ROMANS 16 ----- Paul's last words to the Church in Rome

External link to the slide show: https://www.slideshare.net/CMAFellowship/romans-16-230402031

1. 1. Apostle Paul’s Final Words 

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3.  Paul's letter to the Romans was written in Corinth sometime between the years 56 and 58 AD, to solicit support for an anticipated missionary journey to Spain.1 Although he had not yet visited Rome, Paul would have been familiar with the community and its circumstances through Priscilla and Aquila. Both Priscilla and Aquila were, visiting from Rome. Biblical scholars are divided as to whether Chapter 16, Paul's letter of recommendation for Phoebe, was intended for Rome. Paul was not familiar with the Christian community in Rome. Paul was more familiar with the Christian community in Ephesus1.
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6.            1. Campbell, Joan Cecelia. Phoebe: Patron and Emissary, (Liturgical Press, 2015). ISBN 9780814684023.
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8. Scripture Reading Romans 16: 1&2 

9.  Personal Greetings

10. 4 Who was Phoebe, and what was her relationship with Paul? Phoebe, the meaning is radiant.  Phoebe was a deaconess of the church at Cenchrea, near Corinth1. In verse 2 Paul calls Phoebe a patron (servant KJV). Paul uses the expression “worthy of the saints” or in the Greek G40 hagios meaning holy or holiness2. “from the same root as hagnos (found in hazo, "to venerate"), fundamentally signifies "separated" (among the Greeks, dedicated to the gods), and hence, in Scripture in its moral and spiritual significance, separated from sin and therefore consecrated to God, sacred3.” Therefore, Phoebe, considered a deaconess and a servant of Paul, may have been used by Paul to convey this letter. 
11.                                                                      Footnotes: 
12. 1. Strong G5402 - Phoibē - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)." Blue Letter Bible. Accessed 28 Nov, 2019 
13. 2. Strong. G40 - hagios - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV)." (Blue Letter Bible. Accessed 28 Nov, 2019) 
14. 3. Vine, W. "Holiness, Holy, Holily - Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words." Blue Letter Bible. Last Modified 24 Jun, 1996.
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16. Scripture Reading Romans 16:3 - 16 

17.  5 The Lechaion road entered Corinth from the north, connecting it with the port on the Gulf of Corinth1. 
18. 6. 3/17/2020 6 Who were Prisca1(Priscilla) and Aquila? Their vocations were tent-makers, as was Paul (Acts 18:1-3). They were also credited in instructing Apollos in the gospel of Jesus (Acts 18:26). They were a Greek Christian couple, who are mentioned six times in the New Testament. Pricilla’s name preceded her husband’s name four out of the six times in the New Testament, indicating her status to be equal or greater than her husband (Acts 18:2-3, 18, 26; Rom 16:3; 1Cor 16:19; 2Tim 4:19). Women in Greece were not seen as equal to men. This quote from Thucydides1 sums up the attitude towards women in ancient Greece: “The greatest glory [for women] is to be least talked about among men, whether in praise or blame2.”3 Paul lived with Priscilla and Aquila for approximately 18 months and held them in high regard. 
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21. 1. Her name is a Roman diminutive for Prisca which was her formal name.
22. 2.  Holman Illustrated Bible Handbook. Broadman & Holman. (2014). (p. 372) Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com]
23. 3. Thucydides was an Athenian historian and general. 3. Michael Scott. The Rise of Women in Ancient Greece. (History Today. 59, 11 2009)
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25. 7 Who was Epaenetus? Epaenetus means "beloved." He was Asia's first convert to Christ1. In verse 6, Paul speaks of another woman, named Mary. Paul pays tribute to Mary, saying she has physically worked hard. The phrase worked hard also translated bestow much labor is translated from the Greek word kopiaō although it can be used as either a verb or noun, it is used as a verb in this context. Kopiaō means to toil to the point of being weary. Mary toiled in caring for those who ministered to the church in Rome. 
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28. 1. Holman Bible Editorial Staff. The HCSB Study Bible. (B&H Publishing Group, 2018).
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30. 8 Andronicus and Junia are referred to as kinsmen by Paul. At first glance, the phrase “my fellow prisoners” one may think that these two people were in prison with Paul. However, Paul wrote this epistle before he was imprisoned in Rome. Therefore, we should look at the word kinsmen to find what kind of relationship Paul shared with these two individuals. The word kinsmen usually means a cousin, a countryman, or in a broader sense, a non-bloodline member of the same family.In this context, Paul is referring to these two individuals as being his brother and sister (Junia) in Christ, adopted as he was, into the family of God. (see 7b)Paul held Andronicus and Junia in high regard, saying that they were followers before he was, and were well known by the other apostles as followers of Christ Jesus. Holman writes the following: "The phrase noteworthy in the eyes of the apostles is variously translated as "well-known to the apostles" or as "outstanding among the apostles." The word "apostle" can be used in a nontechnical sense, referring to a messenger rather than a commissioned apostle such as Paul1.
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33.  1. Holman Bible Editorial Staff (2018). The HCSB Study Bible. B&H Publishing Group
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35. 9 In verses 8 through 12, Paul gives a long list of names of people who are members of the church of “the Way”. Reference V 13,14. Paul asks the church in Rome to greet these people who follow Christ as brothers and sisters in Christ. A customary Greek greeting of close friends or relatives was with a holy kiss. The usual Greek greeting on meeting one another was chairein, translated “hail” or “greeting” (Luke 1:28; Mat. 28:9). A kiss was frequently part of such greeting (Gen. 29:13; Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thes 5:26). Some churches today practice the greeting of fellow congregants with a holy kiss. The important thing to take from this verse is the close relationship or love shared among believers in Christ Jesus. A love better described by the Greek word Phileo meaning brotherly love1. 
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38.           1. Holman Reference Editorial Staff (2012). Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. B&H Publishing Group.
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40.  Scripture Reading Romans 16: 17 - 20

