Live Radically
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
Introduction:
We have made it to the final chapter of our journey through this incredible letter to the Roman church. At first glance this closing chapter seems to be uninteresting catalog of names that have little or no meaning for us today. As many of you know that if it is in our Bibles in contains things that are vital for us as believers. Upon closer inspection this commonly neglected chapter yields many important lessons for us.
Recap:
Recap:
vv 1-2) Phoebe
vv 1-2) Phoebe
[1] Phoebe is introduced as a servant of the church in Cenchrea (sin-crea). Paul certainly knew the value of what women could do in serving the church. She wasn’t apart of some special religious order, just a woman serving her God and King.
So the apostle here introduces Phoebe and asks that she be welcomed as a true believer in a manner worthy of follow-believers.
From these verses it is apparent that she was on her way to Rome probably entrusted with this precious letter and Paul send an advanced recommendation of this sister in Christ so that the church would receive her and support her during her stay. Whenever the early Christians traveled from one church to another, they carried letters of introduction. This was a real courtesy to the church being visited and a help to the visitor.
These recommendations were important because there was both great legitimate need for the kind of assistance and there were many deceivers who wanted to take advantage of the generosity of Christians.
Phoebe: This name is the feminine form of a titles given to the pagan god Apollo, the title meaning “the bright one.”
Christians, on their conversion, seemed to feel no need to changer their names even if there was some pagan significance to their name. God can redeem anything, your past mistakes or the things you have no control over like your name. She would inevitable be a bright person for the glory of Jesus Christ her savior.
Servant: is “diakonos” translated deacon or servant. Meaning Phoebe seems to be a female deacon in the church, either by formal recognition or through her general service. What is important about that is she is willing to serve God by serving His people.
Paul gives her one of the best compliments anyone can give. Calling her a patron or a helper. The help she gave those around her was practical help in helping the furtherance of the Gospel of Christ. Perhaps she was the tireless sister who was forever showing hospitality to preachers and other believers in Cenchrea.
Because of this woman’s faithfulness in serving and helping others she is immortalized in scripture. Let us live in a similar pattern, we are to serve God the way He intents.
vv 3-5a) Prisca and Aquilla
vv 3-5a) Prisca and Aquilla
[3] Next Paul sends greeting to Priscilla and Aquila, who had been such valiant fellow workers of his in the service of Jesus Christ. This power couple is mention in:
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,
18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.
26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
They were associates of Paul and helpers to Apollos. Apparently they were now back in the city of Rome.
“When two loving hearts pull together they accomplish wonders. What different association cluster around the names of ‘Priscilla and Aquila’ from those which are awakened by the words ‘Ananias and Sapphira’! There we have a husband and wife conspiring in hypocrisy, and here a wife and a husband united in sincere devotion.” - C.H. Spurgeon
It is such a huge blessing for the church when a Christian couple pour themselves out in sacrificial labor for the cause of Christ.
[4] On one occasion this couple actually risked their lives for Paul- a heroic act of which no details are given. but the apostle is grateful, and so are the churches of converted Gentiles to whom he ministered.
13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
[5a] This phrase, “Greet also the church in their house.” gives us some insight into the organization of the early church. Church buildings were unknown until the late second century. In a city with a Christian community of any size, there would be several “congregations” meeting in different houses. Each house church probably had its own pastor too.
This wasn’t their first home church either, we know that when they lived in Corinth, they also had a church in their house.
19 The churches of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.
2 and Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier, and the church in your house:
For the couple wanting to serve God together: You both must be willing to work and run together for the glory of God.
vv 5b-16) Other greetings
vv 5b-16) Other greetings
[5b] Epaenetus’ name means praiseworthy. He is of note because he was the first convert in the province of Achaia (where Corinth was and where Paul was wrote the letter to the Romans).
Epaenetus was also apparently dear to Paul; beloved isn’t a term Paul uses cheaply.
[6] The prominence of women’s names in this chapter emphasizes their wide sphere of usefulness (vv. 1, 3, 6, 12).
