Romans Series: Chapter 16
Sunday, April 14, 2019
Peace to Live By Romans Series: Chapter 16 - Daniel Litton
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Well, today we come to the series finale of our Romans Series here, and man, it’s been quite an adventure. Sad to say, the fun is about to end. The Book of Romans is truly a great and classic book, and I think we’ve been reminded of, and even learned, quite a bit as we’ve been studying it. Not only does this book contain some great doctrines of our faith, but it also includes may insights in how to better live our lives, as Christians, truths that can be applied to our lives which help us greatly. Yes, God is on our side, as I believe we’ve been reminded of over and over, and he is continuing to work in our lives, modeling us and shaping us so that we conforming into the image of his Son, who is the firstborn of us all.
So, we come today to Romans chapter 16. And this chapter being light-hearted I think is a good way for us to wind down and short of land on the runway. Our mission is just about complete. It’s kind of like Paul is going to go through the credits of his great work, like the credits at the end of a movie. Turn in your Bibles then, and tap in your Bible apps, to Romans chapter 16. Starting in verse 1, we read: “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.”
We are presented here with a fellow sister in the body of Christ named Phoebe. Now, if we pull out our Greek translator here, we can note that the name Phoebe means “bright and radiant.” Do you know any ladies, any sisters, who are bright and radiant? Phoebe was a deaconess within the church there at Cenchreae. Now Cenchreae was a city near Corinth, and resided along the water there. So, it stands to reason that Paul is writing this epistle to the Romans in Cenchreae. Paul then picked a good place to write. Perhaps is would go out to the shore and think as he was writing these things. The beach is a great place to be—it surely clears your head. Anyhow, Paul is going to give his finished product to Phoebe to take to Rome. She’s going to be the one to deliver this work of Paul to the church in Rome.
Thus, Paul tells the Roman church to welcome Phoebe and help her when she arrives. Paul states she has been a tremendous help to him. We understand that’s what deaconesses do, or deacons for that matter, they are servants who help the church with this and that. Besides, God has designed women in such a way that they naturally want to help any male counterparts with whatever it is. I have personally noticed this working with different women over the years on varying tasks. They will simply start helping you without even realizing they are doing it. Anyhow, she apparently not only helped Paul but was responsible for helping other believers within the church there at Cenchreae.
Verse 3: “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house.”
So, these names here are familiar to us as we find them three other places in the New Testament. Prisca and Aquila were good friends of Paul, friends he had made while he was in Corinth. We know that because that’s what we read at the beginning of Acts chapter 18. We read there, staring in verse 1: “…Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.” We can point out several things here. First, we note that Prisca and Aquila were fellow Jews with Paul. Second, we can see that they had originally lived from Rome (hence now in Romans chapter 16, they are apparently back). And third, we understand that they were tentmakers. Perhaps they owned a business, or did the work themselves. Nevertheless, Paul in Corinth worked with them.
What is interesting is that you find Prisca’s name listed first here before Aquila, which seems unusual in the context of the time in which this was written. There are a couple reasons why this could be the case. Prisca may have been higher up the social ladder. It’s kind of like when you watch a rerun of ’I Love Lucy’ on T.V. You see that Lucy’s name comes first in the credits before Desi Arnaz, and that’s primarily due to the fact that at the time she was much more well-known than Mr. Arnaz (who also was her husband). A second reason for this could be that Prisca was some type of leader in the church there at Rome. Now, was she a pastor or senior-pastor? Well, we really don’t know for sure. But she could have been some type of leader there. (And as an aside, notice here that Paul didn’t talk about women’s roles in this epistle; but, that could be a coincidence).
Paul says that this couple risked their lives for him. We actually aren’t sure how this is the case, or why, but this is what he tells us here. It appears that the risking of their lives somehow benefited other churches within the Gentiles as well. Paul also informs us that they had a gathering of believers in their house, which apparently was an arm of the main church in Rome. It could have been like a small-group, or Bible study, that met during the week and the main church would met on Sunday. Perhaps Prisca was the leader of this group.
This goes to show us the importance of small groups, really for any church, big or small. I definitely am a believer in them from personal experience. You know, especially if we are in a big church, you can go on Sunday morning and find it rather difficult to make any headway with anyone besides small talk. We may talk to two or three people, but it just feels unfulfilling more often than not. You know how it is. You walk out of church into the parking lot with your head down and a sense of shame as you feel like you didn’t do enough fellowshipping. Thankfully, some bodies of believers are working to resolve this issue, but adding more conversation areas inside their places of worship, like in the hallways and whatnot. This is a particularly good thing, and I would encourage any group of believers to consider doing this. But, the small-group fixes our need to fellowship by adding a group of people that we can really grow close to. No more head nods and saying, “What was your name again?” We can build real relationships there.
For sure, Paul had built up a lot of relationships with his fellow brothers and sisters over time. Many of these folks he knew personally, and some of them he may have just known about. Nonetheless, based on their good reputations, he praises them. Let’s go ahead and finish off the greetings here: “Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.”
Let’s do a little breakdown here of the males versus females. We can note the Paul lists seventeen males and seven females. So, Paul not only has a lot of friends here, but notice that a lot of them were ladies. Now, I’m not going to go through each verse here and go over everybody Paul listed. But, let me point a few out and let’s discuss them. Consider first Epaenetus, who was the first convert from Asia. That’s a pretty incredible thing, and shows how the Gospel was expanding throughout the world, even during Paul’s own life, and by other people, not only Paul. Think if you or I were the first convert or a region or land. That’s an incredible thing to think about.
Andronicus and Junia, probably a husband and wife, were Jewish like Paul, for that’s what he means in saying “my kinsmen” and that at some point they were in prison with Paul. Unfortunately, we are acquainted with the fact that Paul spent quite a lot of time in prison during his ministry. He was in there and out there frequently. He truly was giving it his all for the Gospel. He may have even been in prison at the time he was writing this epistle. We just don’t know for sure. But apparently, Andronicus and Junia were so well-known that the Apostles, the heads of the church, people like Peter and John, knew who they were.
Notice that Paul mentioned that both Mary and Persis had worked hard. I’ve read this passage many-a-times and I don’t believe I’ve ever realized there was a Mary listed here. That’s such a beautiful name. Both of these women help us to see that we should put forth good effort in working for the Lord, or in working for fellow brothers and sisters. It reminds me of the passage that says that we are to be obedient “not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward” (Colossians 3:22-24, ESV). Paul also said, “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.” It shows us a good mother-son relationship in working for the Lord.
After all of these greetings, Paul says, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.”
The greeting of one-another with a holy kiss then is definitely a cultural thing that was practiced at that time that, of course, we no longer practice today, at least, here in America. This verse tells us that there are surely things in the New Testament which were cultural. Yes, it’s a command from Paul, but it was a cultural thing. The disagreement comes in what we wish to label as cultural versus not cultural in commandments from Paul or others. Churches can certainly disagree on these matters, but I just wanted to point this out. I believe this is a good verse to prove there are cultural things relating only to that time. Now, we in modern-day America would likely translate this with handshake, but actually, it’s not the same thing. A handshake is much less affectionate.
Verse 17: “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”
Okay, so let’s note first here the discussion of false preachers and false Bible teachers. Paul’s not telling us to avoid those who have differences in doctrine so long as those differences are not critical, that is, they don’t change the Gospel or change what sin is. Remember, Paul told the Galatians to watch out for those who change what the Gospel is—who preach a different Gospel that is contrary to the truth. That’s a person we don’t want to be around. Or, a person who says certain sins, like say fornication or homosexuality, are in fact good and acceptable. Again, that’s a person we should avoid, a person that we don’t want to keep in our company. Paul is not talking about those who have insignificant differences. He’s not comparing one-dunk baptism versus three-dunk baptism versus sprinkling. He’s not meaning pre-Tribulation Rapture versus post-Trib Rapture. He’s not even talking about a person who believes the spiritual gift of tongues still operates versus a person who doesn’t. These things are non-essential. As long as the essentials are the same, we’re good to go.
Notice then the markers of the false preachers and teachers. First, Paul points out that their motives are wrong. And I believe that’s a pretty easy one for us to identify. It’s pretty simple to look at a person and tell their motives after spending some time with them. You can tell if a person is really preaching in order to help others, or if that person has an ulterior motive, like getting money or simply wowing the crowd, or just trying to get followers after themselves. Second, Paul says they use “smooth talk and flattery” to “deceive the hearts of the naive.” Moreover, they would do this in order to gain what we just talked about, money or followers. They may make promises to people that God will do this or that for them if they do this or that for God (which often times is give a lot of money). Now, God assuredly does good things for us, but it’s merely the way these false teachers go about it that gives them away.
Next, Paul says, “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. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
That’s a pretty simple yet interesting thing. Our obedience to God makes others rejoice over us. But it’s clearly true. That’s one of the benefits we reap from leading good, moral lives within the church and before our fellow brothers and sisters. In becoming acquainted with what is good, that makes our lives better and better. It makes our lives more enjoyable. It’s like Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31, 32, ESV). Abiding in Jesus’ word also means to are to be innocent, unacquainted with, that which is evil. We are to stay far away from it. Seeing how close we can get to evil before we sin isn’t being wise.
So what does this mean: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet”? Well, when we are abiding in God’s Word and walking by the Spirit, really abiding in Jesus altogether, God takes care of our problems. It’s like Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (ESV). It’s not that we aren’t going to have problems; no, issues are certainly going to arise. It’s good to realize that God will take care of us and preserve us from the attacks of Satan and his demons. No matter how or when Satan tries to come against us, if we will remain steadfast and trust in God, in due time God will deliver us. I’ve seen this own truth so many times in my life as I am sure you have. God gives us his grace by delivering us out of big problems, and he delivers us out of the smaller problems. Whatever it is, God is with us and he gives us his grace. Sometimes we have to wait a minute, but God always shows up.
Now for the main greetings: “Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
Timothy makes a cameo appearance here. We learn that he is with Paul in Cenchreae. Then Paul lists three Jews who are his friends. Lucius here may in fact be Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke, but we simply don’t know for sure. Jason is likely the same Jason who is mentioned in Acts chapter 17, for it says, “But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd” (v. 5, ESV). Sosipater is probably the same man listed at the beginning of Acts chapter 20, who accompanied Paul at the time he was going through Macedonia.
Paul dictated this epistle, for he didn’t actually write it with his own hand, as Tertius was the person who wrote it down. Gaius mentioned here was a man who was part of the Corinthian church who Paul baptized himself. Recall, he said, “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name” (1 Corinthians 1:14, 15, ESV). Erastus was the city treasure of Corinth, and therefore he was a politician and had political connections with those in the government. Finally, Paul mentions Quartus, but we don’t know anything about him. Paul then reaffirms for a second time that just like with these men, the grace of Jesus should be with everyone. Perhaps he says this in case he forgot someone.
Here are Paul’s final words to us from the Book of Romans: “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”
It’s not that we become saved and then we are good to go. For any of us that’s been a Christian longer than a week, we know that we need God’s strength continually, day by day, to live out the Christian life. We need it because of worldly troubles, those troubles which everyone faces. We need it for the demonic attacks against us. Unfortunately, we have come to grips by now that Satan and his demons are out to get us. We also need it since, as Paul discussed in Romans chapter 7, we still have our sin-natures, our flesh, and we find ourselves at odds with our flesh. So, of course we need strength.
The Gospel that we have believed in, that which we have placed our faith in, gives us strength when we are reminded of it—of it’s great and glorious truths. We understand that we have been saved from our sins, that we have died with Christ, being united in his death, and even that we have been raised with him. We realize that we are going to be raised from the dead after we leave this earth. We are going to get our new bodies and be with God forever. And these things, and others, which are reminded to us, and taught to us by preachers and teachers of God’s Word are so important to us. Yes, teachers remind us and help us become acquainted further with the truth, with God’s Word. It is so necessary that we learn, that we be taught, so that we can further align our thoughts with what God thinks.
What God promised in the past he accomplished through our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, God promised those in the Old Testament, people like Abraham, Moses, David, and many others, that he would bring them a Messiah, the Christ to save them from their sins. The people of the Old Testament had to have their sins put on credit, if you will, until the coming Messiah could pay the debt in full. What God prophesied in many places in the Old Testament, that which Jesus’ disciples were looking for and expecting, God did. Jesus Christ is the Messiah that was promised. He is the one who fulfills the Old Testament Scriptures. It is by him that all nations will hear the Gospel, as Paul himself prophecies here in our text today. God has commanded it—he spoke and then suddenly it happened. Only God can bring people into true obedience, into truly pleasing him. God is wise, very wise, and to him is now, and forever will be, all the glory, and that, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Good News is that anyone today can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That is open to all. Yes, through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for your sins, and his raising from the dead, you can come into personal relationship with God today. Acknowledge your sin—that you are in great need of a Savior, and turn from the sin today, and place your faith—your counting in Christ’s righteousness—for the forgiveness of your sins. Follow my lead in a simple prayer like this:
“God, I realize today that I have sinned against you and against others. And I have also come to learn that I can be forgiven of all my sin through trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice for me of himself on the cross, and his rising from the dead. I also know that I gain a new relationship with you by placing my faith in Jesus. So, God, I trust in Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection today. I turn from my sins, now counting your ways as the right ways, counting you as my Lord. Please help me to grow close to you, and to come to know you better. In Jesus’ name, Amen”
This concludes our journey through the Book of Romans. I think it’s been quite an insightful study. We’ve brought back to our minds quite a lot, and truly, we’ve learned some new things. Let’s take a moment here and remind ourselves of what we learned in brief.
-Chapter 1 basically teaches us that we are to live by faith, with power, and Paul tells us clearly what the depravity of men and women looks like.
-Chapter 2 shows us the difference between the righteous man and the unrighteous one. And it notes for us how the Jewish Law is of no value in regard to righteousness.
-Chapter 3 teaches us that no one has any advantage in regard to righteousness, and in fact, no one is righteous. But Paul tells us how to fix that—by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.
-Chapter 4 gives us examples of being justified by faith, namely in Abraham. And Paul makes the defense that the promises of God have been fulfilled by faith and nothing else.
-Chapter 5 is all about our peace with God, that we have that peace in Christ. And there is provided the contrast between the old way of Adam and the new way of Jesus.
-Chapter 6 tells us how we are dead to sin but alive to God, and even that we are now slaves to God. So, we are not to let sin reign in our physical bodies.
-Chapter 7 deals with the Jewish person’s current relation to the Law. And Paul talks about how he still struggles with his flesh, with his sin-nature.
-Chapter 8 goes over a lot of things. It notes for us we no longer have condemnation before God. It tells us we have a new mind. We learn we have been adopted by God. We consider what we are going to be in the future. We are weak; we still have weaknesses. God surely loves us and nothing can separate us from him.
-Chapter 9 is the great chapter which discusses God’s will and how it works in conjunction with people’s will, namely in regard to salvation.
-Chapter 10 is Paul’s hope for more and more of his Jewish brothers and sisters to be saved. And he talks more about the Good News.
-Chapter 11 discusses how God still has saved some Jewish people, and how the Gentiles on the contrary have become saved by God’s grace.
-Chapter 12 is the Christian’s call of holiness and service before God, and that we are to do that how God wants us to.
-Chapter 13 is the discussion of the Christian’s relationship with the government. It also discusses how we are to relate to each other within the body of Christ.
-Chapter 14 notes that each of us have personal convictions and that we are not to judge each other based on those convictions. Nor are we to try to push others into our convictions.
-Chapter 15 how we are to live in harmony in the body of Christ. It talks about the fact that Jesus is the hope for both Jews and Gentiles. Paul tells us how he is the Apostle to the Gentiles, and how he is heading to Spain, coming through Rome.
-Of course, chapter 16 lists Paul’s personal greetings. And he warns us against false preachers and teachers. And he tells us how great God is to have fulfilled his promises.
So, that is the Book of Romans is summary, and that is what we have gone over. I hope everyone has been encouraged and helped by this study. I know I have enjoyed it dearly, and it has really been fun discussing all of these things.
