823 Rom.16.1-16 A Gospel for All
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- There are some people in the world that defy God to the end & make it so, as loud as possible
A Gospel For All
A Gospel For All
Date: 10-02-19 823 Echuca
- There are some people in the world that defy God to the end & make it so, as loud as possible
- Some people just couldn't care less & are willing to believe in anything
- This fellow here has a picture of a UFO & the words under it says:
“I want to believe”!
- He wants to believe in UFO's – in extraterrestrial life, but not wanting to believe in the Lord!
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- How telling is that, that a person, with no evidence at all for UFO's wants to believe in them!
- Why? What benefit is there with extraterrestrial life? Is he looking for some kind of outside saviour?
Q. What is this hope that aliens could be saviours?
- Nearly 90% of extraterrestrial movies, picture beings as those out to destroy you & take your planet from you
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- But the bottom line is that most people will want to believe what they want to believe, whether they have the evidence for, or against it
- We call this bias or ideology
- Human beings aren't as smart as they like to think they are
- They are swayed by the distortions of the knowledge of good & evil
- Not that the knowledge is the problem - men & women are the problem
- We were never built to be God – never had, nor ever will, have the capacity to determine good & evil without reference to God
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- As we come to the final chapter of Romans, we enter what you might consider boring stuff
- It has a lot of personal greetings & the like, but I want you to remember the opening & closing messages in this Epistle because we have here the purpose for which Romans was written
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- That purpose is about the “obedience of faith”
5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake,
—5 through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name’s sake
—26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith
26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith;
- Some commentators like to think here that faith = obedience
- Some commentators like to think here that faith = obedience
- But others highlight the distinction between the disobedience of the nation of Israel, in contrast with the obedience of the nations of Gentiles – only possible through the work of Jesus Christ as Paul makes clear throughout the book of Romans
- I believe it is rightly understood as a faith that obeys God
- Besides, why does he need to write to a church filled with people of faith, if faith is obedience?
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- This being the purpose of the letter, we then see how relevant this chapter is with all it's greetings to various people
- We are to see in this that the Gospel of Christ is a Gospel to all nations
- The church is ONE body & is made up of different parts
- Throughout the letter, the apostle deals with the exclusive claims of the Jews in that salvation is through the conversion to Judaism with the adoption of the law
- He roundly emphasises that a Gentile does not need to become a Jew in order to be in a right relationship with God – even the Gospels make this point clear
—8 “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.
8 “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.
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- When Paul sends greetings to specific people in the church of Rome, one of the things that will strike you is the variety of people from all walks of life that are believers in Christ
1. Singles/Divorced/Mixed Marriage
1. Singles/Divorced/Mixed Marriage
- Phoebe seems to be a wealthy woman who was busy serving the church at Cenchrea
- Paul was writing this letter to the Romans from Corinth – that is a mere 13 klms from Cenchrea
- It appears that she had to make a journey to Rome, so Paul got her to deliver this letter to the Romans
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- There has been a lot of conjecture about whether Phoebe is being called a deacon of the church of Cenchrea or a servant of the church at Cenchrea
- Of my mainline translations, you have 8 that say she is a deacon or deaconess & 16 that say she is a “servant” of the church
- The problem is that the word for Deacon & the word for servant are one & the same – the Gk word, diakonos
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- Is is precarious, then, to make a strong case either way here because the same word is used in general of a servant
- The word is used of secular rulers
—4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
- The word is also used of Christ
8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,
—8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers,
- Clearly, these were not deacons, as such, in the church
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- Phoebe was a woman committed to the Gospel & willing to look after others
- She has been a helper to Paul & many others he says & on that basis, the church at Rome should look after this lady & receive her in the Lord
