Morning Light – Romans 16: Getting Up and Out of the Status Quo

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Today: [Romans 16:] Getting Up and Out of the Status Quo: Are you tired of the same-old, same-old? God has something different in mind for you! In Romans 16 Paul does, in fact, conclude his letter with explicit expressions of his apostolic authority. He mandates these people who had never met him face to face to accept those he would send to them. He provoked them to identify those around them who were bringing them personally and the work of the church down in defeat. He assures them that Satan would be bruised under their feet if they only had the boldness and the willingness to think differently and do differently than they had in times past.
[Rom 16:1-15 KJV] 1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: 2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4 Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise [greet] the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us. 7 Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellowprisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. 9 Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. 10 Salute Apelles approved in Christ. Salute them which are of Aristobulus’ [household]. 11 Salute Herodion my kinsman. Greet them that be of the [household] of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. 12 Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord. 13 Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with them. 15 Salute Philologus, and Julia, Nereus, and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints which are with them.
In chapter 16 Paul continues his summation to the Romans of those things on his heart that he believes will be beneficial to them until the time he can see them face to face. We know that at the time of this writing Paul had not met any of the leaders of the church of Rome, yet felt there was an extension of his apostolic authority in their lives. How about you? Is there a leader who may have never met you face to face but you feel a connection ordained by God that you should open yourself to and allow to become formative in your character? There are many teachers but not many fathers. A teacher can enlighten you and instruct, but a father speaks with a developmental authority in your life that provokes change that mere teaching may promise but cannot deliver.
Are you ready for this? Are you prepared for change? Things are the way they are because of what you are doing. If you want something different, you must do something different. If you knew what to do you would do it – so there must come mentoring, and you don’t always get that in a brick and mortar situation with a guy speaking from a podium. That doesn’t mean we don’t need the ministry of God’s leaders in the traditional setting – but the Romans had this. The Roman church was a large church with many leaders and elders. Who was Paul that he would so presume to put something out there so controversial and outlandish as this writing was that he would go so far as to urge these people like a father speaking to his children? These people had ministry in surplus, but Paul was delivering something to them they weren’t getting any other way. Are you ready for that? Are you prepared for what God has for you that comes from outside the bounds or parameters of how things are normally done? Why would God send this letter to them via Paul? Because they were hungry for more. Are you hungry for more? Then open your heart and mind – open yourself to the real message of Romans – not only that the message of Romans reach you but that the pattern of leadership that produced the letter of Romans for their sake and for ours 2000 years later would impact you as well.
Paul also demonstrates as an apostle the authority to send other people into the lives even of those whom he has not met yet. The Romans hadn’t met Paul face to face, but he presumed to take it upon himself to urge them by way of command to receive of all things a woman minister sent at his instruction to them. We run into this in our ministry. People are willing to love us and receive from Kitty and I, but they resist accepting someone we send to them in our name. If we ask Terri Allen, our administrator, or Tim Fox, a member of our board of directors, sometimes people complain demanding that we minister to them and not anyone else. We saw this when we were baptizing with minister Lance Wallnau in the Jordan on a visit to Israel.
All the candidates wanted Lance to baptize them and not Kitty nor I or any of the other teams who were helping. Lance saw this and physically handed many of the candidates for baptism off to us and others saying “no, no you can’t choose your own death…” In other words, if you are a disciple, you are willing to be ministered to in the context of the authority of God’s ministers. If you will only accept ministry when it is on your terms, that is indeed your prerogative but you must ask yourself is that the character of a disciple or a follower and which does that make you?
So Paul sends Phebe to the Roman church instructing them to assist and receive her in whatever she wanted to do when she got there – and to support her as they had supported Paul. Would you be willing to be a Phebe? Paul knew she wouldn’t embarrass him. He had discipled her and trained her, and he knew that she would do nothing to harm him and nothing to bring disparagement on his own ministry. It is also important to note from this verse that Paul apparently wrote the letter to the Romans because they were sending support to him wherever he was although he hadn’t met them or ministered in their midst or not. In other words, they didn’t expect something for nothing – there were transactions of faith initiated on the other side of the inquiry that began with the Romans, and the result was a document of such signal quality that not only ministered to them but has ministered to millions of believers since that time. What kind of gift of support do you think triggered Paul to make such a spiritual investment in them? Let us be that kind of people who so provoke our leaders to pour into us that what they say and do not only blesses us but 2000 years later will be blessing others!
[Romans 16:16-27 KJV]
16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you. 17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience is come abroad unto all [men]. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you. Amen. 21 Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. 22 I Tertius, who wrote [this] epistle, salute you in the Lord. 23 Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother. 24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ [be] with you all. Amen. 25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: 27 To God only wise, [be] glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.
After all these greetings and instructions Paul is just caught up with the need of the people to show their love that he says “salute Priscilla, and Aquila” and “Andronicus and Junia” and salute this one or that one – in fact, “salute one another with a holy kiss! Notice the mention of Priscilla and Aquila and Andronicus and Junia who were apostolic ministry couples. They were power couples in the kingdom. Their partnership was so strong that in the case of Priscilla and Acquilla she was mentioned first as the primary leader! Are you ready for that as a husband to allow your wife’s gifting to supersede your own, or vice versa?
There is also an admonition in v. 17 to mark those that were causing divisions. There were people trying to foster division in their midst and Paul is trouncing all over this and going so far as to mark these people and avoid them. Listen, there is a difference between celebrating the diversity of ministry in a city or a community of faith and dealing with those who are creating animosity, elitism and sectarian division in our midst. These are those (v. 18) that are not serving the Lord Jesus but serving their own belly. They are very effective at deceiving people. How do they do this? They say “we are just ministering to a few wounded sheep…” or “we are just looking out for souls…” Look out – those words are often the earmarks of a deceiver and one you should mark and leave off following. If partaking of a ministry leaves you isolated and pointing the finger at everyone else being wrong you need to recover yourself for you have been duped by a misleading ministry. What happens next (v. 20) Satan is bruised under your feet.
Is Satan being bruised under your feet or are you being run over in life by the problems brought on by the enemy? If you don’t have enough peace, enough joy, enough provisions, enough of anything you have to examine yourself. Don’t just look at others look at yourself. Don’t just look at yourself look at the spiritual environment around you. Your leaders cannot give you what they do not have. You need to find someone who walks in greater favor than you are experiencing and get under that. The Roman church loves their leadership but they knew when they had to have by whatever means what Paul had going on in God and they made the sacrifices to see it happen. You need to find someone with a more massive anointing and a greater open heaven than you are experiencing and get under that. If listening long distance isn’t working then you need to make some decisions. It isn’t normal to live a life of downturn and disappointment! If that is your track record, you have to know there are things, people and situations in your life contributing to that condition. Are you ready for change? This what Paul’s heart is in his closing words to the Romans and his closing words to us who read these passages 2000 years later.