Romans 16:17

“Now I beseech you, brethren, etc..] The apostle being about to finish his epistle, and recollecting that he had not given this church any instructions about the false teachers, who had been the cause of all their differences and uneasiness, inserts them here; or he purposely put them in this place, amidst his salutations, that they might be taken the more notice of; and very pertinently, since nothing could more express his great affection and tender concern for them; and these instructions he delivers to them, not in an authoritative way, as he might, and sometimes did, but by way of entreaty, beseeching them, and with the kind and loving appellation of brethren, the more to engage them to…”

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned--"which ye learned." and avoid them--The fomentors of "divisions" here referred to are probably those who were unfriendly to the truths taught in this epistle, while those who caused "offenses" were probably those referred to in Rom 14:15 as haughtily disregarding the prejudices of the weak. The direction as to both is, first, to "mark" such, lest the evil should be done ere it was fully discovered; and next, to "avoid" them (compare Th2 3:6, Th2 3:14), so as neither to bear any responsibility for their procedure, nor seem to give them the least countenance.”

“Now I beseech you - One great object of this Epistle had been to promote “peace” between the Jewish and Gentile converts. So much did this subject press upon the mind of the apostle, that he seems unwilling so leave it. He returns to it again and again; and even after the Epistle is apparently concluded, he returns to it, to give them a new charge on the subject. Mark them - Observe attentively, cautiously, and faithfully Philippians 3:17; be on your guard against them. Ascertain “who are” the real causes of the divisions that spring up, and avoid them. Which cause - Who make. Probably he refers here to “Jewish” teachers, or those who insisted strenuously on the observance of the rites of…”

“Mark them who cause divisions - Such there were, therefore, at Rome also. Avoid them - Avoid all unnecessary intercourse with them. Romans 16:18”

“16:17 people who cause divisions: Paul had trouble with divisive false teachers elsewhere (see Galatians, Colossians, 1 Timothy), so he warned the Roman church about this danger.”

“mark: Phi 3:17; Th2 3:14, Th2 3:15 cause: Act 15:1-5, Act 15:24; Co1 1:10-13, Co1 3:3, Co1 11:18; Gal 1:7-9, Gal 2:4; Phi 3:2, Phi 3:3; Col 2:8; Pe2 2:1, Pe2 2:2; Jo1 2:19; Jo2 1:7-10; Jde 1:19 offences: Mat 18:7; Luk 17:1 and: Mat 18:17; Co1 5:9-11; Th2 3:6, Th2 3:14; Ti1 6:3-5; Ti2 3:5; Tit 3:10; Jo2 1:10, Jo2 1:11 Romans 16:18”