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Romans 16 "All From God, All For God"
At first look this last chapter of Romans seems to be of little value to us. It is just a long list of names of people who have long since been forgotten. Surely they were important to Paul at the time but not to us now. We tend to skip over them as something personal, as if Paul has finished preaching his sermon to the ages and is now dealing with a little church business afterwards. "I would like to ask members to stay behind after the service for a congregational meeting and those who are visiting can go downstairs first for coffee." We almost feel embarrassed to be reading somebody else’s mail. We want to slip out at the end of Chapter 15 when Paul says, "Amen". And yet we know that, "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Tim 3:16-17) So we must be on the look out for God’s correction and instructions for us even in a list of names. Actually there is a lot here for us to learn from.
"I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. Greet Mary, who labored much for us. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Chist, and Stachys, my beloved. Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. Greet Philogus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. (Romans 16:1-16)
First consider Phoebe, who is an example for us of a woman who was both
a deacon, (that is what the word "servant" means) and worthy
of being treated in the same way as other saints that were helping Paul
spread the gospel. When you consider that this was written during a
time when women were treated as property this is an amazing honor that
Paul is giving to her. He tells the Christians in Rome to receive and
assist her in whatever business she has. Paul says, "I commend
to you Phoebe". This word "commend" means that he stands
beside her, lending his reputation to her. Last month a Japanese woman
suddenly appeared in our morning worship time. She came by herself and
I did not know who she was. But as I introduced myself she told me that
she was a friend of David and Julia Stevenson. You know that I try to
be friendly to everybody and welcome everybody, but when I heard their
names my whole face changed into a huge smile and I welcomed her much
more strongly than I would of otherwise because David and Julia were
one of the couples who helped us start the church. One of the greatest
ways that we can bless each other and the work of the gospel is by "standing
beside" one another, linking friends with friends, brothers and
sisters in Christ all over the world.
Next on Paul's list is a couple that had traveled with him and had risked
their own necks for his life, Priscilla and Aquila. Again this is an
example of a woman who was working for the gospel. Usually a husband
and wife would be called by the man's name first and the woman's name
last, but with these two it is reversed. The reason was because Priscilla
was the better known of the two in ministry. They had traveled ahead
of Paul to Rome and Paul also sends greetings to the church that is
in their house. As we read through the rest of this list of greetings
we find that there were also Christians in Aristobulus' house and Narcissus'
house, a group of Christian brothers who were all living with Asyncritus,
and another group of Christians who were with a couple named Philologus
and Julia. Paul tells them that each of these groups of Christians should
greet one another with a holy kiss. So instead of one big church in
Rome that all belonged to, what we really see is a group of small house
churches that knew of each other. Paul meant for the recipient of the
letter he was writing to share what he had received with all the rest
and to pass along the greetings as he passed along the letter. I think
that we should learn from these Christians in Rome first how to worship
God in our homes. Jesus said that wherever two or three are gathered
that He is there in the midst of them. You don’t have to have
a theological degree, you don’t have to be able to preach or play
an instrument or sing with a beautiful voice. All you have to do is
gather with other Christians and Jesus is there too. In fact the word
"church" simply means a gathering. I am very excited to be
starting a new gathering of Christians in Nagoya. We don’t have
an expensive building or even a pastor to go down every week, but each
time that Christians gather together in the Yatsushiro's living room
Jesus will be there and the church will be in their house.
In my culture the "holy kiss" is almost never practiced and
so sometimes I am a little surprised when someone in the congregation
here will greet me with one. At first I am surprised but actually it
is very nice. A kiss is so close and intimate and that is exactly the
way that we should be in our church family. The only people that I kiss
on a regular basis are my wife and my children and my mother, my family!
Why shouldn’t we greet our church family the same way. It would
be much better than the way we often greet each other. It is a shame
that too often when someone visits us from another church we greet them
with a "cool handshake", an "icy stare", "suspicious
looks", or worse. Instead whenever we meet anyone from another
church, any other Christian, we should welcome them into our family
with a holy greeting.
One more thing that I notice in this list of names is that everyone
is working hard, laboring for Christ. Two more women are mentioned by
Paul, Tryphena and Tryphosa. It is thought that these two women were
sisters, probably twins. Their names mean "Delicate" and "Dainty".
Considering that many twins are born premature, these women were probably
very tiny and fragile and yet they are commended by Paul as laborers!
Wow! But the thought also occurred to me that in a letter that is so
filled with grace, why should Paul talk so much about work at the end?
Paul has just spent 15 chapters telling us that we are not saved by
works but instead God gives us His forgiveness freely as grace. Why
then is everyone working so hard? Why are people risking their necks
for the gospel? Why are they going to prison for their faith and holding
illegal meetings in their homes to worship God? It is because of grace!
I am so glad that Paul did not put all of this work at the beginning
of the letter. He saved it for the very end for a reason. He wanted
to make sure that first we understood grace. Grace is always first.
God loved us when we were unlovable, undeserving, unworthy. He sent
His Son to die for our sins and washed us, cleaned us up and gave us
new life. Each of the people that Paul mentions in this list experienced
the same grace. Each of them were lost until they found Jesus. But with
grace, they were changed into people that God could then shine His love
through to the rest of the world. Even little Delicate and Dainty become
mighty warriors for Christ because of grace. It would be laughable to
think of these two doing the hard work, they were the ones that everyone
else always had to protect. And yet by grace, these two little women
were made into something that was not in them at all, this is what God
wants to do in you as well.
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you. I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle greet you in the Lord. Gaius, my host and the host of the whole chuurch, greets you. Erastus, the treasure of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. (Romans 16:17-27)
As we finish this letter to the Romans we ask that the Lord would establish us. We know that He is far more able to do it than we are. It is not according to our efforts, our righteousness, our holiness, or our skill at conducting services or evangelism or anything else. It is according to three things, Jesus Christ who died for us so that we might live. That is the gospel that we preach. It is according to the Holy Spirit. As we learned last week the Spirit is being poured out on God’s people and through the Spirit our eyes are made open to mystery of the gospel. The Spirit also is the inspiration behind all of the Scriptures, so that the things made clear to us in vision and prophecy always match up with the things that the Spirit spoke in the Word. And it is according to the very commandment of the everlasting God. This is grace, nothing depends on us, everything depends on God -- to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
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