I recommend to you our sister Phebe, who serves the
church at Cenchreae.
The word <commend> means to recommend in the way of
an introduction. Paul was placing his approval on Phebe,
a woman who was apparently a spiritual sister and who
served the assembly at Cenchreae. She probably had
been selected to be a deaconess to serve in matters that
affected the assembly. As we will see at the end of this
chapter, Phebe was taking this letter to the Romans,
perhaps as a service to Paul on her way to Rome for some
business of her own.
1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the
church which is at Cenchrea:
Receive her in the Lord, as God's people ought to receive
one another. Help her in whatever matter she may require
assistance from you, for she has been a helper of many
including myself - shielding us from suffering.
Phebe was traveling to Rome and Paul wanted the
Romans to know of what character she was. Of course,
when they saw that it was she who was bringing the letter,
they would understand. They were to receive her "in the
Lord". In other words, they were to receive her as a
spiritual sister just as Paul referred to her. It is proper
and fitting that those who call themselves saints should
have a sense of hospitality toward those who are our
spiritual brothers and sisters in the faith.
Further, Paul asked the Roman believers to assist Phebe
when she needed assistance. Phebe was apparently a
wealthy woman and would not have asked for assistance
in monetary matters. Paul had confidence that her
indications of need would well justify the Romans giving
their assistance. For Phebe was a woman known to shield
others from suffering, using her own resources. She had
apparently helped Paul in a time of need in the past as
well as now. Paul knew firsthand that she was a woman
with the capacity to reach out and serve her brothers and
sisters in the faith.
2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye
assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath
been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
I send greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers
in the service of Joshua, the Messiah. They risked their
lives for me. I am grateful to them, and so are all the
assemblies of the Gentiles.
We know of Priscilla and Aquila from the book of Acts.
They helped Apollos to a fuller understanding of the
gospel in the early part of his ministry. In some way they
had rescued Paul from death. The illustration of this
statement "laid down their own necks" would indicate that
they could have very easily been put on the block and had
their heads cut off for intervening to save Paul from
death. It was probably an intervention with some Roman
governing authorities where that Paul had gotten
involved. Does this indicate their help while Paul was in
Rome? As we saw before, it is difficult to determine the
timing of the book of Romans in relationship to whether
Paul had already been to Rome the first time. It is clear
from Acts 18:2 that Aquila and Priscilla had left Rome
because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from
Rome. Had they intervened for Paul in Rome? Some
Scriptures could lead us to select other places. But the
bottom line is that Paul was indebted to them for saving
his life.
It seems that Priscilla and Aquila supported Paul in his
work of the gospel. This clearly shows that each person
does not have to go out and start up his own work. Some
are more gifted at meeting the public. Others are more
gifted at support work. One should find the place where
he can help and give of himself fully as a helper and
supporter of those who have the gift to put themselves in
harm's way for the sake of the gospel.
Priscilla and Aquila seem to have been well known with all
the assemblies of the Gentiles. This could indicate that
they were so much a part of Paul's ministry that they
followed along to help him wherever he went. Of course,
we have to keep in mind that the word <all> does not have
the same connotation in the Greek that it does in English.
It could be <all> of the assemblies where they were
known, that Paul is referring to. It seems that their good
deeds were spread around to many of those assemblies
and Paul was well aware of their character and was
passing on the information to the Romans so they could
properly assess their conduct toward them.
Acts 18:2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus,
lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius
had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto
them.
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not
only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
Greetings also to the assembly that meets in their house.
Greetings to my dear friend Epaenetus, who was a
firstfruit to the Messiah in Achaia.
We learn from this verse that the believers met in the
homes during the early church era. This is still in
reference to Priscilla and Aquila. In other words, this
husband and wife were leaders in the early church. They
opened their home so that the assembly could meet
there. This is a service that should be appreciated by
those who cannot offer the service themselves. It takes a
lot of preparation to have a group of people over to your
house. One tends to obligate himself to have the home in
peak condition, which takes extra effort.
Always in a group of people, there are those parents who
do not make their children mind, and the children are
allowed to go prowling the house, or strewing food on the
floor, or making of themselves a general nuisance. If one
has never served in this way, he cannot realize how much
of one's self is given for the brotherhood, when he opens
his home to the church.
In this last days, we too find it necessary to meet in the
homes of others. One should try to be as helpful as
possible when receiving the hospitality of his brothers
and sisters. Don't try to be a burden, and if you have
children, require the best behavior from them so that they
too will not become a burden to the host. Bring some
food along if there is to be a meal afterwards, unless the
host has specifically indicated that he will cover that
aspect of the meeting. Even wealthy people in the church
like to see their guests respond in a godly manner.
