Romans 16:1-16
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
5 Greet also the church that meets at their house.
Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.
10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.
Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus.
11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.
Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.
13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.
15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.
Paul has written this letter while in Corinth and has entrusted it to Phoebe to take to Rome. He is introducing her to the churches there and authenticating the letter by telling of her qualifications and identifying all the people he knows in the churches in Rome to validate that this isn't a counterfeit letter but indeed is from him and thus can be treated as God's word. Like a geneology which on the surface seems like something that can be skipped over, this passage can teach us a lot and I see 3 things I'd like to bring out.
First, the diversity. We see slaves, royal families, gentiles, Jews, Asians, Italians, famous people, ex-prisoners, singles, married people, young, old, men, women all bonded together by one thing - their salvation by Jesus Christ. I was just on a cruise and asked someone what language they were speaking and they said Polish. Imagine them being on that cruise and as they were walking among 6000 people, they heard someone else speaking Polish. How exciting that would be. I'm sure they would go right up to that person and instantly become best friends even though back home if they met they probably would never become friends. Why? Because in a world of strangers, suddenly that one common bond of communicating, understanding each other becomes the only thing that matters. We as Christians have a common understanding and worldview that when we meet another Christian, it is so enjoyable, as citizens of the same "country" to communicate because they "get" us.
Secondly, although he had not yet visited Rome, Paul names 24 individuals, 17 men and 7 women, along with unnamed households as a "roster" of choice Christians he knew and with whom he had worked. Could you do that? I attend a church of 2000 with 70 in the Sunday School class I teach and I'm not sure I could do that. How could he do that? I can think of two reasons. One, he probably prayed continuously for people by name. Am I laboring in prayer for the people in my Sunday School class? Am I praying through the pictorial church directory? (That is how easy it is today) Secondly, he labored with these people. They worked alongside each other for the sake of the gospel. We are lucky if we can get someone to go out with us for lunch after church much less going with us witnessing, visiting, serving. When you labor with someone you get to know them. Are we too involved with our lives and our family's lives that we are relatively unconcerned for others?
Lastly, I noticed the strangest thing; none of these people did anything for the Lord. They didn't receive people, work for people, love people, etc. Wait a second, you might say. In this passage it says they did all that stuff. No, in this passage it doesn't say they did those things "for" the Lord. In this passage it says they did those things "in" the Lord and that's a big difference. Abraham and Sarah did something for the Lord and they had Ishmael. The sons of Sceva cast out demons for the Lord and got beat up. When we get saved we receive the Holy Spirit. He operates inside us and our works become through Christ or "in"Christ. They happen through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit and we bear real fruit not fake fruit. God gets the glory not us. We accomplish things in Christ that are for His glory not ours.
Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit today. May He increase and I decrease. May You get the glory for anything accomplished in me. And may I have a genuine love and compassion for people today. Amen
Paul has written this letter while in Corinth and has entrusted it to Phoebe to take to Rome. He is introducing her to the churches there and authenticating the letter by telling of her qualifications and identifying all the people he knows in the churches in Rome to validate that this isn't a counterfeit letter but indeed is from him and thus can be treated as God's word. Like a geneology which on the surface seems like something that can be skipped over, this passage can teach us a lot and I see 3 things I'd like to bring out.
First, the diversity. We see slaves, royal families, gentiles, Jews, Asians, Italians, famous people, ex-prisoners, singles, married people, young, old, men, women all bonded together by one thing - their salvation by Jesus Christ. I was just on a cruise and asked someone what language they were speaking and they said Polish. Imagine them being on that cruise and as they were walking among 6000 people, they heard someone else speaking Polish. How exciting that would be. I'm sure they would go right up to that person and instantly become best friends even though back home if they met they probably would never become friends. Why? Because in a world of strangers, suddenly that one common bond of communicating, understanding each other becomes the only thing that matters. We as Christians have a common understanding and worldview that when we meet another Christian, it is so enjoyable, as citizens of the same "country" to communicate because they "get" us.
Secondly, although he had not yet visited Rome, Paul names 24 individuals, 17 men and 7 women, along with unnamed households as a "roster" of choice Christians he knew and with whom he had worked. Could you do that? I attend a church of 2000 with 70 in the Sunday School class I teach and I'm not sure I could do that. How could he do that? I can think of two reasons. One, he probably prayed continuously for people by name. Am I laboring in prayer for the people in my Sunday School class? Am I praying through the pictorial church directory? (That is how easy it is today) Secondly, he labored with these people. They worked alongside each other for the sake of the gospel. We are lucky if we can get someone to go out with us for lunch after church much less going with us witnessing, visiting, serving. When you labor with someone you get to know them. Are we too involved with our lives and our family's lives that we are relatively unconcerned for others?
Lastly, I noticed the strangest thing; none of these people did anything for the Lord. They didn't receive people, work for people, love people, etc. Wait a second, you might say. In this passage it says they did all that stuff. No, in this passage it doesn't say they did those things "for" the Lord. In this passage it says they did those things "in" the Lord and that's a big difference. Abraham and Sarah did something for the Lord and they had Ishmael. The sons of Sceva cast out demons for the Lord and got beat up. When we get saved we receive the Holy Spirit. He operates inside us and our works become through Christ or "in"Christ. They happen through the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit and we bear real fruit not fake fruit. God gets the glory not us. We accomplish things in Christ that are for His glory not ours.
Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit today. May He increase and I decrease. May You get the glory for anything accomplished in me. And may I have a genuine love and compassion for people today. Amen
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