Book of Romans - Ch. 16. Vs. 1-27 (09/08/2002)

The gospel walks in shoe leather right down where we live. In the first century of the

Roman Empire, the chapter begins with the commendation of Phoebe, the woman who brought this epistle to Rome.

Verse 1, I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Caesarea.

Phoebe is the first believer mentioned in this epistle. Another catalog of the heroes of faith, she was a

Gentile, as her name indicates. As I have already stated, there were many

Gentiles in the church in Rome. It was not made up of Jews as Jerusalem was.

She was named for the great goddess, Artemis or Diana, who in Greek mythology was the goddess of the moon.

As her mother, Apollo was the god of the sun.

Many believers adopt new names of baptism, but Phoebe kept her old heathen name.

Phoebe was the bearer of the epistle to the Romans. Apparently, she was a very prominent woman in the church, which means she was a woman of ability.

She's called a servant of the church. Verse 2, that you receive her in the

Lord as becometh saints, and that you assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you.

For she hath been a sucker of many and myself also.

Paul spoke very highly of her. Since David's here,

I want to go back to the 15th chapter for just a minute. So hold your finger in 16.

Some things overlooked in the 15th chapter. The first thing is death.

I was thinking about death this past week. As you cross a deep canyon on a bridge, then as you don't look down, you keep your eye on the opposite bank.

When you come to leaving this earth in death, you do not look down at death, but you keep your eyes on the opposite bank, and the

Lord will welcome you there. Just some thoughts about that. But in 15 now, the eighth verse, go to that if you will, please.

Now I say that Jesus Christ was the minister of the circumcision, for the truth of God is confirmed to confirm the promises made unto the fathers.

We know all of this is true, but I want you to look at the word Jesus. Jesus is his name.

Christ, the heavenly office. The latter was first known to the

Jews, the former to the Gentiles. So he was Jesus to the Gentiles, and Christ to the

Jew. Therefore, he is styled Jesus Christ, when the words stand in the common natural order for Gentiles.

Now turn over in 15 to 13.

Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope through the power of the

Holy Ghost, a glorious title of God. But until now, unknown to the heathens, or their goddess hope like other idols was nothing.

They had a God hope, but it was nothing. Whose temple at Rome was burned by lightning.

It was built again, and after that was burned again, and it's burned all the way to the ground this time.

Now skipping to 19. Though through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the

Spirit of God, so that from Jerusalem and round about unto

Iconium, I have fully preached the gospel of Christ. All run out places to preach.

In the first place, this word mighty, through mighty signs and wonders, it signifies a force and working of the wonders in piercing men's minds.

In the latter, it signifies God's mighty power, which was the worker of those wonders.

Now come to 25. But I go on to Jerusalem to minister to the saints.

He was in route to Jerusalem. He had a very special mission to perform.

He wanted to go to Jerusalem. He wanted to take the gift to the four saints in Jerusalem.

He wanted to take it with his own hands. Why, David? Right. Because his own hands had been, he had wasted the church at Jerusalem.

He had led in the persecution of the believers in Jerusalem. Now was in the heart of this great apostle to make up for that somewhat, by taking a gift to them.

27, it hath pleased them verily, and their debtors they are, for if the

Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

Now, joy we find this even today. Spiritual things come by the ministers of God in preaching the gospel.

The carnal things come for the need of the body. Now in 29, for I am sure that when

I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.

Joy, is it possible for you to be out of the will of God?

Is that from your point or his? All right. Now, he is sovereign.

I want you all to get this. He has sent forth everything,

Greg. Is there anything that is not of God in its original state?

No. Very, very important.

Now, we come to continue in 16. Three, greet

Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus, who have for my life laid down their own necks.

Unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. At this time, there were

Gentile churches, and I believe the church of Rome was largely Gentile as I said.

Made up of many races. It was integrated for sure.

Priscilla and Aquila were a Jewish couple. David, how had

Paul first met these people? All right.

Now, in what way were they his helpers?

That's right. A wonderful couple. There had been a wave of anti -Semitism that had swept over the city of Rome, and Priscilla and Aquila had to leave.

They came to the city of Corinth while Paul was there and set up shop. Corinth was a good commercial center, and Paul was also applying his trade there.

Since they were all tent makers, this drew them together, and Paul led them to the

Lord. Then they were with Paul at Ephesus.

Perhaps they had gone over there to open up a branch store. Notice that when he first met them, it is

Aquila and Priscilla. Now, here in Rome, it's

Priscilla and Aquila. Why are the names reversed?

Well, I think here's a case when the woman became dominant in the spiritual matters.

Not unlike today. Spiritually, she became the leader, although they were both outstanding workers for Christ.

Five. Likewise, greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well -beloved

Epanapus, who is the first fruits of Acacia unto

Christ. The local church met in private homes in the very beginning. I have often said, and I believe that in the last go -round, the church will have to return to the home.

Then it'll go underground. You say, how could that be?

Well, we're in a protected society, I know. But when you look at the church as a whole across the country, it's not far from that now.

Many of these great big buildings we call churches with great steeples on them are nothing more than a pile of bricks.

We know those. They're mausoleums, not living churches that contain a real living body of believers.

The church was never intended to be spoken of as a building. For the first three centuries, the church was a body of believers and met in homes like that of Aquila and Priscilla.

Greet Mary, who bestowed much labor on us. Mary is a Jewish name, the same as Mariam, meaning rebellious.

She bestowed much labor on us means that she labored in the point of exhaustion.

What a change had taken place in her life. Before becoming a believer, she was in rebellion, but now she knocks herself out for the sake of others, because she is now obedient to Christ.

Salute Androcus and Juna, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

This is a Greek name and the name has been identified with a slave.

Juna is a Roman name and can either be masculine or feminine. Paul calls them my fellow countrymen, which may mean that they belong to the tribe of Benjamin, as did

Paul, does not necessarily mean close blood relationship.

Paul says that they were my fellow prisoners. Evidently, Paul had met them in one of the numerous prisons he was in in Rome.

These two were well -known to the apostles and were held in high regard by them.

Paul had not led them to Christ, but as is the natural assumption, for they were in Christ before he was.

The church in Rome was founded by Paul under most unusual circumstances.

He had met Aquila and Priscilla in the Corinthian marketplace.

Then he met these two men in jail, Antipas is a common slave name and occurs in the tombs in the early

Christians, in the catacombs, always in a place of honor.

He evidently was one of Paul's converts and dear to his heart. The name

Urban means city bred. In other words, his name actually means city slicker.

This was also a common slave name and it may mean that he was brought up in that city, rather than in the country.

He's identified as a real worker among the believers. Stachus has been found listed in the royal household.

It is a masculine name. He was beloved not only to Paul, but to the church.

Greet Amphious, my beloved in the Lord, salute Urban, our helper in Christ, and Stachus, my beloved, salute

Apollos, proved in Christ, salute them which are of Aristophus, salute

Herodian, my kinsmen, greet them that they be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the

Lord. He goes on, mentions several. Salute Rufus, salute, and you'll have to pronounce those in 14.

In 16, salute one another with a holy kiss. David, I think a handshake would do me.

Churches of Christ salute you. Now, I beseech you, 17,

I beseech you brethren, mark them which cause divisions with offenses contrary to the doctrine, which you have learned, and avoid them.

What does it mean, Dennis, mark them? You go around with a paintbrush and mark them?

All right. Know who they are, and Greg, you are to avoid them.

Separate yourselves altogether from the false teachers, and from those who are liable to be misled by them.

Let them have no kind of charity or place because their arms is to make division, their aim is to make division and trouble.

Have no religious fellowship with them. They profess to the Christian followers of Christ, but it is not

Christ they're following. They neither do his will or teach his doctrine. It will become more and more important for you to study the

Bible, because the devil is getting slicker every day. If you do not know the word, you can sit and listen to a man, and maybe not pick it up, a false teacher.

But if you know the word, you will pick up little things that he says that are wrong, and it will get harder to do, so that means you must study harder.

They serve only themselves. It is for worldly gain alone that they take up the ministry.

I've known a few. They have not divine credentials. They buy good words and fair speeches.

They deceive the simple that they get their property and money, thereby sustaining themselves.

There's a big one on television, was on this morning. You can't call his name, but these are men too proud to beg, too lazy to work.

They sow seeds of dissension by bold insinuating talks, to divide the congregation and form a party for themselves, and by this, they live on the spoils of the church.

It's real, folks. Now you ask, who is it that they are talking about?

And I answer this, no one except they that fit the description.

If this makes you angry, then the cat must fit you. Eighteen, for they that are such serve not our

Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

For you, your obedience has come abroad unto all men. I am glad, therefore, on your behalf, but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good and simple concerning evil.

Your reputation as good Christians is well known, but you ought not to be deceived by these false teachers.

Twenty, and the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our

Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. The God of peace, the divine author, promoter, lover, peace, he will bruise

Satan under your feet, give you the victory over him and his adversaries, a victory begun in this world, but consummated in the glory of heaven.

Timotheus, my work fellow, and Lucas and Jason, my kinsmen, salute you.

He had salutations partly to renew mutual friendships, partly to the end that this epistle might be of some weight with the

Romans, having the confirmation of so many that subscribe to it.

Teterus, who wrote you, wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord, otherwise this man's unknown.

Paul dictated the letter, and Teterus acted as a scribe.

Gaius, mine host, and of the whole church, salute you. Eurastus, the chamberlain of the city, salute you, and Quartus, brother, my host, a person about whose house

Paul was stated. The chamberlain, or treasurer of Corinth, the city from which

Paul wrote this epistle. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, amen.

Now taking his leave of them for the third time, he wishes that to them upon that all force of the former doctrines depend.

25. Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel.

There's an interesting word. What does establish mean, Greg? So don't think that's a misprint.

Establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery, which is kept secret since the world began.

It's always been here, but now is made manifest by the scriptures of the prophets according to the commandments of the everlasting

God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith.

The God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ forever, amen.

My gospel, the gospel of Christ, which Paul preached, the mystery, the truth of the gospel, made known obscurely in the

Old Testament to the Jews, were now by the command of God clearly revealed to the

Gentiles as well as to the Jews. That finishes

Romans. I hope you have learned something from it, for I have.

Is there any questions? It's made to all known nations.

That's the Roman Empire at that time. Certainly he didn't know about the

Indians here in America. Anything else?

No, the Lord knew. I'm talking about Paul. Anything else?

We go home. I don't know.

I think it'll be 1 Peter, but I'll see. I'll try to decide before next

Sunday. No, it won't hurt.

You go ahead and read it. Craig, will you dismiss us please?