Paul also sent greetings to Epaenetus, the first convert of
Achaia to the gospel of the Messiah. He had apparently
left Achaia, the region where Paul was writing this letter,
and went to Rome.
5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well
beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
Greetings to Mary, who has labored so much among us.
Greetings to Andronicus and Junias, fellow Jews who
were in prison with me. They are well known among the
apostles, and they became converts to the gospel of the
Messiah before I did. Greetings to Ampliatus, my dear
friend in the fellowship of the Lord.
Paul sends greetings to several people in Rome. Mary
was one who labored much among the church at Rome.
Andronicus and Junia were Jews and converts to the
gospel before Paul. Also notice that they were fellow
prisoners with Paul. This could be an indication that Paul
had already served his prison sentence in Rome and that
he was contemplating another visit to see the church
there. We are tending to go back and forth on this matter,
as it is not our intent to make the determination with this
writing. It is also obvious that Paul could have been a
prisoner elsewhere, but the ones he is greeting are in
Rome! Paul knows a lot of people in Rome to not have
ever been there at this point. Of course, it could be that
several of his acquaintances had moved to Rome because
of the persecution of the believers at Jerusalem. Amplias
was also Paul's dear fellow believer in the Lord or Master.
6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.
7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow
prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in
Christ before me.
8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.
Greetings to Urbanus, our fellow worker in the Messiah's
service, and to Stachys, my dear friend. Greeting to
Apelles, whose loyalty to the Messiah has been proven.
Greetings to those who belong to the family of
Aristobulus. Greetings to Herodion, a fellow Jew, and to
the believers in the family of Narcissus.
Paul continues to send greetings. Urbane supported Paul
in the ministry. Stachys was a dear friend. Apelles was
accomplished in his service to God. Paul greets believers
of the family of Aristobulus. He greets another Jewish
believer, named Herodion, as well as those of the family of
Narcissus who had come into the faith.
9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of
Aristobulus' household.
11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the
household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.
Greetings to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labored much
for God, and to my dear friend Persis, who has done so
much work for God. Greetings to Rufus, that outstanding
worker in God's service and to his mother, who has
always treated me like a son. Greetings to Asyncritus,
Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Herman, and all the other
believers with them.
Paul continues to send greetings to those who are
believers in Rome. Some he commended for their labor
for God. Others he commended for just being believers.
Rufus's mother had treated Paul like a son.
12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute
the beloved Persis, which labored much in the Lord.
13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the
brethren which are with them.
Greetings to Philologus and Julia, to Nereus and his
sister, to Olympas and to all of God's people who are with
them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. The
assemblies of the Messiah send their greetings to you.
More greetings are sent to various believers in Rome
whom Paul knew, and then a general salute or greeting
was made to <all> the saints at Rome. Paul then
admonished that they greet each other with a <holy>
kiss. The emphasis should be on the word <holy>. It was
the custom among the early believers to kiss each other
on the cheek or neck in a greeting or in a departure. Paul
was not trying to solidify this custom for all time. His
intent was that they be genuine in their greetings or
departures. They were to be sincerely true believers, not
using their social powers in a profane way.
Then Paul sent greetings from the assemblies in the area
where he was writing, to those in Rome. In those days,
one did not have a telephone so that all he had to do was
pick up the phone and, after dialing a few numbers, start
talking to someone around the world. They did not have
computers, or even Postal service that could be relied on.
Paul's letter may have taken months to reach Rome, after
it was written – had he sent it by post.
15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and
Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.
16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ
salute you.
Brothers, I urge you to watch out for those who cause
divisions and upset people's faith and go against the
teaching, which you have received. Keep away from them!
This verse of Scripture has been much abused in the
past. Paul is not laying down a doctrine of marking
people with a public announcement. He is not laying
down a method of putting people out of the assembly.
The assemblies of those days were nothing like the
organizations that have been established in our days.
Paul was just passing along some common sense to the
believers. They had heard his teachings, and he was
sending them a letter full of information that they could
use to help them live their lives as believers. It is just
common sense to take note of people who do not display
a life in which the holy spirit resides. It is not good to
have a set of rules about how one should avoid one
another in a formal sort of way. The holy spirit will cause
one to see that a relationship has come to an end when all
sorts of incongruities are noticed. Ministers of today are
not to be compared to Paul. Paul wrote Scriptures. Paul
was in contact with the Messiah for a period of time and
knew whereof he spoke.