41.       10 Paul’s Final Instruction to the Church in Rome Paul wrote his letter to the church at Rome in A.D. 57 while he was in Corinth. Paul was staying with Gaius, a leader of the church at Corinth. Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchreae, one of Corinth's ports, likely carried the letter to Rome (Rm 16:1-2)1. 
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43. Footnotes:
44.       1. Holman Bible Editorial Staff (2018). The HCSB Study Bible. B&H Publishing Group. Retrieved from https://app.wordsearchbible.com.
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46.     11 Paul warns the Roman church against those who would pervert the gospel, namely the Judaizers. Paul preached salvation through faith + nothing. The Judaizers were attempting to change the church doctrine to salvation through the law. Holman writes: Paul warned believers at Rome to be alert and avoid false teachers. Illustrating the familiar both/and relation between divine sovereignty and human responsibility to choose, we must be diligent in the battle against darkness, but ultimate victory is assured ( The God of peace will soon crush Satan)1. Satan will continually attack the church and its body of believers with lies and deceit. Satan uses science to deceive and appeals to logic to confound. Faith is not logical; faith is the belief in the unseen. (Hebrews 11:1 CSB). Paul’s warning is as valid today as it was then. 
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48. Footnotes: 
49.        1. Holman Bible Editorial Staff. The HCSB Study Bible. (B&H Publishing Group, 2018).
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51.  12 Paul is giving a warning not to associate with those who preach a false doctrine. Paul is persistent in his warning against those who are presenting their interpretation of the gospel. These false teachers teach not to honor Jesus, but only to honor themselves. With the guile of Satan, these people use flattering or feel-good language and deceptive logic to deceive the newly born Christians.“Satan and false teachers will always assail the church (Ac 20:28-29; 2Co 11:13-15; Gal 5:10-12; Php 3:2,18-20; Col 2:16-19)1”. In verse 19, Paul expresses his desire that the Roman church remains in their innocents. As Christians in the modern world, we must be vigilant, watching for those who would pervert the word of God. 
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53. Footnotes: 
54.       1. Holman Bible Editorial Staff. The HCSB Study Bible. B&H Publishing Group.2018
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56.     13 Jamieson, Fauset & Brown write: "And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly--The apostle encourages the Romans to persevere in resisting the wiles of the devil with the assurance that, as good soldiers of Jesus Christ, they are "shortly" to receive their discharge, and have the satisfaction of "putting their feet upon the neck" of that formidable enemy- -symbol familiar, probably, in all languages to express not only the completeness of the defeat, but the abject humiliation of the conquered foe. (See Joshua 10:24 , 2 Samuel 22:41 , Ezekiel 21:29 , Psalms 91:13 )1".

Footnotes:

             1. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown. “Romans 16 Commentary - Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible.” Bible Study Tools. Accessed March 18, 2020. https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/jamieson-fausset-brown/romans/romans-16.html.

1.     14 Who was Lucius?
2. He was a kinsman or fellow tribesman of Paul, (Romans 16:21) by whom he is said by tradition to have been ordained bishop of the church of Cenchreae. He is thought by some to be the same with Lucius of Cyrene (Act 13:1)1. 
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4. Footnotes: 
5.         1. https://biblehub.com/topical/l/lucius.htm
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7. 15 Who was Tertius? Paul probably dictated this epistle to the scribe, and follower of Christ Jesus called Tertius. Paul probably dictated the epistle to Rome; whereas the epistle to the Galatian church, Paul penned himself (Gal 6:11). We know from what was said in Galatians 6:11, Paul's eyesight was failing. Therefore, by the time the epistle of Rome was written, Paul might have been functionally blind. The critical fact remains, all Scripture is the inspired word of God; Whether penned by an apostle or dictated to a scribe.
8.  Scripture Reading Romans 16: 24 -27 
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10.  16 Doxology 
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12.      Chapter 16 concludes our study of Romans. The book of Romans is the last epistle Paul wrote. However, it is the first epistle of Paul’s epistles in the New Testament. The order of the epistles is not arbitrary. The book of Romans appears first because it is the fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith. An interesting fact to be noted is that the order of the epistles has never changed.
13. 18. Paul discloses the mystery (secret) of the gospel of Jesus (v.25). Jamieson writes: “…in conformity with the truths of that Gospel which I preach, and not I only, but all to whom has been committed "the preaching of Jesus Christ." according to the revelation of the which was kept secret since the world began--literally, "which hath been kept in silence during eternal ages.“ The Old Testament prophesied about Jesus, and yet the Jew did not understand (vv. 26,27). Paul was preaching plainly that salvation, from the beginning, was by grace through Jesus. Salvation was not restricted to the Jew but for all who would believe.
14. 19. This final chapter concludes our study of Romans. The fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith studied in Romans is the foundation upon which the doctrine of the Christian Missionary Church is founded. The class will now transition to how to study the Bible. You will be asked to read your Bible at home and in the classroom. You will find it helpful to have a notebook for class as you will want to jot down notes for future reference.