P118, P. Köln 10311: A Second-Century Witness to Romans 15:26–27, 32–33; 16:1, 4–7, 11–12

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Introduction to Papyrus 118 and Its Text-Critical Relevance

Papyrus 118, designated 𝔓118 in the Gregory-Aland numbering and cataloged as P. Köln 10311, is a fragmentary but highly significant Greek manuscript of the Epistle to the Romans. This papyrus is among the earliest known witnesses to the closing chapters of Romans, containing select portions from Romans 15:26–27, 32–33; 16:1, 4–7, 11–12. Paleographically dated to 150–200 C.E., this manuscript provides valuable insight into the transmission and structure of Romans in the second century—just over a century after Paul penned the letter in 56 C.E. from Corinth.

Though the text is incomplete and its textual character is officially undetermined, 𝔓118’s alignment with the sequential order of Romans 15:33 → 16:1—excluding the doxology traditionally placed at 16:25–27—places it in contrast with 𝔓46, which exhibits the alternate ending configuration. This has major implications for the study of Romans’ textual history and the position of the Pauline doxology. The format, date, and content of 𝔓118 contribute to ongoing scholarly debates concerning the final shape of Romans in the early Christian period.

Provenance, Physical Description, and Paleographical Dating

𝔓118 is housed at the University of Cologne (Institut für Altertumskunde), under Inventory No. 10311. The manuscript was first published by G. Schenke in Kölner Papyri 10 (2003). It measures approximately 29 x 26 cm, and the text is arranged in two columns per page, a common feature in Christian codices of the second and third centuries. The codex format clearly situates the manuscript within the Christian scribal tradition, which diverged from Greco-Roman scroll usage and prioritized the codex for portability, accessibility, and canon formation.

The papyrus is written in a Greek script consistent with the late second century, with Philip W. Comfort assigning the manuscript to 150–200 C.E. based on paleographical comparison. This early dating makes 𝔓118 one of the earliest known witnesses to Romans 15–16, pre-dating many uncial codices and positioning it among other early papyri like 𝔓46, 𝔓75, and 𝔓66.

Transcription and Layout of the Fragment

The preserved verses of 𝔓118 span Romans 15:26–27, 32–33; 16:1, 4–7, 11–12. Due to its fragmentary state, only select lines are readable, and the following reconstruction is tentative. Brackets indicate restorations based on the Nestle-Aland 28th Edition (NA28) and comparison with known textual traditions.

P118 (P. Koln 10311) (150-200 C.E.) Recto

P118 (P. Koln 10311) (150-200 C.E.) Verso

Romans 15:26–27
Ἐδοκήσ[αν γὰρ Μακεδονία καὶ Ἀχαΐα κοινωνίαν τινὰ ποιήσασθαι]
[εἰς τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῶν ἁγίων τῶν ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ·]
[εὐδόκησαν γὰρ, καὶ ὀφειλέται εἰσὶν αὐτῶν· εἰ γὰρ τοῖς]
[πνευματικοῖς αὐτῶν ἐκοινώνησαν τὰ ἔθνη, ὀφείλουσιν καὶ ἐν]
[τοῖς σαρκικοῖς λειτουργῆσαι αὐτοῖς.]

Romans 15:32–33
[ἵνα ἐν χαρᾷ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς διὰ θελήματος θεοῦ]
[συναναπαύσωμαι ὑμῖν. 33 Ὁ δὲ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης μετὰ πάντων ὑμῶν· ἀμήν.]

Romans 16:1
[Συνίστημι δὲ ὑμῖν Φοίβην τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἡμῶν, οὖσαν]
[καὶ διάκονον τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἐν Κεγχρεαῖς·]

Romans 16:4–7
[οἵτινες ὑπὲρ τῆς ψυχῆς μου τὸν ἑαυτῶν τράχηλον ὑπέθηκαν, οἷς οὐκ]
[ἐγὼ μόνος εὐχαριστῶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ἐκκλησίαι τῶν ἐθνῶν·]
[καὶ τὴν κατ’ οἶκον αὐτῶν ἐκκλησίαν. Ἀσπάσασθε Ἐπαίνετον]
[τὸν ἀγαπητόν μου, ὅς ἐστιν ἀπαρχὴ τῆς Ἀσίας εἰς Χριστόν·]
[ἀσπάσασθε Μαριὰμ, ἥτις πολλὰ ἐκοπίασεν εἰς ὑμᾶς.]
[ἀσπάσασθε Ἀνδρόνικον καὶ Ἰουνίαν τοὺς συγγενεῖς μου καὶ συναιχμαλώτους μου,]
[οἵτινές εἰσιν ἐπίσημοι ἐν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, οἳ καὶ πρὸ ἐμοῦ γεγόνασιν ἐν Χριστῷ.]

