About 8 years ago, when blogging was my main ministry focus, I would on Wednesday mornings publish a post at a site that invited women to share one of their posts on an announced topic. This gave my ministry more exposure, and I loved doing that because it also gave me an opportunity to read other ladies’ blogs, comment on them and encourage them in their ministries. I have not been to that site in years, but a few mornings ago, on a whim, as I made final preps to be with you today, I went to that site. It has changed dramatically. The author of the site is now a Dave Ramsey-approved financial planner, who uses her web address to solicit clientele. Just another example of how God leads us in directions we did not expect, I would suppose. But, more to the point, one of those topics announced and to which I contributed years ago was “friendship”, and I thought about that as I read Romans 16:1-16. We find ourselves at the end of the wonderful book of Romans. I hope my personal study of it has blessed you over these past four and a half months. Today's teaching will bring us to the final installment in this series.
In these sixteen verses, Paul sends "holy hugs" to those people of the Roman house-churches whom he knows most well. Some of them were in prison with him (vs.7). He lived with some as a houseguest (vs. 3) for some time. One was a mother-figure to him (vs. 13). And on and on.
But, the common characteristic all these folks share is that they not only profess a love for Yeshua HaMashiach, but they are "pulling on the same team" with Paul. They all have the same focus. Most are commended for hard work and personal sacrifice for the sake of the spreading of the gospel.
All this reminds me of some of my far-flung friends in ministry, whose hearts are knit to mine. Here are a few to whom I'd like to give holy hugs this morning, since I can't give them one in person.
Omar Yanẽz, missionary to Peru
Teresa McMillan - - YWAM missionary, headquartered in Hawaii, but missionary to nearly every country of the world.
Sandy Shoshani and the dedicated women of Be’ad Chaim, in Israel - - a pro-life outreach to pregnant women in crisis
John J. Parsons, of Hebrew for Christians
Mark Prasek, of Patriot Journalist Network (PJNET)
Joe and Debbie Good, of Hatikvah Ministries
Ryan White, Faith of Messiah Ministries
Like Paul's list, this is my partial "list of stars". But, you know, we can all be shining stars for the Savior. These on Paul's list were merely doing what they had been called to do.
Take Phoebe, for instance, who is mentioned in Scripture only here. In some translations, she is described as a deaconess of the ecclesia at Cenchrea. Therefore, Romans 16:1-2 is used by some to argue that churches should have female deacons or elders. Here are those verses from TAW:
1 Now I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly in Chenchrea.
2 That you should receive her in our Master, as is righteous for the set-apart ones; and that you may assist her in every matter she may ask of you: because she also has been helpful to man, and to me.
The Greek word “diakonos”, from which we derive the English word “deacon” actually means “servant”, and that is how it is translated here in TAW. The name Phoebe means “bright and radiant”. From Paul’s commendations about her, it seems her testimony lived up to her name. As has already been mentioned, it is believed that Phoebe delivered the letter to the Roman ecclesia, and that this is why Paul was admonishing the assembly to receive her “in our Master”.
She was from a seaport called Chenchrea, which was about 8 or 9 miles from Corinth.
Regardless of how you believe about whether she was regarded as a deacon, let's not argue about it. What is in a title, after all? If you want to be a "deaconess", Gals, then serve like one! Phoebe had a servant’s heart. The Lord Yeshua's "well done" can't be matched by any earthly title anyway. It is He you serve, and His commendations alone you should seek. All else is merely fleshly pride, in my book; and I know, because I am so susceptible to it.
Next in this chapter, Paul sends a series of “greetings”, as the word is translated in several translations of Scripture. But, in TAW, it is translated as “shalom”. Look at verses 3, 4 and 5a, as an example of this:
3 Send shalom to Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow-laborers in Yeshua the Mashiyach;
4 Who, for my soul, risked their own necks; and to whom I am not only grateful, but also all the assemblies of the Gentiles.
5a And send shalom to the assembly which is in their house.
