Romans 16

Paul Bukauskas

Romans • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago • Presented a month ago

0 ratings

· 8 views

Notes

Transcript

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

The following material is adopted from John MacArthur’s commentary on Romans and his Study guide. Additional material taken from sources listed at the end

Read and summarize

Look for

— Prayers ( Blue )

— Promises ( Green )

— Warnings ( Red )

— Commands ( Purple )

Love for the Saints ( 16:1-24 )

( Romans 16:1–24 ) “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my kinsma…”

— Despite the great popularity of the book of Romans, this chapter is often neglected by preachers, teachers and Bible students

— It has no teaching

— It lists several people who we know nothing about

— The apostle’s comments about these mostly unknown individuals are all the more poignant because this great apostle takes time to speak so warmly and appreciatively of these “ordinary” Christians, were were as much his brothers and sisters in Christ as Peter, James, John and the other NT notables

— Paul reveals his love in four ways:

— His commendation ( vv 1-2 )

— His cordiality ( vv 3-16 )

— His caution ( vv 17-20)

— Through remarks about and greetings from his companions ( vv 21-23)

— Afterwards, he adds a brief benediction ( v. 24 )

Paul’s Commendation ( 16:1-2 )

( Romans 16:1–2 ) “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.”

— Paul devotes two verses to the commendation of a single individual, Phoebe

— She is a servant and a member of the church which is at Cenchrea

— Cenchrea was the neighboring port city of Corinth, from which Paul wrote this letter

— The church was doubtless a sister church to Corinth

— And it was from Cenchrea, at the end of his first ministry in Corinth, that Paul, Priscilla and Aquila “put out to sea for Syria” ( Acts 18:18 )

— Phoebe was entrusted with carrying this letter to Rome

— There were no copiers or carbon paper in those days, and even the simplest writing materials were very expensive

— It is therefore highly unlikely that Paul, through the hand of Tertius ( v.22 ), made more than one copy of this letter

— Phoebe was no ordinary helper, but one of high esteem and integrity and likely was a businesswomen of considerable wealth

— She used her influence and her financial means, as well as her personal time and effort, as a helper of many fellow believers and of myself [Paul] as well

R.C. Sproul

Phoebe’s name is taken from a pagan goddess. In the early church, Christians who had been named fro pagan deities retained those names after conversion because the names’ origins no longer had any religious or theological significance. We need to bear that in mind, because disputes over any sort of Christian link to anything with pagan roots occasionally arise in the church today. Easter sounds close to the pagan deity Ishtar, and the celebration of Christmas on December 25 corresponds to the time in ancient Rome when celebration was held for the pagan god Mithras. Christians decided at one point to use the occasion to celebrate the birth of Christ. This was a noble endeavor, but some still are scandalized by the historic relationship to the Mithras cult.

It is understandable that many things in our culture have roots in paganism, yet those root have long since been overlooked, and we do not need to have scruples about them. The days of the week were formed for pagan gods. Monday was named for the moon. Wednesday came about in honor of the Scandinavian Norse god Woden. Thursday comes from the celebration of the pagan deity Thor. Saturday goes back to the celebration of the Roman god Saturn. We use those designations, but we do not attribute to the names of the days of the week any particular religious homage.

Paul’s Cordiality ( 16:3-16 )

( Romans 16:3–16 ) “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas …”

Although he had not yet visited Rome, Paul names twenty-four individuals, seventeen men and seven women, along with many who are unnamed, such as those in the households of Aristobulus and Narcissus. In these verses the apostle give a roster of choice Christians he knew and with whom he worked. He had served them and been served by them.

— The first to be greeted are Prisca and Aquila, a husband and wife who were fellow workers in Christ Jesus

— They were not apostles or prophets but, nonetheless, were invaluable workers in the early church

— Paul first met this Jewish Christian couple on his first visit to Corinth, to which Prisca, whose diminutive name was Priscilla, and Aquila had fled from Rome when all Jews were expelled by the Emperor Claudia

— As it happened, Aquila and Prisca were tentmakers like Paul, who stayed in their house while he began his ministry in Corinth ( Acts 18:1-3 )

— This remarkable couple is mentioned six times in the NT

— Three times by Luke in the book of Acts

— Three times by Paul, here in 1 Cor 16:19 and 2 Tim 4:19

— It is interesting to note that in four of those references, Priscilla’s name is given first

— She may have been more dominant and active of the two, or, as some have suggested, she may have had a higher social status

— No single explanation seems satisfactory

— Unfortunately, her name coming first has not been ignored by modern day complementarians who use this to justify women preachers

— They were much more than fellow workers with Paul, for whom they risked their own necks

— Paul’s next greeting is to Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia

— It is likely that Epaenetus was especially beloved by Paul for the very reason that he came to Christ through the preaching of Paul and was lovingly discipled by him

— First convert translates the Greek word aparchē, which literally means first-fruit

— This believer became Paul’s “offering of the Gentiles” to the Lord which he alluded to earlier ( Rom 15:16 )

— Greet Mary, Paul continues, who has worked hard for you.

