Caring For The Family Series

We have finally reached the last chapter in our Sermon Series on the book of Romans. We started it on 23 May 2021 and it has taken us 9 months.

• By now I hope we have a clearer understanding of Romans, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the salvation that God has provided for us.

Let’s turn to Romans 16. This last chapter can be divided into these segments:

• GREETINGS TO the brothers and sisters at Rome (1-16),

• PARTING COUNSEL to the church (17-19) and then

• GREETINGS FROM the brothers who were with him in Corinth (21-24)

• DOXOLOGY – giving glory to the all-wise God who has revealed to us the Gospel.

This letter is to be taken to Rome by sis Phoebe, likely a travelling businesswoman…

Romans 16:1-16

1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae [Send Cre er] [seaport East of Corinth], 2that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

3Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5Greet also the church in their house.

If you remember, we read about Priscilla and Aquilla in the book of Acts.

• Paul met them in Corinth and worked with them as tentmakers (Acts 18:1-3).

• Later they went with Paul to Ephesus and served there for some time, helping a brother Apollos know the Word of God more accurately (Acts 18:26).

• The couple is now back in Rome.

… Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8Greet Ampliatus [Empire tus], my beloved in the Lord. 9Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon [Fer li gon], Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15Greet Philologus [Fer law logus], Julia, Nereus [Ni rus] and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

“All the churches” likely refers to the churches whose reps are now with Paul in Corinth, preparing to take the donations they have collected to Jerusalem.

• Paul mentioned this in Rom 15:25-26 “25At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. 26For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem.” [cf. Acts 20:4]

HIS CARE FOR THE FAMILY

Paul greeted his brothers and sisters in Rome, his spiritual family.

• Paul greeted a list of 26 individuals, 24 named and 2 unnamed, Rufus’ mother (13) and Nereus’ sister (15); 17 men and 9 women.

• He greeted TWO households when he addressed “the family of” (10,11) and at least THREE house churches – the church that meets at Priscilla and Aquilla’s house (5), “the brothers who are with them” (14) and “all the saints who are with them” (15).

• We see Paul’s deep concern for people. This is something we can learn.

Among those named, we have his fellow workers (3,9), his “beloved” (5,8,9,12), his kinsmen (7,11), his first convert (5) and one who has been like a mother to him (13).

• He was close to many of them, calling FOUR of them his “beloved” (5,8,9,12).

• Paul has not been to Rome, so these are the people he has met, or worked with or heard about, at different times of his travelling ministry.

• But he remembers them and knows that they are now in Rome.

Isn’t this amazing? The list is long – the longest in all his epistles [e pis sir] but Paul made it a point to address many of them personally.

• Although he has been on the move most of the time and staying at different places, usually for a short time – the longest being in Ephesus for 3 years (Acts 20:31) – Paul remembers the people he met and served with.