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
2-
Keep away
a.
From people who are divisive –
i.
people
who promote differences rather than unity;
ii.
people
who complain rather than give thanks;
iii.
people
who judge rather than show mercy.
iv.
people
who talk rather than work
b.
From
people who try to make your walk in Christ harder or more difficult for you by
telling you what you have to do and how you have to do it without it being your
conviction from the scriptures.
i.
This
does not include the case when your brother is trying to admonish you for
something you are doing that is sinful.
ii.
Often
brethren may have good intentions when admonishing you but remember chapter 14
– we are not to judge one another in matters of opinion.
iii.
Keep away from those who make you feel weary and
guilty as opposed to those who try to uplift you, refresh you and encourage you
with the words of Christ.
c.
From
people who teach or believe something other than what you know is in the Bible.
i.
Again
this calls for you to know the scriptures very well. You have to be familiar
with the teachings of the scripture and with the false teaching and be able to
distinguish why they are false and how they are false.
ii.
Don’t
just accept someone’s view or conviction – make it your own if it is what you
see in the scriptures.
3-
Those
who cause divisions and put obstacle sin your way sin against you
a.
The
church must practice church discipline to keep itself pure from these
influences (Matthew
18:15-20)
i.
Those
who are marked must be addressed
ii.
Those
who do not relent must be disciplined
b.
The
divisive person must be put out of the fellowship (Titus 3:10).
Do
not shut your eyes to what they are doing, nor make excuses for them, nor for
any others who cause divisions and occasions of stumbling contrary to the
gospel, but turn away from them. This means that the brethren should have no
fellowship with them. – Whiteside
Romans
16:18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their
own appetites. By smooth
talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
People who would do these things are not servants
of Jesus but of their own appetites:
1- They don’t serve Jesus
a.
They don’t labor for the kingdom of God
i.
Because they think of themselves only
ii.
They don’t like to share
iii.
They want to be right
iv.
They don’t want to be humble
b.
They are selfish
i.
Only think of themselves
ii.
They want entitlement
iii.
They want glory for themselves
2- They serve themselves
a.
They feed their worldly desires
b.
They want to get rich
c.
They want to benefit
3- They are deceptive
a.
They lie to get ahead
b.
They manipulate others for their benefit
c.
They hunt those who are naïve (simple; ignorant;
unwise) for their purposes
i.
They can be eloquent in the word
ii.
They seem to know what they are talking about
iii.
They pretend to be merciful and caring
iv.
That’s why you are not to adopt convictions from
others until you’ve ade it your own by careful study of the word of God
v.
Just as God appeals to the heart to save one, the
false teacher appeals to the heart to deceive one. – World Video Bible School
d.
They generally stay away from church leaders and
teachers
i.
Those who are wise know to judge by their fruit
ii.
No selfish or ungodly person has the fruit of the
Spirit
The
church on earth is not perfect. Some members sinfully serve selfish desires
instead of Christ. They divide the church and obstruct its work. Christians
must not use such people as models. Rather we must turn away from them to work
with God’s faithful leaders. – Disciple’s
Study Bible
Jude 1:17-23 NIV But, dear friends, remember what the
apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold.
18
They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their
own ungodly desires." 19 These are the men who divide you,
who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. 20 But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in
your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. 21 Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord
Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. 22 Be merciful to those who doubt; 23 snatch others from the fire and save them;
to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by
corrupted flesh.
Philippians 3:18-19 NIV 18 For, as I have often told you before and now
say again even with tears, many
live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
19
Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things.
Romans
16:19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise
about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
Paul
reassures them he’s not necessarily singling anyone out yet concerning what he
just wrote, but that he wants them to be careful. We know from other letters
Paul doesn’t have a problem singling out people who needed to be confronted or
rebuked or simply disfellowshipped (1Tim 1:20; 2 Tim 4:14; 1Co 5:1-3). Paul
knew full well the dangers of false doctrine and those whose minds were not
really on serving Jesus agenda but their own. He wanted to protect the Roman
church from such influences. Apparently the Roman church was a good influence
in its time – their obedience was well known and that filled Paul with much
joy. When I hear people desiring and actually obeying the Gospel and sound
doctrine it fills me up with much joy as well because it s not the norm in the
world. People usually want to do their own thing, even some who call themselves
“Christian”.