— We know nothing of this believer other than what is written here

— Andronicus and Junias

— Because Junias may have been a woman’s name, these two may have been husband and wife

— And because complementarians pick up that Junias is called outstanding among the apostles, inferring that she was an apostle, this is often quoted as a proof text that women should be preachers

— But apostle obviously does not refer to the office of apostle which is clearly described by Paul elsewhere ( 1 Cor 9:1; 2 Cor 12:12; cf Acts 1:21-26, 9:15 )

— The term itself simply means “sent ones” and in this sense could indicate that this husband and wife team were church planters

— Kinsmen indicates nor only that they were fellow Jews but probably means that they along with Herodion ( v. 11 ) and Jason and Sosipater ( v. 21 ) were Paul’s relatives

— Ampliatus was a common name for slaves and slaves were not allowed to bear the name of free men

— Urbanus and Stachys were common Roman names suggesting that they were Roman citizens

—We know nothing of Apelles or how Paul was acquainted with him

— Paul’s next greeting was to a group of believers who names and number we do not know

— They are simply identified as those who are of the household of Aristobulus

— The head of the house, this individual, is not greeted and we can assume that he was not a believer

From his careful study of New Testament times, the noted biblical scholar J.B. Lightfoot suggests that Aristobulus may have been the brother of Herod Agrippa I and the grandson of Herod the Great. If so, he would have been a close ally of the Emperor Claudius. When Aristobulus died, his household - including wife, children, slaves, and possessions - would have become property of the emperor, although they would still have been referred to as the household of Aristobulus. It is therefore possible that this group of believers could have been part of the imperial household

— Like Aristobulus, Narcissus was probably not a believer, but some of those of his household were in the Lord

— Paul greets three women: Tryphaena, Tryphosa, and Persis

— Paul speak of Rufus as a choice man in the Lord

We learn from Mark’s gospel, which was written in Rome after Paul wrote this letter to Rome, that Simon of Cyrene, a city on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, who was pressed in to service by the soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross, was “the father of Alexander and Rufus” ( Mark 15:21 ). Mark would have had no reason to include the names Alexander and Rufus unless they were known to the church at large (through the wide distribution of Paul’s letter to Rome) or at least known to the church in Rome. Scholars therefore agree that the Rufus mentioned here by Paul was one of those sons of Simon, who may have been brought to saving faith in Christ through that contact with Him on the way to Calvary. If so, he must have died before the Roman epistle was written, else he surely would have been greet and commended by Paul. If Simon, the man privileged to have carried Jesus’ cross and to have walked beside Him to Calvary, had become a believer, he would have been among the most honored men in the early church. It is obvious that his wife, the mother of Rufus, believed, and it seems safe to assume from this text that Alexander likewise was converted, giving reason for Mark to mention him along with his brother. Alexander either was dead or did not live in Rome at the time, else Paul would have greeted him

— Paul makes no comment about Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, and Hermas

— The mention of the brethren with them indicates that the five men were leaders of one of the many assemblies of believers in Rome

— In verse 15 Paul greets another group of saints: Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas

Paul’s Caution ( 16:17-20 )

( Romans 16:17–20 ) “Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”

— Paul is not teaching or implying that true believers have the right to do physical harm to heretics

— During the Reformation, some Protestants as well as Catholics committed grave inhumanities in the name of Christ

— The right response of believers to false teachers, especially those who teach their heresy under the guise of Christianity, is not debate or dialogue

— We are to turn away from them

— We are to reject what they teach and protect fellow believers from being deceived, confused and misled

Paul’s Companions ( 16:21-24 )

( Romans 16:21–24 ) “Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. I, Tertius, who write this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother. [The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”]

— Paul next sends greetings to the church at Rome in behalf of his companions, presumably men who were well known by some of the believers in that city

— Timothy, a choice fellow worker and protégé

— Lucius may be the native of Cyrene who was one of the prophets and teachers who first commissioned Paul and Barnabas ( Acts 13:1-3)

— Or Paul may have been using another form of Luke “the beloved physician” ( Col 4:14 )

— We know that Luke accompanied Paul and he is mentioned in two other letters ( 2 Tim 4:11; Philem 24)

— Luke and Paul were frequent companions, as indicated in the book of Acts when Luke uses “we” in regard to groups that included Paul ( see, e.g. 16:11; 21:1-8 )

— Paul refers to Jason and Sosipater who were probably fellow Jews and not relatives

— Tertius was Paul’s secretary, or amanuensis

— Paul dictated this letter to him and Tertius recorded it

— Gaius was a host to Paul as well as to the whole church, probably referring to a congregation that met in his house

— He is generally thought to be “Titus Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was next to the synagogue” in Corinth ( Acts 18:7 )

