For more information about our teaching and preaching ministry, you can find us online at cornerstoneorlando.org. The following sermon has been brought to you by Cornerstone Orlando, making disciples for the glory of God. The title of our sermon this morning is Greetings to the Church, Greetings to the Church. This is Romans chapter 16. The greetings are listed in chapters, are in verses three through 16, and then again in verses 21 through 23. And we're gonna work through those greetings this morning as we study this chapter together. So good morning, welcome back. We are continuing in our ongoing study of Paul's epistle to the church at Rome, and we have arrived together at the epilogue of the letter, where Paul has now begun his closing remarks. Last week, in beginning this text, we considered the commendation of Paul of a dear sister in the church of Kentria named Phoebe. That commendation of Phoebe in verses 1 and 2 is then followed by a series of greetings, and a series of greetings that is only briefly interrupted by a warning against divisive and deceptive traitors to the church in verses 17 through 20. There's no reason to expect in the passage that these divisive people have already infiltrated the church, but every reason to think that Paul senses an impending danger that lurks. And so he warns the church in verses 17 through 20 of divisive traitors who will creep in among them. As we noted last week, This section of text in chapter 16 is not a section of text that many might ordinarily turn to to make a theological point, right? But it is a section of text that we turn to when we're preaching verse by verse through the Bible, which is important, right? It is a text that we turn to, chapter 16. It is a text that we turn to when we're preaching the whole counsel of God. And as we've seen already, there are valuable lessons here in this chapter for the church. Paul says, all scripture, all scripture, even Romans chapter 16, is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness that the man of God might be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. So with that then, we turn again to the greetings of Paul in Romans 16. In the greetings of Romans 16, it's really Paul's heart for the church that pours out of the text. We see the character of the church at Rome, we see the complexion of the church at Rome, and we see the heart of Paul on display. And at first glance, what's interesting about the list of names here, the list of greetings in this chapter, is its length. This is, the greetings are not unprecedented in the writings or in the letters of Paul, but the length of the list certainly is. Paul has never visited the church at Rome, and yet there are 26 individuals named here, two families, and three, possibly five, house churches. And Paul takes not only the time, Paul takes the papyrus to greet those he knows in the church here by name. Despite the fact that he's never been to Rome, it's obvious from the text that Paul has a significant connection to this church, and he wants them to know it. There's a warmth in listing the names here. There's an affection for these people. There's a love for this church. There's a connection. There's gratitude here, appreciation, joy in them and for them. So there's a significant connection between Paul and this church that he's never visited, and he wants the church at Rome to know that. This is not a cold, impersonal letter. This is a letter with warmth and affection. They're important to him personally, and they're important to him in the cause of the gospel. Paul, in his mission, is striving to fulfill the apostolic calling that the Lord has given him as an apostle to the Gentiles, for the sake of the Gentiles, for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ. And there are many times, time after time after time, people in this church, brothers and sisters from the church at Rome have come to Paul's aid and have come to his aid in his work for the gospel. Notice the many ways in the text that Paul addresses them. My fellow workers, laborers, my beloved, my fellow prisoners, my countrymen, those who have labored, the word means toil, those who have toiled with me in the cause of the gospel. He may not know anyone else in the church at Rome, But Paul already has a substantial relationship to this church. And many there who know Paul, there are many there who know him, and many who have supported Paul in the work. Paul knows, in closing the letter in this way, that this is going to have an impact on the way that the letter is received. When they get this letter and it's read aloud in the church, as it would be, This is going to be tremendously encouraging both to those who are mentioned by name in the text and also to the whole church who know these brothers and sisters. These are beloved brothers and sisters in the church at Rome who are serving the Lord Jesus Christ alongside one another. Paul also knows that there is more work to be done after this letter is written, after this letter is delivered. There's more work to be done. He knows that their fellowship with him in the cause of the gospel is gonna require further support, and he's planning a missionary trip to Spain. So he may not have been there, he may not have had opportunity yet to visit Rome, but it's obvious, obvious that that church, those people, that they have been knit together in the cause of the gospel. Now, beyond that, there's much that we can learn here about the character of this church. There are those in Rome, in that church, who risk their lives for Paul and for the gospel. The words of Paul, they risk their necks for him. There are those in the church at Rome who were imprisoned for their faith. Think of a church this size, for example. and those among us who risk their lives for the cause of the gospel, or those who are in prison for their faith. And not only men, but women who zealously, zealously labored, diligently labored with Paul in the work. Priscilla, Mary, Junia, Trifina, Trifosa, Persis, Julia. By name, Paul commends them very highly for their work. Trifina and Trifosa were likely sisters, very likely sisters, even possibly twin sisters. Their names mean delicate and dainty, respectively. And yet Paul describes them, the word that Paul uses to describe their labor, he describes them as having exhausted themselves in toil, in hard labor. That's how Paul describes them. These sisters aren't delicate and dainty in that sense, right? A majority of the names on this list are Gentile names, as we would expect. And the majority of the names on this list are names of slaves, or the names of former slaves alongside those of wealth, great wealth and means. So you have in the church at Rome, think about it with me, Jews and Gentiles, men and women, rich and poor, slave and free, all serving the Lord together alongside one another in the unity of the Spirit for the sake of the gospel. This is a beautiful picture of the gospel. Look around, we see that exemplified here, amen? Rich and poor, we could say in some cases maybe even slave or free, men and women, serving alongside one another in the cause of the gospel. Ethnic backgrounds, different socioeconomic backgrounds. It's a beautiful picture of the gospel. Our list also in Romans 16 suggests that the church in Rome had grown significantly. The early church seldom had the benefit of a central location. Churches in the early church didn't own their buildings. So they often met in secret, often met in secret because of persecution. Many churches found it necessary because of that to meet in the house of a wealthy member. The largest of those houses, the largest houses of those of means in Rome might have held about 70 or 80 people for worship. And Paul mentions here three, possibly five house churches in our list. So the church was growing. They found the need to meet in various houses because the church was getting larger. So from this list of individuals in the church at Rome, The picture that Paul paints in our text is of a growing, diverse, zealously faithful, diligent, fervently evangelistic, laboring, sacrificial, giving, and persecuted church. And for all that, it sounds like a biblical church, doesn't it? Sounds like a biblical church. Sounds like a church ought to sound. Sounds like a good example for us to follow. As we discussed last week, this letter would likely have been delivered by Phoebe from the Corinthian church plant in the port city of Cantria. Phoebe would have delivered the letter, the letter would have been read aloud to the church on the Lord's Day, and this would have been a tremendous encouragement to those who have labored in the Lord. It would have been a tremendous encouragement. We can relate to that. But not only an encouragement to those named in the letter, also an encouragement to the church. These were beloved members of this church. From the grammar of the text, That imperative word translated greet is addressed to the church at Rome. Second person plural for those studying the Greek. So it's addressed to the church and with each line, Paul is asking the church now to convey his personal greetings to individual members and groups of believers who lived and served in Rome. might like be getting off the phone with a loved one saying, hug the kids for me, or, you know, hug your wife for me, or say hello to so-and-so for me, right? Paul is asking the church to convey personal greetings to those he knows in the church at Rome. Having conveyed his own personal greetings, Paul will then convey greetings from his companions. We'll look at that in the second part of the text. But he begins in verse three then, with a personal greeting to Priscilla and Aquila. Verse three. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risk their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise, greet the church that is in their house." Priscilla and Aquila are a fascinating couple. And there's much that we can learn from Priscilla and Aquila. Priscilla and Aquila were a husband and wife team. And they were intimately connected with Paul during his work in Corinth and in Ephesus. And we learn much about them from Acts 18. Turn with me to Acts chapter 18. Let's take a look at Priscilla and Aquila. In Acts 18, Paul has just finished preaching to the philosophers of Athens on Mars Hill. There were several there at the end of chapter 17 who believed Dionysius, the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them. And then chapter 18 verse one picks up with this. After these things, Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he's going to meet Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth. He found in verse two a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome, and he came to them. So because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked, for by occupation they were tent makers. So he shared the same work. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and he persuaded both Jews and Greeks. So think with me now, Priscilla and Aquila were a godly married couple who met Paul for the first time in Corinth. Now notice in verse two, they were Jewish believers living in Rome who had moved to Corinth. The reason that they moved to Corinth is because the Roman emperor Claudius had expelled them from the city with the rest of the Jews. According to a Roman historian, Suetonius, the emperor Claudius issued the decree in 49 AD, gives you a timeframe. He issued the decree in 49 AD over disturbances in Rome related to a man named Crestus. It's fascinating, interesting. Historically, Crestus is almost certainly a reference to Christ, as we'll see. As we've seen recorded in the journeys of Paul, the Jews were constantly stirred up when Christians preached that Jesus is the Christ. Had a tendency to stir up the Jews. And we see often in the book of Acts, riots, mobs that broke out, violence that broke out. It appears that in Rome, fights were breaking out over this man, Crestus. Even mob violence, as we often see in the Book of Acts. And Claudius simply solved this problem by kicking all of the Jews out of Rome, whether they were Christians or not. Suetonius simply says, since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the instigation of Crestus, he, the emperor Claudius, expelled them from Rome. So Priscilla and Aquila were forced to leave Rome and they moved to Corinth where they ran into, coincidentally, right? They ran into Paul in Corinth. Verse 18, no such thing as coincidence by the way, that is the gracious providence of God. Verse 18, so Paul still remained a good while in Corinth and then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cantria for he had taken a vow and he came to Ephesus and he left them there. He left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus, but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. It was likely Paul's dealings with the Jews at Ephesus that he describes, if you remember in 1 Corinthians 15, he describes fighting the beasts at Ephesus. He's likely talking about this group of Jews. His ministry in Ephesus nearly cost him his life. And it was Priscilla and Aquila, at some point here, that they risked their own necks to save him. We read that in his greeting in chapter 16, verse 4. At some point, Priscilla and Aquila came to Paul's aid, and it resulted in Paul's life being spared. Nevertheless, Paul was on his way to Jerusalem, Paul was intending to fulfill that vow, that Nazarite vow we talked about last week, and he couldn't stay any longer in Ephesus, so he enlisted the help of Priscilla and Aquila with this fledgling church and left them in Ephesus to help. He had a lot of confidence in Priscilla and Aquila. Why were, ultimately, why were they kicked out of Rome? because Paul needed their help. Why, ultimately, were they kicked out of Rome? Because the gospel was being spread in Achaia, in Macedonia, and in Asia Minor, because the church at Ephesus needed help. In the providence of God, Priscilla and Aquila went into full-time ministry, as it were, and they were a remarkable influence in Ephesus. They were also a remarkable influence on a man named Apollos. Look at verse 24, drop down to verse 24. Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. Apollos was apparently a bit out of touch. He'd been unaware of what had taken place in Jerusalem at Pentecost. He was unaware of the baptism of the Spirit. Once Priscilla and Aquila came along, explained the new covenant to Apollos. Apollos became a powerful preacher of the gospel. And they sent, Priscilla and Aquila sent Apollos to Achaia to help the church at Corinth. Look at verse 27. So when he desired to cross to Achaia, The brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him, and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ." All in the providence of God, amen? It's a beautiful picture of God working out his plans and purposes for the gospel in this area through circumstance. Brothers and sisters, as we've seen, Our circumstances are not meaningless. God has decreed all things whatsoever that come to pass, and he is working out his decree through his kind and gracious providence to bring all those things that he has decreed to pass. And we see his providence at work in the lives of Paul, certainly, in the lives of Priscilla and Aquila here in Apollos, and how he cares for the church at Ephesus, how he cares for the church at Corinth, and how he cares for the church at Rome, and how he cares for the church in Oviedo, right? By the way, these are not casual Christians. Think about that for a moment. These are not nominal Christians. These are not Sunday morning Christians. These are living the Christian life. These are not CEO Christians, quote unquote, right, Christmas, Easter only. Theirs is not a passing commendation on the pages of Paul's letter to the church at Rome. Not only had they risked their lives for Paul, they performed such a tremendous and selfless service to the early church that they were known by name among all the Gentile churches. In other words, you couldn't go anywhere among the Gentile churches where they were not known for their service of the Lord. You show up at church in one of the churches of Galatia and ask them if they knew Priscilla and Aquila, they would have said so. Back in Romans 16, verse 3, greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risk their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise, greet the church that is in their house. They are serving the Lord in the cause of the gospel. When the emperor Claudius died in 54 AD, his edict died with him and many including Priscilla and Aquila returned to Rome. And they were there when Paul's letter would have been read aloud in the church. Incidentally, Paul greets the church in verse five, Paul greets the church that is meeting in their house. And this was apparently something that Priscilla and Aquila did wherever they went. They had a church meeting in their house when they were in Corinth. They had a church meeting in their house when they were in Ephesus. And they have a church meeting in their house in Rome. This was a zealous, selfless, sacrificial, giving, serving couple, willing to risk everything, including their own necks for the truth of the gospel, willing to use whatever resources they had for the cause of Christ. In that, Priscilla and Aquila are a good example for us to follow. and a good reflection of the character of this church in Rome. Paul then continues his greetings in verse 5. Apparently, Eponatus was beloved to Paul because Eponatus was the first person converted to Jesus Christ from among the Gentiles in Asia Minor. He had the distinction of being the first Gentile in Asia Minor converted to Christ under the ministry of Paul. If you remember from chapter 15, Paul considered the Gentiles his offering of worship to the Lord, and Eponatus would have been the first fruits of that offering. The first one converted under the preaching of Paul and now Eponatus was a member of the church at Rome. I'm sure that warmed Paul's heart to know that he was there. Verse 6, greet Mary who labored much for us. Some translations have the variant for you. Either way, laboring for us, as Paul said, or laboring for you. She's doing the work of the Lord. And the same word describing the work of Triphina and Triphosa is used here of Mary. These were not delicate and dainty women in their service for the gospel. They were laboring, toiling. The word means toiling to the point of exhaustion for the sake of the gospel. Verse seven. greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me." Andronicus and Junia were likely another husband and wife team, and these were very early converts to Christianity from among the Jews. They were saved before Paul on the road to Damascus. Their Greek names suggest that they were Hellenistic Jews. Paul describes them as his countrymen, and converted to Christ before Paul on the road to Damascus. Their service to the early church was even known to the apostles. Note in verse 7, even known to the apostles in Jerusalem at the time. In other words, they had been distinguished by the apostles in Jerusalem for their sacrificial labor. They knew them by name. On at least one occasion, They were imprisoned with Paul for that faith. Whether that means they were imprisoned at the same time, share to sell, or otherwise, we don't know. But they were imprisoned for their faith. Like others mentioned in the text of Scripture, they would have considered it an honor. Rejoicing with Paul, they've been counted worthy to suffer shame for the sake of Christ. This is a couple, again, another husband and wife team, who, sacrificed everything in the cause of the gospel, even imprisoned for it. And we know very little of those that follow. Verse 8. Greet Amplius, my beloved in the Lord. Amplius is very likely a slave name for someone who served in the household of Ampliatus. These were mainly slave names. Verse 9, greet Urbanus, a slave name, our fellow worker in Christ. Stachys, a slave name, my beloved. Stachys is a name that means ear of corn. Take from that what you will. Greet, verse 10, appellus, approved in Christ. It's interesting Paul's use of that statement, that clause in verse 10, approved in Christ. That phrase is often used in reference to a difficult test. Someone who has been approved, if you will, Through a difficult test of suffering or persecution, greet Appellus, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Verse 11, greet Herodian, another slave name, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. These names beginning in the end of verse 10 into verse 11 are interesting. Aristobulus is a very unusual name in Rome at the time this letter was written. And in fact, if you notice, Paul does not address him directly. And the reason that Paul doesn't address him directly, but those are of his household, is likely because Aristobulus is already dead at this time. Dead at the time the letter was written. That evidence would suggest that this Aristobulus, at the end of verse 10, is the brother of King Herod Agrippa I. He was a Herod, he was the grandson of Herod the Great, and that Aristobulus was dragged to Rome as a prisoner and died in 48 or 49 AD. It would seem that this Aristobulus is that brother of Herod Agrippa. That goes hand in hand with Paul's reference to Herodian in verse 11, which would have been the name given to a Jewish slave, Paul calls him his countryman, who would have been the name given to a Jewish slave in Herod's service. Herodian would have served one of the Herods. And though very little of any certainty is known of Aristobulus or Herodian in these verses, Narcissus was very well known. And again, Paul does not address Narcissus in verse 11 directly because Narcissus was dead at the time that Paul wrote this letter to the church. Narcissus was a freedman, a slave who had won his freedom. And Narcissus served as a secretary, personal secretary to the Emperor Claudius. So Narcissus would have been extraordinarily wealthy from taking bribes and served in close, very close proximity to Claudius himself. Narcissus, when Claudius, at the end of Claudius's reign, Narcissus committed suicide. And that's well known in the records. Apparently, in each of these well-connected households, from the Herods, Herodian, to Narcissus, Aristobulus, in each of these well-connected households, there were Christians who were members of the church at Rome and known to the Apostle Paul. So if you think about the context of that, the world arrayed against Christianity, the forces of darkness arrayed against Christianity, the empire striving to press Christianity out of the known world, Claudius issuing an edict kicking Jews out of Rome because of this crestus, and here we have Christians at the very heart of the enemy camp. That would have been encouraging to the church at Rome. That would have been encouraging. It's not unlike when you or I hear about some celebrity that may have been converted to Christ, right? And initially you think, we got one, and then come to find out, maybe not. Or we tend to be a little jaded about those things. but it's encouraging to the church at Rome. The gospel is pressing into the very heart of the enemy camp. That would have been encouraging. When Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians from his house arrest in Rome, in Philippians 4, verse 22, he sends them greetings from those who are of Caesar's household. He does that intentionally to encourage them. The gospel has reached into Caesar's very household. That's a reference to those in imperial service of the emperor. It would have included such households as Aristobulus and Narcissus. Verse 12, greet Tryphena and Tryphosa who have labored, toiled in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis who labored much in the Lord. These three women whose service was anything but delicate or dainty. Verse 13, greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord. Not elect of the Lord, that certainly would have included all of the believers at Rome, but distinguished by the Lord. Rufus in some way was distinguished, was a brother of distinction in the church. And Paul mentions at the end of verse 13, his mother and mine. Not literally Paul's mother, mind you, but his mother. Understand, Mama Rufus had been like a mother to Paul at some point. She had performed the service, if you will, of a mother to Paul, or had considered Paul as a son to her. We have many mothers in this church, amen? And we're grateful for them. Mothers who performed that service, and listed here on the pages of Scripture, Mama Rufus would have been in the church and heard her name, or heard that commendation from Paul when the letter was read aloud at the church at Rome. Now there is some speculation about verse 13 that Rufus here may have been distinguishable as the son of Simon the Cyrene mentioned by name in Mark chapter 15 verse 21. He was the son of Simon the Cyrene who helped the Lord carry his cross on the way to Golgotha. And so this Rufus may have been that son of Simon the Cyrene. Verse 14. Greet Asyncretus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobus, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. Greet Philologus and Julia, likely another husband and wife team, Nerus and his sister, and Olympus and all the saints who are with them. It's thought likely that verse 15 is another greeting to a house church again in Rome, that Philologus and Julia were husband and wife, Nerus and his sister were their children, likely grown children, and Olympus, a household servant, and this was a home church in Rome. If you're going to have a child and you're looking for a biblical name, I highly commend Philologus to you. Something to consider. Verse 16, greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you. Kissing on the forehead or on the cheek. who was common in the culture at this time. And it was common among very close friends and relatives. So when you greeted a relative, you greeted a very close friend, it was customary to offer a kiss on the cheek or a kiss on the forehead. And because many Christians had lost all of their friends or had been disowned by their families, their relatives, When they became Christians, the early church all the more valued the familial bond that they had with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. Many of you know exactly what we're talking about when we say that, right? When you came to the Lord Jesus Christ, you lost your friends, everyone that you knew. Sometimes in a moment, I know some of those stories, right? Your own family won't talk to you. You're the one they talk about at the Thanksgiving table, right? And when you came to the Lord's church, and the Lord began knitting you together with the people here, and you experienced the love of the body for one another, That relationship became something that's precious to you. You, by the grace of God and through the power of His Spirit, you love the brethren. And we love our church family, we love one another. And as we serve together, and as we go through difficulties and trials, we face persecution together, we face slander and gossip together, we face all of that. The more and more deeply our love grows, the more and more the Lord knits us together, the more and more we are brought into close communion with one another, the more and more that familial bond grows, and the more and more we appreciate that and are grateful for it, the more and more our love grows. It's often through those experiences like that that we learn to love as we ought to love. When you have been in the trenches with someone, they risk their neck for you, or you risk your own neck for them. It's when you're facing those kinds of battles together, that the Lord, by His grace and through His Spirit, teaches us to love. Their new spiritual family ties were often manifest in what is reflected here in verse 16 as a holy kiss. Notice it's referred to as a holy kiss or a sanctified kiss. They adopted it in the church as a manifestation or a display, if you will, of genuine Christian brotherly and sisterly love. Today, in our cultural context, a cultural equivalent might be a holy hug, right? Side hug for a sister, the bro hug, you know, for the men. But a holy hug is something that we would compare this to in our own context. Now, it's likely in light of the love and affection that Paul has for these precious believers in Rome, it's also likely that in thinking, saying that the churches of Christ greet you, in thinking about those churches, those churches that are besieged by Satan, besieged by false teachers, besieged by divisive men, those churches are embattled. That battle, it doesn't seem or doesn't appear as though has reached Rome quite yet, But in thinking about those things, Paul interrupts himself here, if you will, with what has been described by some as a vehement outburst against those who would disrupt the peace and unity of this church in Rome, which he loves. Rome too. will come under assault from enemies of the gospel, and Paul feels it necessary, Paul is compelled, even in the midst of these greetings, before he closes the letter, Paul is compelled to warn them. And if the Lord wills, this is a text we're gonna look at in more detail in the weeks ahead, verses 17 through 20. We'll have to suffice for now to say that Paul was aware of impending danger, and he wants to leave the church with a warning to be on the lookout when it comes. Now having greeted those in the church himself, through verse 16, Paul then continues his greetings in verse 21 with greetings from his companions. Verse 21, Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you. Now, Paul begins with Timothy, and often described in scripture, Timothy, he describes as his son in the faith. Here, simply described as a fellow worker. But this relationship between Paul and Timothy was very close. To the church at Philippi, Paul explained that he planned to send Timothy to care for them. Paul says, for I have no one like-minded who will sincerely care for your state. I don't have anybody that's going to care for you the way that Timothy would care for you, or the way that I would care for you. Verse 21, for all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus, but you know his proven character that as a son with his father, he served with me in the gospel. This is a precious relationship. This was a relationship too that carried on for many, many years. And that's not easy, right? That's not easy. That takes effort and love and patience and kindness and compassion. We're sinners, right? We're going to sit against one another. We're going to say things we don't mean. We're going to do things we shouldn't do. And if you're going to be in a loving relationship over a period of years, decades, you're going to have to humble yourself. You're going to have to be patient. You're going to have to be kind. You're going to have to let love cover a multitude of sins, and you're going to have to resolve conflict. You're gonna have to work at it. And what we see is this close relationship, even now, between Paul and Timothy, that has stood the test of time, to where he commends Timothy as having served with him in the gospel as a son, serves with his father. They had a close relationship. And again, that's because of the Spirit of God. That's because of the cause of Christ. Lucius, Jason, Saucipiter, again, these were likely Hellenistic Jews, described as Paul's countrymen here. And these would have likely have been those chosen by the Gentile churches to accompany Paul with this contribution that he was taking to Jerusalem. The Gentile churches chose men to accompany Paul to Jerusalem. Sossipater, Jason, Lucius were likely men that they chose to do this. Jason, very likely the same Jason that Paul stayed with in Thessalonica in Acts 17. when the Jewish mob, trying to get to Paul, drug Jason out of his house and attacked him. Suscipitor, so these are men who were in the trenches, right, in the trenches with Paul. They experienced the beatings, they experienced the imprisonments, right? Suscipitor is very likely the sopitor of Berea, who traveled with Paul to Asia in Acts chapter 20. And the fact that they were Jewish, The question comes up, these were Hellenistic Jews, why would the churches have chosen three Hellenistic, why would the Gentile churches have chosen three Hellenistic Jews to accompany Paul, the apostle of the Gentiles, on his way to Jerusalem? to deliver a contribution from the Gentile churches to the needy Jewish saints in Jerusalem. Why would the Gentile churches have done that? Well, likely because there were Jews that were a part of the Gentile churches in those areas. There would be a good testimony to the Jews at Jerusalem, hey, there are Jews in these churches. The Gentiles were saved in the same manner as we were. God has granted to them also the repentance that leads to life. They would have helped bridge that gap. They would have helped the Jews in Jerusalem to have received this gift with love and appreciation and gratitude rather than holding the Gentile churches at arm's length. There is to be one church, right? And the wisdom of Paul, the wisdom of these brothers and sisters in these churches in thinking of these things, it's just a testimony of faithfulness, a testimony of care and concern. It's a good example. Verse 22, I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. And Tertius was Paul's amanuensis, or his secretary. This was also common in the letters of Paul, for Paul to use someone who he would dictate his letters to. So Tertius was the one who was writing it all down, and Paul gives him an opportunity to give his own personal greeting to the church at Rome. Verse 23, Gaius, If you remember from 1 Corinthians 1, Paul mentions that he baptized Gaius in Corinth. And so Gaius, he mentions in verse 23, whom he had baptized in Corinth, now at the church at Rome, or Gaius is with him as he's writing the letter