerusalem “strangers from Rome,” who doubtless carried with them back to Rome tidings of that great day, and were instrumental in founding the church there. Paul was brought to this city a prisoner, where he remained for two years ( Acts 28:30 , 31 ) “in his own hired house.” While here, Paul wrote his epistles to the Philippians, to the Ephesians, to the Colossians, to Philemon, and probably also to the Hebrews. He had during these years for companions Luke and Aristarchus ( Acts 27:2 ), Timothy ( Phil. 1:1 ; Col. 1:1 ), Tychicus ( Eph. 6 : 21), Epaphroditus ( Phil. 4:18 ), and John Mark ( Col. 4:10 ). (See PAUL .) Beneath this city are extensive galleries, called “catacombs,” which were used from about the time of the apostles (one of the inscriptions found in them bears the date A.D. 71) for some three hundred years as places of refuge in the time of persecution, and also of worship and burial. About four thousand inscriptions have been found in the catacombs. These give an interesting insight into the history of the church at Rome down to the time of Constantine.
Rosin
Found only in Authorized Version, margin, Ezek. 27:17 , Heb. tsori, uniformly rendered elsewhere “balm” (q.v.), as here in the text. The Vulgate has resinam, rendered “rosin” in the Douay Version. As used, however, by Jerome, the Lat. resina denotes some odoriferous gum or oil.
Rufus
Red, the son of Simon the Cyrenian ( Mark 15:21 ), whom the Roman soldiers compelled to carry the cross on which our Lord was crucified. Probably it is the same person who is again mentioned in Rom. 16:13 as a disciple at Rome, whose mother also was a Christian held in esteem by the apostle. Mark mentions him along with his brother Alexander as persons well known to his readers ( Mark 15:21 ).