It isn’t just men who had a prominent role within the church women were also just as essential.
[7] Andronicus and Junia were apparently Jews and were imprisoned for the sake of the gospel. They were well regarded by the apostles, having become Christians even before Paul did. Sometime in the first 3-4 years after Pentecost.
[8] Next we meet Amplias, beloved by the apostle. We would never have heard of any of these people except for their connection with Calvary. That is the only greatness about any of us. Our deep connection to the sources of everlasting life Jesus Christ.
There is a tomb dating from the late first or early second century in the earliest Christian catacomb of Rome which bears the name AMPLIAS. It very well could be the person mentioned here in this verse.
[9]Urbanus wins the titles fellow worker, and Stachys is called my beloved too. Romans 16 is like a miniature of the Judgement Seat of Christ, where there will be praise for every instance of faithfulness to Christ.
[10] Apelles had come through some great trials with flying colors and had won the seal of approved in Christ.
Paul also greets the household of Aristobulus... This probably meaning Christian slaves belonging to this grandson Herod the Great. There is no evidence that Aristobulus was a Christian. This makes me think of the unconverted who live with believers in their house.
This is profound that God would speak to the household but not to Aristobulus.
“Where are you, Aristobulus? That is not your name, perhaps, but your character is the same as that of this unregenerate Roman, whose family knew the Lord. I might speak in God’s name good words and comfortable words to your wife and to your children, but I could not so speak to you, Aristobulus! The Lord sends a message of grace to you dear child, to your beloved wife, but not to you; for you have not given your heart to him.” - Spurgeon
[11] Herodion was probably a slave as well. He may have been the only jewish slave belonging to the household of Aristobulus.
Then some of the slaves belonging to Narcissus were also believers, and Paul includes the min his greetings. Even those who are the lowest on the social ladder are not excluded from the choices blessing of Christianity. The inclusion of slaves in this list of names is a lovely reminder that in Christ all social distinctions are obliterated because we are all one in Him.
[12] Tryphena and Tryphosa had names that meant “dainty” and “luxurious,” despite their names they worked hard for the Lord and the sake of the Good News.
Persis was another of those women workers that are so needed in the local churches but seldom appreciated until they are gone.
[13] Rufus may be the son of Simon, who carried the cross for Jesus:
21 And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.
Whether or not he is this man, He is chosen in the Lord not only as to his salvation but also as to his Christian character; that is, he was a choice saint.
Rufus’ mother is also mentioned for her maternal kindness to Paul, and this earned his affectionate tile, “my mother.”
[14] Asyncritus, Phlegon, Patrobas, Hermes and the rest of the brothers: Paul finds something wonderful to say about almost every one of them- noting their labor, his special regard for them, and their standing in the Lord.
This is a tremendous example. It shows Paul’s way of casting uplifting words to build up God’s people. He was generous in paying compliments that were both sincere and wonderful.
[15] Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas may have been the nucleus of another house church.
In 95 A.D. two distinguished Romans were condemned for being Christians. The husband was executed and the wife was banished. The name of their chief servant was Nereus- This may be the same Nereus mentioned here and he may be the one who brought the gospel to them.
[16] A holy kiss: might sound strange to us but:
45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet.
shows how common a greeting a kiss was. Jesus rebuked a Pharisee because he did not give Jesus a kiss when He came into his house.
This was the common mode of affectionate greeting among the saints then and is still practiced in some countries today.
it seems that this practice was later abused. Clement of Alexandria complained about churches where people made the church resound with kissing, and says that “the shameless use of a kiss occasions fould suspicious the evil reports.
In our culture we have replaced the kiss with the handshake.
You might ask the question why is it important to go through all these names… this section demonstrates that the Letter to the Romans was a letter to real people, and as far as we can see, ordinary people; it was not written to professional theologians or the intellectual elects.
