Family Love, Commendations, and Greetings (Rom ) WestminsterReformedChurch.org Pastor Ostella July 29, 2018 I commend to you our sister

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1 Family Love, Commendations, and Greetings (Rom ) WestminsterReformedChurch.org Pastor Ostella July 29, 2018 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. 17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. 21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. Introduction As we have worked through Romans it has become evident that the book is not only remarkable in its theological depth but that it is also direct in its practical application. Paul is very bold in his writing (15.15) and a central area of that boldness is the church as the new people of God with Jews and Gentiles on an equal footing. Moreover, it is obvious that the equality is not simply an issue of non-discrimination under civil law; without question it is a matter of family intimacy. It means that both Jews and Gentiles are God's people, His loved ones, and His elect children for it is His purpose (Rom ): to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory 24 even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles.. 25 As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'" 26 "And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called 'sons of the living God. " Remarkably, this means that we are brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ because those He foreknew with electing love he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son that he might be the firstborn [the preeminent one] among many brothers (Rom 8.29). Also, we know that reference to brothers is short for brothers and sisters because the greetings here in chapter 16 show that this letter is addressed to both men and women. There are ten sisters cited with two unnamed: the mother of Rufus (v. 13) and the sister of Nereus (v. 15). Sister is used in verse 15 biologically but most of its uses have a spiritual meaning as in 16.1: our sister Phoebe is sister of all. The eight women explicitly named are: Phoebe (v. 1), Prisca (v. 3), Mary (v. 6), Junia (v. 7), Tryphanena, Tryphosa, Persis (v. 12), and Julia (v. 15). Jesus is our Lord (15.3), so, as His brothers and sisters, we are loved with electing love (8.29), we are called by His effectual call (1.5-7; 8.2; 8.29), and we are redeemed by His efficacious death (8.32). We belong to Jesus Christ by His love ( ), the Father s love (5.5), and the love of the Holy Spirit (15.30). So it is no surprise to find that family love is evident in the commendations and greetings here at the end of Paul's letter. Accordingly, I have titled this message Family Love, Commendations, and Greetings. I will take up two main things: family

2 !2 love exemplified and family love rooted. Don't let the odd names on a mundane list throw you; there is more here than first meets the eye. I. Family love is exemplified in at least three ways A. First, it is exemplified in serving together under trial The citation of name after name in chapter 16 indicates joint labors at great personal risk, cost, selflessness, and sacrifice. Phoebe is a servant of the church at Cenchreae (v. 1) and has been a patron [a helper] to many (v. 2). Prisca and Aquilla are fellow workers who risked their lives for Paul and the churches of the Gentiles (v. 4). They also opened their home for regular church meetings (v. 5). In verse 6, Paul greets Mary who worked hard for the Roman Christians. Andronicus and Junia are cited next as people who endure the hardship of prison in serving with Paul (v. 7). Urbanus is called our fellow worker (v. 9, presumably he worked with both Paul and the Romans). Apelles is tested and thus approved in Christ (v. 10), which suggests a vigilant endurance of trial in the work he performed. Surely, it is important to consider how difficult it can be at times to serve others. This fact may be a main discouragement to serving. Much of our work is thankless. Fruitfulness may be hard to see. So it takes strength, vigilance, determination to stick to it no matter how difficult the task. Accordingly, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, and Persis are described (like Mary, v. 6) as women who work hard in the Lord and who worked very hard (v. 12). Finally, it is said of Gaius that he extended hospitality to Paul and the church, perhaps even in the form of a house church (v. 23, like that of Prisca and Aquilla). Clearly, these people displayed a giving of their substance and of their very selves as they showed family love. B. Second, love is exemplified in expressions of gratitude, dearness, and closeness The love bond comes out in the gratitude that flows between them for the greatness of the help