16th Chapter of Romans
(All
verses are from the New International Version)
Romans
16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church
in Cenchrea.
LETTER
OF COMMENDATION
Here
in the last section of Paul’s long letter to the Roman church we find an
example of an apostolic letter of commendation. Apparently, Phoebe was in some
need and Paul felt the Roman church was able to help her. She needed to
relocate to Rome for that help and Paul commends her as a sister and servant (diakonos) of the church, worthy of the
best help they could give her. What honors!
New
Testament Greek: Special or Common Language?
At
one time, scholars thought that New Testament Greek was a special divine language. However, since
scholarship proved in the early 1900s that the Greek of the New Testament was
commonly spoken by the average businessman in the Roman Empire, the focus on
Greek vocabulary in the New Testament has changed. Instead of looking at the
entire language as being “special,” scholars now look at individual words to
see if they have been commandeered for theological or ecclesiological meanings.
This happens often enough in the New Testament to discuss a word or two.
Two
such words that have been lifted from common discourse to have special
ecclesiological meanings are the words DIAKONOS and APOSTOLOS, transliterated deacon and apostle, respectively. Each of these words has both an ordinary
sense and a special, unique sense in which they are used in the New Testament.
In their ordinary sense, DIAKONOS means “a servant” and APOSTOLOS means “one
who is sent.” Each word has corresponding verb forms as well: DIAKONEW (to
serve, wait, or minister) and APOSTELLW (to send away, dispatch, dismiss).
DIAKONOS is found thirty-one times in the Greek New Testament. In the authorized
version, it is translated “minister” twenty times, “servant” eight times, and
“deacon” three times (1 Timothy 3:10 and 13 are from a different Greek word).
APOSTOLOS is found eighty-one times in the Greek New Testament. In the authorized
version it is translated “apostle” 78 times, “messenger” two times, and “he
that is sent” once. This last translation is found in John 13:16, “Verily,
verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord; neither he
that is sent greater than he that sent him.”
Some
examples of the non-special usage of DIAKONOS are found in passages such as
Matthew 20:26, “But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great
among you, let him be your minister (servant);”
Luke
12:37 is another which says, “Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he
cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself,
and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.”
In
John 2:5 we read, “His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto
you, do it.” In the specialized sense, we find the word in Philippians 1:1 “Paul
and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus
which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons;” also in 1 Timothy 3:8 “Likewise
must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not
greedy of filthy lucre;” and in 1 Timothy 3:12 “Let the deacons be the husbands
of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.”
Some
examples of the non-special usage of APOSTOLOS are found in such passages as
Luke 11:49, “Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets
and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute;” also John 13:16,
which we have already discussed, and Acts14:14 where both Paul and Barnabas are
described as apostles because they were sent by the Holy Spirit from the church
at Antioch (see Acts 13:2). Of course, the vast majority of the usage of this
word in the New Testament is in the specialized sense of the twelve apostles
chosen by Jesus. See Matthew 10:2, Luke 6:13, Luke 22:14, et.al.
It
has been suggested that because Phoebe is referred to by the Greek word
"DIAKONOS" that she was a deacon of the church at Cenchrea in the
specialized sense (Romans 16:1). However, there is no evidence to suggest that
the word DIAKONOS in this context is used in a specialized sense. The vast
majority of the times it is used in the New Testament it simply means one who
is a servant in the generic sense. Moreover, it is clear from 1Timothy 3:12
that to be a deacon, in the specialized sense, one had to be the husband of one
wife. It simply doesn't follow that such a qualification would be ignored throughout
the rest of the churches especially considering Paul's exhortation to Timothy
to teach the things that he has learned to others as well (2 Timothy 2:2).
– Kevin Cauley, Ba. Phil. & Greek, U. of
Texas (Berryville Church of Christ)
The
town of Cenchrea was the eastern of two seaports, the other being Lecheum,
which served the city of Corinth, situated on the isthmus of the same name.
Cenchrea was about nine miles from Corinth. The existence of a church at one of
these ports, and presumably in other similar places throughout the area, shows
how widely the gospel had been preached. Temples of various pagan deities were
located in this area, among them those of Isis, Venus, and Aesculapius. – Coffman
Phoebe
was most likely the bearer of the letter to the Roman church, which originated
while Paul was in Corinth.
Romans
16:2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints
and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people,
including me.
Much
debate has been made over Phoebe’s titles when these words simply describe her
character:
1-
A
sister
2-
A
servant
3-
A
saint
4-
A
helper – prostatis – a female
guardian, protectress, patroness, caring for the affairs of others and aiding
them with her resources – Thayer’s Greek
Definitions
Phoebe
was a helper of many, a protector of many. The Greek word literally means “one
who stands for you”; hence, it was used as a legal representative and/or a
wealthy patron, much like the characteristics ascribed to the Holy Spirit in John 14:16
(parakletos: one who
pleads another’s cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal
assistant, an advocate).
Romans
16:3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in
Christ Jesus.
GREETING
AND SALUTATIONS
Usually
we find greetings and salutations at the beginning of a letter. Apparently it
was the custom to place them at the end for Paul. There were many dear brothers
and sisters to Paul whom he remembers dearly in this letter. Priscilla and her
husband Aquila, whom Paul met at Corinth, were originally from Rome and had
left for Corinth because Claudius had commanded all Jews to leave Rome at one
point (Acts
18:2). Apparently they were back at Rome by the time Paul writes
this letter.
It
is interesting to see Priscilla, the wife, most always mentioned first, before
her husband: Acts
18:18; Acts 18:26; 2Tim 4:19. Perhaps this is because she
carried more weight than her husband when it came to being servants of the
church. In 1Co
16:19, when Paul is greeting those in Corinth, he mentions
Aquila first, as the leader of a house church there. This couple was largely
responsible for correcting Apollos, a mighty preacher, with the truth (Acts 18:26).
This couple were Paul’s fellow workers in more ways than one. Paul met them as
fellow tent-makers in Corinth. After being converted they aided Paul’s
ministry, even moving with him to Ephesus.
Romans
16:4-5a They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles
are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house.
No
higher honor can be bestowed on a couple than this one: they risked their lives
for the sake of the Gospel and the brothers.
Christian
Couples: Fellow Workers in God’s Kingdom
No
greater influence can any Christian have than to produce a faithful, hard
working and fruitful family in God’s Kingdom. This necessitates healthy
marriages that have Jesus at their center and circumference – born from single disciples
who desire to labor tirelessly in the Lord’s vineyard to see souls won. Priscilla
and Aquila give us a great template to imitate and glorify God:
1-
They loved God
and each other
– this couple was devoted to their marriage. In all the references made about
them in the New Testament they are always listed together. When they were
exiled from Rome under Claudius, they leave together and start a new business
in Corinth where they both worked on it. Undoubtedly they were able to succeed
in their business and in the kingdom because of their love for God and one
another.
2-
They were one in
mind, body and soul
– they were married – showing us how God can use a marriage to bring glory to
Himself in the Kingdom. A marriage makes two people one in body, soul and mind.
Two have more strength than one and their influence will be greater when they
work together as opposed to opposing each other (Ecc 4:9-12).
3-
They worked hard
together to make a living and to advance the Kingdom of God – Pricilla and
Aquila, being devoted to each other, were able to give that devotion to their
livelihood and have a successful business in an age where success in business
largely came with many moral compromises with the Roman government. Their
success in business enabled them to help Paul in his missionary journeys. They
were so dedicated they moved their lives and business with him to Ephesus to
help the church there after being in Corinth. Their ethic, character and
fruitfulness is shown across the board.
4-
They evangelized
(confronted with care) together – in their evangelism they were
together, not afraid of confronting with care and truth those who preached a
different message (Acts 18:24-26). Although preaching the
Gospel of Jesus could easily have derailed their business opportunities,
Priscilla and Aquila didn’t vacillate when it came to standing up for Jesus.
5-
They hosted a
house church
– even to the extent of hosting a house church, which in itself was a risky
proposition in the Roman world, Priscilla and Aquila show their devotion and
commitment to expand the Kingdom of God wherever they were living, whether in
Rome (Romans
16:5) or in Ephesus (1Co 16:19).
