Final Instructions and Greetings

Introduction

Well, we’ve come down to the end of Romans. Last week we skipped because of Mothers’ Day so today we pick up where we left off.

Romans 16:1–2 TLV

Now I recommend to you our sister Phoebe—who is a servant-leader of Messiah’s community at Cenchrea— so you may receive her in the Lord, in a way worthy of kedoshim, and help her in whatever matter she may need from you. For she herself has become a patroness of many, including me as well.

Who was Phoebe? I’m not sure, but it seems that consistent with the customs of the day, she was important enough – trusted enough to take this very important letter to the Romans. Paul throws in his exhortation for the Church to receive her in a “manner worthy of the saints” and instructs the Romans to assist her in whatever business she has need of. This is a strange custom to us because we don’t normally see that today – however, in other countries it is still practiced. It is important that we see the wisdom of it however.

Let me give you an example. Whenever new people come to a church, we’ll have tendency to get excited and feel a real affinity for them. I can still remember when the Peglows first showed up their young troop marching in, diving straight away into worship. They seemed like they fit in, and Brad had a real heart for ministry. Easy decision, right? Just get them plugged in and off we go! Well, not so fast. Here’s what I did, the following day I had breakfast with Brad, and was very excited about what all he had to say. So now it was a done deal, right? Not quite yet… I made a very important phone call. I called the pastor of their home church and got the entire scoop on them. Why? Well, because when someone has labored amongst the believers, their work ought to count for something right? Also, a former pastor could tell me if they left the church right, or if perhaps they were hurt by something and left in a bad way. It is important for me to know these things if we are going to receive them into our church right? This is the job of a shepherd, to keep the sheep safe.

Now, how about if someone is sent to us by our district supervisor, they would come with a letter directly from the supervisor telling us that they are to be trusted, and that they are being sent to us for a particular purpose. We could be sure that the person that is being sent is trustworthy. In many other countries the custom of carrying a letter of introduction is still very much practiced.

This is what Paul is saying here – He is saying, Phoebe is a leader in the church – help her out with whatever she needs. Do what she says. Wait, I thought Paul was against women in ministry? Well you may want to go back and re-read that, because although there are many times when he appears to be outright saying that, there is clear indication that he never intended to exclude women from ministry entirely.

Think I’m wrong? Keep looking.

Romans 16:3–5 TLV

Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Messiah Yeshua, who risked their own necks for my life. Not only I give them thanks, but also all of Messiah’s communities among the Gentiles. Greet also the community that meets in their house. Greet Epaenetus whom I dearly love, who is the first fruit in Asia for Messiah.

Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ.

Hmm. Priscilla and Aquila his fellow workers? The church in their house? Sounds to me like he’s pretty ok with not only ok with calling these women his fellow workers, but also with the fact that they led churches in their own homes. It doesn’t sound like Paul was against women in ministry does it? Also, notice that the church was in their home? Does that sound like any churches you’ve been to in the last say… 15 minutes?

Paul goes on to greet the rest of the church. Notice that there are both male and female leaders that Paul addresses.

Romans 16:5–16 TLV

Greet also the community that meets in their house. Greet Epaenetus whom I dearly love, who is the first fruit in Asia for Messiah. Greet Miriam, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kin and fellow prisoners who are well known among the emissaries. They were in Messiah before me. Greet Ampliatus, whom I dearly love in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Messiah, and Stachys whom I dearly love. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Messiah. Greet those from the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those from the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord. Greet Persis whom I dearly love, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother—who was also a mother to me. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters with them. Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, also Olympas and all the kedoshim with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All of Messiah’s communities greet you.

Clearly, Paul had established strong relationships in the church. I believe that by naming these individuals, Paul establishes two things:

1) He confirms the mantle of authority on the leaders of the church.

2) He asserts His own authority as the apostle over the church in Rome by naming the leaders for whose salvation he is responsible.

Apart from that, Paul has a very genuine affection for the church in Rome. In Acts Paul lays out that it was his desire to get there to share the Gospel at the very seat of government. So tagged on to this very strong epistle is a very personal message of love and concern for the church. So, like any concerned parent Paul emphasizes his warning about those who would come in to disrupt the unity that exists.

