The Good-bye!

Paul has said his goodbyes and completed his letter to the Roman church. I have also completed my blog on Roman’s Bible study, but I am yet to say good-bye! Hence this short note!

I thank all my readers for patiently reading through my blogs on Romans and for having encouraged me with your readership, which provided me with lot of psychological support. I am indebted to you for it.

I am grateful to the Lord for letting me start and complete this project, which was very dear to my heart. I started it as a Bible study for my Neighborhood Fellowship Group of Koramangala Methodist Church, where I worship. Then crystallized it as a weekly blog. Praise God for His continued encouragement and personal support, without which I could never have written and completed it. All glory to him alone.

I will close this blog for now, till I start a new project!

Till then, good bye and God bless you and make His face shine upon you and give you peace. 

Final Exhortation, Greetings and Doxology

Paul has come to the very end of his epistle to the church in Rome and he addresses his final word of caution, warning and exhortation, along with his final greetings before ending it all with a beautiful doxology. To this, Romans 16:17-27, we will turn now in this last blog on Romans.

Warning from Paul comes regarding the trouble-makers, who try to cause divisions in the church in the name of Judaism or any other such legalism. Such people unnecessarily put obstacles in the path of Gentile people to come to the Lord, the Universal God, who sent His Son Jesus to die for the sins of everyone.

Jesus himself cautioned against such people of his time in his discourses. He was referring to the Pharisees and Sadducees and the teachers of the Law. He called them hypocrites, blind guides, snakes and broods of vipers! Matthew 23:13-33. He accused them for travelling land and sea to win converts and then burdening them with man-made rules, which they themselves were not ready to adhere to.

It could be the requirement of circumcision or keeping up the food-code of Moses’ law or Jews eating separately from the Gentiles and so on, which were all Paul's concern and he warns against such Judaizers in his other epistles too. Such miscreants give emphasis on differences between the two and not look for unifying factors in Christ’s message.

We see in in today’s church too. Churches are divided on small and peripheral issues, as whether women should cover their heads or not during worship; whether women can preach in the church or not; whether one gets the front seat and acclamation in front of the congregation or not and so on and so forth. People love positions in the church and the perks that accompany these than selfless service.

We need to concentrate on the core issues of repentance, forgiveness of sins, love for one another and serving the Lord self-sacrificially. All else is not important and are only marginal in importance. They would only divide us.

Paul exhorts the Roman church to stick to the teachings by the Apostles and the first church and to keep away from such trouble-makers. He accuses such people as serving their own appetites and not Christ. Such appetites could be greed for money and luxurious living or emotionally to be on the high, riding on applause and acclamation of the others and importance.

Such people could by smooth talk and by flattery win over gullible church members by deceiving their minds and hearts. We need to be careful of such people even today. There are prosperity-gospel evangelists, who are attractive in their talks and promises, that people get carried away and fall a pray to them. Such deceivers scourge on people and become rich themselves.

The believers in the Roman church, Paul exclaims, are cleverer than to fall for such gimmicks. They are obedient to the truth and so Paul is joyful over them and their conduct. He advises them to be wise about good things, so as to adopt them and innocent about what is evil, so as to ignore and avoid them. He was confident that Roman Christians could handle it.

Didn’t Jesus say something similar? Or was Paul adopting what Jesus said? As he sent his disciples two by two to preach the good news, Jesus said, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” Matthew 10:16.

In today’s world this will apply to us believers and Christians, to live a life uncontaminated by the vices that we see in the world. We need to study the Word and be thoroughly filled with it, so that we know what is right and what is not and could avoid pitfalls.

This section on exhortation, Paul finishes by saying, let God of peace soon crush Satan under their feet. That is to say that God will crush evil people and Satan who is their mentor, under their feet, in their relentless faith and belief in what the church of Christ has taught. He further desires that the grace of the Lord Jesus to be with them.

Remember what God Almighty promised in the Garden of Eden, while punishing the serpent and his master Satan, in Genesis 3:15? The promise was ‘the Seed’ will crush Satan’s head. Christ on the cross accomplished this crushing of the enemy, Satan, and now it is for us to see him crushed under our feet, by His grace and with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Next Paul turns to send greetings to the Roman church from his friends and fellow-workers. Timothy comes first in the list. He had traveled with Paul during his second missionary journey, Acts 16:1-3. He was Paul’s right-hand man, whom he was shaping to succeed him, after his death, for with this in view Paul had written two epistles to Timothy.

Lucius seems to be from Cyrene and he was a pillar to the church at Antioch. Acts 13:1. Jason, was the one who extended hospitality to Paul at Thessaloniki. Acts 17:5-9, and suffered at the hands of the mob. Sosipater could be Sopater of Berea, who took the share of his church in the collections to Jerusalem along with Paul. Acts 20:4. 