6-
They risked
their lives (stuck their necks out) for the truth and God's Kingdom – all they did
show how they risked their lives on a daily basis for the Gospel and the
kingdom of God, the church of the saints. They unquestionably did it for Paul
when they supported his missionary journeys, even accompanying him to Ephesus,
and they did it for the brethren in their house church. They were so
resourceful indeed because of their dependence on God's strength and power and
their dedication to their own marriage in their love for God. So honorable are
they Paul credits them with the help of establishing the Gentile churches.
Being
a capable house church leader or host means taking risks; taking risks show
commitment, love, loyalty, dedication and faith in God's work and purpose for
His church. When you take risks for the sake of the Gospel you
1-
Carry
your cross
2-
Deny
yourself
3-
Save
others
4-
Show
loyalty
5-
Take
a stand
6-
Flee
the devil
7-
Risk
your life
Just
like in the military, where medals and honor are quickly given when heroism is
shown in combat, the character and faith of disciples is shown in the risks
they take to promote the Gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom.
In
the world couples try to protect each other from taking the right kinds of
risks and foolishly plunge into the worst risks ever like:
1-
Trying
to get rich
2-
Not
communicating with each other
3-
Not
mentoring each other and studying the Bible together
4-
Putting
all their focus on making a business
5-
Buying
things they cannot afford
6-
Having
children irresponsibly
7-
Not
being a committed worker in the Kingdom (church)
8-
Putting
pressure on the mother of young children to work outside the home
9-
Raising
children irresponsibly
10- Delegating the
education of their children to the mass media and public opinion
11- Taking stands on
foolish man-made agendas and opinions
Instead,
couples like Priscilla and Aquila, who have their heads on straight because
they focus on the Master, take the right kinds of risks that have to do with
putting Jesus first and will have life, love and joy to show for it.
What
is a House Church?
As
we can see from this verse, Priscilla and Aquila hosted a house church in their
home in Corinth and Ephesus (1Co 16:19). In the early days of the
church, for at least the first 100 to 200 years, the church most often met in
the homes of members. Having a separate building for meeting was a concept that
came later on preceded by the approval of Christianity being the state religion
under Constantine. Today, the idea of meeting in a separate building and
calling that “church” has been a concept propagated by the Catholicism of the
middle (dark) ages. The word church
(Gk. ekklesia) means assembly, or the called out. It was a word used by the disciples when they met
together to remind and encourage one another of what they are a part of: those called out of darkness
into the wonderful light of the Lord (Col 1:13-14).
Similar
instances of household congregations revealed in the New Testament are those of
Mary (Act
12:12), of Nymphas (Col 4:15), of Philemon (Phm 1:2),
and also, perhaps, the groups mentioned in Rom 16:14-15, below. – Coffman
Being
that they learned from Jesus that God is spirit, and He seeks those who worship
Him in Spirit and truth (John 4:23-24), they knew that their
worship of God was no longer limited to place, form or function. From chapter
12 we know they were reminded of what their worship was about, their house
churches being the focal point in fulfilling all the “one another” verses Paul teaches
sin the New Testament.
According
to the overall pattern of the NT, it appears that there was only one church
proper per city—i.e., in each city there was one unified group of Christians
under one eldership (see Acts 14:23; Acts 15:2, 4; Acts 20:17, 18; Titus 1:5).
Thus, the church was called by the name of the city in which it existed (e.g.,
the church in Jerusalem, Acts 8:1; the church in Antioch, Acts 13:1;
the church in Cenchrea, Rom. 16:1; the church in Corinth, 1 Cor. 1:2
and 2
Cor. 1:1; the church of the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. 1:1 and 2 Thess. 1:1;
and the seven local churches mentioned in Rev. 2 and 3). However, within the
local church proper there must have been several “assemblies” or “meetings” of
the believers, held in various homes. (This is evident from passages like Acts 2:46; Acts
5:42; Acts 12:12; Acts 20:20; Titus 1:11.) Each one of these
meetings had every right to be called an ecclēsia—for
the word at its very root means nothing more than an “assembly” or “meeting.”
(This is the usage and meaning of the word in 1 Cor. 4:17; 1Co 11:18; 1Co 14:4, 19,
28, 35; Heb. 2:12; Heb 12:23.) Therefore, within one local
church proper, there could be several home meetings—or, if the church were
small, only one home meeting. A church like Jerusalem would have many home
meetings, whereas a church like Colossae possible had only one. But no one knows
for sure how many believers there were in Rome at the time Paul wrote this
epistle. Some commentators suggest a large number; others think the assembly
was rather small. The church at Rome could have had several home meetings,
several home “churches”—one of which was at Aquila and Priscilla’s house, or
the entire church, if small enough, could have met at their house. (When Aquila
and Priscilla lived in Ephesus, an ecclēsia
met in their home [1 Cor. 16:19]; but whether or not it was
the entire church is still debatable.) But it is much more likely that the ecclēsia in Aquila and Priscilla’s
house was not the entire church at Rome. If it were, why would Paul ask the
church at Rome (which equals “all that be in Rome,” 1:7) to greet the church at
Rome? Later in this chapter, Paul exhorts all the Roman believers to greet one
another (16:16). This is natural. But it is unnatural and illogical for Paul to
ask the church in Rome to greet itself. Thus, the church in Priscilla and
Aquila’s house probably was not the entire church in Rome but simply a house
meeting. Several believers in Rome met with this couple, while other believers
met with the saints mentioned in 16:14 and likewise in 16:15. Several such home
meetings would comprise the church proper in Rome, which in itself was an autonomous
unit. Each home meeting was not to become a separate church entity within a
locality, for that would lead to division (see Rom 16:17; 1 Cor. 1:10-14).
– New Commentary on the Whole Bible
We
can conclude then:
1-
House
churches form the basic cell of the body of Christ
2-
A
living house church grows and multiplies, being salt and light within its
community
3-
A
living house church grows as each member works in love and faithfulness to
Jesus
4-
The
body of Christ grows as each house church reproduces, similar to how living
things grow – as each cell divides and multiplies.
Romans
16:5b Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ
in the province of Asia.
Epenetus,
the first convert of Asia (Achaia), had to be related to Stephanas:
1 Corinthians 16:15-16 NIV 15 You know that the household of Stephanas were
the first converts in
Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints. I
urge you, brothers, 16 to submit to such as these and
to everyone who joins in the work, and labors at it.
It
takes much courage to be a first!
These brothers were not only courageous, but are described here as devoting
themselves to the service of the saints (the church). No wonder the apostle
called him a “dear friend”. We are to submit ourselves to brethren such as
these.
Romans
16:6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
We
don’t know much about this Mary, other than she worked very hard for the saints
in Rome. The Greek word here translated worked
very hard indicates work sufficiently heavy to produce weariness and
fatigue. It is these kinds of kingdom citizens that champion the hope that is
in them.
Romans
16:7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in
prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
A
few things are mentioned about these two disciples:
1-
They
were relatives of Paul
2-
They
had been in prison with Paul
3-
They
are outstanding and well known by the twelve and by Paul, perhaps because of
their long standing in the faith and the suffering they had gone through, not
to mention the imprisonment.
4-
They
were in Christ longer than Paul – perhaps these had been those who were from
Rome on that fateful day of Pentecost (Acts 2:10). There they were well
acquainted with the apostles and perhaps these were the ones who had begun the
work of the Kingdom in Rome.
Romans
16:8 Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord.
How
great it is to be loved in the Lord! A reflection of Paul’s affection is
displayed here. No other noteworthy things are applied to this brother than
Paul’s love for him because he was in Christ!
Romans
16:9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
As
Paul goes through his mental list of people he knows from the church in Rome, people
who have impacted him in positive ways, he remembers those who work with him in
the Kingdom and his dear friends, who one way or another, have left their mark
on him.
Revelation 2:2 NIV I know your deeds, your hard work and your
perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested
those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.
The
Lord knows your work and how you are influencing those around you. Are you a
fellow worker? How are you remembered by your brothers and sisters?
Romans
16:10 Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who
belong to the household of Aristobulus.
What
a tribute to give a person! Tested and
approved! We don’t know what trial he went through or how he earned this,
but apparently everyone there knew.
Romans
16:11 Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet those in the household of
Narcissus who are in the Lord.
Here
another relative of Paul is mentioned.
Romans
16:12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.
Another
reference to the women who were working
sufficiently heavy to produce weariness and fatigue. Paul remembered that
kind of work and some special friendship with Persis.
Colossians 3:17 NIV And whatever you do, whether in word or deed,
do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father
through him.
Romans
16:13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
Rufus,
a man known as chosen in the Lord;
meaning that he was numbered amongst the best in Christ – a choice man. Some believe this Rufus was the son of Simon
of Cyrene, the man who carried the cross of Jesus (Mark 15:21). If this is
the case then Rufus was well known for this reputation as well as his own
special character and legacy. Rufus’ mother apparently was also special to
Paul, aiding him as a mother would her own child – probably giving him
emotional as well as kindred support.
Romans
16:14-15 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas,
Hermas and the brothers with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his
sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them.
Lots
of names have been mentioned here. Would your name be mentioned if we were to
write such a letter? Why not? The way Paul says “and the brothers with them”
may have implied these were other house churches being mentioned. Rome was a
large city and perhaps Priscilla and Aquila could not hold all the saints in
their house alone.
These
persons, all people, along with other Christians who were doubtless associated
with them, formed some kind of a Christian community in Rome, perhaps another
household congregation rotating their meeting places in the homes of those
singled out for salutation, or a grouping in some geographical area of the
great city, or other. One can only be amazed at the knowledge Paul had
concerning the progress of Christianity in the Roman capital. – Coffman
Romans 16:16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the
churches of Christ send greetings.
This
verse is perhaps the greatest proof that the saints may not have all met at the
same place regularly. Paul encourages
them to greet each other as family when they would see each other, even if it
was not at the meetings.
Such
a kiss, upon the brow, or cheek, sometimes on both cheeks, or upon the hands,
as in the Greek Orthodox Church until this day, was a common form of salutation
in ancient times. It was brought over into Christianity and continued for many
centuries, prevailing as custom in many places yet. The sacred (holy) kiss as
an affectionate greeting conveyed an evidence of mutual love, respect, honor,
and equality, and was evidently used by Christ and the apostles themselves,
hence the odium that attached to Judas' use of such a greeting to betray the
Son of God. – Coffman
It
is important to understand that we don’t have
to kiss, but that if it is your custom, do so with holiness. It is to be
a different kiss than the one the world accustoms to use. For those who are not
married, especially be careful to treat one another with holiness (1Thes 4:1-8).
The churches of Christ…
The
use of the Ichthys symbol appears to date from towards the end of the 1st
century AD. Ichthus
(ΙΧΘΥΣ, Greek for fish) is an acronym, which is a word
formed from the initial letters of the several words in the name. It compiles
to "Jesus Christ God's Son is Savior" or "Jesus Christ God's Son
Savior", in ancient Greek "Iησοuς
Χριστός, ΘεοS ΥSός,
Σωτήρ"
* Iota is the first letter of Iesous
(Ιησους), Greek for Jesus.
* Chi is the first letter of Christos
(Χριστóς), Greek for "anointed".
* Theta is the first letter of Theou
(ΘεοS), genitive case of Θεóς "God".
* Upsilon is the first letter of Huios
(ΥSός), Greek for Son.
* Sigma is the first letter of Soter
(Σωτήρ), Greek for Savior.
-- Wikipedia
Romans
16:17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause
divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you
have learned. Keep away from them.
CONCLUDING
ADMONITION
Although
Paul remembers warmly many who did great work in the kingdom and sacrificed
themselves for their love of Jesus and the church, he also knew of the dark
side of people. There were those in the church who were faithful to Satan and
who promoted a different agenda.
With urgency the
apostle admonished to:
1-
Watch out – mark – point
out – note
a.
For
those who cause division
b.
For
those who put obstacles
c.
For
teachings contrary to the holy doctrine in the scriptures