-Daniel Litton
Well, today we come to the series finale of our Romans Series here, and man, it’s been quite an adventure. Sad to say, the fun is about to end. The Book of Romans is truly a great and classic book, and I think we’ve been reminded of, and even learned, quite a bit as we’ve been studying it. Not only does this book contain some great doctrines of our faith, but it also includes may insights in how to better live our lives, as Christians, truths that can be applied to our lives which help us greatly. Yes, God is on our side, as I believe we’ve been reminded of over and over, and he is continuing to work in our lives, modeling us and shaping us so that we conforming into the image of his Son, who is the firstborn of us all.
So, we come today to Romans chapter 16. And this chapter being light-hearted I think is a good way for us to wind down and short of land on the runway. Our mission is just about complete. It’s kind of like Paul is going to go through the credits of his great work, like the credits at the end of a movie. Turn in your Bibles then, and tap in your Bible apps, to Romans chapter 16. Starting in verse 1, we read: “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.”
We are presented here with a fellow sister in the body of Christ named Phoebe. Now, if we pull out our Greek translator here, we can note that the name Phoebe means “bright and radiant.” Do you know any ladies, any sisters, who are bright and radiant? Phoebe was a deaconess within the church there at Cenchreae. Now Cenchreae was a city near Corinth, and resided along the water there. So, it stands to reason that Paul is writing this epistle to the Romans in Cenchreae. Paul then picked a good place to write. Perhaps is would go out to the shore and think as he was writing these things. The beach is a great place to be—it surely clears your head. Anyhow, Paul is going to give his finished product to Phoebe to take to Rome. She’s going to be the one to deliver this work of Paul to the church in Rome.
Thus, Paul tells the Roman church to welcome Phoebe and help her when she arrives. Paul states she has been a tremendous help to him. We understand that’s what deaconesses do, or deacons for that matter, they are servants who help the church with this and that. Besides, God has designed women in such a way that they naturally want to help any male counterparts with whatever it is. I have personally noticed this working with different women over the years on varying tasks. They will simply start helping you without even realizing they are doing it. Anyhow, she apparently not only helped Paul but was responsible for helping other believers within the church there at Cenchreae.
Verse 3: “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house.”
So, these names here are familiar to us as we find them three other places in the New Testament. Prisca and Aquila were good friends of Paul, friends he had made while he was in Corinth. We know that because that’s what we read at the beginning of Acts chapter 18. We read there, staring in verse 1: “…Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.” We can point out several things here. First, we note that Prisca and Aquila were fellow Jews with Paul. Second, we can see that they had originally lived from Rome (hence now in Romans chapter 16, they are apparently back). And third, we understand that they were tentmakers. Perhaps they owned a business, or did the work themselves. Nevertheless, Paul in Corinth worked with them.
What is interesting is that you find Prisca’s name listed first here before Aquila, which seems unusual in the context of the time in which this was written. There are a couple reasons why this could be the case. Prisca may have been higher up the social ladder. It’s kind of like when you watch a rerun of ’I Love Lucy’ on T.V. You see that Lucy’s name comes first in the credits before Desi Arnaz, and that’s primarily due to the fact that at the time she was much more well-known than Mr. Arnaz (who also was her husband). A second reason for this could be that Prisca was some type of leader in the church there at Rome. Now, was she a pastor or senior-pastor? Well, we really don’t know for sure. But she could have been some type of leader there. (And as an aside, notice here that Paul didn’t talk about women’s roles in this epistle; but, that could be a coincidence).
Paul says that this couple risked their lives for him. We actually aren’t sure how this is the case, or why, but this is what he tells us here. It appears that the risking of their lives somehow benefited other churches within the Gentiles as well. Paul also informs us that they had a gathering of believers in their house, which apparently was an arm of the main church in Rome. It could have been like a small-group, or Bible study, that met during the week and the main church would met on Sunday. Perhaps Prisca was the leader of this group.