Romans 16:17–20 TLV

Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep your eye on those who are causing divisions and stumbling blocks, contrary to the teaching that you learned. Turn away from them. For such people do not serve our Lord the Messiah, but only their own belly. By their smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. Your obedience has become known to all, so I rejoice over you—but I want you to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil. Now the God of shalom will soon crush satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Yeshua be with you.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

Perhaps there was some of that going on, perhaps he was just trying to preemptively ward off the problem, It is not clear from the text, nor does history give us any clues, but one thing is for sure. The problem of people coming in to cause division is not something that is new to the church of Jesus. In fact, Jesus Himself warned about such things. Look at what He had to say.

Matthew 18:7 TLV

Woe to the world because of snares! For snares must come, but woe to that man through whom the snare comes!

So Jesus says “snares MUST come”. Isn’t it interesting that the word translated here is “snares”. If you read some of the other translations they are translated as “offenses” but the TLV translators chose the word snares. I wonder why? I think I’ve mentioned before that the early church fathers mentioned that the Gospels were originally in Hebrew and later translated to Greek, and that Hebrew manuscripts exist and have recently been translated, and they give a much fuller understanding of the text. The word translated here in the Hebrew Matthew is “stumbling block” So these are not merely offenses, they are truly snares, or stumbling blocks because they cause others to fall. Jesus knew better than anyone, the heart of man, but that doesn’t excuse the offense itself. Paul here says that the antidote to those who cause divisions is to identify the offenders. Jesus’ own teachings actually tell us what to do once the offender has been identified.

Mark 9:42–48 TLV

“But whoever causes one of these little ones who trust in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone put around his neck and to be thrown into the sea!” “And if your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off! It is better for you to enter into life crippled than, having two hands, to go to Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire. () And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off! It’s better for you to enter life lame than, having your two feet, to be thrown into Gehenna. () If your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out! It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than, having two eyes, to be thrown into Gehenna, where ‘their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’

Notice here the word used in Verse 42? Right! Stumble. It seems consistent with the Hebrew Matthew calling these stumbling blocks rather than offenses doesn’t it? What’s the difference? Well, the difference is where the accountability lies. If we say offenses must come, who is the main person in the offense, the offender or the one who takes the offense. I would say that in the majority of the situations, we would say it’s the offended person that bears the greater responsibility. After all, I can choose to not take offense. However, if someone is placing a stumbling block, or as the TLV says it, a snare, well that’s quite another thing isn’t it? That is entirely the responsibility of the one who set the trap.

And this is precisely why Jesus come against the offender so strongly. We’ve all heard the saying, “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” Did you know that this isn’t always the case with God? There is actually a time when God hates the individual!

Proverbs 6:16–19 TLV

Six things Adonai hates, yes, seven are abominations to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that plots wicked schemes, feet that run to evil, a false witness who spouts lies, and one who stirs up strife among brothers.

So in all other cases God hates the things that people do – the sin, but in a couple of cases He hates the actual person! It’s right there in black and white! I’m not making this up! The people He hates are the false witness who speaks lies, and the one who sows discord among brethren! These are the people who as Paul says, come in with their slick tongues and smooth words. They entice with flattery, they talk about how much work they did here or there and about how God has used them mightily. They gush about how they love where they are and about how blessed they are to be at your church. This seems like the ideal new member doesn’t it? Well and up to this point they are. We’ve had many people come in here just like that, and many were a genuine brother or sister in Christ who had followed God out of obedience and joined themselves to this body. This other type though… they are a completely different bird – they are wolves in sheep clothing because just when you can’t think they are any nicer they start to poison you with gossip. They plant doubts about the leaders the pastor has chosen, and try to entice you to speak to the pastor about these individuals because after all, they’re new – you’ve been here longer, so maybe pastor will listen to you. These people are not capable of raising up a work on their own and so they poach sheep from a different pasture because you see, they eventually start complaining about the messages, and try to sow doubts about the doctrine or perhaps the motivation of the pastor; they have no intention of fixing anything. All they want is to pull people out of the church to follow them. But this is where they reveal who they are.

