Romans 16: The Church and You: 10-29-2023
Romans 16: 1 – 27
V1: Phoebe is commended as a ____ . What would she do today if she attended Bethel?
V3: Priscilla and Aquila: also Acts 18:2-3, 18, 26, 1 Cor 16:19, and 2 Timothy 4:19. 5/6 times the wife is mentioned before the husband. The Nazarene manual uses this as one reason why women should be equal in the church, even to the point of leadership / General Superintendency.
…we believe interpreting these passages as limiting the role of women in ministry presents serious conflicts with specific passages of scripture that commend female participation in spiritual leadership roles (Joel 2:28-29; Acts 2:17-18; 21:8-9; Romans 16:1, 3, 7; Philippians 4:2-3), and violates the spirit and practice of the Wesleyan-holiness tradition. Finally, it is incompatible with the character of God presented throughout Scripture, especially as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. p.192
V4: Do you realize the immense influence of Paul on gentiles being Christians today? How does that make you feel? Do you think it would have happened with or without Paul? What do you think about your role for the millions alive today who still have never heard?
V5: What does this verse show us about church? What is our role in this?
V6-7: Many people consider apostles as the very first ones, but this verse says others are working like Paul did as well. Old English apostol, via ecclesiastical Latin from Greek apostolos ‘messenger’, from apostellein ‘send forth’.
V11: You can be a lover of self and turn to Christ! Better to be “in the Lord”
V12: Tryphosa is also a little bacterium that provides energy to the shrimp-family! Hard workers make it into science textbooks!
V16: In New Testament times, a kiss on the cheek was used for greeting and implied friendship and acceptance. A kiss of greeting between Christians implied that no elite groups existed and that all were equally loved and accepted—not only by God—but by one other. https://www.gcu.edu/blog/theology-ministry/theology-thursday-greet-one-another-kiss
V16: Did you know? Kissing of feet is an important Christian religious ritual. Feet washing, which precedes the kissing, is a sign of humility and is looked upon as an "act of lowly service, of loving service, and of self-giving service." (Wikipedia)
V17: How do we synthesize this with all the teaching about food?
V18: How do you know if you are a naïve person? What is the beginning of wisdom? Prov 9:10
V19: What would it take for others to say this about us?
V20: Peace – will we ever see it? Lots of bad things lately. https://youtu.be/iRYZjOuUnlU is a good recap of why Palestinians are willing to terrorize, and why Israel is fed up with them.
V22: Tertius means “third” in Latin, and was a common name for slaves. I wonder what would have happened if Paul could not find a helper to write this letter? Are you someone that comes along side others and helps them become great? Would you be willing to be used so that someone else got the glory? Who has ever heard of Tertius?
V23: Maybe Gaius was the owner of the slave? 1 Cor 1:14, 3 John 1:1, Acts 19:29, Acts 20:4.
V26: I think it would have been great to sit and listen to Paul explain all of the old testament scriptures and how he thought they related to Jesus. How about you?
Great way to end our study of Romans:
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
Summary:
Romans is a book of incredible theological depth, encouraging us to look at the world like Jesus does – as a loving victor, not a cowering fear-based society. We are to love our fellow Christians intensely and sacrificially, and we are to love non-Christians just about as much.
https://enterthebible.org/courses/romans/lessons/summary-of-romans:
With the exception of the four Gospels, Romans is unsurpassed among the books of the New Testament for its impact on later church history. It had a place in Augustine’s conversion from Manichaeism to Christianity; in the rediscovery of grace, justification, and faith by Martin Luther, sparking the Reformation; and in the beginnings of the Methodist movement when John Wesley read Luther’s Preface to Romans. In 1919 Karl Barth produced his commentary on Romans, a work that was to change theology radically in the 20th century.