Sermon Tone Analysis

Conclusions

We’re continuing out goodbye from Paul sometimes I think he was from the Midwest it takes him a chapter and a half to say goodbye.

One thing I had to learn living in Wisconsin was the midwestern goodbye.

You just slap your leg and say ‘welp’ and stand up.

Everyone know that means lets talk for another hour standing and slowly move toward the door so we can say goodbye.

So we pick up and finish here with chapter 16 of Romans Rom 16.1

Phoebe is an honored woman whom Paul has trusted to most likely carry this letter to the Church in Rome.

She was a servant - diakonos - of the church at Cenchreae.

This is indeed the word for deacon, and it appears she was one.

A deacon is one who serves the church, not one that oversees the church.

She was also a patron though that word implies protection so while we don’t know exactly the service she rendered it was likely not just that of a medieval patron who just gives money.

She was the protectress of many and of Paul.

This commendation seems to be written in because we think it very likely that she was the courier of the letter as I stated before.

Greet these two - because they are people that are already there.

This is not the first time we’ve heard of this couple.

Prisca or Priscilla in some translation, though Priska is what the Greek would have sounded like, she was the wife of Aquila.

They are mentioned in Acts 18.2-3 “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, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.”

Also in 1 Cor 16:19 “The churches of Asia send you greetings.

Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, send you hearty greetings in the Lord.”

And 2 Tim 4.19 “Greet Prisca and Aquila, and the household of Onesiphorus.”

So this church planter team has been all around the world, and like Paul has been planting churches and growing the Kingdom.

They also risked their necks for Paul, he doesn’t explain how but he continues to commend them and implies the whole gentile church also thanks them for their work.

Epaenetus gets a shout out and we start thinking at this point.... um… okay we’re in weird territory… should we just skip this when we read… I mean we could cut out verses one through sixteen right… None of these people are walking the earth today… What does any of this matter?

Paul is leading by example and commending by grace.

First he keeps these connections all over as best he can.

Paul was not a solo apostle.

When we are working for the kingdom we don’t do so alone.

We also recognize those serve the Kingdom well.

It’s one thing to tell people you know someone famous, it’s another for that famous person to call you out as someone close to them.

These two were fellow prisoners with Paul for the sake of Christ, they were believers who came to Christ before Paul did and had such a ministry that the apostles were all aware of them.

In several cases Paul calls some people his kinsman, I don’t think he’s meaning brother or sister in Christ.

It’s likely they’re also from the tribe of Benjamin like Paul himself was.

Rom 11.1

With this list growing ever longer it also gives us a feeling of how close the family of God feels here across the world that Paul knows so many in the churches of Rome.

It’s strange that a large list actually gives us a sense of closeness and small community.

And we finish the greetings with merely a list.

Of course the commendation is also for us to great each other with a holy kiss and know that the churches around the world send greeting.

Almost and implied ‘of course they do’

Oh, now by contrast we get the opposite of a commendation for the divisors and obstacle makers.

Avoid them!

An encouragement about the church of Rome is given that their obedience is something they’re known for.

I also love the contrast of peace crushing Satan, and something important here God does the work but it’s under their feet.

Now the greetings from those with Paul comes.

Wait the guy who wrote the letter?

I thought it was Paul who wrote it?

Yes and no.

Tertius was an amanuenses.

You needed a trained professional to write very neatly, accurately, and small enough to save the costs.

The written words had no punctuation, no spaces between words and filled up the page as completely as possible.

A complete closing line giving God glory in one long run-on sentence.

We say amen and thanks be to God for preserved work of Paul in having this written down for the church in Rome, and for the church in Tell city.