Paul tells us that the way to identify who these people are is to have sound doctrine. When we are focused on the word, on discipleship – on building Christians based off of solid biblical teachings. When we teach people to not rely on the pastor’s faith, but to develop their own, the sheep become wise. Remember Paul’s admonition in verse 19?

19 For your obedience has become known to all, so I rejoice over you - but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

This is why we put such a strong emphasis on discipleship at New Song. During the Hope Chapel days, we saw people come in and sow division, but can I share a secret with you? I’ve seen some people visit this church – people about whom I have personal knowledge of being this type of offender, and when they find out that we are a discipleship-centric church, they leave – they don’t stick around because they know that they won’t be able to work their deceptions in the body. Their “belly” will not be satisfied, and their smooth words and flattering speech will fall upon ears that are full of God’s word, and His approval and therefore flattery sounds empty. If the people know how to feed themselves the word, and have a strong faith of their own, they are not vulnerable to the attacks of outsiders with bad motives.

It seems the church in Rome had developed a reputation for their obedience and Paul commends them for this, admonishing to press toward this very concept – the idea that they be wise about what is good, with the promise that God Himself would soon crush Satan under their feet!

Paul goes from this to giving honor to the group with whom he travels. The word tells us to give honor to whom it is due, well Paul does that here.

Romans 16:21–23 TLV

Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kin. I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, host to me and the whole community, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you, and so does brother Quartus.

Verse 21 talks about Timothy – this is the very same timothy to whom Paul would later write to epistles after he left him installed at a church of his own.

Verse 22 – Paul had such bad eyesight that he had to have someone write his letters for him. Many people believe that this is the “thorn in the flesh” that he writes about when he says God did not heal him, but rather told him that His grace was sufficient. One other thing of interest here. How did God get Paul’s attention when he was first saved?

Right! He blinded Him. He knocked him off his horse and blinded him. And though Paul received his eyesight back, it is clear from this that he was never the same again. Can you think of someone else who had an encounter with God, and walked away with an affliction that would follow them for the rest of their life? Right, Jacob!

Sometimes when we are afflicted by God, it is to our benefit. It is to remind us of the encounter we had with God. The little bit of pain in our flesh is God’s way of reminding us of what He has delivered us from.

Paul ends the epistle with a benediction:

Romans 16:25–27 TLV

Now to the One who is able to strengthen you according to my Good News and the proclamation of Yeshua the Messiah, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages but now is revealed and through the Writings of the Prophets has been made known to all the nations, according to the commandment of the eternal God to bring about obedience of faith— to the only wise God, through Yeshua the Messiah, to Him be the glory forever. Amen.

I want you to notice where he goes after writing this entire letter with some of the meatiest teachings on the faith. He gives the glory to God by saying, “look, I know that you appreciate my preaching and instruction in the faith, but remember: It is God who establishes you, and oh yeah the revelation I have is not new, it is just newly uncovered. All of the things I knew about and learned as a Jew now make sense in the light of Jesus, so don’t look to me as though I were the one who saved you or who is something more than just God’s vessel. The glory is God’s, through Jesus Christ.”

And you know what? Paul got his wish. We certainly think very highly of him. He is the most prolific writer in the New Testament. We esteem the teachings and wisdom of God, but everything he wrote points us toward a personal growth in the knowledge of Jesus. It moves us toward a strong discipleship, obedience and ultimately godly wisdom.

Conclusion

Today, I want to challenge you with this thought. We close out Romans – perhaps one of the richest books of the New Testament. We’ve been reading through it for the last four months, and you know – we’ve only scratched the surface. The word of God is so rich and so deep, that to really delve in requires an intense study that is not convenient to us. But you know, if we always do what is convenient, we will lack conviction. Jesus said you have to count the cost in order to be His disciple, and well the reward is great… greater even than the cost.

When we are well grounded in the Word of God, we gain a tactical advantage against the enemy that is crucial to our survival not only as a church, but as individuals as well.

I implore you brothers and sisters, that you take the teachings you have had over the last four months and you grow in your faith – lacking nothing. That you embrace the Word of God so that in the day the enemy launches his attack, you are able to stand.

Let us pray.

Benediction

Numbers 6:24–26 (NKJV)

24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;

25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,

And be gracious to you;

26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,

And give you peace.” ’