Romans 16
COMMENTARY:
: 1 I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea. (1249 “servant”[diakonos] means minister, deacon, one who exercises the commands of another, waiter, one who serves without necessarily having the office of a deacon, helper, deaconess, agent, assistant, or a messenger.)
DEVOTION: This word has caused much trouble in the church because of some of the interpretations give to it.
Paul in his writings to the churches has mentioned the office of deacon in the church on a number of occasions to Timothy and Titus for example. In each of the mentions we find that the office of deacon in a church was filled by a man only. One of the characteristics of those who fill the office of deacon is the husband of one wife. It is hard for a woman to do that.
Paul on this occasion could have meant that she was to be a messenger from the church in Cenchrea to the church of Rome. She has been a helper to Paul in the past. She has been a helper to many others through the years. She has the gift of helps.
He is writing a letter of commendation for her to serve as a helper in the church in Rome. There is a need for many women to help the church move forward for the LORD.
During the ministry of the Jesus Christ it was stated that many women followed HIM and also supported HIM. Every ministry has women who help the ministry move forward.
There can be also women that hinder a ministry after they have spent time in a church. In Philippians 4: 2, 3 we find two women who are at odds with one another and it is affecting the church. Paul wants them to be reconciled.
The older women are to train the younger women by example. The older women who are widows were to be supported by the church if they have no relatives that can support them.
Phoebe could fall into one of these categories where she was able to travel either at the churches expense or her own to help the women in the church at Rome be the example they should be to the younger women. We need older women who are helpers in the ministry of training the younger women to serve the LORD. When trained they can set the example for all the other women in the church to serve the LORD.
CHALLENGE: Women are needed to assist in the ministry.
: 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. (1978 “note” [episemos] means well known, notorious, outstanding, famous, remarkable, significant, splendid, prominent, or distinguished.)
DEVOTION: Paul has a list of people who have worked with him in the past. They might have even been in prison with him. Remember that he was put in jail in many different locations. He was also in prison in Rome awaiting trial.
So we find that Paul wants to make sure people understand that when he served the LORD there were always others by his side. They helped him not only in ministry but they also went to jail with him. They were committed believers who would do anything for the LORD.
Remember serving the LORD is not always supposed to be easy. There is hard work involved and many times suffering for your witness for the LORD. These people were willing to suffer with Paul as well.
We need to remember to stay faithful to the LORD and if it means being put in jail we should be willing to do it. Paul wrote many of his letters in jail. God can use Christians in jail to reach other individuals for HIS kingdom that might not have listened to the message but because of their circumstances they were willing to listen and become believers. Not all those who become followers of Jesus in jail are fakers.
One of the ministries of every believer can be to visit those in jail. These are the ones who will receive the reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ when all Christians come before Jesus and give an account.
One of the statements HE made to the Pharisees while on the earth at HIS first coming was that those who visited people in jail would get rewards and the only response the Pharisees could give is “when saw we in jail” and he replied when you did it to the least of the people you did it to ME.
CHALLENGE: Follow HIM wherever HE leads you. Those helping Paul did!!!
: 12 Salut Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which labored much in the Lord. (2872 “labor” [kopiao] means hard work, toil, strive, to labor to weariness, or bodily labor.)
DEVOTION: There are degrees of service to the LORD. One can labor and another can labor much. Paul is greeting both together. It is interesting that sometimes we can say we are doing more than others.
When it comes time for honor to come along in a church on a given Sunday we find that some receive the same honor as others when they are mentioned. This can upset some who think they are more important or did more things during their time of service than others who are there on the platform together.
Some have more time to serve the LORD than others. Some have more gifts that the Holy Spirit has given them to serve the LORD.
I have mentioned before that there was a man who I admired who served the LORD in building a camp for youth, could play the piano very well and could preach. I was jealous that someone could have all those gifts but the LORD is using him for HIS kingdom. We are not to compare ourselves with others.
Some have to understand that the LORD loves them just as much with their one gift that they use for HIS glory as those HE gives more gifts to uses them for HIS glory.
CHALLENGE: God wants us to use what we have for HIS glory and we need to let him figure out the rewards.
: 17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned: and avoid them. (4648 “mark” [skopeo] means to take aim at, consider, look at, watch out for, spy out, inspect or to fix one’s eyes on.)
DEVOTION: Here is Paul complimenting those who serve the LORD under his ministry. He mentions them by name and what they have done in his ministry. Every individual is important to a ministry to move it forward. Paul wants the church to move forward in Rome. This involved many people using their gifts for the LORD. He is saying “thank you” to them for their service.
However, in the church there will come individuals who will teach false doctrine or cause disruption in the work of the church. Paul warns the Christians in Rome to watch out for these individuals. They have to act like individuals looking for spies in their midst. They are not to be paranoid.
These people are easy to spot. They want leadership or teaching positions. They will sometimes say that they believe the same way as the church doctrinal statement states but in reality they are lying. It is important to check out what people are teaching in our Sunday School classes and other meetings of the church. Some home Bible studies could be lead by individuals who have pet doctrines or teachings that don’t agree with what the church believes.
There are also people who like to say they are the “devil’s advocate” at meetings. We don’t need any individual to be in that position as there are demons active in all churches already.
Paul wants the house churches to watch and avoid these individuals. The disciples taught new converts doctrine. They were to go into all the world and preach the gospel. They were to teach all nations. They were to baptize those who chose to follow the Lord. Then they were to teach them to observe all things that Christ had commanded.
There was a system of teaching that the Lord taught the disciples. They in turn taught the churches. The churches in turn taught doctrine to all those who came through their doors. Each Christian had a basic training in the doctrines of the faith.
Today is very different. Many churches avoid teaching doctrine. They don’t want to offend anyone. Paul is telling the church to avoid those who cause division and offences in their midst. We are to aim our teachings, so that, people who attend our churches understand sound teaching or doctrine. Then when they hear the teaching of those who are false teachers, they will run away. We are to warn the people in the pew against false teaching that is entering the church. In some churches people who claim to be Christians come in and teach things that are contrary to the Word of God. Are we aiming at the right people in our churches? Do we know what false teaching is? There are many new movements in evangelical circles that are heresy. Are we warning our people?
CHALLENGE: Study the Bible to find the Biblical truths we are to believe and defend them. Never be politically correct when we are to always to be Biblically correct.
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