- In those days - & probably much hasn't changed – there were impostors & charlatans & Paul was making sure, in the letter, that they welcome her warmly
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- As a helper of others, it appears that Phoebe used her wealth & position to aid Christians – it is likely, that the church met in her house where there was a room large enough to cater for a gathering
- The wealthiest Christian house would hold no more than 70-80 for worship
- To grow beyond that meant that that church split up into other house churches
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- Paul, himself, no doubt had need of people in high places in society to be an influence
- This is why Phoebe can be described (v.2) as a patron or benefactor
- Here is a woman that seems to be quite financial & in a position in society that can be of help to God's people
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- She is a part of the church – a Gentile that we could say is from the upper crust
- The Gospel was all important to her & she was obedient to the Spirit of Christ in the way she used her resources & gifts for Christ
- But what is obvious is that it goes well beyond the evidence to say that she was the pastor of the church at Cenchrea
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- We now move on from Phoebe, probably, the courier of this letter
- There is a list of people following that seem to be either single, divorced, or still in a mixed marriage – by that I mean one spouse is Christian & the other isn't
- No doubt, many of those who became Christian in a non-Christian marriage had, sadly, their spouses leave them
- It was not the ideal & Paul encourages Christians in these situations to stay in the marriage, if at all possible
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- The apostle uses superlative words to describe these people
- My beloved, my fellow worker, approved in Christ, workers in the Lord, those who have worked hard in the Lord, chosen in the Lord
- No doubt, Epaenetus was very special to Paul, as he was Paul's first convert to Christ in Asia – he calls him, “my beloved”
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- These people that Paul had known are now residing in Rome
- Most are Gentiles, but some are Jewish, as in Mary – a very Jewish name
- Often, families are involved & it is always greatly encouraging to have your family involved with you in serving the Lord
- The family bond is usually strong & having family members that are Christian, no doubt, increases that bond greatly
- We all feel the pain of having members of our family that are not Christian
- We certainly need to keep up our prayers for them, for who knows what God will do in the future
2. Married Teams
2. Married Teams
2. Married Teams
2. Married Teams
- We find, that there are 5 house churches represented here in these greetings & there are 3 married couples who have opened their home up as a meeting place for the church
- The first couple is well-known to us – that of Prisca (or Priscilla) & Aquila
- Paul knew this couple well
- They are living back now in Rome & he is sending them greetings & reminds everyone in the churches of Rome, that they risked their lives for him
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- He originally met them in Corinth & worked alongside them in the tent-making industry
—1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
1 After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
- Aquila & Priscilla, being Jews, were expelled from Rome with the entire Jewish community
Q. Why did the Roman Emperor Claudius expel the Jews from Rome?
- There were riots arising from within the Jewish community in Rome
- So Claudius made an edict that expelled Jews from Rome for an entire year (AD 49 – AD 50)
- The Roman historian, Seutonius, says that “the Jews were indulging in constant riots at the instigation of Chrestus”
- Historians understand that this, most likely, means that Christianity had come to Rome & was causing a stir among the Jewish community
- Chrestus, of course, is Latin for Christ
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Q. What did Paul mean by risked their necks for him?
18 Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow.
—18 Paul, having remained many days longer, took leave of the brethren and put out to sea for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he was keeping a vow.
- So they journeyed with Paul on a ship back to Syria – it's always risky when you get on a boat with Paul – shipwreck is always a possibility
- But it was not so much the boat that was the risk, but the Jews who opposed Paul & that Aquila & his wife could receive shrapnel as a result
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- On the way to Syria, they stop with Paul at Ephesus & meet a man there by the name of Apollos
- This husband & wife team were instrumental in bringing Apollos to a better understanding of Christ
- They took him aside, which meant it was a private meeting between the 3 of them & Aquila & Priscilla gave him an accurate explanation of the Christian teaching
- Again, while in Ephesus, they were happy to host a church gathering in their home