AGR has a footnote about this “send shalom”. Sometimes, the Aramaic word is rendered as “salute”, which conjures up some comical images, doesn’t it? But, the Aramaic actually reads as “shalo b’shlama” which menas “send through peace”. This carries more significance than a mere “shalom”, which can mean “hello”, “good-bye” OR “peace to you”. This greater significance is achieved because the actual Aramaic conveys that both the sender and the receiver extend and participate in the blessings and prosperity of each other, both spiritual and material.
Now, about Priscilla and Aquila. They were not “in full-time ministry”, but they were super-stars. Paul says in verse four that they get much credit for the spread of the gospel among the Gentiles and that ALL (a powerful word) the assemblies of the Gentiles are indebted to them.
Here’s what we know about them, from the Scriptures. This remarkable couple had come to the city of Corinth from Italy, as victims of Roman persecution. They were not persecuted there for being followers of Yeshua, but because Aquila was Jewish. See, the emperor of Rome at the time, a dude named Claudius, had expelled all the Jews from Rome. Aquila must have deduced that no part of Italy was safe from Roman persecution, and so the pair came to Corinth. They had great skill as tent-makers, a trade that “could travel”. In other words, their trade would serve them well just about anywhere in that part of the world. Paul, likewise, had skills as a tent-maker; so, when he arrived at Corinth, he hooked up with this godly couple, shared the gospel with them, witnessed their conversion, and stayed/worked with them for a year and a half as he founded the Corinthian ecclesia.
At the conclusion of Paul’s time in Corinth, he left for the city of Ephesus. And, guess who he took along with him? That’s right, P and A. They all just “folded their tents”, lol, horrible pun, pulled up stakes (another horrible pun) and left out together. There, according to 1 Cor. 16:19, the couple stayed in that city after Paul left and they then established a small congregation in their home. Later on, the couple was instrumental in the ministry of another Brit Chadasha luminary, Apollos. According to Acts 18:24-26, Apollos came through their town, preaching about the baptism John the Baptism advocated. He knew about Yeshua, but had not heard the whole story. In other words, he did not know the significance of Yeshua’s death, burial and resurrection, or about the coming of the Ruach haKodesh, OR about the new work Father Yahweh had been doing to bring Gentiles into the kingdom. So, P and A took him aside and with their in-depth understanding of doctrine, learned at the feet of Paul, were able to pass this teaching on to Apollos. It is believed by many Bible scholars that Apollos was actually the writer of the book of Hebrews. If that is actually so, then P and A were instrumental in the giving of that wonderful book to us. At the very least, they were instrumental in transforming Apollos’ ministry.
I love the example of P and A, in hospitality, in building up others in the faith, in knowledge of doctrine, and in faithfulness! The last mention we have of them is in Paul’s last letter, that to Timothy. In 2 Timothy 4:19, we find that young Timothy was pastoring the church at Ephesus, and there are P and A, still, faithfully ministering to the Bride of Messiah.
This past weekend my pastor was preaching on the topic of going and sharing the gospel. Well, P and A did both. They fled persecution, settled in one town, and for the sake of the gospel traveled to another city to plant a church, and then stayed there, faithfully ministering. They are truly “heroes of the faith”.
Let’s see who else Paul is going to “send shalom” to. Verse 5b - -
Greet my beloved Epenetus, who was the first-fruits of Achaia in Mashiyah.
Achaia is another name for Asia. It is believed that this man, Epenetus, was an early convert, whose name means “praised”. Other than that, little other definitive information is given. At one point, he lived in Rome, obviously, but some theologians believe he was one of the 70 disciples, sent-out ones, mentioned in the book of Luke, and that he eventually became the head of the congregation at Carthage.
Verses 6 and 7:
6 Send shalom to Maryam who has toiled much with you.
7 Send shalom to Andronicus and Junia, my relatives, who were in captivity with me and are known among the Apostles and were in Mashiyach before me.
Verse 6 introduces us to “Maryam” (same as Miriam or Mary, a very common name in that day and era). Little else is known about her, other than that she was a dedicated worker in that Roman ecclesia.