given and received (welcome Phoebe in a way worthy of saints because she has helped so many and Paul also, v. 2). It comes out in dearness of friendship (v. 9, my beloved Stachys and v. 12, the beloved Persis who has worked hard in the Lord). It is evident all through in the closeness of a family at its best (v. 1, sister; v. 14, brothers; v. 23, brother; and v. 13, mother). Blood ties are not denied but they are clearly subordinated to the new family in which not my people from all families of the earth are joined into a new people of the living God. Of course, we need to recognize the loaded nature of the term greet used throughout the chapter. It means to acknowledge, salute, honor, pay respect, and to extend a welcome. This is heart hospitality: let them know that they have a special place of welcome in our hearts, even with the distance between us that needs to be bridged. Before leaving these expressions of love, we should say something about verse 16: Greet one another with a holy kiss. This no doubt refers to the custom of kissing the cheek or both cheeks in a gesture of love and friendship (1 Cor 16.20; 2 Cor 13.12; 1 Thess 5.26; 1 Pet 5.14). It translates into extending the right hand of fellowship, the embrace of a hug, or a kiss on the cheek even in our rugged individualist American culture where some people are uncomfortable with a hand shake, let alone a hug or peck on the cheek. Interestingly, this custom or convention is an imperative that is designed to be a display holiness. That it goes with holy living makes best sense when we think of the importance attached to expressions of hospitality s welcome that come from the heart in loving affection. I recall when we first met Adam s wife to be, Amy who before we met asked, are your mom and dad huggers? He told her that he was not actually sure. When we were introduced, Pat and I both gave her a big hug and she got her answer. The hug was spontaneous. I think the point is that family affection is contagious. That is why each greeting is but the tip of an iceberg; that is

3 !3 why the word beloved is repeated and the holy kiss is mentioned. This is the spirit of loving family affection that demonstrates gratitude, dearness, and closeness. C Third, brotherly love bursts from the text in a passionate warning A strong cautionary statement is sandwiched within the greetings (17-20). With a sudden and a final sense of urgency, Paul tells the Romans to be on the watch for those who deceive and divide (v. 17a). He relates what the deceivers do, what the saints are to do, and what God is about to do. 1. What the deceivers do is presented in verses They cause divisions and put obstacles in your way contrary to the apostolic teaching. They do not serve Christ but their own appetites. Notably, they use smooth talk and flattery (cf. the right versus the wrong way of pleasing of others, Rom 15.2; the wrong way is to flatter and make people feel good about themselves, not for their good but for your own gain; the right way to please others is to encourage, honor, and upbuild). By contrast, these people deceive the naïve. We don't want to be too hard on the naïve but flattery is like a vacuum cleaner that sucks up loose dirt. The naïve are more like loose dirt than part of the carpet or furniture (they may not be part of the household). 2. What saints are to do in relation to these divisive and deceptive people is in They are to keep away from them (v. 17, avoid them). And the saints are to be wise and innocent about good and evil (v. 19): For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. This apparently means to be wise in standing against evil and innocent in the experience of evil. In other words, you should know a lot about evil and about how to deal with it in a good way without doing it yourself. O how much Christians need wisdom! We do not want to be overly judgmental of others who serve; we do not want to get burned and when we do get burned we must be on guard. We need wise love and loving wisdom. We are to be armed with a sword, use it, but remain tenderhearted in our use of this sword. Armed thus, we will take much on the chin. Hence, we need wisdom! In the context of family, the warning shows that we need to pull together to keep each other alert to deceptive trends, to pray for mutual protection and wisdom. These are some of the things that characterize the new people of God that exist because of fulfillment in Christ. 