When one begins to cause division and begins to cause
offences, or becomes a snare to pull others away from the
true doctrines of God, we are to take notice of these
people and avoid them. In other words, we are not to
make them a part of our company. One who is intelligent
does not walk into a known trap. To associate with
people of this caliber is the same as living in a town that
has had mines laid down to kill people.
But there is no need that I should lay down a large set of
rules to tell you of these things. If one has the holy spirit,
he will begin to be uncomfortable in the company of such
people. He will find that his values and the values of such
people are not together. He will sense that it is time to
move on and find those people who have the holy spirit
and are living and teaching others to live according to the
laws of God and according to His doctrines.
17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions
and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and
avoid them.
For those who do such things are not serving our Master,
Joshua, the Messiah, but their own appetites. By their
fine words and flattering speech they deceive innocent
people.
Those who go about setting snares for other people to
lure them away from the truth are serving themselves.
There are as many reasons for these people to follow
their pursuits, as there are people involved in this
activity. Some are in the "ministry" in order to make a
living. Some are in the "ministry" for the power it gives
them. Some are in the ministry because they have been
inspired by Satan to become his ministers!
They are not serving God, but various stimuli has led and
projected them into this activity. They make fair speeches
and they use kind words! Those who are innocent and
not well grounded in the faith follow such teachers as if
they were drawn to them.
But those who have the holy spirit should be aware of
what is going on. They should have their antennae up so
that they can register the spirit type of their teachers. If
you take your doctrine queues from the Bible, you will
soon become very adept at detecting those who are
facades of the truth!
1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits
whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out
into the world.
18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their
own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts
of the simple.
For while your loyalty is known to all, so that I rejoice over
you, I would have you wise as to what is certain, and
innocent as to what is evil.
The Romans had been loyal to the gospel, and Paul
commends them for it. In fact, he was delighted that they
had such a good report on this score. However, it had
probably not been the case in other areas where certain
teachers were beginning to make in-roads to deceive
those in the faith. Therefore, Paul was putting them to
the wise so that they would understand that there were
some absolutes that they needed to cling to. They
needed to be well versed in these absolutes, the doctrines
that he has brought to them, and to be innocent of evil.
Paul wanted them to be able to discern good from evil and
to embrace the good and avoid the evil.
19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad
therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that
which is good, and simple concerning evil.
And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your
feet. The loving kindness of our Master, Joshua, the
Messiah be with you. Amen.
God is the God of peace. We can only have peace if we
are aligned with God's laws and His mind. He is the one
who will see to Satan's destruction. Of course, here Paul
could have been referring back to the work of Satan
through those who would try to deceive them and snare
them away from the truth.
At this point, it seems that Paul brought his letter to an
end. He commends them to God and wills it to be so. He
later added two postscripts, which follow, or at least one
of them as we will see.
20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings; and
so do Uucius, Jason, and Sosipater, fellow Jews. I,
Tertius, the writer of this letter, send you greetings in the
Lord. My host Gaius, in whose house the assembly
meets, sends you his greetings. Erastus, the city
treasurer, and our brother Quartus send you their
greetings. Amen.
Paul sent greetings to Timothy who supported him in the
work of God, and to three other men who were Jews.
At this point, we learn that Paul did not write this letter!
He had a man named Tertius do the writing. Paul
obviously dictated the letter and Tertius did the work of a
secretary in doing the labor of writing it down on paper
and getting it into a proper format. In any case, Tertius
also sent greetings to the church at Rome and saluted
them as a brother in God.
The next two verses may be the words of Tertius, as an
extension of his greetings. If so, he says that Gaius is his
host - perhaps the one who was giving him the hospitality
of staying in his home. Gaius seems to also have been
the one hosting the church in that area. He, too, sent
greetings to the Roman believers through this letter.
Even Erastus the city treasurer sent greetings to the
Roman believers. This would indicate that he had become
a believer. Tertius also commends them to God and wills
it to be so.
21 Timotheus my work fellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and
Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.
22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.
23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus
the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.
24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you in the faith that
is in accordance with the gospel that I have preached
concerning Joshua, the Messiah, according to the
revelation of the plan of the mystery of redemption, which
was kept secret from the beginning of the world, but is
now disclosed and the prophetic Scriptures is made
known to all nations, according to the command of the
eternal God, for winning them to the obedience of the
faith: To the only wise God be glory for evermore through
Joshua, the Messiah, the Anointed One! So let it be!