In verse 7, we are introduced to Andronicus and Junia, Paul’s relatives. We are not told exactly how they were related, but what is curious is that even though they were related to Paul and were apparently Jewish, they came to know Mashiyach before Paul did. They were also imprisoned with Paul, at some point.
There has been lot of speculation about 1) whether Junia was a female or a male, as by the fourth century it was being taught that her name was actually Junias, a male version of the name. That sounds awfully convenient to me, however, an easy way to weasel out of the second point of speculation, which is... 2) that Junia was an apostle. The wording here in the Aramaic places them as “among the Apostles”, or members of the group of Apostles, which, if Junia was feminine would mean she was the only female “apostle” mentioned in the entire Bible. There has been much disagreement as to whether or not these two were “among” the apostles or “known to” the apostles, probably because of the gender of Junia. Of course, we are not talking about “the 12”. However, remember that it was during the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus made his final selection of the 12, from among a larger group, and it is possible these two could have been part of this larger group. There is no mention of them in any extra-biblical writings, but they were obviously very important figures in the early groups of believers, both in Jerusalem and in Rome.
Verse 8 mentions Amplias, or in some versions, Ampliatus. While Scripture gives us no additional information, it is believed he was another of “the 70” mentioned in the book of Luke, one who scattered from Jerusalem because of persecution and ended up at some point in Rome. The name was common in Rome during the first century, but some believe this man served with the Apostle Andrew and that he died a martyr’s death.
Verse 9 mentions Urbanus and Stachys. As is the case with many of these mentioned not much is known about Urbanus. His name indicates he might have been more of a city-dweller. Otherwise, he’d have been known as “Ruralus”. Just kidding...But, his name does indicate he was likely a Gentile and maybe a slave or former slave. Stachys’ name means, in Greek, “ear of corn”, which is curious. Tradition of the early Christian church associates him with five other apostolic leaders: Amplias, Urban of Macedonia, Apelles of Heraklion, Aristobulus of Britannia, and Narcissus of Athens.
Tradition also states that Stachys was ordained the first Bishop of Byzantium, which later became Constantinople.
Verse 10 mentions Apelles and Aristobulus, whose name is very fun to say. Again, according to tradition, Apelles was another of “the 70” of Luke 10. Let’s stop for a moment and review who these “70 talmudim/disciples” were. Keep your place in Romans 16, but turn with me to Luke 10 for a moment......At the beginning of that chapter, Yeshua commissioned and sent out these men in pairs. Their mission was to prepare the way for Yeshua to later visit those places by preaching the message of the kingdom of God being at hand, much like the message of John the Baptist. They could not preach the full gospel because Yeshua’s passion week had not been completed. Verse 17 of Luke 10 reports that these 70 (or 72, depending on the manuscript you are translating from) whom he had sent out returned with great joy, exclaiming about the miracles they had been able to perform. Yeshua cautioned them against spiritual pride, and emphasized what they should rejoice in was that their names are written in heaven. So, that is who this group was, and so many of these 70 are named here in Romans 16, because they eventually made their way to Rome. I daresay most of them ended up leading congregations all over the MIddle East and Asia and possibly as far as Western Europe, and that many of them were martyred. I’ll bet someone has written a book on these 70, but I have no knowledge of that, and it would be based largely on early Church tradition, were that the case. The Eastern Orthodox Church refers to all 70 (72) as “apostles” and the Western Roman Church as “disciples”, which I think is a less-confusing term.
At any rate, back to Romans 16:10. There are several Aristobuluses mentioned in Scripture. This one, who, again, was named by Christian tradition as being “one of the 70”, is believed to have been a companion with Paul on his missionary journeys. Some say he was the brother of Barnabas. It is also believed that he took the gospel message to Spain and to Britain.
As our parade of Brit Chadasha heroes in the Roman congregation continues, we encounter in verse 11 Herodion, another relative of Paul’s. He is somehow associated with the “house of Narcissus”. Herodion here was a proper name, not a name applied to the group of people of the first century known as “the Herodians”, who were rebels against King Herod Antipas. This verse has caused some scholars to wonder if the apostle Paul was related to King Herod Agrippa. Josephus, the first century Jewish historian, is one who makes such a claim. And, with this verse where Paul calls this believer named Herodion a “kinsman” (sungenes, in Greek, which usually means “a blood relative”), that certainly seems feasible.