Tertius was the one who wrote this letter and he now greets the Roman church. Paul used to dictate some of his letters, to someone who served as a secretary or a penman to him. In all such cases the last few words or blessing would be written by Paul’s own hands, to prove the authenticity of these letters. 1 Corinthians 16:21; Colossians 4:18; 2 Thessalonians 3:17.  

Gaius was whom Paul had baptized at Corinth. 1 Corinthians 1:14. He had traveled with Paul from Macedonia To Ephesus, Acts 19:29. At Corinth Paul might have been staying with Gaius and the church was meeting at his place.

Erastus was the city’s director of public works, and he sent his greetings. He could have been the local municipal officer in charge of public works and it shows that government officers and officials were already touched by the Lord and were members of the local churches. Quartus is the last name mentioned in this list.

Now comes the doxology, the praise of God, expressed in a liturgical manner. Paul praises God, who is able to establish his readers in the truth by the gospel declared by Paul and the proclamation of Jesus Christ. Here Paul reckons God as someone who is able to establish the believers in the truth, so that human frailty will not break under the attack from satanic forces or any trouble-makers. No one can pluck them away from the Lord Jesus! This was the prayer of Jesus when he made that famous prayer for his disciples. John 17:11-12.  

The proclamation of Jesus Christ was according to the revelations of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known by the command of the eternal God. Every prophet starting from Moses down the line had prophesied about the Messiah, the Savior of human beings, the Christ. Isn’t this what Jesus made clear to the disciples who walked to Emmaus after his resurrection? Luke 24:25-27.

What is this mystery that had been hidden for ages and now revealed? The mystery that salvation is to come to the Gentiles also through Jesus Christ, who was born a Jew. God had opened the way of saving the crown of His creations, the human beings, whether they were Jews or Gentiles, so that each one of them could become the child of God and inherit eternal life.

It is this secret that was entrusted to ministers like Paul. 1 Corinthians 4:1. People living in Paul’s time and now are fortunate in that what prophets for ages had longed to see, the people who lived when Jesus lived on earth were able to see. Matthew 13:17.

And we in today’s world are able to apprehend the truth of proclamation of Christ and trust Him, though we do not see Him. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” John 20:29. Are we not fortunate? Praise be to God, who made this possible!

The purpose of God revealing this mystery now is so that all nations might believe in and obey God through Jesus Christ, who is the way and the life and the truth. John 14:6.

Christianity is not only for Christians or Jews, but it is universal, for the One True God had commanded so. Every Christian needs to keep this in mind for this is the central truth in the very history of mankind. Christ’s gospel is the consummation of all history. And our purpose in life is to believe in such a gospel and proclaim it to the others as well.

To such a God, who is the only wise God, Paul says, be all glory for ever through Jesus Christ. So be it.   

Amen.

Commendations and Greetings!

Paul, our hero, has come almost to the end of his letter to the Roman church. Now is the time to say farewell, extend greetings and also recommendations for his fellow-workers in Christ. That is what Paul does in chapter 16, which we will consider today.

The first name Paul mentions in his series of commendations and greetings is Phoebe. He actually commends Phoebe to the church of Rome, as a sister from the church in Cenchrea. Phoebe could have been from a pagan background as her name stands for a goddess. Now she is a sister in Christ, of the household of faith. Cenchrea was the port in Corinth, some 6 miles from the city centre.

Paul also calls her a servant of the church; in Greek, servant meant both a helper and a deaconess. She might have been a wealthy person, who helped Paul in his ministry.

Phoebe might have carried the letter of Paul to Rome, as he commends her as a saint worthy of help and hospitality from Romans church. It is an attestation of her character and helpful nature, not only to Paul but to many in the church. That a woman was prominent enough in the church through whom Paul would entrust his letters to Romans, indicate women held positions of esteem in the early church.

The next in Paul’s list of greetings are Priscilla and Aquila, the well-known Jewish-Christian couple in the New Testament. They were expelled from Rome, along with the other Jews, by the Emperor Claudius in 52 AD. Acts 18:2-3. Once the edict expired they went back to Rome and stayed there.

Aquila, the husband was from Pontus, in Asia Minor.  and they were tent-makers like Paul. Every Jew had to learn a trade to earn their livelihood. This couple and Paul made tents, which were bought by the Roman army to house the soldiers on camp.

The couple had gone to Corinth from Italy and invited Paul to live with them. They traveled with Paul to Ephesus, and there they stayed. They helped believers, including Apollos to whom they gave the correct interpretation of God’s way. Acts 18:18-28; 2 Timothy 4:19.

