Together in the Gospel

Intro

Washington DC Holocaust Museum walls with names. Power of it.

Names cary weight and as we finish Romans, we will see Paul provide us a wall of names of honor to those who were laboring in the faith alongside Paul and those early Christians.

Romans 16 ESV

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

1) Greet the Family (Romans 16:1–16)

Romans 16:1–16 ESV

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Aim: Build a church culture that honors people and celebrates gospel partnership.

Receive faithful servants (vv. 1–2)Phoebe isn’t just a name—she’s a model of trusted ministry and sacrificial help.

Illustration:

Imagine being the letter carrier for Paul. World without texting, phones, simply word of mouth. You might not know who you are even looking for only a vague description to go on…skeptics suspicion within the church. But inside your satchel you have an item that helps the stranger see you not as a threat but a friend. The letter of romans. That was Pheobe’s experience.

Respect gospel laborers (vv. 3–12)Paul highlights risk, toil, perseverance, and partnership—this is what “healthy church” looks like in real life.

Remember you belong (vv. 13–16)The repeated greetings underline a simple truth: Christianity is personal and communal, not anonymous.

The Illustration: Consider a large stained-glass window. When you look at it from a distance, you see one beautiful image—the Gospel. But as you move closer, you realize that the image is made of hundreds of jagged, uniquely shaped, and differently colored pieces of glass. Some are bright red (the risk-takers like Prisca and Aquila), some are deep blue (the steady servants like Phoebe), and some are small, clear fragments you’d hardly notice (the "brothers who are with them").

The Point: Each piece is held together by the "lead" of the Holy Spirit. Without the different colors, the window has no beauty; without the lead, the window has no structure. Paul is showing us that a healthy church isn't a monolith of identical people; it’s a mosaic where every "jagged" person has a place to let God’s light shine through.

Transition: A warm church must never become a naïve church—so Paul shifts from greeting to guarding.

2) Guard the Fellowship (Romans 16:17–20)

Romans 16:17–20 ESV

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Aim: Protect unity by being alert to those who distort doctrine and divide believers.

Watch for divisive teachers (v. 17)They cause divisions and obstacles “contrary to the doctrine you have been taught.”

Withdraw from deceptive voices (v. 17)This isn’t personal bitterness; it’s spiritual protection—“avoid them.”

Walk in wise obedience (vv. 18–19)They use smooth talk; the church must be wise as to good and innocent as to evil.

Wait with confident hope (v. 20)Guarding isn’t fear-based: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

Illustration:

In the human body, health isn't just about nutrition; it’s about the immune system. We have white blood cells whose entire job is to "watch out" (v. 17) for pathogens. These cells don't attack the body's own tissue, but they are hyper-sensitive to anything "contrary" to the body’s DNA. If a white blood cell becomes "naive" and lets a virus in because the virus looks "smooth" or "flattering," the whole body withers.

The Point: Paul is calling the church to be the spiritual immune system of the Gospel. "Avoiding" divisive people isn't about being mean-spirited; it’s about being "wise as to what is good." A church that welcomes everyone but guards nothing will eventually stand for nothing. We must be "innocent" (sheep-like) toward each other, but "wise" (serpent-like) toward the wolves.

Transition: After names and warnings, Paul ends where every mature church must end—God’s glory.

3) Glorify the Lord (Romans 16:21–27)

Romans 16:21–27 ESV

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. 25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Aim: Let worship be the church’s final word because God’s gospel is the church’s strength.

Glorify God who strengthens (v. 25)The church stands, not by personality or programs, but by God’s power through the gospel.

Glorify God who reveals (vv. 25–26)The “mystery” is now made known—Christ proclaimed to all nations, producing “the obedience of faith.”

Glorify God who deserves (v. 27)The doxology lands the plane: to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ.

The Illustration: In ancient Roman architecture—the very buildings Paul’s readers walked past every day—the most important part of an arch was the keystone. It was the wedge-shaped stone at the very top. Without it, the two sides of the arch would crumble under their own weight. The more pressure you put on a keystone, the tighter the arch becomes.

The Point: Romans 16:25–27 is the keystone of the entire letter. Paul points to the "God who is able to strengthen you." Life will put pressure on you. False doctrine will press against you. But when God's glory and His "mystery" (Christ) are the keystone of your life, the pressure doesn't break you—it settles you more firmly into His strength.

Closing:

Conclusion: The Unfinished Letter

Greet the family, guard the fellowship, glorify the Lord

The Illustration: In 1924, the composer Giacomo Puccini died before finishing his final opera, Turandot. During the premiere, the conductor stopped the orchestra exactly where Puccini had put down his pen, turned to the audience, and said, "Here the master laid down his pen." But then, he picked up the baton again and said, "But his disciples finished the work." They played the ending based on the master's notes.

The Point: Paul ends Romans with an "Amen," but the story of the "obedience of faith" didn't stop in the first century. We are the continuation of the list in Romans 16. If Paul were writing today, would your name be there? Would you be the "worker," the "patron," or the "kinsman"? Let us live in such a way that our lives serve as the "Amen" to the Gospel Paul preached.