“They were like the most of us, commonplace individuals; but they loved the Lord, and therefore as Paul recollected their names he sent them a message of love which has become embalmed in the Holy Scriptures. Do not let us think of the distinguished Christians exclusively so as to forget the rank and file of the Lord’s army. Do not let the eye rest exclusively upon the front rank, but let us love all whom Christ loves; let us value all Christ’s servants. It is better to be God’s dog than to be the devil’s darling.” - Spurgeon
Of the 24 names here, 13 also appear in inscriptions or documents connected with the Emperor’s palace in Rome. We know that there were Christians among Caesar’s household:
22 All the saints greet you, especially those of Caesar’s household.
Paul is probably writing to many of these servants who worked for Caesar.
vv 17-20) A word of warning
vv 17-20) A word of warning
[17] The apostle cannot close the letter without a warning against ungodly teachers who might worm their way into the church. The Christians should be on their guard against any such who form parties around themselves and set traps to destroy the faith of the unwary. They should be on lookout for any whose teaching is contrary to the sound doctrine which we have been learning. There is only one solution… avoid them all together.
These people’s goal is to divide God’s people and to deceive them too. This is essential to God’s purpose for the church. Truth without unity leads to pride; unity without truth leads to a departure from the true gospel itself. Each of these must be guarded against.
“Mad dogs are shot; infectious diseases are quarantined; but evil teachers who would divide to their destruction and draw away the saints with teaching contrary to the doctrine of Christ and His Apostles are everywhere tolerated!” -Newell
[18] These false teachers are not obedient to our Lord Jesus Christ. They only obey their own appetites. And they are all to successful in hoodwinking the unsuspecting by their flattery.
[19] Paul was glad that his readers’ obedience to the Lord was well-known. But still he wanted them to be able to discern and obey good teaching and to be unresponsive to evil.
Your focus shouldn’t be on knowing what is evil, but rather learn about the genuine thing rather than the counterfeit. Focus your time and effort studying scripture and living it out.
[20] Any church with the well-deserved reputation of the Romans, who stay on guard against both dividers and deceivers, will see God crush Satan under our feet.
This will not ultimately happen until Satan is bound and cast into the bottomless pit:
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
but every victory God wins for us right now is a preview of that event.
vv 21-24) Greetings from Corinth
vv 21-24) Greetings from Corinth
[21] We know Timothy, Paul’s son in the faith and faithful co-worker. We know nothing of Lucius except that he, like Paul, was of Jewish parentage. We may have previously met Jason:
5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd.
And Sosipater:
4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus.
[22] Tertius was Paul’s writer as the apostle dictated the letter. This was Paul’s normal practice in writing letters to churches, but this is the only letter where Paul’s secretary is mentioned by name.
[23] There are at least 4 men by the name of Gaius in the NT. He is probably the one mentioned in:
14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,
Quartus is mentioned simply as a brother, but father all, what an honor.
[24] might be omitted in your bible translation. Some translation put it here in verse 24 or at the end of the letter.
vv 25-27) Doxology: praise be to God
vv 25-27) Doxology: praise be to God
[25] The letter closes with a doxology. It is addressed to the God who is able to make His people stand firm in accordance with the gospel which Paul preached and which he calls my gospel.
This is the public heralding of the message about Jesus Christ concerning the revelation of a marvelous truth kept secret for long ages.
A mystery, in the NT is a truth never previously known, and a truth which human intellect could never discover, but one which has now been made known.
[26] The particular mystery spoken of here is the truth that believers are made heirs, members of the Body of Christ, whether Jew or Gentile, partakers of God’s promise in Christ by the gospel:
6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.
It is the gospel message which God has commanded to be made known to all nations in order that people might obey the faith and be saved.
[27] Family, God alone is the source and display of pure wisdom, and to Him belongs glory through Jesus Christ, our Mediator, forever.
And so ends Paul’s magnificent Epistle. How indebted we are to the Lord for it! And how poor we would be without it! Amen.
24 The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
I Have Decided to Follow Jesus
Verse 1
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
I have decided to follow Jesus
No turning back no turning back
Verse 2
The world behind me the cross before me
The world behind me the cross before me
The world behind me the cross before me
No turning back no turning back
(Ending)
No turning back
No turning back
No turning back
No turning back