To
protect ourselves from false teachings or false concepts we need to embrace
sound doctrine which takes work and application to produce wisdom. Being wise
about what is good doesn’t mean to accept whatever anyone says, or just to even
accepts what sounds good. That’s how the simple are deceived. To be wise about
what is good means to dedicate yourself to in-depth study and meditation on
God's word and to pray for the Lord to give you wisdom and to protect you from
faithless conclusions about doctrine and truth.
Being
innocent about evil means to be familiar enough with the truth that if you
begin to hear something false you can dismiss it quickly without giving
consideration to it. It is possible to be trapped by a false concept if you give
enough consideration to it – if you mull over it enough in your mind you can be
convinced about something that sounds right but doesn’t agree with scripture.
This is why good Bible study and experience (wisdom) are needed.
Jesus
long ago warned us about those who come to us in sheep’s clothing but are
ravenous wolves inside:
Matthew 7:15-20 NIV "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will
recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from
thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit,
but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree
cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is
cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will
recognize them.
Notice
that to dedicate yourself to studying false concepts doesn’t necessarily
prepare you for them or give you a good education. It is better to spend your
time studying and becoming wise about the good things. That way you can
actually do good and bear good fruit. The false teachers know all the good
things to say but their fruit (actions and reactions) are consistently bad.
They say they are experts in the teaching and in the know-how, but their fruit
shows their lack of expertise. As true disciples we must be experts in the
know-how of good – our fruit will show.
Romans
16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace
of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Paul
reminds them that all this testing and toil will soon be over and we will rest.
For now, we need to continue to do good and shine our lights. Satan is doomed
and he knows it (Rev 12:12) – make sure you are on the
winning side! Victory is ours!
1 John 5:3-5 NIV This is love for God: to obey his commands.
And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God
overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world,
even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he
who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 3:7-8 NIV Dear children, do not let anyone lead you
astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because
the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the
devil's work.
We
got into Christ because we know that in Him we have hope and eternal life! In
Him the devil cannot touch us or corrupt us and we will be welcome into an
incorruptible eternal existence! Just a little while longer – keep up the good
fight! Remember that evil will end soon just as God promised all of us in the
garden:
Genesis 3:15 NIV And I will put enmity between you and the
woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his
heel.
Once
Satan’s head is crushed it will be all over. For us it is just a matter of
time. I think it is important to understand that the process of overcoming the
world is one of peace; this is why Paul says “the God of Peace”. In encouraging
the Romans to continue the good fight it was important to remind them the kind
of fight it was – one where peace
rules over uprising and rebellion; where self-control rules over outbursts or indulgence
or addiction. It is a fight we fight by waiting on the Lord – if we do something it is good works.
Romans
16:21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do
Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.
1.
This
Timothy is the famous Timothy, evangelist of the church of Ephesus, Paul’s son
in the faith. Apparently at that time Timothy was with Paul in Corinth as he
writes this letter to the Romans. After Paul, one of the most well-known names
amongst the disciples was that of Timothy. (See 1Co 4:17; Phil 2:22; 1Thes 3:2)
2.
Paul’s
relatives:
a.
Lucius
– could be the Lucius in Acts 13:1
b.
Jason
– hosted Paul in Thessalonica (Acts 17:5-9)
c.
Sosipater,
long form of Sopater – could be the one mentioned in Acts 20:4
Romans
16:22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the
Lord.
Here
the actual writer of the letter identifies himself: Tertius. He was probably a
scribe, or secretary, who lived in Corinth.
Romans
16:23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole
church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director
of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.
Apparently
Paul was staying with a brother named Gaius. He was a very hospitable brother
not only to Paul but to the whole church.
At
Corinth archaeologists have discovered a reused block of stone in a paved
square, with the Latin inscription: "Erastus, commissioner of public
works, bore the expense of this pavement." This may refer to the Erastus
mentioned here. – Coffman
Romans
16:24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with
you all. Amen.
This
verse is not found in the NIV, ERV, GW, or RSV.
This
verse is found in the ASV & ESV ( with annotations as to it absence in most
manuscripts) and normally in the KJV, NKJV being that these are translated from
Byzantine texts, whose origins are different than the common Alexandrian texts
used for almost every major English version.
Rom
16:24 is the same as Rom 16:20b. Its inclusion in both places in some
manuscripts is thought by scholars to have been accidental. In any case, there
is no reason to suppose that it actually belongs in both places, nor can it be
a matter of great consequence which place is the best one for it. – Coffman
Romans
16:25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my
gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the
mystery hidden for long ages past,
CONCLUDING
DOXOLOGY
As
customary, Paul ends with a doxology: an expression of praise to God.
Here we see how Paul took ownership of the Gospel, claiming it as his – the
proclamation of Jesus Christ. He says this Gospel is the revelation of the
mystery that was hidden long ago:
Ephesians 3:2-7 NIV Surely you have heard about the
administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3 that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I
have already written briefly. 4 In reading
this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to men in other
generations as it has now
been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. 6 This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together
with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise
in Christ Jesus. 7 I became a
servant of this gospel by the gift of God's grace given me through the working
of his power.
Colossians 1:25-28 NIV I have become its servant by the commission
God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness-- 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and
generations, but is now
disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God
has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in
you, the hope of glory. 28 We proclaim
him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present
everyone perfect in Christ.
The mystery is what the Gospel accomplished when
it is obeyed:
1-
God makes believing Gentiles and Jews into one
body – the church of Jesus Christ.
2-
God makes us sharers in the promise of Jesus
Christ
3-
Christ is in us – the Holy Spirit is in us –
God's power is in us
4-
We have the hope of glory
The
mystery is no longer a mystery to us who are in Christ:
Romans
16:26 but now revealed and made known through the
prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might
believe and obey him--
1-
The
mystery is revealed through the scriptures
2-
When
you read the Bible you understand the apostle’s insight into this mystery if
your mind is not blinded:
a.
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 NIV 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is
veiled to those who are perishing. 4 The god of
this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the
light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
3-
God
commanded this mystery to be made known through the Gospel
a.
That
all nations may believe
b.
That
all nations may obey
So
the letter to the Romans begins and ends with obedience:
Rom 1:5 Through him and for his name's sake, we
received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from
faith.
Rom 16:26 but now revealed and made known through the
prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him…
Right from the beginning the Holy Spirit wants to make it clear
that the faith we will we talking about here is an obedient faith (see also Rom
6:17; Rom 16:26). We know there is no such thing as a
"faith only" creed in the Scriptures. True faith, the faith that
saves, is an obedient
faith - obedient to the Gospel (Jam 2:14-24)!
Even Jesus needed to learn obedience (Heb 5:8-9)!
This obedient faith is what will save the entire world! Jesus
Gospel is an all inclusive Gospel, not an exclusive one! – Pedro Gelabert
How
sad that Romans is used by those who are blinded by Satan to teach the false
doctrine of salvation by faith only! It has been clear to those who seek to
find the truth that salvation comes by obedient faith, in the same way it came
to Abraham, the Jews and now unto us. No one who does not please God cannot see
him (Heb
11:6).
The
expression faith only is oxymoronic
and of human origin. There is no such concept in the Bible. True faith is
believing and doing! Obedience (to the pattern of salvation) has always
accompanied faith. You cannot separate the two.
Romans
16:27 to the only wise God be glory forever through
Jesus Christ! Amen.