—19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
19 The churches of Asia greet you. Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.
- When Paul writes 1st Corinthians from Ephesus, here we see that they have opened up their home for the use of the Lord
- They are now back in Rome & have a group of people meeting in their house there too
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- Then we meet Andronicus & Junias (or Junia) in v.7
- Commentators are divided on the name as to whether this is a husband & wife team or two guys
- There is a long history of understanding this as a husband & wife
- It fits well, if you see that it was common for a Christian husband & wife team to have a church, meeting in their home
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- I'm assuming that they are rather on in age, from the perspective that they were in Christ before Paul & we can assume that they were married prior to Paul's conversion to Christ as well
- He says that they were also well known to the apostles
- Recent scholarship is reflected in the ESV's translation
- But the NASB says that they were “outstanding among the apostles”
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- That puts a different slant on it & the feminists in the church take great delight in grabbing hold of this to say, “see, Junia is an apostle”
- And if she is an apostle, then women can preach in the church
- It is sad that feminism is more apt to disregard the clear teaching of Scripture for what is a highly disputed passage
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- In other words, it is easy to read what you want into this verse
- For starters, even if we granted the translation, “outstanding among the apostles”. A number of Bibles translate it with a footnote as “outstanding among the messengers”
- Again, the church had it's missionaries & those who were messengers
- They did not have apostolic authority like the 12 apostles & Paul
25 But I considered it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, but your messenger and servant of my need,
—25 But I thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus, my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger and servant to my need
- It is not translated apostle there, so it is not certain that it should be translated apostles here in our passage
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- However, the most recent scholarship is reflected in your pew Bibles & it reads “well known to the apostles” - assuming, to the 12 apostles
- This seems to make sense, since they were in Christ before Paul &, therefore, had ample opportunity to have contact with the 12 apostles
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- This husband & wife team, we discover, were faithful to the point of having spent time in prison – Paul calls them his fellow prisoners
- Andronicus is a Hellenistic Jewish name so he may have been of the same ilk as Stephen the first Christian martyr or of the likes of Phillip
- These men were all Hellenistic Jews (that is, they had adopted some of the Greek culture)
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- v.15 suggests that Philologus & Julia seem to be a couple that have opened their home for church gatherings
- This is suggested by the greeting, at the end of this verse, to “all the saints who are with them”.
- The other house-church is of Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas (v.14), but we know nothing about these people, except that they belong to another house church – note, the end of this verse: “and the brothers & sisters who are with them”
3. Slaves, Freedmen & Others
3. Slaves, Freedmen & Others
3. Slaves, Freedmen & Others
3. Slaves, Freedmen & Others
- The final group that we can concern ourselves with are the slaves, freedmen & others
- I won't be dealing with everyone here, but quickly just a few
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- In v.10, Aristobulus is not greeted, personally, by Paul, but those of his household are
- It is suggested that they are mainly slaves & that Aristobulus is probably dead
- It appears that Aristobulus was King Herod Agrippa I's brother who died in AD 48
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- In v.11 Paul it says, “Greet my kinsman, Herodian” - a Jew who was apparently a freedman in the service of one of the Herods
- But what is interesting is that both Aristobulus & Narcissus, unlike everyone else, is not greeted by Paul, but only to those who belong to their family
- There would have been slaves in these households
- Historically, we know that Narcissus is a well-known freedman who served the Emperor Claudius
- He committed suicide just before Paul wrote this letter to the Romans
- It seems that some members of the Emperor's court or even his household are included in this greeting
- Incredible how God has got His people everywhere
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- The final mention here is to Rufus
- Paul sends greetings to Rufus & to his mother, who he says has also been a mother to me
- Rufus is a “choice” or “chosen” man – what an encouraging statement
- Rufus is a common name but we can possibly see an identification here with Simon of Cyrene who was forced to carry Jesus' cross to Golgotha
21 They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.
—21 They pressed into service a passer-by coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene (the father of Alexander and Rufus), to bear His cross.
- What is interesting to note here is that Rufus is only mentioned in Mark's Gospel & no other Gospel
- It is understood that Mark wrote his Gospel for the Romans
- Here we possibly find that Mark includes an historical reference about a guy whose father carried the very cross of Jesus
- Any Roman, believer or unbeliever, only need talk to Rufus about it & he will easily confirm it's truth
Summary
Summary
Summary
Summary
- This list of greetings reminds us that the church is made up of all kinds of people with all kinds of backgrounds & with all kinds of service
- But one thing they have in common is their love of Jesus Christ & their faithful commitment to serve Him with all their heart
- There are 9 women in this list; there are slaves & freedmen
- There are wealthy people & there are people at the bottom of the rung
- There were Jews & Gentiles
- I hope we are reminded of their work & service as we consider our own life & our own priorities
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- We also are reminded that Paul was not a lone ranger who did not depend on anyone for help
- Ministry is teamwork – all pulling together in the work of the Gospel ministry
- I have been around long enough to remember the old vinyl records that often got stuck in a groove & wouldn't shift until someone thumped on the cabinet & made it jump out of the groove
Q. Are you thinking that you might be stuck in a groove & need a shake to get you moving in the right direction again?
- Well, consider these faithful Christians & do something to make that change a reality for you