Romans 16: Romans 16:25-27-Paul s Concluding Doxology

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1 Romans 16:25-27 Romans 16:25-27-Paul s Concluding Doxology By way of review of Romans 16 we have noted that in Romans 16:1-2 Paul introduces Phoebe to the Roman believers and commands them to welcome her and put themselves at her disposal. Romans 16:1, Now, I introduce to you Phoebe, our spiritual sister, who is also serving the church at Cenchrea 2 in order to welcome her into fellowship with yourselves with great honor and hospitality on the basis of the Lord s teaching to love one another in a manner worthy of the saints and in addition that you place yourselves at her disposal for the purpose of providing her with anything at all she needs from you because she in fact has demonstrated herself to be of assistance for many including myself as well. In verse 1, Paul gives a two-fold description of Phoebe, both of which were designed to facilitate Phoebe s acceptance into the fellowship of the Roman believers. The first description our spiritual sister denotes the common spiritual relationship that Phoebe has with not only Paul and his companions with him in Corinth but also the common spiritual relationship she has with the Roman believers. The second description who is also serving the church at Cenchrea describes Phoebe as one who serves both Paul and the Roman believers as an intermediary between the two in the sense that she is the courier of this epistle. It does not denote the office of deacon since Paul s teaching in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 3:12 prohibit a woman holding this position of authority in the church. Cenchrea refers to a seaport seven miles east of Corinth on the Saronic Gulf, which was used for trade with Asia and was mentioned in the writings of Thucydides, Pausanias, and Strabo. It served as the southern harbor of Corinth. In Romans 16:1, it is identified as the home of Phoebe. Then, in Romans 16:2, he presents the two-fold purpose for Paul introducing Phoebe to the Roman believers. First of all, he introduced her to them so that they would welcome her into their fellowship with great honor and hospitality. The reason why they should do so is because of the Lord s teaching to love one another. They were to welcome her in a manner worthy of the saints or that was the proper way among Christians of welcoming a fellow believer, which is in accordance with the Lord s teaching to love one another. The second purpose for Paul introducing Phoebe to the Roman believers was so that they would place themselves at her disposal for the purpose of providing her with anything she 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 needs. Then, he presents the reason why they should do this, namely, because she has demonstrated herself to be of assistance for many Christians including himself. Then, in Romans 16:3-15, Paul commands the Roman believers to greet on his behalf 26 individuals, 2 families and other unnamed individuals. Romans 16:3, All of you please give my regards to Prisca as well as Aquila, my co-workers in the cause of Christ, who is Jesus 4 who, indeed are of such character, risked their own necks for my life. Not only am I grateful but also each and every one of the churches from among the Gentiles. 5 Also, all of you please give my regards to the church, which is in their private home. Please give my regards to Epenetus, my dear friend who possesses the particular distinction of being the first convert to Christ from Asia. 6 All of you please give my regards to Mary, who is of outstanding character, having worked very hard on behalf of all of you. 7 All of you please give my regards to Andronicus as well as Junia, my fellow-workers as well as my fellowprisoners who possess depth of character being well-known to the apostles, who have entered into the state of being in union with Christ before me. 8 All of you please give my regards to Ampliatus, my dear friend with respect to serving the Lord. 9 All of you please give my regards to Urbanus, our coworker in the cause of Christ as well as Stachys, my dear friend. 10 All of you, please give my regards to Apelles, the battle tested one in the cause of Christ. All of you please give my regards to those from the household of Aristobulus. 11 All of you please give my regards to Herodion, my fellow-countryman. All of you please give my regards to those from the household of Narcissus, who are under the authority of the Lord. 12 All of you please give my regards to Tryphaena and Tryphosa, hard workers with respect to serving the Lord. All of you please give my regards to Persis, the beloved, who possesses depth of character, having worked very hard with respect to serving the Lord. 13 All of you please give my regards to Rufus, who is outstanding with respect to serving the Lord as well as his mother and mine. 14 All of you please give my regards to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas and Hermas as well as those spiritual brothers associated with them. 15 All of you please give my regards to Philologus as well as Julia, Nereus as well as his sister and in addition, each and every one of the saints associated with them. In Romans 16:3-15, Paul sends greetings to 26 individuals. Paul sends greetings to 17 men (Aquila, Epenetus, Andronicus, Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, Herodion, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, Philologus, Nereus and Olympas). He sends his greetings to 9 women, 7 of which he names (Prisca, Mary, Junia, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, Persis, Rufus mother, Julia and Nereus sister). Of these individuals, 2 are married couples (Prisca and Aquila; Andronicus and Junia) and one more could either be husband and wife or brother 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 and sister (Philologus and Julia). The apostle also sent greetings to the slaves or freedmen connected to the families of Aristobulus and Narcissus. There could be as many as five house churches, one headed by Prisca and Aquila, one each connected to the household of Aristobulus and Narcissus, one connected to Asyncritus group and those connected to Philologus. Of these individuals, Paul identifies 4 as being dear friends, Epenetus, Ampliatus, Stachys and Persis and 5 are Jews, Prisca, Aquila, Andronicus, Junia and Herodion. Next, in Romans 16:16, Paul commands the Roman believers to greet on one another with a holy kiss and also tells them that all the churches sends their greetings. Romans 16:16, I myself request that all of you greet one another with a holy kiss. Each and every one of the churches owned by the one and only Christ give their regards to each and every one of you without exception. In the first statement in this passage, Paul requests that the Roman believers and those whom he sends his regards to in verses 3-15 greet one another with a holy kiss. This kiss in the first century among Christians was an expression of greeting, affection, appreciation, intimate fellowship and unity. In western civilization in the twenty first century, this kiss would be equivalent to a hug or handshake. The adjective hagios, holy emphasizes that this kiss is reserved exclusively for fellow Christians. In the second statement in the verse the apostle passes along a greeting to the Romans from each and every one of the churches that he had planted among the Gentiles from Jerusalem to Illyricum. He passes along this greeting because he wants the Roman believers to understand that they are not alone and that the churches that he planted were identifying with them and regarded them as worthy of great respect. It emphasizes with his readers in Rome that the churches that he planted from Jerusalem to Illyricum regarded them as extremely important. Also, Paul wants to build unity between the Roman church and the ones he planted. Then, in Romans 16:17, Paul warns the Roman believers to watch out for those who cause divisions and temptations to sin and apostasy contrary to the doctrine they ve been taught and that they were to avoid them. Romans 16:17, Now, I warn each and every one of you without exception, spiritual brothers and sisters to keep a watchful eye out for those who cause those divisions as well as those temptations to sin and apostatize contrary to the teaching, which each and every one of you without exception learned. Also, all of you continue making it your habit of keeping away from them. This verse contains a warning for the Roman believers to keep a watchful eye out for those who cause divisions in churches and who entice believers to sin and apostatize. This group of individuals is the Judaizers and their legalistic teaching is what caused divisions in churches and believers to sin and apostatize in the first 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 century. The Romans were to keep a watchful eye out for these individuals because their teaching was contrary to the teaching they have learned from their pastorteachers who received their teaching from the Lord and the apostles. On the heels of this warning, Paul commands the Romans to continue making it their habit of keeping away from these individuals. Next, we studied Romans 16:18 and in this passage Paul informs the Romans that the Judaizers who cause divisions in churches and temptations to sin and apostasy by their teaching do not serve Christ but their own appetites. He also writes that they deceive the spiritually immature by their smooth talk and flattery. Romans 16:18, Because, such individuals are by no means characterized as being slaves to our Lord, who is Christ but rather their own stomach and in addition by means of their smooth talk, yes flattering talk too, they deceive the hearts of the naïve. In this verse, Paul presents two reasons why the Roman believers were to watch out for the Judaizers and their legalistic teaching and avoid them. The first is that they do not serve Christ but their own stomach, which contains the figure of synecdoche of the part where the stomach of the Judaizers is put for their strict adherence to the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law. They were causing divisions in the church by attempting to impose the ritual of circumcision upon the Gentile believers (Acts 15; Gal. 5) and by imposing the observance of laws of food that were a part of the oral traditions of the Rabbis and were not a part of Scripture (Col. 2:16-17). If you recall, in Romans 14, Paul addressed the proper attitude to the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law, which the Judaizers insisted upon. The second reason why the Romans were to watch out for the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers and avoid them is that they deceived the spiritually naïve or immature by their smooth talk and flattery. Lastly, in Romans 16:19, Paul presents the reason for his warning to watch out for the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers and his command to avoid them. In this verse, he states that he warned them because even though their obedience was known to all and he rejoiced over this obedience, he still wanted them to be wise with respect to what is good and innocent with respect to evil. Romans 16:19, Indeed, your obedience has itself become known to everyone. Therefore, I am rejoicing because of all of you. However, I want each and every one of you without exception to exist in the state of being wise ones with respect to that which is good in quality and character, however uncontaminated with respect to that which is evil in quality and character. The statement indeed, your obedience has itself become known to everyone advances upon and intensifies Paul s warning in verses to watch out for the legalistic teaching of the Judaizers and his command to avoid them 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 because they are not slaves of Christ but to the dietary regulations of the Mosaic Law and they deceive the hearts of the naive. The statement your obedience has itself become known to everyone refers to the obedience to the gospel by the Roman believers not only when they exercised faith alone and Christ alone and as a result were declared justified by the Father but also it refers to their obedience to the gospel after their conversion and their advance to spiritual maturity. It indicates that the obedience of the Roman believers to the gospel had become known to a majority of Christians throughout the Roman Empire in 57 A.D. Therefore, I am rejoicing because of all of you is the result of an inference from the previous statement that the obedience of the Roman believers to the gospel had itself become known to many Christians in the Roman Empire. However, I want each and every one of you without exception to exist in the state of being wise ones with respect to that which is good in quality and character, however uncontaminated with respect to that which is evil in quality and character presents a contrast with Paul s previous statement that he was rejoicing because of the obedience of the Roman believers to the gospel. The contrast is between rejoicing over the Roman believers obedience to the gospel with a warning to be wise in what is good but innocent in what is evil. The contrast is between the Romans present obedience with their future obedience, which is dependent upon the Romans obeying the warning to be wise in what is good but innocent in what is evil. I want each and every one of you without exception to exist in the state of being wise ones with respect to that which is good in quality and character indicates that Paul desires that the Romans possess God s wisdom in their soul with respect to sound teaching. It denotes that he wants them to have keen understanding and discernment regarding that which is sound doctrine. It refers to teaching that is in accordance with the Father s will. It denotes that they are to have keen discernment and deep understanding as to what is sound teaching. This interpretation is indicated by the fact that in verses 17-18, Paul warns the Romans about false teachers who cause divisions. Uncontaminated with respect to that which is evil in quality and character indicates that Paul desires that the souls of the Roman believers would be pure or clean and suitable for fellowship with God and fit for the Father s purpose as a result of avoiding false teachers such as the Judaizers. That which is evil in quality and character refers to teaching which is in disobedience to the will of the Father and not accordance with His will emphasizing the evil character of false teaching, which contradicts the will of the Father. Lastly, in Romans 16:20, Paul promises the Roman believers that God the Holy Spirit who produces peace in and among believers will soon crush Satan under 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

6 their feet. He follows this up by expressing his desire that the grace of the Lord Jesus be with them. Romans 16:20, Now, God the Holy Spirit who produces peace, will, as a certainty, crush Satan under your feet. May the grace originating from our Lord, namely Jesus, who is the Christ, cause itself to be manifested among all of you as a corporate unit. The promise God the Holy Spirit who produces peace, will, as a certainty, crush Satan under your feet marks a transition from Paul s warning concerning false teachers in Romans 16:17-19 to a promise of deliverance from Satan who is behind these false teachers here in Romans 16:20. It is technically not a prayer since it is not addressed specifically to the Father. However, it is an intercessory prayer that Paul prayed. He is revealing the content of this prayer to encourage the Roman believers. So Paul is revealing his Spirit inspired desire for the Roman church as an indirect means of encouraging the Roman believers to go forward in the Father s plan. This peace refers to the peace of God that is produced by the Spirit in and among the Roman believers. He does this when they continue to obey the commands and prohibitions that Paul issued them in the main argument of the epistle and if they obey his teaching concerning false teachers such as the Judaizers in Romans 16: This crushing of Satan does not refer to God the Son s victory over Satan at His Second Advent or upon putting down the final Gog-Magog rebellion after the millennium since there is nothing in the context that indicates this whatsoever. Rather, it speaks of a victory in the lives of the Roman believers at the time of writing and not the future eschatological victory of Christ over Satan and his kingdom. This is indicated by the fact that Paul does not say that Satan will be crushed under Christ s feet, which will be the case at His Second Advent and when He casts Satan into the lake of fire but rather he says that God the Holy Spirit will crush Satan under his readers feet! This will take place if the Roman believers obey his teaching in Romans 16: Here in Romans 16:20, Paul implies that Satan is behind the false teachers that he warned the Roman believers about and thus when they obey his teaching in verses 17-19, the Holy Spirit who inspired this teaching, will, as a certainty, crush Satan and the false teachers that he inspires. The crushing of Satan under the feet of the Roman believers is a special imagery taken of one who is vanquished lying beneath the victor s feet. It speaks of Satan being vanquished under the Roman believers feet if they obey Paul s teaching concerning the false teachers in Romans 16: May the grace originating from our Lord, namely Jesus, who is the Christ, cause itself to be manifested among all of you as a corporate unit is a 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

7 Spirit inspired desire that the Romans would respond to the Spirit s teaching in this epistle regarding the will of the Father for each individual Roman believer. The apostle Paul under the ministry of God the Holy Spirit is appealing to the Romans to respond to his doctrinal teaching in this epistle, which originates from the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul is not speaking here of grace at the moment of conversion but the grace or God s provision for after conversion. The grace of God is God s provision for salvation and a post-conversion relationship and fellowship with Him. The Spirit, through the communication of the Word of God to the believer reveals God the Father s grace policy to the believer. The Spirit of Christ speaking through the communication of the mind of Christ, i.e. the Word of God to the believer s human spirit regarding the will of the Father is the means by which grace is received by the believer. Lastly, in Romans 16:21-23, Paul passes along greetings to Romans from eight individuals who were with him in Corinth when he wrote this Roman epistle. Romans 16:21, Timothy, my co-worker, gives his regards to each and every one of you without exception and in addition Lucius as well as Jason and also Sosipater, my fellow countrymen. 