Romans 16:11–12
[ἀσπάσασθε Ἡροδίωνα τὸν συγγενῆ μου. ἀσπάσασθε τοὺς ἐκ τῶν Ναρκίσσου]
[τοὺς ὄντας ἐν Κυρίῳ. ἀσπάσασθε Τρύφαιναν καὶ Τρυφῶσαν,]
[τὰς κοπιώσας ἐν Κυρίῳ. ἀσπάσασθε Περσίδα τὴν ἀγαπητὴν,]
[ἥτις πολλὰ ἐκοπίασεν ἐν Κυρίῳ.]

The surviving text supports the traditional arrangement of Romans without any trace of Romans 16:25–27 between 15:33 and 16:1. This is significant, since 𝔓46, one of the oldest witnesses to Romans, inserts the doxology (Rom. 16:25–27) after 15:33. The omission of that passage here reinforces the view that the doxology was not originally located at this point in the epistle and was a later liturgical or textual addition.

Textual Character and the Placement of the Doxology

While 𝔓118 is officially designated as “too small to determine its textual character,” the clearest contribution it makes to textual criticism is structural rather than linguistic. Specifically, it demonstrates a textual flow that omits Romans 16:25–27 at the transition between Romans 15:33 and 16:1.

This is a crucial point of divergence in the manuscript tradition:

𝔓46, Codex 0220, and some Latin and Syriac witnesses place the doxology after Romans 15:33.
Other manuscripts, including the Byzantine majority, place it at the end of chapter 16.
Some manuscripts even repeat the doxology in both locations.

The absence of the doxology in 𝔓118 at this transition implies that Romans 15:33 was followed immediately by 16:1 in at least one early manuscript line. This aligns with Alexandrian textual practice and strongly favors the original unity of Romans 15–16 without the insertion of the doxology at this earlier point.

Such evidence contributes to the conservative textual view that Romans 16 is authentic Pauline material and that Romans did not originally end at 15:33, despite early suggestions to the contrary based on other textual traditions or Marcionite versions.

Contribution to the Pauline Corpus and Transmission of Romans

As a witness dated to 150–200 C.E., 𝔓118 offers critical confirmation that the text of Romans 15–16—including greetings and personal references—was circulating in Christian communities well before the major uncials were produced. This undermines theories of a “shorter version” of Romans that excluded chapter 16, a hypothesis promoted by advocates of textual rearrangement based on liturgical harmonization or Marcionite influence.

The content of Romans 16 is intensely personal and ecclesiological, affirming the interconnectedness of the early Christian movement. The fact that these personal greetings were copied into a Christian codex by the mid-second century confirms that early scribes understood this material as authentic, canonical, and integral to the epistle.

The Reading Culture of Early Christianity

Conclusion: 𝔓118 and the Stability of the Roman Epistle’s Closing Chapters

Papyrus 118 is a brief but strategically significant second-century witness to the closing chapters of Romans. Its omission of the doxology between Romans 15:33 and 16:1 supports the structure found in most Alexandrian manuscripts and the critical text, providing evidence that chapter 16 was part of the original composition and that later variations in the placement of the doxology were secondary developments.

Its date—150–200 C.E.—places it as a contemporary of 𝔓46 and reinforces the credibility of the Alexandrian textual stream. The text confirms that Paul’s theology and apostolic greetings were being faithfully preserved and transmitted less than 150 years after his death, without major alterations.

𝔓118 thus remains a vital witness in affirming the authenticity, unity, and early circulation of Romans 15–16 and contributes directly to the broader body of documentary evidence that upholds the trustworthiness of the New Testament text.

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About the Author

EDWARD D. ANDREWS (AS in Criminal Justice, BS in Religion, MA in Biblical Studies, and MDiv in Theology) is CEO and President of Christian Publishing House. He has authored over 220+ books. In addition, Andrews is the Chief Translator of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV).