Romans 16:1-16 Spiritual Life in Community (part 1)

 Part 1

In Paul’s final personal remarks to the believers in the city of Rome, we see he loves other believers. He spends time with them. He trains them in the truth. He knows their character and qualities as believers in Christ, and he knows them by name. Spiritual life together in community is how God designed it for us to thrive as believers. Paul modeled this for us. No Christian is an island unto himself or herself. We are to be inter-dependent on one another.

I. Paul greets some believers in Rome that will receive this letter vs. 1-16

A. The commendable characteristics of Paul’s friends at Rome

1. Servant

2. Helper

3. Fellow workers

4. Hard workers

5. Courageous for the gospel (risked their lives for it and others)

6. House church hosts

7. Choice man

8. Beloved ones

9. Spiritual mother

10. Outstanding missionaries (sent-ones from the church)

11. Approved in Christ (because of the relationship)

12. Saved Jews (My Kinsman)

B. The model of Paul: he established lasting friendships

C. The vital importance of greeting and encouraging other believers is demonstrated by Paul. People are important

D. The missionary principle regarding names: they do not have to be changed after conversion, even if you are named after a false god

E. Meet the one carrying this letter to holy ones, the beloved of God at Rome (Rom 1:7), Phoebe

1. The letter is from the city of Corinth (56 AD)

2. Phoebe lives in the next town over, the seaport city Cenchrea

3. What is her role in the church at Cenchrea? diakonos (table waiter)

a. “One who serves as an intermediary in a transaction, agent, intermediary, courier” BDAG

b. “One who gets something done, at the behest of a superior, assistant to someone (attendant, assistant, aide)” BDAG

c.  “The English derivatives ‘deacon’ and ‘deaconess’ are technical terms whose meaning varies in ecclesiastical history and are therefore inadequate for rendering NT usage of diakonos” BDAG

d.  This noun is not solely masculine or feminine by itself in Koine Greek. “These nouns are said to be of common gender.” In David Allen Black, It’s Still Greek to Me: An Easy-to-Understand Guide to Intermediate Greek (Grand Rapids, Baker Books, 1998), 22. Because of its ancient usage, for this term, gender does not help us with interpretation. The masculine endings do double duty for common gender nouns, which means they can refer to either males or females

e. ^CEB  1 Tim 3:11 “In the same way, women who are servants in the church should be dignified and not gossip. They should be sober and faithful in everything they do”

f.   Phoebe probably held the non-ordained position of deaconess, and her job was to help the elders and deacons minister to the needs of the women in the church family. Deaconesses ministered to women who were ill at home alone and held blankets for women to change behind after a baptism in a river or body of water. The idea of female nurses in hospitals came from the deaconesses in the early church

g.  The Romans are to fund Phoebe’s stay and return to Greece

F. Prisca and Aquila (Acts 18:2, 18, 26; 1 Cor 16:9; 2 Tim 4:19) a couple who were Jewish converts that had churches in their houses wherever they lived and were spiritually mature, full of biblical knowledge, and risked their lives for Paul

G. Epaenetus, the first person saved in Turkey, lives in Rome while Paul is writing this letter (his name was found in the Ephesus ruins). Ampliatus, Stachys (beloved)

H. Heridion (Jewish), Mary (Jewish) and Persis (hard workers)

I. Andronicus and Junias, outstanding Jewish missionaries (apostles of the church, not part of the 12 Apostles of Christ) these guys are in jail in Rome for the gospel

J. Urbanas, Appelles, House of Aristobulus, Narcissus, Tryphanena, Tryhosa

K. Rufus and mother, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, Philologus and Julia, Nereus and sister, Olympas and house church

L. Greet one another with a holy kiss. In some cultures, a kiss is given on the forehead; some give a kiss on both cheeks. It was never on the lips. This was a cultural way of greeting other believers with affection. In our culture in America, the way to greet is with a handshake. If done appropriately and with permission also a hug is another cultural way of greeting or saying goodbye. The principle is to show a spirit of oneness of community in your cultural setting in proper and appropriate ways 

II. Paul warns the believers in Rome about divisive people in the churches vs. 17-20

III. Paul gives a final greeting and benedictory prayer for the churches in Rome vs. 21-27