22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, give my regards to each and every one of you without exception with respect to serving the Lord. 23 Gaius, who is my host as well as host to the entire church, gives his regards to each and every one of you without exception. Erastus, this city s treasurer gives his regards to each and every one of you without exception as well as Quartus, our spiritual brother. In the New American Standard Updated version, Romans 16:24 is in brackets since they correctly have determined that it does not appear in the original. The NET Bible, This verse is entirely lacking in P 46, 61 א) A) B C pc co. The strength of the external evidence, combined with uncertainty in other mss over where the verse should be located and the fact that it is a repetition of v. 20b, strongly favors omission of the verse. The present translation follows NA 27 in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations. Next, we will complete our study of the Roman epistle by noting Paul s concluding doxology that appears in Romans 16: Romans 16:25, Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

8 Bruce Metzger commenting on the text of Romans 16:25-27, writes, While recognizing the possibility that the doxology may not have been part of the original form of the epistle, on the strength of impressive evidence (P 61 a B C D it ar, b, d*, f, o vg sy p cop sa, bo eth Clement al) the Committee decided to include the verses at their traditional place in the epistle, but enclosed within square brackets. (A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament; second edition; Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft: 1994, page 477). The NET Bible, There is a considerable degree of difference among the mss regarding the presence and position of the doxology of 16: Five situations present themselves from the ms tradition. The doxology is found in the ancient witnesses in three separate locations: (1) here after 16:23 (P61 א B C D al co), (2) after 14:23 (Ψ 0209vid M), or (3) after 15:33 (P46). The situation is further complicated in that some of the mss have these verses in two places: (4) after 14:23 and after 16:23 (A P pc); or (5) after 14:23 and after 15:33 (1506). The uncertain position of the doxology might suggest that it was added by later scribes. But since the mss containing the doxology are so early and widespread, it almost certainly belongs in Romans; it is only a question of where. Further, the witnesses that omit the doxology are few: F G 629 Hiermss. (And of these, G has a blank space of several lines large enough for the doxology to belong there.) Only two positions (after chapter 14 only and at the end of the letter only) deserve particular notice because the situation of the mss showing the doxology in two places dates back to the 5th century. Later copyists, faced with the doxology in two different places in the mss they knew, may have decided to copy the doxology in both places, since they were unwilling to consciously omit any text. Because the textual disruption of the doxology is so early, TCGNT 472 suggests two possibilities: either (1) that Paul may have sent two different copies of Romans - a copy lacking chapter 16 and a copy with the full text of the epistle as we now have it, or (2) Marcion or some of his followers circulated a shortened form of the epistle that lacked chapters 15 and 16. Those mss that lacked chapters would naturally conclude with some kind of doxology after chapter 14. On the other hand, H. Gamble (The Textual History of the Letter to the Romans [SD], ) argues for the position of the doxology at 14:23, since to put the doxology at 16:25 would violate Paul s normal pattern of a grace-benediction at the close of the letter. Gamble further argues for the inclusion of 16:24, since the mss that put the doxology after chapter 14 almost always present 16:24 as the letter s closing, whereas most of the mss that put the doxology at its traditional position drop 16:24, perhaps because it would be redundant before 16: A decision is difficult, but the weight of external evidence, since it is both early and geographically widespread, suggests that the doxology belongs here after 16:23. For a full discussion, see TCGNT William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

9 Moo writes, This concluding doxology has a checkered textual history. It is missing entirely in the sister western bilinguals F and G, it is placed after 14:23 in Ψ, 0209 and some minuscules, it is placed after 15:33 in others (P 46 and minuscule 1506) and in still others it is placed both here and after 14:23 (the secondary Alexandrian A, the Byzantine P, uncial 0150 and a few minuscules). This uncertainty about its placement has raised doubts in the minds of critics about its authenticity. But far more serious are the doubts raised by its contents. The language of these verses is said to be un-pauline, with wording such as χρόνοις αἰωνίοις σεσιγηµένου ( silent for eternal ages ), γραφῶν προφητικῶν ( prophetical writings ) and τοῦ αἰωνίου θεοῦ ( the eternal God ) that is foreign to him and that it typical of a later period. Many find this supposition confirmed by the resemblance between the language of the doxology (esp. mystery ) and the allegedly later and post-pauline letters to the Ephesians and to the Colossians. Finally, Paul never elsewhere concludes a letter with a doxology. For these reasons, and others, a large majority of recent scholars think that the doxology is a post-pauline addition to Romans, perhaps originating at the time when Marcion allegedly butchered the text of the letter The arguments for the exclusion of this doxology are therefore formidable; but there are arguments on the other side as well. First, the MS support for including the doxology at this point is strong: the primary Alexandrian witnesses a and B, the secondary Alexandrian MSS C, 81 and 1739, the western D, P 61, and many minuscules. Second, the language of the doxology demonstrates remarkable parallels to the language of Romans and especially to its opening. These parallels are usually attributed to the later redactor, who sought to fit the doxology to the style of the letter. But they could also point to Paul s own authorship. Third, the differences from Paul s own style are largely eliminated if we maintain the Pauline authorship of Ephesians and Colossians. Fourth, it does not seem credible that Paul would end his letter with Quartus, the follow Christian. Thus the many older scholars who maintained the authenticity of the doxology (e.g. Hort in Biblical Essays, pp ; Alford, 2.471; Godet, 506-9; S-H, 423; Meyer, ; Liddon, 232) are joined by a number of modern supporters as well (Murray, ; Lenski, ; Huby, ; Nygren, 457; Schmidt, ; Hendrickson, ; Harrison, 171; Stuhlmacher, ; 256; L. Gaugusch, Untersuchungen zum Römerbrief. Der Epilog [15, 14-16, 27], BZ 24 [ ], ; T. Fahy, Epistle to the Romans 16:25-27, ITQ 28 [1961], ; Weima, Neglected Endings, pp ; and cf. L. Hurtado, The Doxology at the End of Romans, in New Testament Textual Criticism: Its Significance for Exegesis. Essays in Honor of Bruce M. Metzger (ed. E.J. Epp and G. Fee; Oxford; Clarendon, 1981], pp ) A decision is very difficult; but we are slightly inclined to include the doxology as part of Paul s original letter. The differing placements of the doxology, and its omission in some MSS, can be 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

10 accounted for by the textual disruptions of the last chapters of the letter. The language and style are not un-pauline. The biggest obstacle in the way of accepting the doxology is Paul s general practice of adding doxologies in the midst of his letters. But the ending of Romans shows enough differences from the other letters that this is not that large a problem. (Moo, Douglas J., The New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Epistle to the Romans, pages ; William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan/Cambridge, U.K., Romans 16:25-27 is a doxology just as Romans 11:33-36 was a one as well. The term doxology is from the Greek doxologia and is derived from the Greek noun doxa, praise, glory, honor and denotes a brief ascription of praise to members of the Trinity. It was used in both song and prayer. It was sung by angels to shepherds the night the Lord Jesus came into the world (Lk. 2:14). The doxology was commonly employed in various parts of the New Testament epistles: (1) Salutation (Gal. 1:5). (2) Opening thanksgiving (2 Cor. 1:3f.; Eph. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:3). (3) Final exhortations (1 Tim. 6:15f.; 1 Pet. 5:11; 2 Pet. 3:18). (4) Closing (Heb. 13:20f.; Jude 24f.). The basic formula is the blessing formula Blessed be the Lord or Blessed be the God and Father (Heb. Baruk; Greek: eulogetos; Gen. 24:27; Ex. 18:10; 1 Ch. 16:36; Lk. 1:68; 2 Cor. 1:3f.; Eph. 1:3; 1 P. 1:3), followed by a statement of the attributes motivating the utterance, primarily God s activities in the lives of His people. Variants are worthy is the Lamb (Greek: axios, Rev. 4:11; 5:9, 12) and Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty (Greek: hagios, Rev. 4:8). Doxologies may begin with an imperative verb, challenging the hearers to ascribe to the Lord glory and strength or the glory of His Person (Heb: yahab, Ps. 29:1ff. par. 96:7-9; 1 Ch. 16:28f.) or ascribe power (Ps. 68:34), praise the Lord (Heb: halal, Ps. 150f; cf. Greek: aineo, Rev. 19:5, worship the Lord (hithpalel of saha; Ps. 29:2) or glory in His Holy Person (hithpael of halal; 1 Ch. 16:10). In doxologies, the following qualities are attributed to God: (1) Glory (Rom. 16:27; Gal. 1:5). (2) Honor, dominion (1 Tim. 6:16; 1 Pet. 4:11). (3) Salvation, power (Rev. 19:1). (4) Majesty and authority (Jude 25). These are all forever (Rm. 11:36), or forever and ever (2 Tim. 4:18; 1 Pet. 5:11). In the New Testament, doxologies may begin with exclamations of Hallelujah (Rev. 19:1), Glory to God in the highest (Lk. 2:14), or Hosanna to the Son of David (Mt. 21:9, 15; Mk. 11:9f.; Jn. 12:13). Although God the Father is the primary focus of New Testament doxologies, there are others that are the objects of praise such as Christ (Mt. 21:9; Rev. 5:12) and His kingdom of God (Mk. 11:10). A frequent Christological doxology 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

11 exclaims Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord (Mt. 21:9; 23:39; Mk. 11:9; Lk. 19:38; cf. Ps. 118:26). In doxologies, to the Lord Jesus Christ is ascribed: (1) Salvation and power (Rev. 19:1). (2) Blessing and might (Rev. 5:18). (3) Glory (Heb. 13:21). (4) Dominion (Rev. 1:6). (5) Both now and to the day of eternity (2 Pet. 3:18). Praise is offered up through Jesus Christ (Rom. 16:27; Heb. 13:21; Jude 25) or in Christ (Eph. 1:3; 3:21). Rarely are doxologies expressed in the second person, as Blessed are You and Yours is the greatness, power, glory, victory and majesty (1 Chron. 29:11). Originally doxologies were voiced by the congregation at the conclusion of hymns and prayers (1 Chron. 16:36; Rom. 11:33-36), in connection with the response Amen (Mt. 6:13; Rev. 1:6; cf. Rom. 9:5; 16:27; 1 Pet. 4:11; 5:11). However, praise and thanksgiving do occur in the opening line of prayers (1 Chron. 29:10-13; Dan. 2:20-23; Lk. 1:67-69). As in Jewish ritual, they may have been uttered in response to the mention of God s name (cf. Rom. 1:25; 2 Cor. 11:31). The doxology in Romans 16:25-27 echoes the language and themes that appear throughout this magnificent letter, especially the introduction of the epistle. In Romans 1:4, 16, God s power is mentioned as it is in Romans 16:25 with the verb dunamai, is able. Paul uses the verb sterizo, to establish in Romans 1:11 as he does in Romans 16:25. The noun euangelion, gospel appears in Romans 1:1, 9, 16; 2:16 as it does in Romans 16:25. Paul speaks of revelation/manifested in Romans 1:17; 3:21 as he does in Romans 16:25. He speaks of the prophetic Old Testament Scriptures in Romans 1:2; 3:21 as he does in Romans 16:26. The expression εἰς ὑπακοὴν πίστεως, obedience of faith appears in Romans 1:5 as it does in Romans 16:26. The nations are mentioned in Romans 1:5 as they are in Romans 16:26. Finally, the wisdom of God is mentioned by Paul in Romans 16:27 as he does in Romans 11: The theme of the revelation of the gospel and how it applies to all of humanity is prominent in the doxology in Romans 16: In this doxology, Paul is seeking to stimulate the Roman believers to praise God for His plan of salvation that includes both Jew and Gentiles. Let s look at verse 25 in detail. Romans 16:25, Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past. Now is the transitional use of the post-positive conjunction de (δέ) (theh), which is correctly translated and marks a transition from the previous paragraph in Romans 16:21-23 to the concluding doxology in Romans 16: William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11

12 To Him who is able is the dative articular masculine singular present middle participle form of the verb dunamai (δύναμαι) (thee-nah-meh). Words deriving from the stem duna- all have the basic meaning of being able, of capacity in virtue of an ability. The noun dunamis suggests the inherent capacity of someone or something to carry something out, whether it be physical, spiritual, military or political. It indicates the power to act which given as of right to anyone by virtue of the position he holds. The verb dunamai means to have power by virtue of inherent ability or resources. Dunamai has the following meanings: (1) To be able, to be capable of (2) To be able, with specific reference to the subjective spiritual or moral attitude which either makes able or not; to will or not to will. (3) To be equal to, to count as, to signify. Liddell and Scott list the following meanings for the verb: (1) To be able, strong enough (2) To be equivalent to (3) It cannot be (Greek-English Lexicon, New Edition, pages ). The Septuagint uses dunamai to translate more than a dozen Hebrew words associated with ability or capacity (or lack of it) to perform a task. It is especially used for yakhol (lk!y). In numerous instances dunamai is used in a negative sense to show the contrast between the limits or loss of human power over personal fate (cf. Ex. 8:18; Le. 26:37; Is. 24:20; Da. 2:26; 5:8) and the omnipotence of Yahweh. The verb dunamai is used to translate the following Hebrew terms: (1) Gibbor (rwkg), warrior (Hos. 10:13). (2) Yakhol (lky), be able (Gn. 29:8; Neh. 6:3); overpower (Ob. 7). (3) Yekhil (lky), be able (Dn. 2:10, 47; 3:29-Aramaic). (4) Yasaph (isy), add, increase ; hiphil: do again (Is. 24:20). (5) Kehal (lhk), be able (Dn. 5:8-Aramaic). (6) Kul (lwk), lay hold of ; hiphil: hold (1 K. 8:64; Jer. 2:13). (7) Kalah (hlk), end ; piel: finish (Neh. 4:2-Sixtine Edition only). (8) Matsa (axm), find (Jb. 32:3). (9) `atsar (rxu), refrain (2 Ch. 20:37). The verb dunamai appears extensively in the Greek New Testament. As in the Septuagint, the New Testament uses dunamai to express ability and capacity to accomplish something in deed, attitude or thought. Louw and Nida define the word, to be able to do or to experience something (74.5) (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains). The New Thayer s Greek-English Lexicon lists the following meanings for the verb: (1) To be able, have power (2) To be able to do something (3) To be able, capable, strong, powerful (pages ) William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12

13 The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised defines the word, to be able, either intrinsically and absolutely, which is the ordinary signification; or, for specific reasons (page 107). Vine s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Dunamai, to be able, to have power, whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, e. g., (Rom. 15:14); or through a state of mind, or through favorable circumstances, e. g., (1 Thes. 2:6); or by permission of law or custom, e. g., (Acts 24:8,11); or simply to be able, powerful, (Matt. 3:9; 2 Tim. 3:15), etc. The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised lists the following meanings, of capacity or ability be able, be capable of, can, have power to; with an infinitive supplied or implied of what one is able to do (Page 120). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition defines the verb to possess capability (whether because of personal or external factors) for experiencing or doing something can, am able, be capable (Pages ). The verb dunamai appeared in Romans 8:7, 8, 39 and 15:14. In Romans 8:7, the verb dunamai means, to have the capacity, to be able to do something. The verb s meaning is emphatically negated adverb oude, not even. Therefore, together, they denote that the mind-set produced by the sin nature due to preoccupation with the desires of the sin nature is antagonistic toward God because it does not even have the capacity to do so. As was the case in Romans 8:7, the verb dunamai in Romans 8:8 means, to have the capacity, to be able to do something. The verb s meaning is emphatically negated by the emphatic negative adverb ou, not. The emphatic negative adverb ou is used to deny the reality of an alleged fact and is the clear cut, point-blank negative, and objective, final. In Romans 8:8, it emphatically negates the idea that the Christian can ever please God when he is exists in the state of being in bondage to his flesh. Therefore, the verb dunamai and the emphatic negative adverb ou denote that the Christian who exists in the state of being in bondage to his flesh can never to please God. Romans 8:6-8, In fact, the mind-set produced by the flesh is, as an eternal spiritual truth temporal spiritual death. However, the mind-set produced by the Spirit is, as an eternal spiritual truth life as well as peace. Because, the mind-set produced by the flesh is, as an eternal spiritual truth antagonistic towards God for you see, it never, as an eternal spiritual truth, permits itself to be subjected to God s Law because it, as an eternal spiritual truth, does not even have the capacity to do so. Furthermore, those who at any time exist in the state of being in bondage to the flesh, as an eternal spiritual truth can never please God William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13