Paul ends his letter with a powerful exhortation to the
Romans. He encourages them to know and understand
that God has the power to establish and strengthen them
in the faith. He reminds them that he is referring to the
gospel based on his preaching to them concerning
Joshua, the Messiah. He tells them that this was all
planned out long ago. God kept the plan of redemption,
that is: of the ransom, of the justification, of the
sanctification secret from the beginning of time for the
human race until the entrance into the world of the
Messiah. Paul was used as an instrument to disclose this
plan to the Romans. He did so by making reference to the
prophetic Scriptures of the Old Testament – which would
have been difficult or impossible to understand until their
fulfillment. The revelation of the plan was available to all
nations by God's decree. And the purpose was so that
many converts would be made for the purpose of winning
them to the obedience of the faith.
Notice that <obedience> was being sought from those
who would believe. The covenant was based on the law.
In fact, the covenant was the law! This is what the
believers were being sought for, so that they could learn
to live their lives in accordance with how God would want
them to live as spelled out in the ten commandments of
the Old Testament.
All the glory was to go to God because it was His plan.
God had so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son so that whosoever believed on Him <should
not> perish but have everlasting life. There would be no
reason for one to perish and lose out on eternal life if he
accepted the blood of the Messiah for his sins and began
on the road of learning how to be obedient to the faith.
Remember that to <believe> is to hear the word and to do
according to its instruction. If the word says that one
should not live in adultery, one does not believe that word
unless he lives his life according to what it says! Those
who truly believe are those who are obedient to the faith.
Their lives project the words of the Bible in righteous
living.
So, it is God's plan and God has the power to make it
happen! Therefore, all of the glory belongs to Him. What
we can do is accept and embrace the doctrines of the
Bible, which become structures where that God can work
in our lives. It is obvious that if we do not accept that it is
wrong to live in adultery that God cannot reach us! If we
accept this command, God can take that structure and
work with us until we are able to live according to his
word, which we have come to believe.
So, this letter was written to the Romans. Apparently it
was written at Corinth and Phebe personally took it to
Rome from Cenchrea. How long it took Phebe to get to
Rome we are not told. But Paul, for one reason or
another, chose to send the letter by her. Perhaps he felt
it would more safely reach its destination that way, or
perhaps he felt it would get there quicker. In any case he
entrusted the letter to Phebe who was probably planning a
trip to Rome, soon.
25 Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my
gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the
revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world
began,
26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets,
according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known
to all nations for the obedience of faith:
27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
<<Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe servant
of the church at Cenchrea.>>
In this chapter, Paul has mainly sent greetings to many
different people at Rome. The writing took place in
Corinth, a city in the region of Achaia. Cenchrea was a
harbor about 9 miles east of Corinth, from which Phebe
would embark with the letter to Rome. As Phebe was
taking the letter, Paul admonished the Romans to accept
her and see to her needs while she was in Rome.
Paul cautioned the Roman believers about teachers who
would come in among them with kind and fair speeches
and trap them away from the truth. They were to avoid
and stay away from such teachers. They were to try such
teachers and see if they had the spirit of God or the spirit
of Satan. The Romans had been loyal to this point, but it
is obvious that Satan would not wait always to try their
faith to see if they could be carried away by false
doctrines.
Paul ended his letter with a powerful message of
exhortation. It was God's plan to reveal to the world the
way to salvation at this time. Paul had been chosen as a
vessel to carry that message to the Gentiles, of which the
Roman believers were a part. God had revealed the
mystery and God had the power to establish and
strengthen them in the way of righteousness. God had
made all this possible so that the Gentiles could be won to
the obedience of the faith, so they could be brought in as
a part of the Covenant of God which was the Law of God!
The very reason for the plan of God is to bring all into the
way of life that is godly. All other ways of life are satanic.
There are only two ways of life. The way that leads to
good and the way that leads to evil. Each one of us is
following either the one or the other way. God's way is
according to the ten commandments and those who
follow God's way will structure their lives according to
that structure. If your conscience allows you to believe
something is true contrary to the ten commandments, you
are on the other way, the one that is based on rebellion
and Satan's lifestyle. The whole message of Romans is to
show that there is a way to escape sin that is past and
become a part of the Covenant of God, the way of life
based on the Ten Commandments of God! This message
has been corrupted for a very important reason. Satan
has an agenda and it is to his advantage if he can flood
the world with ministers of his "light". But if the light of
the eye is evil, how great is that darkness. Live in the
light! Embrace the Covenant of God and live by the Ten
Commandments which make up that Covenant and rely on
the Messiah for justification from your past sins so that
your salvation may be sure.
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Commentaries
Chapter:
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Five
Six
Seven
Seven Continued
Eight
Eight Continued
church at Cenchreae.
The word <commend> means to recommend in the way of
an introduction. Paul was placing his approval on Phebe,
a woman who was apparently a spiritual sister and who
served the assembly at Cenchreae. She probably had
been selected to be a deaconess to serve in matters that
affected the assembly. As we will see at the end of this
chapter, Phebe was taking this letter to the Romans,
perhaps as a service to Paul on her way to Rome for some
business of her own.
1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the
church which is at Cenchrea:
Receive her in the Lord, as God's people ought to receive
one another. Help her in whatever matter she may require
assistance from you, for she has been a helper of many
including myself - shielding us from suffering.
Phebe was traveling to Rome and Paul wanted the
Romans to know of what character she was. Of course,
when they saw that it was she who was bringing the letter,
they would understand. They were to receive her "in the
Lord". In other words, they were to receive her as a
spiritual sister just as Paul referred to her. It is proper
and fitting that those who call themselves saints should
have a sense of hospitality toward those who are our
spiritual brothers and sisters in the faith.
Further, Paul asked the Roman believers to assist Phebe
when she needed assistance. Phebe was apparently a
wealthy woman and would not have asked for assistance
in monetary matters. Paul had confidence that her
indications of need would well justify the Romans giving
their assistance. For Phebe was a woman known to shield
others from suffering, using her own resources. She had
apparently helped Paul in a time of need in the past as
well as now. Paul knew firsthand that she was a woman
with the capacity to reach out and serve her brothers and
sisters in the faith.
2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye
assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath
been a succourer of many, and of myself also.
I send greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers
in the service of Joshua, the Messiah. They risked their
lives for me. I am grateful to them, and so are all the
assemblies of the Gentiles.
We know of Priscilla and Aquila from the book of Acts.
They helped Apollos to a fuller understanding of the
gospel in the early part of his ministry. In some way they
had rescued Paul from death. The illustration of this
statement "laid down their own necks" would indicate that
they could have very easily been put on the block and had
their heads cut off for intervening to save Paul from
death. It was probably an intervention with some Roman
governing authorities where that Paul had gotten
involved. Does this indicate their help while Paul was in
Rome? As we saw before, it is difficult to determine the
timing of the book of Romans in relationship to whether
Paul had already been to Rome the first time. It is clear
from Acts 18:2 that Aquila and Priscilla had left Rome
because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from
Rome. Had they intervened for Paul in Rome? Some
Scriptures could lead us to select other places. But the
bottom line is that Paul was indebted to them for saving
his life.
It seems that Priscilla and Aquila supported Paul in his
work of the gospel. This clearly shows that each person
does not have to go out and start up his own work. Some
are more gifted at meeting the public. Others are more
gifted at support work. One should find the place where
he can help and give of himself fully as a helper and
supporter of those who have the gift to put themselves in
harm's way for the sake of the gospel.
Priscilla and Aquila seem to have been well known with all
the assemblies of the Gentiles. This could indicate that
they were so much a part of Paul's ministry that they
followed along to help him wherever he went. Of course,
we have to keep in mind that the word <all> does not have
the same connotation in the Greek that it does in English.
It could be <all> of the assemblies where they were
known, that Paul is referring to. It seems that their good
deeds were spread around to many of those assemblies
and Paul was well aware of their character and was
passing on the information to the Romans so they could
properly assess their conduct toward them.
Acts 18:2 And found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus,
lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla; (because that Claudius
had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome:) and came unto
them.
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:
4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not
only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
Greetings also to the assembly that meets in their house.
Greetings to my dear friend Epaenetus, who was a
firstfruit to the Messiah in Achaia.
We learn from this verse that the believers met in the
homes during the early church era. This is still in
reference to Priscilla and Aquila. In other words, this
husband and wife were leaders in the early church. They
opened their home so that the assembly could meet
there. This is a service that should be appreciated by
those who cannot offer the service themselves. It takes a
lot of preparation to have a group of people over to your
house. One tends to obligate himself to have the home in
peak condition, which takes extra effort.
Always in a group of people, there are those parents who
do not make their children mind, and the children are
allowed to go prowling the house, or strewing food on the
floor, or making of themselves a general nuisance. If one
has never served in this way, he cannot realize how much
of one's self is given for the brotherhood, when he opens
his home to the church.
In this last days, we too find it necessary to meet in the
homes of others. One should try to be as helpful as
possible when receiving the hospitality of his brothers
and sisters. Don't try to be a burden, and if you have
children, require the best behavior from them so that they
too will not become a burden to the host. Bring some
food along if there is to be a meal afterwards, unless the
host has specifically indicated that he will cover that
aspect of the meeting. Even wealthy people in the church
like to see their guests respond in a godly manner.
