Romans 16

Paul is now coming to a close. He has finished the body of the letter and is coming to the final salutations. This is not a chapter to skim over as there are some very powerful doctrinal statements that he makes here in what seems at first to be passing. The words "greet" and "salute" are used alternatively throughout this chapter, but they come from the same Greek word aspazomai, which means salute or "wish well". 
==Romans 16:1-2==
1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: 2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. 
Paul mentions first in his personal salutation the woman Phebe. His thoughts center around the commendation for her service to the church at Cenchrea (a port in Corinth). It is not coincidence that so much of the letter to Rome is echoed in the letters to the Corinthians. That she is being commended to Rome and they are to receive her in a Christian manner means that she accompanied the letter itself to the church there. The church was to serve her as she had served those at home. A huge strife has been stirred up over this simple passage. There is absolutely nothing in this context that lends itself to the idea that the word "servant" was a reference to the office of deacon as written of in 1 Tim. 3:8-13. It is a pure act of staring with a desired meaning then wresting the scriptures to proof-text in order to get it. Phebe is no more a deacon than the servants in John 2 who got the water pots at Jesus command. That Rome was to serve her in the same way would imply that the whole church at Rome was full of deacons, which is absurd.
That this woman's service has been transmogrified into something so obviously unscriptural besmirches that service and those who do so should be ashamed. 1 Tim. 3:12 clearly states that those who hold the office of deacon must be the husband of one wife. Those people need to learn to use the whole context and stop shoving meaning into the Bible to fit their self-centered desires. 
==Romans 16:3-5==
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. 
Paul also asks the Romans to wish well Priscilla and Aquila, Jews-who-became-Christians and had to flee Rome in Acts 18 because of Claudius's edict. These two had risked their own lives (likely by taking Paul in as they had the same profession as he and Paul was such a lightning rod). Now they lived in Corinth. What a great commendation to this husband and wife pair! All the churches of the Gentiles give thanks to them for their service. Paul also speaks of Epaenetus who was the first convert of Achaia. See Acts 18 and 1 Cor. 16:15 for more context on him. 
==Romans 16:6==
6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us. 
Another servant just like Phebe. 
==Romans 16:7==
7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow-prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. 
These two are not just former Jews, but the word can be used to mean "cousins". They were converts to Christianity before Paul. They are well known to the Apostles and had suffered imprisonment the same as Paul. (2 Cor. 11:23). 
==Romans 16:8-15==
8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. 9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. 10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus' household. 11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. 12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord. 13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them. 15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them. 
Paul continues through a long list of those he requests Rome's well wishes for. Those who are loved by Christ, those who work together to spread the kingdom of Christ. Each is of personal import to Paul and worthy of praise and commendation to the church at Rome. 
==Romans 16:16==
16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you. 
One thing that has occurred to me here reading this passage in context, Paul cannot be talking about a literal kiss because the "salute" or well wishing of one another referred to those in Rome and those in Corinth, the saluting of all the churches of Christ toward Rome. This is a symbolic reference then. We see in Luke 7:45 an example of what this kiss was about, a symbol of love one for another, not in a sexual manner but in brotherly affection. 
A second point, this phrase here "churches of Christ" is not a title but a reference of ownership. All of the congregations that belong to Christ send their well wishes as well. It was never presented as a formal title and we should be careful not to make it such, within the expediency of uniquely identifying ourselves as separate from the man-made religions of the world. 
==Romans 16:17-18==
17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 
After Paul finishes with the good, the love, the commendations, and the well wishing, he briefly but fiercely speaks of the bad. Beseech is a powerful word. It carries the strength of begging but from a position of meekness, not weakness. It is an imploring desire used often in an effort to seek the best for someone else. This is for their own good, not for Paul's self interest. What he is going to beseech them has a general application for all Christians, but within this context it has a very specific, very urgent meaning.
Mark them, take note of them, single them out and let everybody else know who is causing division. Remember, Paul often commands unity of mind, speaking the same thing. Division is condemned in the strongest terms. The concepts of "agreeing to disagree" and "unity in diversity" is essentially to say that division is acceptable. It is absolutely not. The word offences refers to causing others to sin. It has nothing to do with upsetting someone or hurting their feelings. 
Those that are false teachers are to be pointed out to everyone and avoided. We recognize them because they serve self, they seek out weaker Christians, the simple (innocent) folk to turn them away. It's one thing to want to discuss a controversial idea among strong brethren and work it out so that unity is achieved. A false teacher isn't seeking that. A false teacher is seeking to gain followers to puff up themself. The distinction is important. Not every person who believes differently than you is a false teacher because we are not divinely inspired. We must search the scriptures. So this is more a look at the intent, the motivation of the person who believes something different, than just everyone who disagrees. We must be wise in our markings, but when the time comes, we must also be courageous and bold. 
==Romans 16:19==
19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. 
Paul in this immediate context brings up their reputation for obedience (and again I stress Paul's emphasis on obedience that others seem to be blind to). As they are obedient, he points out, as I stated in the verses just above, that we must be wise concerning evil. The word simple here is akeraios which means pure. He is essentially telling them to be prepared for it. There is a general principle here, but Paul is going to get to the specific reason for the marking of false teachers below. 
== Romans 16:20 ==
20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. 
Once more Paul brings their minds to recollect that God is the God of peace. Yet in the same thought, this God of peace was about to "bruise Satan under your feet shortly", an act of violence. I will let you draw the general inferences from this, but I want to get into the specifics. Who is the Adversary (Satan) in this context? The clue is in the timing and the overall context of the letter. The grand adversary of the church in the first century was the Jews. The Jews are the only persecutors of the church throughout almost the entire New Testament. Only Revelation and a few hints outside of that book indicate other persecutors. The Jews were what was causing the Roman church difficulty and prompted much of what Paul wrote to them in the first place. This is statement is a concluding statement about the matter. It is a reference to the impending end of the Jewish system. What's more, it is one of the strongest indicators that Satan in the book of Revelation is a reference to the Jews. This along with Jesus' own words referencing the Pharisees as the offspring of the Devil and the references in chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation (see my posts on those chapters) have led me to that conclusion and it is a very firm one. It makes Revelation 12 and related passages much easier to understand.
Paul ends this conclusion with a final wish for the specific grace of Christ, the power of the gospel, to sustain them through the persecution and the fall of their persecutors, the Jewish leaders and zealots who rejected Christ. 
==Romans 16:21==
21 Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. 
Paul sends greetings from those who are with him including Timothy who Paul wrote the two letters to, and some other blood relatives of Paul (who all sound like they have Roman names). 
==Romans 16:22==
22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord. 
Paul, as is well known, did not write most of his own letters. The way he signs them indicates he may have had eye problems. Tertius is the scribe here and also sends personal greetings. 
==Romans 16:23-24==
23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother. 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. 
Tertius is staying with a guy named Gaius and they are all sending greetings. What we see in this passage is that the church reached not only the common folk, but those in offices of note as well. Erastus is the chamberlain of the city. Tertius echoes Paul's words of comfort and sustenance by the grace of Jesus, the power of the gospel. 
==Romans 16:25-26==
25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: 
Paul then finishes up by iterating his primary point. This section is pretty thick with information. 
# "Now to him that is of power..." - to God who has the power
# "...to stablish you..." - this goes back to what Paul said in chapter 1. The church at Rome was founded. It already existed. Yet now Paul claims that they are being further established showing again that found and establish are distinct terms. One is a discrete, one time event. The other is ongoing for a period of time. It ties right in to the idea that the church at large was founded on Pentecost, but spent 40 years being "established" by the delivering of the gospel through the Apostles.
# "...according to my gospel..." - it is Paul's good news, his letter sent to them in the hands of Phebe, that further establishes them, strengthens them especially in the current time of distress.
# "...and the preaching of Jesus Christ..." - nothing Paul wrote or taught was of his own, nor even new. It was all directly from Jesus.
# "...according to the revelation of the mystery..." - the mystery Paul spoke of often as well. The mystery was how the Gentiles would be blessed according to the promise of Abraham, how they would be saved along with the Jews. Essentially what Paul did throughout the letter is demystifying the mystery.
# "...which was kept secret since the world began..." - this is not so much that God actively didn't tell anybody how it would happen, because it is talked about all through the OT. It's that men, the Jews specifically, remained blind and deft and ignorant by their own choice to what was meant by the prophets' words. God spoke of this willful ignorance by the Jews over and over again throughout the prophets, even up through Jesus. With eyes they did not see and ears they did not hear. Their hearts were shut up and they were unwilling to receive it. Jesus' coming opened the eyes of many. The Apostles witnessing and preaching all that Jesus taught them opened many more. Not only did the prophets speak of this, now the Apostles were taking this good news throughout the world and revealing it to all nations. The Christians at Rome were a direct result of the revealing of what the mystery was all about. 
And the supposedly anti-works Paul ends with saying that the mystery was revealed to all nations for the express purpose of the obedience of faith. 
==Romans 16:==
27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen. 
In Truth and Love.
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Category:Apocalyptic