14 Now, in Romans 8:39, the verb dunamai means to have the capacity or power to be able to do something by virtue of inherent ability and resources. Therefore, Paul is saying with this verb that none of the ten items listed in Romans 8:38-39 or any other created thing has the inherent capacity or power or ability to separate the Christian from God s love for them. Romans 8:37-39, But on the contrary, in the midst of each and every one of these things, we are, as an eternal spiritual truth, overwhelmingly victorious through the one who divinely loved each and every one of us. Because I am of the firm conviction that neither physical death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor present events and circumstances, nor future events and circumstances, nor political powers nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate any one of us from God the Father s love, which is because of our union with Christ, who is Jesus, who is our Lord. In Romans 15:14, the verb dunamai means to have the capacity, to be able to do something expressing the Roman Christians ability or capacity to admonish each other. Romans 15:14, Now, concerning all of you as a corporate unit, my spiritual brothers and sisters I myself in fact am of the firm conviction that you yourselves indeed are characterized as being full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, being able also to instruct one another. In Romans 16:25, the verb dunamai means to be able and is used of God the Father referring to His omnipotence. It speaks of His ability or capacity to strengthen the Roman believers spiritually, which Paul says is according to my gospel. Thus, Paul is reminding the Romans that they are strengthened spiritually through the communication of the gospel, which Paul presents in detail in the main argument of the Roman epistle. In Romans 1:16-17, the apostle Paul describes the gospel in that it is the power of God for salvation and that it reveals the righteousness of God, who is Jesus Christ. Romans 1:16, For I am never ashamed of the gospel for it is as an eternal spiritual truth God s power resulting in deliverance for the benefit of everyone who as an eternal spiritual truth believe, to the Jew first and then to the Greek. 17 For by means of it, the righteousness originating from God is as an eternal spiritual truth revealed from faith to faith. Just as it stands written for all of eternity, But the righteous shall choose for himself to live by means of faith. (My translation) Omnipotence is an attribute of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. It is a compound word from the Latin meaning all powerful, and is composed of the following: (1) Omni, all. (2) Potence, power William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14

15 Omnipotence is one of the characteristics of the divine essence (Father: Mark 14:36 and Luke 1:37; Son: Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:3; Spirit: Rom. 15:13). God has limitless and infinite ability to do something (Gen. 18:14a; Ps. 147:5a; Isa. 40:26; Lk. 1:37). There is power in the Word of God (Ps. 33:6a; Heb. 1:3a; 4:12a; 11:3a; 2 Co. 6:7; Heb. 4:12; 2 Pet. 3:5). Hebrews 4:12, The Word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, and of the joints and the marrow, and is a critic of thoughts and intents of the heart. The cross of Christ is the power of God, which delivers the believer from the sin nature, the cosmic system of Satan and Satan himself. 1 Corinthians 1:18, For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. All three members of the Trinity are omnipotent since they are co-equal, coinfinite and co-eternal: (1) God the Father is omnipotent (Eph. 1:17; 2 Pet. 1:2-3). (2) Holy Spirit is omnipotent (Acts 1:8; Rm. 15:13, 19; Eph. 3:16; 1 Th. 1:5). (3) Word of God is omnipotent (Ro. 1:16; 1 Co. 1:18, 24; Heb. 4:12). The life of the Lord Jesus Christ was a life of power (Luke 1:35; 4:36). Luke 1:35, The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. Luke 4:36, And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out. He used the power of God the Holy Spirit to cast demons out of people (Matt. 12:28). The impeccable body of the humanity of Christ was conceived by the power of God the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20). The Lord was brought back from the dead by three categories of divine omnipotence: (1) Omnipotence of God the Father sent back our Lord s human spirit to the body in the grave (Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:4; Eph. 1:20; Col. 2:12; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Pet. 1:21). (2) Omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit sent back our Lord s human soul to the body in the grave (Rom. 1:4; 8:11; 1 Pet. 3:18). (3) Omnipotence of God the Son raised His physical body from the grave (John 6:39-40, 54; 10:17-18). Romans 1:1-4, Paul, a slave owned by Christ who is Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel originating from God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures concerning His Son, who was born as a descendant of David with respect to His human nature. The One demonstrated as the Son of God by means of divine power with 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15

16 respect to a nature characterized by holiness because of the resurrection from the dead ones, Jesus Christ, our Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ has the power to raise the dead (John 5:21; 6:40; 11:25). The same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead will raise the believer from the dead. 1 Corinthians 6:14, Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power. The same power that raised the humanity of Christ from the dead has been made available to every church age believer s because of their union and identification with the Lord through the Baptism of the Spirit (1 Co. 6:14; Eph. 1:18-20). Thus because of the church age believer s union with Christ, he can have a lifestyle of power and wisdom (2 Ti. 1:7). 