Verse 12 mentions two women who some bible scholars believe to be twins, Tryphena and Tryphosa, since they are mentioned together and their names are similar. Their names mean “dainty” or “delicate” in the original language. Also highlighted in verse 12 was Persis, also a female, called beloved by Paul.
Verses 13 through 15 send shalom to: Rufus, Rufus’ mother (who was like a second mother to Paul), Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, Philologus, Julia, Nereus, Nereus’ sister, and Olympas.
There are two mentions of the name Rufus in the Brit Chadasha. One is in the gospels, Mark 15:21, where the man who was forced to carry Yeshua’s cross, Simon of Cyrene, is identified there as the father of Rufus and Alexander. The other mention is here in Romans 16:13. Are they the same person? Some say “no”, that you can’t conclude that. However, Mark most likely wrote his gospel in Rome, and he would have referenced people the Romans would have known. They might not have recognized the name “Simon of Cyrene”, but they would have known Rufus, perhaps. And, then, we have this Rufus showing up here in the letter to the Romans, a man who apparently lived in Rome at the time Romans was written. So, I’d say it is at least possible these two were one and the same.
From GotQuestions.org - - - “We can only imagine the great impact that carrying Jesus’ cross had on Simon of Cyrene. Did Jesus speak to Simon on that agonizing journey to Golgotha (Matthew 27:32–33)? Did Simon know whose cross he carried, and did he go home and tell his wife and sons what had happened? As part of His divine plan, God chose a man named Simon to encounter Jesus only hours before He died in order to bring salvation to Simon’s household (see Isaiah 46:11). We can only speculate about the details that followed, but we do know that, at some point, Rufus and his mother became Christians and were part of the church at Rome. Rufus and his brother, Alexander, were apparently well-known in the church, or Mark would not have mentioned them. And Rufus and his mother must have been quite active in ministry, based on Paul’s specific greeting to them.”
Allright, I am almost out of time, certainly not enough time to go over each of the other names in the preceding set of verses. AGR has a footnote on this list of about 28 leaders in the Roman Church. It’s #154 and says this:
“Following the discussion in Romans 15:20, paul hee has listed more than two dozen assembly leaders from Rome...and Peter, whom Paul knew personally, never made this list! Such would seem very much at odds with Roman Catholic tradition that puts Peter as “pope” from 41-66 CE, and much of that time has Peter more than five hundred miles away from that city.”
Things that make you go, “Hmmmmm....”
Well, brothers and sisters, no matter where or how you serve Elohim, build each other up in the faith today and pray "like there is no tomorrow", because...who knows? The Lord Himself may descend from Heaven with a shout today! And, even if He does not, we are not promised the next "tomorrow". "Work while it is yet day...." (John 9:4)
At the end of Romans, his letter to a healthy church, Paul gives one last warning.
You know how it is in real life. As you are leaving, you reiterate the most important points:
"Make sure you turn off the iron!" (I never iron, but I have come home from an evening meeting to find I had left the oven burner on, smh...)
"Get your chores done!"
"Be safe!"
"I love you!"
So, what does Paul say in his last words to the Roman church?
He tells them to watch out for the church snakes. No, I’m not referring to those sects of Christianity that handle live snakes. The ones I’m referring to here are much more dangerous than those. Look at verses 17-20:
17 Now I plead with you, my brothers, to beware of them who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned: and that you keep away from them.
18 For they who are like this do not serve our Master Yeshua the Mashiyach, but thier own belly: and by sweet words and with blessings, they deceive the hearts of the simple.
19 But your obedience is known to everyone. I therefore rejoice in you: and I would have you be wise in what is good, and blameless in that which is evil.
20 And the Elohim of peace will soon crush satan under your feet. The grace of our Master Yeshua the Mashiyach be with you.
