Farwell from Paul
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Well, the Apostle Paul is coming to the last words in his letter written in Corinth to the church in Rome. The letter is coming to an end and soon it will be taken by Phoebe from Greece to Italy to be delivered to the believers in Rome. The church in Rome had grown and as we saw last week, the Apostle Paul had either met or had heard good reports from many of the believers there as he offered greetings to those in Rome. Today, we will look at his final instructions and warnings, send greetings from fellow workers with him, and close out this epistle.
Final Instructions and Warnings (17-20)
Final Instructions and Warnings (17-20)
Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the 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.
The Apostle Paul before closing out his letter gives a final warning to the church. He urges/pleads with this church in Rome to be aware of /be on the lookout for those who cause divisions and offenses.
New Living Translation Chapter 16
Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.
Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Paul’s Caution
It is the nature of love to warn against harm to those whom it loves. The greatest harm against believers is that which undermines God’s truth in which they live. Love is ready to forgive all evil, but it does not condone or ignore evil, especially in the church. Paul therefore found it necessary to insert this caution into his greetings of love.
But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless.
But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife.
Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Paul’s Caution
Keep your eye on such men, Paul says. Mark them out as false teachers who are to be opposed and avoided. Skopeō (keep your eye on) carries the idea of looking at or observing with intensity. It is from the noun form of that word that we get the scope in telescope and microscope. It means more than simply to look at, but to examine and scrutinize carefully.
This is not talking about legalism.
I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
United in the Word of God. Knowing the truth. Filtering it through the Word of God.
Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men.
Their own appetites: False Teachers. Their own cause and not that of the LORD’s
Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Paul’s Caution
They are driven by self-interest and self-gratification—sometimes for fame, sometimes for power over their followers, always for financial gain, and frequently for all of those reasons.
For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things.
These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
Many people can “know” the Scriptures and know them much better than me or you. Even Satan knows them better than us (look at Matthew 4). He was quoting Scripture back at Jesus. Just knowing the Word is not enough. You could memorize the whole Bible, but if it doesn’t change your life, what is the point?
Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Paul’s Caution
The many popular and sentimentalized gospels of ecumenicity and ecclesiastical unity proclaimed today reflect such smooth and flattering speech, which disguises itself as loving and beneficent, while denying the central truths of the gospel. In the name of strengthening and unifying Christ’s church, they undermine its very foundation. In the name of bringing men closer to God, they drive them further from Him. Just as in Paul’s day, they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting.
Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Paul’s Caution
Believers in Rome were protected against false teachers by their obedience to Christ and the truth of His gospel. Not only did their obedience protect themselves, but it also helped believers elsewhere who knew of and were encouraged by the Roman church’s reputation for godliness. Early in this letter, Paul commended them for their faithfulness. “I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world” (Rom. 1:8). He therefore had good cause for rejoicing over them. The godliness of that church brought encouragement and joy to Paul, although he had never visited Rome and did not know most of the believers there.
Simple - innocent
Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary Paul’s Caution
It is encouraging that the Lord will crush Satan under your feet, the feet of God’s people, as they join Christ in His triumph over Satan.
Greetings from Paul’s associates (21-24)
Greetings from Paul’s associates (21-24)
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 church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Like last wee we have several names and many of these names we have also seen in the book of Acts and Paul’s letters.
Timothy
Timothy
So Timothy is someone we meet in the book of Acts and we also have two letters written to him, including the last letter we have from the Apostle Paul before his martyrdom.
Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
This is on Paul’s second missionary journey, his first with Silas.
Timothy has a Jewish mother (Eunice — 2 Timothy 1:5) who had accepted Christ as Savior and a Gentile (Greek) father. It appears that the father is out of the picture.
Timothy had a good reputation: well spoke of by the brethren
Paul takes him under his wing as a father/son relationship.
For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
And if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia:
Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state.
Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith,
But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always have good remembrance of us, greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see you—
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer,
Know that our brother Timothy has been set free, with whom I shall see you if he comes shortly.
Lucius
Lucius
Only reference to him. There is another Lucius in the book of Acts, but many do not believe it is the same person. Most likely this is someone who is from the area of Corinth sending greetings with Paul and serving with Paul.
Jason
Jason
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” And some of them were persuaded; and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. But the Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here too. Jason has harbored them, and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another king—Jesus.” And they troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city when they heard these things. So when they had taken security from Jason and the rest, they let them go. Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Sosipater
Sosipater
And Sopater of Berea accompanied him to Asia—also Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia.
A believer from Berea
Tertius
Tertius
The Lexham Bible Dictionary Amanuensis
AMANUENSIS A secretary who assisted an employer by taking direct verbal dictation, copying, or writing on their behalf.
He took down this letter that was dictated by Paul to the church in Rome.
Doing this for Dr. Pedrone.
Gaius
Gaius
GAIUS OF CORINTH (Γάϊος, Gaios). One of the few people whom Paul baptized in Corinth (1 Cor 1:14). There is also a Gaius mentioned in Rom 16:23 as the host of Paul and the whole church; these two are likely the same person. Paul passes along his greeting, an indication that he probably knew some of the Roman Christians personally. Since Acts 18:7 records that Paul stayed at the home of a Titius Justus in Corinth, some have noted the possibility that Titius Justus and Gaius may be one person named Gaius Titius Justus
Erastus
Erastus
A city treasurer, probably of Corinth, who sent his greetings to the believers in Rome through Paul
Quartus
Quartus
A Christian “brother” in Corinth who sends greetings to the Roman Christians in Paul’s letter
Doxology (25-27)
Doxology (25-27)
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.
God establishes us
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established—
It makes us stable in this rocky world.
Mystery
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Conclusion
Conclusion