Paul also sent greetings to Epaenetus, the first convert of
Achaia to the gospel of the Messiah. He had apparently
left Achaia, the region where Paul was writing this letter,
and went to Rome.
5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well
beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.
Greetings to Mary, who has labored so much among us.
Greetings to Andronicus and Junias, fellow Jews who
were in prison with me. They are well known among the
apostles, and they became converts to the gospel of the
Messiah before I did. Greetings to Ampliatus, my dear
friend in the fellowship of the Lord.
Paul sends greetings to several people in Rome. Mary
was one who labored much among the church at Rome.
Andronicus and Junia were Jews and converts to the
gospel before Paul. Also notice that they were fellow
prisoners with Paul. This could be an indication that Paul
had already served his prison sentence in Rome and that
he was contemplating another visit to see the church
there. We are tending to go back and forth on this matter,
as it is not our intent to make the determination with this
writing. It is also obvious that Paul could have been a
prisoner elsewhere, but the ones he is greeting are in
Rome! Paul knows a lot of people in Rome to not have
ever been there at this point. Of course, it could be that
several of his acquaintances had moved to Rome because
of the persecution of the believers at Jerusalem. Amplias
was also Paul's dear fellow believer in the Lord or Master.
6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.
7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow
prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in
Christ before me.
8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.
Greetings to Urbanus, our fellow worker in the Messiah's
service, and to Stachys, my dear friend. Greeting to
Apelles, whose loyalty to the Messiah has been proven.
Greetings to those who belong to the family of
Aristobulus. Greetings to Herodion, a fellow Jew, and to
the believers in the family of Narcissus.
Paul continues to send greetings. Urbane supported Paul
in the ministry. Stachys was a dear friend. Apelles was
accomplished in his service to God. Paul greets believers
of the family of Aristobulus. He greets another Jewish
believer, named Herodion, as well as those of the family of
Narcissus who had come into the faith.
9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of
Aristobulus' household.
11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the
household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord.
Greetings to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who labored much
for God, and to my dear friend Persis, who has done so
much work for God. Greetings to Rufus, that outstanding
worker in God's service and to his mother, who has
always treated me like a son. Greetings to Asyncritus,
Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Herman, and all the other
believers with them.
Paul continues to send greetings to those who are
believers in Rome. Some he commended for their labor
for God. Others he commended for just being believers.
Rufus's mother had treated Paul like a son.
12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute
the beloved Persis, which labored much in the Lord.
13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.
14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the
brethren which are with them.
Greetings to Philologus and Julia, to Nereus and his
sister, to Olympas and to all of God's people who are with
them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. The
assemblies of the Messiah send their greetings to you.
More greetings are sent to various believers in Rome
whom Paul knew, and then a general salute or greeting
was made to <all> the saints at Rome. Paul then
admonished that they greet each other with a <holy>
kiss. The emphasis should be on the word <holy>. It was
the custom among the early believers to kiss each other
on the cheek or neck in a greeting or in a departure. Paul
was not trying to solidify this custom for all time. His
intent was that they be genuine in their greetings or
departures. They were to be sincerely true believers, not
using their social powers in a profane way.
Then Paul sent greetings from the assemblies in the area
where he was writing, to those in Rome. In those days,
one did not have a telephone so that all he had to do was
pick up the phone and, after dialing a few numbers, start
talking to someone around the world. They did not have
computers, or even Postal service that could be relied on.
Paul's letter may have taken months to reach Rome, after
it was written – had he sent it by post.
15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and
Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.
16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ
salute you.
Brothers, I urge you to watch out for those who cause
divisions and upset people's faith and go against the
teaching, which you have received. Keep away from them!
This verse of Scripture has been much abused in the
past. Paul is not laying down a doctrine of marking
people with a public announcement. He is not laying
down a method of putting people out of the assembly.
The assemblies of those days were nothing like the
organizations that have been established in our days.
Paul was just passing along some common sense to the
believers. They had heard his teachings, and he was
sending them a letter full of information that they could
use to help them live their lives as believers. It is just
common sense to take note of people who do not display
a life in which the holy spirit resides. It is not good to
have a set of rules about how one should avoid one
another in a formal sort of way. The holy spirit will cause
one to see that a relationship has come to an end when all
sorts of incongruities are noticed. Ministers of today are
not to be compared to Paul. Paul wrote Scriptures. Paul
was in contact with the Messiah for a period of time and
knew whereof he spoke.