This is how snakes behave. They see you, and immediately come up to you, extend a hand (as if they had hands!), and say, "Good to meet ya, Bro!" HAHA, NO! Snakes don't behave this way. In fact, if you aren't watchful, you are upon one before you even know it, and it has bitten you on the leg. They flatter you, and then they lie in wait; if they perceive you to be a threat, they strike out. Behind the scenes, they murmur, sow discord, create divisions, devise obstacles, obscure and frustrate true doctrine. Their favorite target is the young in the faith, the untaught and naive. Those are their slithery, wily ways.
The unbelieving world has this expectation (it fits their favorite narrative) that all people who go to a God-fearing, Bible-preaching congregation (or any other "Christian" church, for that matter) are actually true believers in Yeshua the Mashiach, the Son of God! Not so. Going to church does not make you a lover of Elohim any more than going to Burger King makes you a Whopper (paraphrased from Keith Green, among others). In most every ecclesia, you have numerous true believers - - they believe it and live like it. There are also many CINOs in most every church (Christians in Name Only). In addition, there is a "whole 'nuther" group of actual believers, deceived, who are living in carnality, living according to the flesh, allowing themselves to be used by the Devil to carry out snake-ish maneuvers.
Keep in mind - - - Paul is not describing "the unchurched" or "the unbelieving world" or "the scoffers" here! Frightening, isn't it? It is to me. Unfortunately, some of Satan's most potent tools are people who wear the garb of a follower of Yeshua, then act anything but. It's all part of the warfare, Y'all.
What should be our response to these folks in our midst?
First, as Paul admonishes us here, we should be watchful and wise in our assessment of others in our congregations.
So far, so good. We can usually get this far. After that, it breaks down.
Every situation is different, requiring discernment and a tailored approach. But generally we really do a very poor job of getting to the root of the problem and getting it fixed. Because of this, we see these results:
church splits
pastors being "run off"
members leave ("the church dance" - - pirouetting from one church to another)
etc.
Ugly, Ugggggllleeee! And, what does "the world" think then? They think that our gospel is a bunch of hooey; that's what!
I tell you truly....if the Church would earnestly practice these next 3 verses, the world would be transformed. (These verses are not from TAW.)
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.
32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31-32
23 So, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you,
24 Leave your gift there before the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Matthew 5:23-24
15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.
Matthew 18:15-17
Ok, so, that last one is a harsh remedy; but truly, it rarely ever gets to that last point, if we shed our pride and commit to doing the processes that come before it!
See, the obstacle to reconciliation and peace in the church is pride. The "snakes" slither around and do what they do because they are puffed up with pride, and the faithful fail to address situations correctly, because even they are afflicted with it too. Pride makes us "stuff things down" until an explosion is imminent. And, when that explosion occurs, there are almost always unintended consequences. Muck and mire fly all over, soiling the guilty as well as the innocent...
Nobody ever said this life of walking by faith, practicing humility and love, imitating Yeshua haMashiach would be easy. Instead, we were promised that the very nature of the gospel would be divisive - - - to divide the believing from the unbelieving, not to divide the faithful from each other. (Matt. 10:35-38)
We serve a God of peace, not a god of discord. This is why in Romans 16:20 Paul reminds them that the peace of God is the antidote to sinful pride and that His supernatural peace will crush Satan every single time we put it on as an offensive weapon. (Ephesians 6:15)
There are two more things I want to highlight as we close this marvelous book of Scripture. The first is that the letter was handwritten by a scribe named Tertius. Either the apostle Paul dictated the letter, because of his eyesight limitations, or it was translated by Tertius from the original.
The second thing is this beautiful benediction in verses 24-27. Let’s read those verses.
24 Now to Elohim, who is able to establish you according to my Good News, which is proclaimed concerning Yeshua the Mashiyach; and according to the revelation of the mystery, which was hidden from the times of the ages,
25 But is at this time revealed by means of the Scriptures of the prophets; and by the command of the eternal Elohim is made known to all the Gentiles for the obedience of faith;
26 Who alone is wise, be glory, through Yeshua the Mashiyach, forever and ever: Amen.
27 The grace of our Master Yeshua the Mashiyach be with all of you: AMEN.
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