They kept an open heart and an open door. They ran a local church in their house. The couple were first in Rome, then moved to Corinth, then to Ephesus, then again to Rome and then to Ephesus. They led quite a nomadic life. But wherever they stayed, their home became a centre of Christian worship and service. When Paul had trouble in Ephesus, a year or two earlier, they had helped him risking their life and Paul was grateful enough to mention that.

Paul sends his greetings next to Epenetus, whom he calls as his friend and the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. Each name Paul mentions has a history behind him or her, which was important in the early church and each one served as a pillar of the local church.

Next, Paul greets Mary, who had worked hard for them all. We do not know much about this Mary, excepting that as a woman in the early church she was important in the service of the Lord.

Andronicus and Junias, Paul’s relatives come next in the list of people who are being greeted. This husband and wife team had come to accept Christ earlier to Paul and had been in the prisons with Paul. They were undoubtedly Hellenistic Jews as they bear Graeco-Latin names. Paul calls them apostles. Though the term Apostle was applied only to the twelve disciples of Jesus, it came to be applied to the other leaders of the church too, including Paul and Barnabas. Acts 14:14.

Paul greets Amphiatus next, addressing him as one whom Paul loved in the Lord. It could have been a slave, for it is a common name, but who arose to high rank in the church.

Next Paul greets Urbanus, a fellow-worker in Christ and friend Stachys. Next comes Apelles, whom Paul considers reliable, as someone tested and found approved of by Christ.

The household of Aristobulus come next in the list of greetings. It is possible that Aristobulus was the grandson of Herod the Great and a close friend of Claudius. He must have had a large number of slaves and servants and all were addressed as the household of Aristobulus, as was the custom those days. Sure, there were many followers of Christ in this household.

Paul sends his greetings to Herodion, his relative.

Next Paul greets the household of Narcissus, who had become the followers of the Lord. He is identified as Tiberius Claudius Narcissus, a close friend of Emperor Claudius, but was put to death by Nero, when he became the Emperor. Narcissus’ whole household, consisting of his family, servants and slaves would have changed hands to the Emperor. Many in his house hold were Christians.

Tryphena and Tryphosa are mentioned next, as women who worked very hard in the Lord. These two could have been sisters. Persis is mentioned as another woman who worked hard in the Lord. So many women’s names Paul mentions and, yet we doubt that Paul was anti-women in the Bible!

Rufus and his mother are named next. Mark 15:21 mentions that Simon, the man from Cyrene, who was forced by the soldiers to carry Jesus’ cross was the father of Alexander and Rufus. It is possible that this Rufus is the son of this Simon, the Cyrene and had settled in Rome and was living with his mother. It is also possible that Simon accepted Christ at the foot of the cross. Mark had the Roman church in mind when he wrote the Gospel of Mark. Rufus’ mother was kind to Paul, so he fondly recalls that she was like his own mother.

Paul next greets Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them. Another list comes immediately thereafter, Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, Olympas and all the saints with them.

History tells us that in AD 95, two important people were condemned for being Christians, Flavius Clemens, the Consul of Rome and his wife Domatilla of royal blood, the niece of Domitian, the reigning Emperor. Flavius was executed and Domatilla was banished to the island of Pontia. Nereus was the slave of Flavius and Domatilla.

Paul ends his long list of greetings with a request that they must greet one another with a holy kiss. Similarly, he advises all brothers to greet one another with a holy kiss in 1 Thessalonians 5:26. I suppose we still practice this tradition in our churches today.

He further mentions that all churches of Christ are sending greeting to the people in Roman church through him. These could be the churches which Paul helped to plant, like in the provinces of Galatia, Asia, Macedonia and Achaia.

With this we have come almost to the very end of Paul’s letter to the Romans. Just one more is left. We will see that in the next blog! Till then, God keep you all in His love and mercy.   

                                                                                                                     

Paul’s Credentials and Plans

Paul is coming to the close of his letter to the Roman church and in chapter 15:14 to 21, we see him laying down his credentials before the believers in Roman church. But before that, he tactfully compliments them for that congregation has grown up entirely without his labor. He cannot take any credit for it. 

Paul praises the Roman church that they are full of goodness; complete in knowledge of spiritual matters, which includes discerning what is right and wrong according to the Word and they are competent enough to instruct each other, which would mean, guide, correct, exhort, edify and build up each other. 

So, in the light of their knowledge and competence, Paul’s writings, though bold, are only to refresh their memory. He is not trying to teach them anything new. However, Paul asserts his credentials, by reminding them that he is what he is because of the grace of God, which had made him a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. As a minister to Christ, he is empowered to instruct, teach and train people, including the Romans in Christian living.  

It is a priestly duty entrusted to him by God, that of proclaiming the Gospel, the Good News about Jesus Christ, to the Gentiles. The purpose is to bring the Gentiles also as an offering acceptable to God, consecrated by the Holy spirit. 

