“For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.” -Romans 16:19
Immediately upon warning them of the scandal makers, the wolves so to speak, he commends them for their obedience lest they assumed he thought unfavorably of them. Not so. Rather, he rejoices over them for their renowned obedience to the Lord.
He exhorts them to be wise concerning those thing that are good and innocent toward those things that are evil. Given the context of both the larger exhortation to foster peace between Jew and Gentile and the more immediate context to beware of those who scandalize by causing division and undermining the teaching of the Apostles, good and evil here seem to be benevolence toward one another and sophistry (i.e., smooth talk and flattery), respectfully.
In other words, Paul is saying I know you have a renowned testimony for your obedience to Christ but beware of those who cause division by smooth talking and flattery. Make sure you’re committing yourselves to welcoming one another and avoiding cunning and duplicitous speech.
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