— His full name would have been Gaius Titius Justus

— Erastus was the city treasurer of Corinth and therefore a man of prominence and high political office

— This was a common name

— This is probably not the same man mentioned in Acts 19:22 or in 2 Tim 4:20

— Quartus was the last of Paul’s companions mentioned

— He is mentioned only as the brother, which could mean he was the brother of Erastus, who has just been mentioned

As indicated by brackets in the New American Standard Bible, Paul’s third short benediction ( cf. 15:33; 16:20b) is not in the earlier Greek manuscripts of the book of Romans. That is understandable, because these closing words three verses form a longer, more explicit benediction, to which verse 24 adds nothing and seems a bit out of place. But the sentiment is fully consistent with the rest of Paul’s gracious epilogue.

The Unveiling of God’s Secret ( 16:25-27 )

( Romans 16:25–27 ) “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 which has been kept secret for long ages past, 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; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

— The book of Romans ends with a beautiful doxology

— In the middle of this letter, Paul breaks into a doxology ( Rom 11:33-36 )

— Likewise, in the middle of his letter to the Ephesian church Paul interjected a doxology, which today is often used at the close of worship services:

“Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” ( Eph 3:20-21 )

— In this doxology, there is a remarkable relationship between the last three verses and the first eleven verses

— in 16:25 Paul speaks of Him who is able to establish you

— In 1:11 he talks of his readers as being established

— He speaks of my gospel

— and in 1:1 of “the gospel of God”

— He speaks of the mystery of God which has been kept secret for long ages past

— and in 1:2 he repeats the same theme

— He speaks of the gospel being made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith

— and in 1:5 of bringing “about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles”

Paul’s closing doxology in Romans is unique, in that, in his praise of the Lord, he recapitulates major themes of the epistle. Perhaps taking the pen from Tertius ( see v.22 ), the apostle touches on the gospel that establishes men ( v.25a), the gospel that proclaims Jesus Christ (v.25b), and the gospel that reveals God’s mystery ( vv. 25c - 26 )

The Gospel that Establishes Men ( 16:25a )

( Romans 16:25a ) “Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel”

— Stērizō (to establish) means to make firm and stable, to make fast

— Here it refers to being mentally settled, firmly rooted in the truth of the gospel

— The majority of mankind does not even have an interest in finding the true God

— They are perfectly happy with whatever religion they were exposed to or inherited

— Or they have no interest in religion at all

— Even those who attempt to find God by their own searching are “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” ( 2 Tim 3:7 )

The Gospel that Proclaims Christ ( 16:25b )

( Romans 16:25b ) “l and the preaching of Jesus Christ, ”

— The only gospel that establishes men is the gospel that proclaims Jesus Christ

— The major theme of Romans, like the major theme of Scripture, is Jesus Christ

— The preaching of Jesus Christ was Paul’s life commitment

“but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” ( 1 Cor 1:23-24, cf. 2 Cor 4:5-6, 10:17 )

The Gospel that Reveals God’s Mystery ( 16:25c-27 )

( Romans 16:25c–27 ) “according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 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; to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen.”

— The gospel that establishes us and that proclaims Jesus Christ also reveals God’s divine mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past

— This mystery (mustērion) does not have the same meaning as in English, as used for example of a mystery novel

— In the NT it refers to something hidden in former times but now made known

— Specifically, it refers to a part of God’s truth that was not revealed or only partially revealed in the OT

— There are many mysteries such as

— The mystery of lawlessness ( 2 Thess 2:7-8 )

— The mystery of godliness ( 1 Tim 3:16 )

— The mystery of the rapture ( 1 Cor 15:51 )

— The mystery of the kingdom of God ( Mark 4:11 )

— The mystery of His [Christ’s] will ( Eph 1:9 )

— The mystery of Christ ( Col 2:2; 4:3 )

— The mystery of Christ and the church ( Eph 5:32 )

— The mystery of the gospel ( Eph 6:19 )

— The mystery of Christ in believers ( Col 1:27 )

— The mystery of Faith ( 1 Tim 3:9 )

— And other mysteries mentioned in the book of Revelation ( Rev 1:20; 10:7; 17:5, 7 )

— The mystery specifically spoken of here in Romans is the mystery Paul explains in Ephesians:

“to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel,” ( Eph 3:6; cf. v. 9)

— In other words, God’s ultimate plan of redemption has always included the Gentiles in every way as much as the Jews

Additional Resources

MacArthur, Romans. Romans 1-8. Moody Press, 1987.

MacArthur, Romans. Romans 9-16. Moody Press, 1991.

MacArthur, John. New Testament Commentary. Moody, 1985.

William Hendriksen. Exposition of Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1995.

Sproul, R.C. Romans: The Righteous Shall Live by Faith. Romans an expositional commentary. Ligonier Ministries. 2019.

Related Media

Related Sermons