(Ἰουλία, Romans 16:15, a Latin name, the feminine form of Julius [the name of a famous Roman gens]. Both of these were extremely common names. The name Julia is very frequently found as a name of female slaves belonging to the Imperial household)
A woman saluted by St. Paul and coupled with Philologus. They may have been brother and sister, or more probably husband and wife. Other couples saluted in Romans 16 are Aquila and Prisca (Romans 16:3, the order being, however, ‘Prisca and Aquila’), perhaps Andronicus and Junia (Romans 16:7; see Junias), and Nereus and his sister (Romans 16:15). It has been conjectured that the names in this verse are those of persons forming a Christian family with a household church (καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτοῖς πάντας ἁγίους). If this be so, Philologus and Julia were perhaps the parents of Nereus and his sister (Nerias) and Olympas, and the leaders of the little community which gathered for worship at their home (cf. Romans 16:3, where a married couple are saluted as ‘fellow-labourers’ with the Apostle, and the salutation includes ‘the church which assembles at their house’). The locality to which we assign this circle of Christians will depend upon our view of the destination of Romans 16:3-20. Nothing further is known of any of these persons.
T. B. Allworthy.