Paul personally greets 27 people by name, building loving relationships within the body of Christ.
These are only preliminary, unedited outlines and may differ from Andy’s final message.
Romans 16:1-16 reading:
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. 3 ¶ Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5 Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. 8 Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. 12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.
In this passage, Paul lists 27 people by name, building connections of loving friendship withing the Body of Christ. It is a beautiful display of a secondary purpose the Lord has for our salvation. The primary purpose of our salvation in Christ is that each of his children would ultimately have a perfect love relationship with himself. God’s second purpose is that each of us would ultimately have a perfect love relationship with every other Christian that has ever lived or ever will live. Ultimately means eternally… in heaven. So as Jonathan Edwards wrote, “Heaven is a world of love.”
He derived that from 1 Corinthians 13
1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
The “perfection” that is coming is clearly heaven… our eternal home. Because 1 Corinthians 13 is all about horizontal love (love we Christians have for each other), that love will be perfected in heaven. But it is impossible to consider a perfect love we will have for each other without realizing the supremacy of all of our love for God. Heaven will be a world in which the Two Great Commandments will be perfectly fulfilled:
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It is clear that there is an “already/not yet” aspect to our salvation. As Christians, we already DO love God… but in heaven we will love him perfectly. In the same way, as Christians we already DO love each other… but in heaven that love will be perfected.
There are many passages in the New Testament that command us to love each other. This is perhaps the most significant, from Jesus the night before he died:
John 13:34-35 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Now… let’s focus on Romans 16. By mentioning 27 other Christians by name and saying commendable things about many of them, or at least greeting them by name, Paul sets a timeless example for all Christians in every generation. People must matter in a busy fruitful ministry life… or a busy fruitful church.
Q: How do these verses of detailed greeting from the Apostle Paul encourage you?
Q: How do they set a good example for all Christian leaders?
Q: How can healthy churches learn from these greetings?
- Paul Commends Phoebe to the Church at Rome (vs. 1-2)
Note: almost every commentator believes Phoebe carried this letter to the church at Rome. They think that because of the prominent place Phoebe holds in this chapter of greetings… she is mentioned first and commended to the church.
Q: What is the significance of Phoebe carrying this letter to the church at Rome?
Q: What does Paul say about her?
Q: He calls her a “servant” of the church in Cenchrea. What is the significance of that term?
Q: Comment on the pressure being responsible for this letter on a ship to Rome… and all the plans God had for the Book of Romans in the centuries that followed. Here’s what I wrote in my sermon:
“The same God who sovereignly inspired Paul to write, who perfectly protected Paul from writing a single error, and guided his great mind in composing all of these infinitely deep and rich thoughts, the same powerful hand that preserved Paul from error and guided him to all truth would ALSO protect Phoebe on her journey, and protect the document until it was copied, then copied again and again and again, then translated and printed for us to read.”
- Paul highlights the ministry of women
Note: seven or maybe eight women are mentioned, commended for their service to the gospel and the church.
Q: Why is it important for us to see how highly Paul valued the contributions of women in the early church?
Q: Note the language Paul uses here:
Romans 16:6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
Romans 16:12-13 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
Romans 16:15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them.
What do these greetings show about Paul’s feelings for these women?
Q: Comment on this statement I made in my sermon:
“Based on Romans 16 alone, it is obvious that women have amazingly vital and wide ranging ministry opportunities that are indispensable to the life of the church.”
- Some general lessons from these greetings
Q: What do we learn here about the importance of devoted friendships in the Christian life generally, and especially in a high-profile ministry like Paul’s?
Q: What does it teach you about Paul’s personality that he was so devoted to so many specific people, and they also to him?
Comment:
Paul’s life deeply and richly transformed so many other lives; he preached the gospel that led to the salvation of countless people; then he poured himself into their lives day by day, carefully molding and shaping them more and more into the image of Christ. He deeply cared for each one of them… weeping with them, pleading for them in prayer, sacrificing for them out of genuine affection for them.
Q: How do we see family language in these greetings, as in “the family of God”?
Comment especially on verse 13:
Romans 16:13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
How is this a fulfillment of Jesus’ redefinition of family:
Matthew 12:47-50 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.” 48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
Mark 10:28-30 Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” 29 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields– and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.
Q: How do we see household churches, or the importance of households in the early church?
Romans 16:3-5 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5 Greet also the church that meets at their house.
Romans 16:10 Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.
Romans 16:11 Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
Romans 16:15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister
Q: How do we see the importance of hard work in the gospel ministry? (We’ve already seen that with the women mentioned… but now more generally)
Romans 16:6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
Vs. 12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.
Note that Paul exemplified this more than anyone:
1 Corinthians 4:11-12 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands.
1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them– yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.
2 Corinthians 6:4-5 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; 5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger
Q: How do you see Paul’s deep affection for these people in his greetings?
STORIES LEFT UNTOLD:
Heaven alone will display the fullness of these laborers for Christ and what they did!
People matter to God, and so do their lives. Nothing will be missed or wasted.