This goes to show us the importance of small groups, really for any church, big or small. I definitely am a believer in them from personal experience. You know, especially if we are in a big church, you can go on Sunday morning and find it rather difficult to make any headway with anyone besides small talk. We may talk to two or three people, but it just feels unfulfilling more often than not. You know how it is. You walk out of church into the parking lot with your head down and a sense of shame as you feel like you didn’t do enough fellowshipping. Thankfully, some bodies of believers are working to resolve this issue, but adding more conversation areas inside their places of worship, like in the hallways and whatnot. This is a particularly good thing, and I would encourage any group of believers to consider doing this. But, the small-group fixes our need to fellowship by adding a group of people that we can really grow close to. No more head nods and saying, “What was your name again?” We can build real relationships there.
For sure, Paul had built up a lot of relationships with his fellow brothers and sisters over time. Many of these folks he knew personally, and some of them he may have just known about. Nonetheless, based on their good reputations, he praises them. Let’s go ahead and finish off the greetings here: “Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.”
Let’s do a little breakdown here of the males versus females. We can note the Paul lists seventeen males and seven females. So, Paul not only has a lot of friends here, but notice that a lot of them were ladies. Now, I’m not going to go through each verse here and go over everybody Paul listed. But, let me point a few out and let’s discuss them. Consider first Epaenetus, who was the first convert from Asia. That’s a pretty incredible thing, and shows how the Gospel was expanding throughout the world, even during Paul’s own life, and by other people, not only Paul. Think if you or I were the first convert or a region or land. That’s an incredible thing to think about.
Andronicus and Junia, probably a husband and wife, were Jewish like Paul, for that’s what he means in saying “my kinsmen” and that at some point they were in prison with Paul. Unfortunately, we are acquainted with the fact that Paul spent quite a lot of time in prison during his ministry. He was in there and out there frequently. He truly was giving it his all for the Gospel. He may have even been in prison at the time he was writing this epistle. We just don’t know for sure. But apparently, Andronicus and Junia were so well-known that the Apostles, the heads of the church, people like Peter and John, knew who they were.
Notice that Paul mentioned that both Mary and Persis had worked hard. I’ve read this passage many-a-times and I don’t believe I’ve ever realized there was a Mary listed here. That’s such a beautiful name. Both of these women help us to see that we should put forth good effort in working for the Lord, or in working for fellow brothers and sisters. It reminds me of the passage that says that we are to be obedient “not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward” (Colossians 3:22-24, ESV). Paul also said, “Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.” It shows us a good mother-son relationship in working for the Lord.
After all of these greetings, Paul says, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.”
The greeting of one-another with a holy kiss then is definitely a cultural thing that was practiced at that time that, of course, we no longer practice today, at least, here in America. This verse tells us that there are surely things in the New Testament which were cultural. Yes, it’s a command from Paul, but it was a cultural thing. The disagreement comes in what we wish to label as cultural versus not cultural in commandments from Paul or others. Churches can certainly disagree on these matters, but I just wanted to point this out. I believe this is a good verse to prove there are cultural things relating only to that time. Now, we in modern-day America would likely translate this with handshake, but actually, it’s not the same thing. A handshake is much less affectionate.
Verse 17: “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”
Okay, so let’s note first here the discussion of false preachers and false Bible teachers. Paul’s not telling us to avoid those who have differences in doctrine so long as those differences are not critical, that is, they don’t change the Gospel or change what sin is. Remember, Paul told the Galatians to watch out for those who change what the Gospel is—who preach a different Gospel that is contrary to the truth. That’s a person we don’t want to be around. Or, a person who says certain sins, like say fornication or homosexuality, are in fact good and acceptable. Again, that’s a person we should avoid, a person that we don’t want to keep in our company. Paul is not talking about those who have insignificant differences. He’s not comparing one-dunk baptism versus three-dunk baptism versus sprinkling. He’s not meaning pre-Tribulation Rapture versus post-Trib Rapture. He’s not even talking about a person who believes the spiritual gift of tongues still operates versus a person who doesn’t. These things are non-essential. As long as the essentials are the same, we’re good to go.