3. What God is about to do is stated in verse 20 Paul says, The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. This is a citation of Genesis 3.15 that reveals much about the history of redemption in accord with the dawning of the new day in which (Rom ) our salvation is both nearer than when we first believed and it is already present. Accordingly, Paul speaks of victory over these adversaries in terms of the defeat of the adversary, Satan, by the family of Christ in conflict with the seed of the serpent. In Romans 16.20, he states that God will soon crush Satan under your feet. This crushing was secured by Jesus on the cross, is assured therefore to His brothers and sisters on journey in the time between, and will be finalized in the future at the coming of Christ. He gives believers hope now on the way. So, although there may be setbacks and the struggle requires much diligence because of great deception, victory is sure. But the ins and outs of this fight are challengingly real. Therefore, he prays for the powerful grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to sustain them (16.20b). The victory is sure, the fight is a pull and tug, and prayer is a real means through which God accomplishes His determined will for our victory. II. Now, consider the other main point: family love rooted

4 !4 Now we do well to ask, how is this one-anothering love rooted deeply and firmly into the ground to withstand stormy winds? The answer should simply leap off the page at us. The love, the friendship, the work, and the self-sacrifice that is put before us in Romans 16 is rooted securely in Christ in union with Him. This is viewed from two angles. 1) One angle is union with Christ as Savior These people have been converted to Christ (v. 5), they were in Christ [came to know Christ] before me, Paul says (v. 7) and they were in the Lord from the family of Narcissus (v. 11). In other words, they are baptized believers, people buried with [Christ] by baptism into death (Rom 6.3) for newness of life (6.4). You will recall that union with Christ has three dimensions: we are united with Him in the eternal covenant (pactum salutis); we are united with Him in His death on the cross (historia salutis), and we are united with Him in the application of redemption (ordo salutis). Baptism points us to what happens when the work of Christ that was planned and accomplished is applied: all who obey Christ in baptism from the heart do so by the efficacious call of the Savior and are converted to Christ as was Epaenetus, the firstfruits of the harvest in Asia (v. 5). Redemption is applied in the ebb and flow of the personal history of a sinner become saint. The time appointed and secured arrives, and he or she becomes a convert to Christ. 2) Another angle is union with Christ as Lord Their love for one another is in the Lord (v. 8), which means it is rooted in His authority and love. To receive Phoebe in the Lord (v. 2) is to receive her in Christ s name and for His sake. These believers from various churches from across the Mediterranean world are united together under the Lordship of Christ to whom all authority has been given. Remarkably, they are brothers and sisters in the family of God an amazing thought with Christ as the elder brother an even more amazing thought. So in submission to Him as Lord and family head they greet, commend, and serve one another in the gospel. The love bond comes out in the gratitude that flows between them for the help given and received. It comes out in the dearness of friendship of the beloved (stated four times here 16. 5, 8, 9 & 12) and in family ties (v. 1, sister; v. 14, brothers; v. 23, brother; and v. 13, mother). The family love flows from love for Christ as the ultimate source. Thus, new covenant kinship, to quote Jesus, involves union with Him in doing the will of God (Mk ):"Who are my mother and my brothers?" 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother." Thus, family love is exemplified in service, gratitude, and warning; it is deeply rooted in union with Christ as Savior and in union with Him as Lord. Conclusion We have a remarkably practical summons to Christian service here that shows Christians uniting for strength in hard work. We are to be like one piece of fiber added to another until what would be very fragile individually becomes an extremely strong rope. Individually, we are truly weak but together we are strong. It is surprising, to me at least, that this repetitive passage filled with mundane greetings and commendations makes a very strong claim on us.we cannot read chapter 16 without saying, This is what we ought to be like in the service of Christ as His local church family in relationship to other local church families and Christians everywhere. 1. Therefore, on one hand, we are to love one another We are to love one another and have a flow of gratitude between us for the down to earth helping that goes on among us (cf. no you, that is, no you first ). Even to avoid the divisive must be loving and not hasty or impulsive; it is to be wise and judicious.

