In Greek verses 1 and 2 are all one sentence. “In the Lord” is rendered by the Good News Translation as in the Lord’s name (New English Bible “in the fellowship of the Lord”). In such a context “in the Lord” means “because she belongs to the Lord.” The initial phrase receive her in the Lord’s name may therefore be rendered as “welcome her as one who belongs to the Lord.”

As God’s people should (An American Translation* “as God’s people should welcome one another”) is literally “worthy of saints.” On “saints” see 1.7. This phrase could possibly be taken with the meaning “in a way that she should be received because she is one of God’s people,” but translators and commentators generally take the phrase with the same meaning as in the Good News Translation. Accordingly, one can render this clause as “in the way in which God’s people should welcome one another” or “as God’s people should receive one another.”

Give her any help she may need from you would, of course, include the matter of financial assistance.

Good friend (so New English Bible) has been translated by the Revised Standard Version as “helper” and by An American Translation* as “protector.” This word appears only here in the New Testament, and though later it is used as a technical term meaning “patroness,” it is better rendered in this passage in a general sense. A good friend to many people and also to me may be rendered simply as “she has been very good to many people and also to me” or “she has helped many people very much and has also helped me.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1973. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .