Romans 16

Posted on Jul 5, 2017 in Bible (NT) in a Year |

Wednesday

Read: Romans 16

Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. (vs 17)

Paul beings this last chapter with greetings for his friends and fellow worker in Christ. How cool would it be to have your name recorded in the bible, to have generations that follow, know your name and know your love of the Lord. The lesson here is to live your life so that people will remember the good things that you have done.

Paul also mentions Priscilla and Aquila, you can find their story in Acts 18. Paul talks about “the church that meets in their house.” This helps us understand a little bit about how the early church was organized. Within a city where there were Christian communities, there would be several “congregations” meeting in different houses. Each house would have its own “pastor.” Much like the way Christianity moved across America when it was being settled. This method is still being used today to plant new churches in areas where there are no church buildings. It is also the basis for small groups that meet in church member homes.

Christianity is connectional and relational. We need the support and encouragement from others. It is so difficult to grow and mature as a Christian without this help, the early church recognized the need to meet on a regular basis and we should do no less.

I love what Charles Spurgeon had to say about these special greetings from Paul in his commentary to Romans.

 “They were like the most of us, commonplace individuals; but they loved the Lord, and therefore as Paul recollected their names he sent them a message of love which has become embalmed in the Holy Scriptures. Do not let us think of the distinguished Christians exclusively so as to forget the rank and file of the Lord’s army. Do not let the eye rest exclusively upon the front rank, but let us love all whom Christ loves; let us value all Christ’s servants. It is better to be God’s dog than to be the devil’s darling.”

This reminds me of Psalm 84:10, “I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked.” Puts who we are and the work that we do in its proper place.  Yes, it is good to recognize the work that others are doing but what is more important is the work  that they are doing, the work that we continue to do. How we continue to honor and glorify God by sharing His message with those who need to hear it.
 
Paul once again cautions them to be wary of people who try to cause divisions within the church (vs 17). This is a constant battle that we are engaged in, even today. Sometimes it is easy for someone to take something from the scriptures and twist it around to mean something different than what was written, and if you don’t know your Bible well enough, things can get turned around. That is why we need to study our Bible daily and why we need to find a church family that speaks only the truth. 
 

Paul concludes his letter with a benediction that stress what this letter has been about from beginning to end, telling about the greatness and the glory of God’s plan for salvation. This is the good news.

Grace and Peace

Pastor Kathy