5 !5 We ought to think of one another as brothers and sisters in the Lord with the awesome fact embedded deep within our hearts that we belong to Jesus Christ the Lord of glory. This is a heavenly mindset issue. We are His by divine election. He is our Lord and our God. And He is our Elder brother who is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters though we do many things of which He could very well be ashamed. Nonetheless, He declares God's name among us calling us His brothers and sisters. He goes so far as to sing along with us when we gather together as a congregation in His presence (Rom ). His joyful love draws on our hearts to love like He loves. The greetings express deep affection from Paul and others of the Mediterranean world to the Romans. By implication, it shows that mutual love means that we will look out for the wellbeing of one another, especially with regard to the teachings of the apostles (over against deception). In many ways, we are to work for and with each other. Many things are on the list but learning the apostolic gospel tops them all. We are brought back in this burst of closing energy to the great need we all have to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Mat 4.4). We are to be ever conscious of the needs of others and always at work to see that they are met to the honor of Christ our Lord. Remember the emphasis of chapter 12 on compounding love that is one anothering, family, and brotherly (12.10) in a context of sharing, practicing hospitality, and mutual serving (12.13) as members of one body who belong to each other (12.5). So we are to seek to please our brothers and sisters rather than ourselves (15.1-2) based on the fact that our brother, the Lord Jesus, did not seek to please Himself (15.3). Jesus is the root of oak-tree-like family love. He is the one to whom we commit ourselves in faith and obedience and this spills over to love for one another. 2. On the other hand, there is a strong claim on us here to serve one another We cannot read these greetings without being called again to serve Christ s church. Thus, whether men or women, whatever the personal cost and sacrifice, we are to work hard, to work very hard, and to do so wherever there is need despite trial and testing. There is risk, cost, and sacrifice in front of us. The people who greet and are greeted in Romans 16 are placed before our eyes as examples and models of Christians who are industrious in service to each other, to the church, and to the gospel, and most of all to our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. your obedience is known I rejoice over you, 16.19). We should each say to ourselves, I have before my eyes a model to follow. Then we ought to turn this to prayer: O Lord, grant me the grace to walk in this way, to love with this kind of practical, hard working love that serves in your name. In this light, consider hospitality s welcome. It is said of Gaius that he extended hospitality to Paul and the church (16.23). In other words, like our Lord, he made others feel welcome; made them feel at home in his home, whether for church meetings, or for hospitality in general. Also, Prisca and Aquilla, opened their home for church meetings (16.5). You will remember, therefore, that hospitality must be something more than simply opening your home. It is that but it is much more because it is opening your heart prayerfully to share (give) of your inner self, of your needs, of your strengths. It is getting past the strangeness to truly know your brothers and sisters, to know their needs and to respect their strengths, and to be known by them. The goal is serving Christ for mutual upbuilding. 1 Be diligent to welcome the family into your hearts and homes as did Phoebe and Gaius. There is promise here in union with Christ, in union Because opens with let love be sincere and it ends with seek to show hospitality, we should think 1 about how this practical kind of love by being hospitable is highlighted.

6 !6 with Him for salvation and for obedience. Persistence with diligence and hard work in the Lord will engender loyalty to the family that outlasts disappointment and that leads the way to victory over our deceptive adversary. Per Romans , we are to hold fast to what is good and all that we do is to be oriented to the church: love one another with brotherly affection. What we do is to be sincere: let love be genuine, without hypocrisy. The focus in all that we do from the heart is Christ: serve the Lord (v. 11). Accordingly, we can summarize by saying that Romans 16 exhorts us to make it our business to use our gifts to be doing good, for the church family, from the heart, in service to Christ. Without question, the dynamic of it all is union with Christ in his death and resurrection (Rom 6), a union in which we share for newness of life! Nothing here is unrealistic. Instead, it is serving the Lord God incarnate, risen from the grave, and ascended on high. Your fundamental commitment is to Him: yes, Lord I will serve you in serving others eyeball to eyeball, in down to earth ways, where the rubber meets the road. The dynamics of this family emphasis is focus on Christ and focus on His covenantmaking and covenant-keeping from Genesis to the Romans and from them to Christ s church today. May we fall down before the majesty of God in thankfulness for His gift of family love; may the Spirit teach us to serve the church for whom Jesus was delivered up by the Father; may He enable us to strive for harmony in the truth for mutual edification; to the glory of the triune God, now in His church and forevermore, Amen!