Bible Blog: Romans 15:23-16:27 – October 1, 2007

How to Behave: Part XIV

I’ve been avoiding trying to finish this “How to Behave” series with the I-don’t-feel-well excuse. My mom didn’t buy it when I was a kid, I don’t let my kids get away with it, and my Daddy God isn’t letting me procrastinate any longer. So, since I have plenty of time, I’m going to finish it now.

Romans 15:23-33

23. But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, 24. I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while. 25. Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there. 26. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. 27. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 28. So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way. 29. I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ. 30. I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, 32. so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. 33. The God of peace be with you all. Amen.

A few things jumped out at me when I read this:

1. Paul had a longing for Christian companionship and a time of refreshment. I often hear people say that they worship God in their own way, they don’t need to go to church, etc… While there is nothing wrong with worshiping God in solitude and I think all of us should have our ways of worshiping Him on our own, to do so at the exclusion of interaction with our brothers and sisters in Christ is foolish. I know my church is my family. Without the people at BVBC praying for me, offering emotional support, and even the occasional financial support that they offer, I would be alone. But because I don’t isolate myself from fellow believers, I am blessed with the love that they give me because they are happy to share the love that Christ has given them. When we isolate ourselves from other believers, we isolate ourselves from some of the richest and most meaningful relationships we can ever know.
2. Paul had a desire to share Christ with others. Spain was at the edge of the known world at that time, and Paul wanted to take Christ to the edge of the earth. But, when we think of sharing Christ with others, do we only think of overseas missions and short term missionary projects or do we think of the very real need on our own streets? We are surrounded by people who long to know Jesus, they just need someone willing to show them who He is, and we don’t need to go to China to do that.
3. Asking for prayer is important. We are to rely on each other as brothers and sisters in Christ and share each other’s burdens. If we keep our needs and our burdens to ourselves, how can anyone lift us in prayer or encourage us? We need to swallow our pride and let others help with the hurt we feel. When we do that, we will find that our burdens will be easier to bear and our sorrows will turn to joy more quickly.

Romans 16:1-16

1. I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant[a] of the church in Cenchrea. 2. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. 3. Greet Priscilla[b] and Aquila, my fellow 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 Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. 8. Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord. 9. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. 10. Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11. Greet Herodion, my relative. 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 brothers with them. 15. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them. 16. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.

Obviously, people were important to Paul since he lists friends, family, and other missionaries. One woman in this list stuck out to me though, not because of her achievement, as all that is mentioned is that she worked hard for the Lord, but because Paul calls her “my dear friend Persis”. This is obviously going to be something that is more personal to me than to you, but it is what it is. I have many male friends, and I am a woman. My male friends are closer to me than many of my women friends (and yes, I have quite a few women I consider friends also). But I am often told that men and women shouldn’t be friends, that I should cut all the male friends out of my life and only spend time with women, etc… Here it is, in the Bible, that a man and a woman were not only friends, but they were close friends. They weren’t dating; they weren’t even located near each other! They were FRIENDS! I enjoyed reading this and knowing that the cultural norms of male-female friendships were even breached by Paul. I know, probably not what I should have gotten from this passage, but there you have it.

Romans 16:17-27

17. I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. 20. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. 21. Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives. 22. I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23. Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. 25. Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26. but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him— 27. to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Paul is reminding us to keep our eyes open and to avoid deception. It is so easy to just listen to someone else and say “yeah I like that” or “nope, not for me” than it is to look into things and decide for ourselves isn’t it? Yet that is what he is warning us to avoid. If we don’t stay sharp, if we don’t question what we are told, we can easily fall into a trap of deception. I don’t know about you, but I want the glory to go to the only God, who alone is all-wise.

Hugs & Love