Notice then the markers of the false preachers and teachers. First, Paul points out that their motives are wrong. And I believe that’s a pretty easy one for us to identify. It’s pretty simple to look at a person and tell their motives after spending some time with them. You can tell if a person is really preaching in order to help others, or if that person has an ulterior motive, like getting money or simply wowing the crowd, or just trying to get followers after themselves. Second, Paul says they use “smooth talk and flattery” to “deceive the hearts of the naive.” Moreover, they would do this in order to gain what we just talked about, money or followers. They may make promises to people that God will do this or that for them if they do this or that for God (which often times is give a lot of money). Now, God assuredly does good things for us, but it’s merely the way these false teachers go about it that gives them away.
Next, Paul says, “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. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
That’s a pretty simple yet interesting thing. Our obedience to God makes others rejoice over us. But it’s clearly true. That’s one of the benefits we reap from leading good, moral lives within the church and before our fellow brothers and sisters. In becoming acquainted with what is good, that makes our lives better and better. It makes our lives more enjoyable. It’s like Jesus said, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31, 32, ESV). Abiding in Jesus’ word also means to are to be innocent, unacquainted with, that which is evil. We are to stay far away from it. Seeing how close we can get to evil before we sin isn’t being wise.
So what does this mean: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet”? Well, when we are abiding in God’s Word and walking by the Spirit, really abiding in Jesus altogether, God takes care of our problems. It’s like Psalm 34:19 says, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (ESV). It’s not that we aren’t going to have problems; no, issues are certainly going to arise. It’s good to realize that God will take care of us and preserve us from the attacks of Satan and his demons. No matter how or when Satan tries to come against us, if we will remain steadfast and trust in God, in due time God will deliver us. I’ve seen this own truth so many times in my life as I am sure you have. God gives us his grace by delivering us out of big problems, and he delivers us out of the smaller problems. Whatever it is, God is with us and he gives us his grace. Sometimes we have to wait a minute, but God always shows up.
Now for the main greetings: “Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”
Timothy makes a cameo appearance here. We learn that he is with Paul in Cenchreae. Then Paul lists three Jews who are his friends. Lucius here may in fact be Luke, who wrote the Gospel of Luke, but we simply don’t know for sure. Jason is likely the same Jason who is mentioned in Acts chapter 17, for it says, “But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd” (v. 5, ESV). Sosipater is probably the same man listed at the beginning of Acts chapter 20, who accompanied Paul at the time he was going through Macedonia.
Paul dictated this epistle, for he didn’t actually write it with his own hand, as Tertius was the person who wrote it down. Gaius mentioned here was a man who was part of the Corinthian church who Paul baptized himself. Recall, he said, “I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one may say that you were baptized in my name” (1 Corinthians 1:14, 15, ESV). Erastus was the city treasure of Corinth, and therefore he was a politician and had political connections with those in the government. Finally, Paul mentions Quartus, but we don’t know anything about him. Paul then reaffirms for a second time that just like with these men, the grace of Jesus should be with everyone. Perhaps he says this in case he forgot someone.
Here are Paul’s final words to us from the Book of Romans: “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.”
It’s not that we become saved and then we are good to go. For any of us that’s been a Christian longer than a week, we know that we need God’s strength continually, day by day, to live out the Christian life. We need it because of worldly troubles, those troubles which everyone faces. We need it for the demonic attacks against us. Unfortunately, we have come to grips by now that Satan and his demons are out to get us. We also need it since, as Paul discussed in Romans chapter 7, we still have our sin-natures, our flesh, and we find ourselves at odds with our flesh. So, of course we need strength.
The Gospel that we have believed in, that which we have placed our faith in, gives us strength when we are reminded of it—of it’s great and glorious truths. We understand that we have been saved from our sins, that we have died with Christ, being united in his death, and even that we have been raised with him. We realize that we are going to be raised from the dead after we leave this earth. We are going to get our new bodies and be with God forever. And these things, and others, which are reminded to us, and taught to us by preachers and teachers of God’s Word are so important to us. Yes, teachers remind us and help us become acquainted further with the truth, with God’s Word. It is so necessary that we learn, that we be taught, so that we can further align our thoughts with what God thinks.
