| Teacher: Rusty Kennedy Series: Romans (Acts) |
Rusty's Notes | |
- Paul has explained his recent travel route and current situation.
- From Jerusalem to Illyricum - (Eh-lyric-come)
PAUL’S TRAVEL PLANS
22 That is why I have been prevented many times from coming to you. 23 But now I no longer have any work to do in these regions, and I have strongly desired for many years to come to you 24 whenever I travel to Spain. For I hope to see you when I pass through and to be assisted by you for my journey there, once I have first enjoyed your company for a while.
- Paul is in the midst of wrapping up his 3rd missionary journey (maps).
- He plans on heading to Spain but will stop in Rome for a season to visit with believers there and raise support for his ministry.
- He is returning to Jerusalem to give them all the funds he collected from the churches he visited on this 3rd journey.
30 Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in prayers to God on my behalf. 31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea, that my ministry to Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, 32 and that, by God’s will, I may come to you with joy and be refreshed together with you.
- There is some hesitancy and doubt that the Jews will accept Paul, his ministry to the Gentiles and even the funds from the Gentiles.
- He wants them to be acceptable so it will be an encouragement to him as he continues his ministry.
- Reminder that God is the God of peace and He is with us always now.
PAUL’S COMMENDATION OF PHOEBE
16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae (sen'kre-a – aport in Corinth/Greece). 2 So you should welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help. For indeed she has been a benefactor of many—and of me also.
- Paul here has the longest series of greetings to Christians that he has anywhere in the letters, which comes as something of a surprise when we recall that Paul has never visited the Roman Christian church before.
- Phoebe who apparently is the one who is carrying the letter for Paul from Corinth where he was writing to the church in Rome.
- Phoebe was probably a wealthy businessperson who has business in Rome and is therefore traveling that direction and so, of course, a great candidate to carry the letter on behalf of Paul.
- What’s particularly interesting is that Paul calls Phoebe two things: a prostatis (benefactor) (a Greek word) and a diakonos (servant).
- The first one has been translated by some people in the sense of “leader.” This is unlikely, however. The term was widely used in the ancient world to talk about what we would call a “patron” or “patroness.”
- Patronage was a very significant part of the social fabric of the Roman empire.
- Patrons were people who would, by their influence and money, help sponsor the work of others.
- Usually to succeed in that culture meant to find someone who would be a patron and who would help you advance in career or say a good word in the ear of an important person on your behalf. We call this “networking” today, don’t we?
- Phoebe then is described here by Paul as a wealthy Christian woman who is a patroness—that is, one who has used her money and perhaps her influence in the city to advance the cause of Christ.
- How about the word diakonos? The difficulty here is that this word is used in two very different ways throughout the nt. On one hand, it’s often used simply to describe someone who is a servant of Christ or a minister in a very broad sense. In this sense, of course, all Christians are diakonoi; that is, each of us is a servant of Christ called to minister on behalf of the church in certain ways.
- But diakonos was also used in a more technical way, translated in that sense “deacon,” a sort of officer officially recognized as one of the leaders in the early Christian church.
- Is Paul calling Phoebe simply a servant, or is he calling her a deacon?
- Let’s remember that in the early Christian church, deacons were not sort of the top leaders in the local Christian church.
- Those leaders were called “elders.” Deacons served under elders, helping with the financial affairs of the church, occupying themselves in the visitation of the sick, the ill, those who couldn’t get to church, as we see people doing in our day as well. So I think what Paul is saying here is Phoebe, because she is a wealthy woman sponsoring the Christian movement in Corinth (and specifically Cenchrea, the seaport of Corinth that Paul mentions here) is also recognized by the church as a deacon—that is, by someone who has a recognized role in the church under the elders to assist these kinds of ministries.[2]
- In addition to Phoebe in verses 1–2, Paul goes on to greet 25 different Christians by name, mentioning also others like the household of so-and-so or brothers and sisters within a certain house church.[3]
GREETING TO ROMAN CHRISTIANS
3 Give my greetings to Prisca and Aquila, my coworkers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life. Not only do I thank them, but so do all the Gentile churches. 5 Greet also the church that meets in their home. Greet my dear friend Epaenetus (Epi-neet-us), who is the first convert, to Christ from Asia., 6 Greet Mary, who has worked very hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus (and-dron-icus) and Junia, my fellow Jews and fellow prisoners. They are noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles, and they were also in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus (Amp-lea-tus), my dear friend in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our coworker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys (stock-iss). 10 Greet Apelles (apple-less), who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus (air-iss-tob-you-lus). 11 Greet Herodion (hair-rode-ion), my fellow Jew. Greet those who belong to the household of Narcissus (Nar-siss-us) who are in the Lord. 12 Greet Tryphaena (Tri-fin-a) and Tryphosa (Tri-fosa), who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother—and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus (ass-sync-rit-us), Phlegon (Flee-gon), Hermes, Patrobas (Pat-row-bus), Hermas (Her-moss), and the brothers and sisters who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus (Fil-lol-o-gus) and Julia, Nereus (knee-roos) and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
- There are men and women. There are people who are Jewish and people who are Gentile.
- There are people who are from very low social classes (slaves or slaves who had recently gained their freedom) and people who were from fairly high social classes as well.
- In other words, these names give us a kind of window into the early Roman Christian church as a community of Christians that was very diverse with all of the wonderful things that come with that, but also, as we’ve seen in Paul’s argument in Romans, some of the problems that come with that.[4]
- Our equivalent to a hand shake or elbows in a pandemic.
WARNING AGAINST DIVISIVE PEOPLE
17 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them, 18 because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites., They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
- The house churches at this time did not have the Bibles we have today.
- They had the stories of the apostles that were compared and passed along.
- False teachers with agendas and selfish intent were common in the day.
- Sadly, we have Bibles on our phones and the same things is happening today.
- I like to refer to them as penalty flags.
- Can you recognize penalties in teaching as we filter what we read and hear?
PAUL’S GRACIOUS CONCLUSION
19 The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
- Paul believed that Jesus was going to return any day and he lived his life/ministry accordingly.
- A preterist view believes the word “soon” means 70 AD with the destruction of the temple.
- A futurist believes that Jesus is still to come.
21 Timothy, my coworker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater (So-sis-pater), my fellow countrymen, greet you.
22 I, Tertius (Tert-e-us), who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.
- Tertius is the scribe to Paul.
- Papyrus was rare and expensive.
- Scribes were able to write small and efficiently.
GLORY TO GOD
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ,
- Paul’s Gospel was the good news of Jesus Christ.
- The Old Testament prophesied about what was to come and now Jesus has fulfilled this prophecy.
- Once again, Paul is confirming his ministry and calling to the Gentiles.
- Obedience is equivalent to hearing.
[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 15:22-33). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[3] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[4] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 16:1–27). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
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