2 Timothy 1:7-8, For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God. The church age believer is the beneficiary of three categories of divine omnipotence in positional sanctification: (1) The omnipotence of God the Father in eternity past as related to the divine decree, eternal inheritance, election and predestination (Rom. 9:22; Eph. 1:3-14; 2 Pet. 1:3). (2) The omnipotence of God the Son created the cosmos through His Word in order that the Father s eternal purpose through the divine decree, the eternal inheritance, election and predestination might be carried out in time (Heb. 1:3; 4:12) and also the omnipotence of God the Son in the form of the Word of God, i.e. the Gospel provided the means of salvation (Rm. 1:16). (3) The omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit places the believer in union with Christ at the moment of salvation, thus providing in time the principle of achieving that which the Father had purposed in eternity past (1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26-28). The church age believer is the beneficiary of three categories of divine omnipotence in experiential sanctification: (1) The omnipotence of God the Father as related to the principles of election and predestination (Eph. 1:3-14). (2) The omnipotence of God the Son as related to the perpetuation and preservation of human history (Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3) and the Word of God for the execution of the plan of God for the church age (1 Co. 1:18; 2 Co. 6:7; Heb. 4:12; 2 Pet. 3:5). (3) The omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit as related to the filling of the Spirit for the execution of the plan of God for the church age (Rm. 6:4-11; 15:13; 2 Co. 6:7; 12:9; Eph. 1:19; 3:20; Col. 1:11; 2 Pet. 1:3). The church age believer is the beneficiary of three categories of divine omnipotence in ultimate sanctification: (1) Omnipotence of God the Father in relation to the believer s human spirit being placed back in the resurrection body 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16

17 (Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:4; Eph. 1:20; Col. 2:12; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Pet. 1:21). (2) Omnipotence of God the Holy Spirit in relation to the believer s soul being placed back in the resurrection body (Rom. 8:11; 1 Pet. 3:18). (3) Omnipotence of God the Son in relation to the believer s resurrection body being created (John 5:21; 6:39-40, 54; 10:17-18; 11:25). Church age believers have been given divine power and made partakers in the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:3-4). 2 Peter 1:2-3, Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. It is the power of God that works within believers who apply the Word of God (Eph. 3:20). Church age believers have been given divine omnipotence to execute the plan of God (Col. 1:11). Colossians 1:9-12, For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. They have been created a new spiritual species, i.e. Christ-nature at the moment of salvation so that you can use God s divine omnipotence (2 Cor. 5:17). The Christ-nature enables the believer to have a lifestyle of power which is patterned after that which the humanity of Christ demonstrated during His First Advent (2 Ti. 1:7). The same power that enabled the humanity of Christ to execute the Father s plan for the incarnation and that raised Him from the dead is available to every church age believer as a result of the Baptism of the Spirit. Paul prayed that the Ephesian believers would be enlightened as to the power that has been made available to all of them because of their union with Christ. In Ephesians 1:19, Paul prayed that the Holy Spirit would enlighten the Ephesian believers regarding the exercise of the omnipotence through the resurrection, ascension and session of Christ that has been made available to them through their union with Christ. This would give them the capacity to overcome the devil, his cosmic system and the sin nature. Ephesians 1:18, I make it a habit to pray that the eyes of our heart would receive enlightenment for the purpose of knowing for certain what is the 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17

18 confidence of His calling and what are the glorious riches, which is His inheritance distributed among the saints. In Ephesians 1:18, Paul is praying that the Holy Spirit would enlighten the Ephesian believers so that they will know without a doubt what is the confident assurance of their election to privilege and their eternal inheritance that they possess because of their eternal union with Christ. Every church age believer has the opportunity to receive his eternal inheritance if he fulfills the condition of being faithful in executing the Father s will for his life and which can be forfeited due to unfaithfulness. Although the believer s salvation cannot be merited but is received when a person expresses faith alone in Christ alone, the believer s inheritance on the other hand is meritorious meaning he has to fulfill the condition of being faithfully obedient to the will of God till physical death or the rapture (i.e. resurrection of the Church). Ephesians 1:19, And what is the surpassing greatness of His divine omnipotence directed towards all of us who are believers. This is in accordance with the operative power, namely, the possession of power to overcome (the sin nature, the devil and his cosmic system) originating from His manifested power (through the resurrection and session of Christ). Power is the noun dunamis, which refers the inherent power of God and thus it refers to God s attribute called omnipotence. Working is the noun energeia, which means, operative power and is a reference to the exercise of God s omnipotence through the resurrection, ascension and session of Christ. Strength is the noun ischus, which means, possession of power to overcome and refers to the one hundred percent availability of divine omnipotence that has been made available to every church age believer because of their union with the Christ that provides them the power to overcome Satan and the kingdom of darkness and the old Adamic sin nature. Might is the noun kratos, which means, manifested power and refers to the omnipotence of God that has been manifested in history through the resurrection, ascension and session of the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:20, Which He (the Father) exercised through the Person of Christ by raising Him (Christ) out from among the dead and by seating Him (Christ) at His right hand in the heavenlies. In Christ indicates that the Ephesian believer s confidence, election, eternal inheritance and power to experience victory over the devil and the flesh are all found in their eternal union and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:21-23, Far above each and every ruler and authority and command and dominion and each and every rank that has been bestowed, not only during this period of history, absolutely not, but also during the coming 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18