In Romans 12:1-2, Paul has urged every Christian to offer their bodies as living sacrifices to God. In Philippines 2:17, he points out that he is happy that he is being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice offered by the faith of the believers. This is the priestly duty entrusted to him by God and he is happy to have accomplished that. 

Nonetheless, this has not been accomplished by Paul himself and he is humble enough to admit that it was God who has used him so. He is only an instrument in the hands of God. That is what Paul will glory in. Leading the Gentiles to God has been accomplished by Christ Himself, through Paul, by signs and wonders that happened by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Jesus had promised that his disciples’ ministries will be accompanied by signs and wonders, giving credence to their following the risen Christ. Mark 16:17-18. This has happened in the case of the Apostles and in Paul’s ministry too. This has been evident in all his ministry, starting from Jerusalem on wards to all the way to Illyricum and beyond, wherever he has proclaimed the Gospel of Christ. By the way, Illyricum was a Roman territory lying in between today’s Italy and Greece. 

Paul is satisfied and happy in the ministry entrusted to him by God and what God has accomplished through him. Still he did not want to build on someone else’s labors, but proclaim Christ to people who have not heard of Him. 

He quotes Isaiah 52:15 here, which was a messianic prophecy, indicating that people who were not told will see and those who have not heard, will understand. Basically, it means Gospel will reach people who have not been told or heard about it so far and that was what Paul was striving to do too. He would like to be a pioneer rather than preach where others have already preached. 

Now, in verses 22 to 33, Paul lays before the Roman believers his plans to visit them. He had been hindered from coming to them earlier due to his ministry, which had taken him all over the Roman world. In his three voyages he had almost touched every important town or city lying around the Mediterranean Sea in the Roman world. There are no more places for him to work on. 

Paul would actually like to go to Spain, the very Western end of Europe, the limits of the then civilized world. On the way he would like to visit Rome. As a policy, Paul would like the Roman church to sponsor his visit to Spain, by providing the financial and physical needs for the journey. 

However, Paul’s immediate plan was to go to Jerusalem, to hand over the collections he had made for the poor in the Jerusalem church. Believers in Macedonia and Achaia had made contributions and he was taking it to Jerusalem. 

In Jerusalem much of the employment was around the Temple. When a Jew became a follower of Christ, he lost his job in the Temple, as the Temple authorities were against Christians. It is possible that they were reduced to poverty, also due to persecution. 

Moreover, many in the early church in Jerusalem, had sold their properties for communal living, as explained in Acts 2:44-45 and 4:34-5:5. Nothing was done to recoup the lost capital and they had no reserves. This could be another reason for their poverty. 

The Gentile churches, according to Paul, were duty bound to make such contributions to the Jerusalem Church. The Gentiles churches had a debt to pay to Jerusalem church, as they shared the spiritual blessings of the Jews, since they had been admitted into the family of Abraham. So, they owed it to make physical contributions to the Jerusalem church, when they were in need. 

Again, all churches, whether Gentile of Jewish, are part of the great Church of Christ and as such are bound to each other in love and in unity and those who can afford need to help those who are in need. This is a principle which will apply to us even today as it was in Paul’s time. 

Fortunately, the Gentile church in Antioch was rich and they sent gifts to the elders in Jerusalem to help the Jewish Christians living in Judea. Acts 11:29-30. In the council held in Jerusalem, approving the ministry of Paul among the Gentiles, the condition laid down by the pillars of the Jerusalem church, James, Peter and John, was that Paul and Barnabas should remember the poor in Jerusalem. Galatians 2:8-10. 

Collections were made while Paul was in Corinth 1 Corinthians 16:1-3, where we learn that every week people were asked to set aside a sum of money for the purpose. It was gathered week by week, quite sacrificially. It is time to remind ourselves, do we offer our tithes to the Lord honestly and willingly? 

Finally, when Paul took all these collections, which he so meticulously collected for the poor in Jerusalem church, he was arrested and imprisoned. Paul went to Jerusalem, knowing fully well that such a thing could happen. Acts 20:22-24. But he didn’t flinch from his duty, much like Jesus who traveled to Jerusalem, knowing fully well the fate that awaited him. Luke 9:51.  

Paul spent two years in prison in Caesarea and went to Rome as a prisoner in chains. That is how his desire to visit Rome got fulfilled. I am sure he met many of the believers from Roman church, when he was a prisoner in Rome for two years, where he welcomed all who came to see him in the rented house which he was allowed to take and reside. He preached the Gospel even there in chains.  Acts 28:30-31. 

Paul concludes his plans with a request for prayers for his safety in Jerusalem and blessings and peace to all those on the Roman church. He says he will come in full measure of the blessings in Christ, so that those blessings could be passed on to them. He wishes to come in joy to them and to be refreshed by them. That was not to be. He prays that God of peace be with them all.