What God promised in the past he accomplished through our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes, God promised those in the Old Testament, people like Abraham, Moses, David, and many others, that he would bring them a Messiah, the Christ to save them from their sins. The people of the Old Testament had to have their sins put on credit, if you will, until the coming Messiah could pay the debt in full. What God prophesied in many places in the Old Testament, that which Jesus’ disciples were looking for and expecting, God did. Jesus Christ is the Messiah that was promised. He is the one who fulfills the Old Testament Scriptures. It is by him that all nations will hear the Gospel, as Paul himself prophecies here in our text today. God has commanded it—he spoke and then suddenly it happened. Only God can bring people into true obedience, into truly pleasing him. God is wise, very wise, and to him is now, and forever will be, all the glory, and that, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Good News is that anyone today can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. That is open to all. Yes, through Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for your sins, and his raising from the dead, you can come into personal relationship with God today. Acknowledge your sin—that you are in great need of a Savior, and turn from the sin today, and place your faith—your counting in Christ’s righteousness—for the forgiveness of your sins. Follow my lead in a simple prayer like this:
“God, I realize today that I have sinned against you and against others. And I have also come to learn that I can be forgiven of all my sin through trusting in Jesus’ sacrifice for me of himself on the cross, and his rising from the dead. I also know that I gain a new relationship with you by placing my faith in Jesus. So, God, I trust in Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection today. I turn from my sins, now counting your ways as the right ways, counting you as my Lord. Please help me to grow close to you, and to come to know you better. In Jesus’ name, Amen”
This concludes our journey through the Book of Romans. I think it’s been quite an insightful study. We’ve brought back to our minds quite a lot, and truly, we’ve learned some new things. Let’s take a moment here and remind ourselves of what we learned in brief.
-Chapter 1 basically teaches us that we are to live by faith, with power, and Paul tells us clearly what the depravity of men and women looks like.
-Chapter 2 shows us the difference between the righteous man and the unrighteous one. And it notes for us how the Jewish Law is of no value in regard to righteousness.
-Chapter 3 teaches us that no one has any advantage in regard to righteousness, and in fact, no one is righteous. But Paul tells us how to fix that—by placing our faith in Jesus Christ.
-Chapter 4 gives us examples of being justified by faith, namely in Abraham. And Paul makes the defense that the promises of God have been fulfilled by faith and nothing else.
-Chapter 5 is all about our peace with God, that we have that peace in Christ. And there is provided the contrast between the old way of Adam and the new way of Jesus.
-Chapter 6 tells us how we are dead to sin but alive to God, and even that we are now slaves to God. So, we are not to let sin reign in our physical bodies.
-Chapter 7 deals with the Jewish person’s current relation to the Law. And Paul talks about how he still struggles with his flesh, with his sin-nature.
-Chapter 8 goes over a lot of things. It notes for us we no longer have condemnation before God. It tells us we have a new mind. We learn we have been adopted by God. We consider what we are going to be in the future. We are weak; we still have weaknesses. God surely loves us and nothing can separate us from him.
-Chapter 9 is the great chapter which discusses God’s will and how it works in conjunction with people’s will, namely in regard to salvation.
-Chapter 10 is Paul’s hope for more and more of his Jewish brothers and sisters to be saved. And he talks more about the Good News.
-Chapter 11 discusses how God still has saved some Jewish people, and how the Gentiles on the contrary have become saved by God’s grace.
-Chapter 12 is the Christian’s call of holiness and service before God, and that we are to do that how God wants us to.
-Chapter 13 is the discussion of the Christian’s relationship with the government. It also discusses how we are to relate to each other within the body of Christ.
-Chapter 14 notes that each of us have personal convictions and that we are not to judge each other based on those convictions. Nor are we to try to push others into our convictions.
-Chapter 15 how we are to live in harmony in the body of Christ. It talks about the fact that Jesus is the hope for both Jews and Gentiles. Paul tells us how he is the Apostle to the Gentiles, and how he is heading to Spain, coming through Rome.
-Of course, chapter 16 lists Paul’s personal greetings. And he warns us against false preachers and teachers. And he tells us how great God is to have fulfilled his promises.
So, that is the Book of Romans is summary, and that is what we have gone over. I hope everyone has been encouraged and helped by this study. I know I have enjoyed it dearly, and it has really been fun discussing all of these things.
-Daniel Litton