When one begins to cause division and begins to cause
offences, or becomes a snare to pull others away from the
true doctrines of God, we are to take notice of these
people and avoid them. In other words, we are not to
make them a part of our company. One who is intelligent
does not walk into a known trap. To associate with
people of this caliber is the same as living in a town that
has had mines laid down to kill people.
But there is no need that I should lay down a large set of
rules to tell you of these things. If one has the holy spirit,
he will begin to be uncomfortable in the company of such
people. He will find that his values and the values of such
people are not together. He will sense that it is time to
move on and find those people who have the holy spirit
and are living and teaching others to live according to the
laws of God and according to His doctrines.
17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions
and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and
avoid them.
For those who do such things are not serving our Master,
Joshua, the Messiah, but their own appetites. By their
fine words and flattering speech they deceive innocent
people.
Those who go about setting snares for other people to
lure them away from the truth are serving themselves.
There are as many reasons for these people to follow
their pursuits, as there are people involved in this
activity. Some are in the "ministry" in order to make a
living. Some are in the "ministry" for the power it gives
them. Some are in the ministry because they have been
inspired by Satan to become his ministers!
They are not serving God, but various stimuli has led and
projected them into this activity. They make fair speeches
and they use kind words! Those who are innocent and
not well grounded in the faith follow such teachers as if
they were drawn to them.
But those who have the holy spirit should be aware of
what is going on. They should have their antennae up so
that they can register the spirit type of their teachers. If
you take your doctrine queues from the Bible, you will
soon become very adept at detecting those who are
facades of the truth!
1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits
whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out
into the world.
18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their
own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts
of the simple.
For while your loyalty is known to all, so that I rejoice over
you, I would have you wise as to what is certain, and
innocent as to what is evil.
The Romans had been loyal to the gospel, and Paul
commends them for it. In fact, he was delighted that they
had such a good report on this score. However, it had
probably not been the case in other areas where certain
teachers were beginning to make in-roads to deceive
those in the faith. Therefore, Paul was putting them to
the wise so that they would understand that there were
some absolutes that they needed to cling to. They
needed to be well versed in these absolutes, the doctrines
that he has brought to them, and to be innocent of evil.
Paul wanted them to be able to discern good from evil and
to embrace the good and avoid the evil.
19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad
therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that
which is good, and simple concerning evil.
And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your
feet. The loving kindness of our Master, Joshua, the
Messiah be with you. Amen.
God is the God of peace. We can only have peace if we
are aligned with God's laws and His mind. He is the one
who will see to Satan's destruction. Of course, here Paul
could have been referring back to the work of Satan
through those who would try to deceive them and snare
them away from the truth.
At this point, it seems that Paul brought his letter to an
end. He commends them to God and wills it to be so. He
later added two postscripts, which follow, or at least one
of them as we will see.
20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings; and
so do Uucius, Jason, and Sosipater, fellow Jews. I,
Tertius, the writer of this letter, send you greetings in the
Lord. My host Gaius, in whose house the assembly
meets, sends you his greetings. Erastus, the city
treasurer, and our brother Quartus send you their
greetings. Amen.
Paul sent greetings to Timothy who supported him in the
work of God, and to three other men who were Jews.
At this point, we learn that Paul did not write this letter!
He had a man named Tertius do the writing. Paul
obviously dictated the letter and Tertius did the work of a
secretary in doing the labor of writing it down on paper
and getting it into a proper format. In any case, Tertius
also sent greetings to the church at Rome and saluted
them as a brother in God.
The next two verses may be the words of Tertius, as an
extension of his greetings. If so, he says that Gaius is his
host - perhaps the one who was giving him the hospitality
of staying in his home. Gaius seems to also have been
the one hosting the church in that area. He, too, sent
greetings to the Roman believers through this letter.
Even Erastus the city treasurer sent greetings to the
Roman believers. This would indicate that he had become
a believer. Tertius also commends them to God and wills
it to be so.
21 Timotheus my work fellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and
Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.
22 I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord.
23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus
the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother.
24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Now to Him who is able to strengthen you in the faith that
is in accordance with the gospel that I have preached
concerning Joshua, the Messiah, according to the
revelation of the plan of the mystery of redemption, which
was kept secret from the beginning of the world, but is
now disclosed and the prophetic Scriptures is made
known to all nations, according to the command of the
eternal God, for winning them to the obedience of the
faith: To the only wise God be glory for evermore through
Joshua, the Messiah, the Anointed One! So let it be!
Paul ends his letter with a powerful exhortation to the
Romans. He encourages them to know and understand
that God has the power to establish and strengthen them
in the faith. He reminds them that he is referring to the
gospel based on his preaching to them concerning
Joshua, the Messiah. He tells them that this was all
planned out long ago. God kept the plan of redemption,
that is: of the ransom, of the justification, of the
sanctification secret from the beginning of time for the
human race until the entrance into the world of the
Messiah. Paul was used as an instrument to disclose this
plan to the Romans. He did so by making reference to the
prophetic Scriptures of the Old Testament – which would
have been difficult or impossible to understand until their
fulfillment. The revelation of the plan was available to all
nations by God's decree. And the purpose was so that
many converts would be made for the purpose of winning
them to the obedience of the faith.
Notice that <obedience> was being sought from those
who would believe. The covenant was based on the law.
In fact, the covenant was the law! This is what the
believers were being sought for, so that they could learn
to live their lives in accordance with how God would want
them to live as spelled out in the ten commandments of
the Old Testament.
All the glory was to go to God because it was His plan.
God had so loved the world that He gave His only
begotten Son so that whosoever believed on Him <should
not> perish but have everlasting life. There would be no
reason for one to perish and lose out on eternal life if he
accepted the blood of the Messiah for his sins and began
on the road of learning how to be obedient to the faith.
Remember that to <believe> is to hear the word and to do
according to its instruction. If the word says that one
should not live in adultery, one does not believe that word
unless he lives his life according to what it says! Those
who truly believe are those who are obedient to the faith.
Their lives project the words of the Bible in righteous
living.
So, it is God's plan and God has the power to make it
happen! Therefore, all of the glory belongs to Him. What
we can do is accept and embrace the doctrines of the
Bible, which become structures where that God can work
in our lives. It is obvious that if we do not accept that it is
wrong to live in adultery that God cannot reach us! If we
accept this command, God can take that structure and
work with us until we are able to live according to his
word, which we have come to believe.
So, this letter was written to the Romans. Apparently it
was written at Corinth and Phebe personally took it to
Rome from Cenchrea. How long it took Phebe to get to
Rome we are not told. But Paul, for one reason or
another, chose to send the letter by her. Perhaps he felt
it would more safely reach its destination that way, or
perhaps he felt it would get there quicker. In any case he
entrusted the letter to Phebe who was probably planning a
trip to Rome, soon.
25 Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my
gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the
revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world
began,
26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets,
according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known
to all nations for the obedience of faith:
27 To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
<<Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe servant
of the church at Cenchrea.>>
In this chapter, Paul has mainly sent greetings to many
different people at Rome. The writing took place in
Corinth, a city in the region of Achaia. Cenchrea was a
harbor about 9 miles east of Corinth, from which Phebe
would embark with the letter to Rome. As Phebe was
taking the letter, Paul admonished the Romans to accept
her and see to her needs while she was in Rome.
Paul cautioned the Roman believers about teachers who
would come in among them with kind and fair speeches
and trap them away from the truth. They were to avoid
and stay away from such teachers. They were to try such
teachers and see if they had the spirit of God or the spirit
of Satan. The Romans had been loyal to this point, but it
is obvious that Satan would not wait always to try their
faith to see if they could be carried away by false
doctrines.
Paul ended his letter with a powerful message of
exhortation. It was God's plan to reveal to the world the
way to salvation at this time. Paul had been chosen as a
vessel to carry that message to the Gentiles, of which the
Roman believers were a part. God had revealed the
mystery and God had the power to establish and
strengthen them in the way of righteousness. God had
made all this possible so that the Gentiles could be won to
the obedience of the faith, so they could be brought in as
a part of the Covenant of God which was the Law of God!
The very reason for the plan of God is to bring all into the
way of life that is godly. All other ways of life are satanic.
There are only two ways of life. The way that leads to
good and the way that leads to evil. Each one of us is
following either the one or the other way. God's way is
according to the ten commandments and those who
follow God's way will structure their lives according to
that structure. If your conscience allows you to believe
something is true contrary to the ten commandments, you
are on the other way, the one that is based on rebellion
and Satan's lifestyle. The whole message of Romans is to
show that there is a way to escape sin that is past and
become a part of the Covenant of God, the way of life
based on the Ten Commandments of God! This message
has been corrupted for a very important reason. Satan
has an agenda and it is to his advantage if he can flood
the world with ministers of his "light". But if the light of
the eye is evil, how great is that darkness. Live in the
light! Embrace the Covenant of God and live by the Ten
Commandments which make up that Covenant and rely on
the Messiah for justification from your past sins so that
your salvation may be sure.
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