from Corinth, sending it to the church at Rome. Gaius, he describes as my host in verse 23, and the host of the whole church, he greets you. In other words, the church at Corinth is at least in part meeting in Diocese House. Erastus, verse 23, the treasurer of the city, greets you, obviously a man of considerable social status. And then Cordus, simply described as a brother, but named here on the pages of Scripture. Verse 24, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. It's an extraordinary list, right? One church, the church at Rome. Jews and Gentiles, men and women, rich and poor, slave and free, all serving alongside one another in the cause of the gospel. This wasn't a black church, and it wasn't a white church, it wasn't a Korean church, it wasn't a... It was a church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jews would have worshiped in the church next to Gentiles. Think about that for a moment. Rich would have shared the table with poor. Women commended for their labor here as servants of the Lord with and alongside men. The church at Rome was a genuine reflection of God's intention to save a people for his name out of every tribe, tongue, and nation. The church at Rome is a true reflection of the power, the efficacy of the gospel, an example of the grace of God at work in the church through those who believe. It's a beautiful picture of the gospel. It has often been said that the ground is level at the foot of the cross. God is no respecter of persons. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. What is meant by that is that every sinner, no matter their status in the eyes of men, high or low, male or female, Jew or Gentile, rich, poor, slave, or free, every sinner who truly acknowledges the destitute state of their hellbound condition comes to a sensed experience of their spiritual bankruptcy before God, and comes to their desperate need for a Savior, every sinner finds themselves on equal ground at the foot of the cross. It starts there. But Paul shows, I think, in this text, that it doesn't end there. And the Lord says, lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust can destroy, thieves can't break in and steal. Whatever you have here, you're gonna leave here. You came into the world with nothing, and you're gonna leave this world with nothing. But for the genuine believer, for the one who turns to Jesus Christ in faith, Your life, your work, your labor can mean something, and it does. It starts with this spiritual bankruptcy at the foot of the cross, and the one who puts his faith and trust in Jesus Christ inherits all things, infinite and indescribable spiritual riches in Jesus Christ. Rich or poor here, slave or free, man or woman, It's immaterial! That kind of salvation is going to have an impact on your life. This list is comprised of saints who exemplify Paul's teaching in this letter. Remember Romans 12, verses 1 and 2, for example. There are those who have been saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, apart from any works of their own. They attribute it all to the grace of God. This is a representative list of those who in Rome then considered the mercies of God poured out on them through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and determined then that it was a reasonable and rational response to the gospel to pour out their lives as a sacrifice to God, living and acceptable. Holy and acceptable. These are saints who refused to be pressed into the mold of this age, but instead were transformed by the renewing of their mind. This is a list that represents biblical Christianity. This is not casual Christianity. This is not nominal Christianity. This is a life. This is a list that reflects self-denial. A list that reflects self-sacrifice, diligent labor, zealous labor for the Lord Jesus Christ. In Romans chapter six, verse 20, Paul asks the question, think about this with me. He asks the question, when you were a slave of sin, when you lived your former life, in other words, right? When you were a slave of sin, what fruit did you have then in those things of which you are now ashamed? What fruit did that life bear? What fruit? you'd have to say nothing but the fruit of death. If you're outside of Jesus Christ, that's the only fruit you're bearing. You could be rich, poor, male, female, slave, free, man or woman. It doesn't matter. The fruit that you're bearing apart from Jesus Christ is a fruit that leads to death. Paul asks the question, when you were a slave of sin in that lifetime, what fruit did you bear in those things of which you are now ashamed? And the answer to that question is no fruit, bitter fruit, bad fruit, death. But now think about it, brothers and sisters, when you come to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith, when you turn to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith and you serve him in the cause of the gospel, this means something, right? sinners saved, conveyed out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Son of His love, the kingdom being built, our Lord Jesus Christ being magnified, God being glorified, the gospel going forward, the kingdom expanding, the glory of God being spread over the earth as the waters cover the sea. Our lives have meaning and purpose because of the grace and glory of God. And we get to serve. We have the privilege of serving the King. We serve the Lord Christ. What should our service look like? How would the Apostle Paul describe us if he were greeting us in the church, you or I? How would the Apostle Paul describe us? I think it's testimonies like this, testimonies like these from Romans 16 that should motivate us, should compel us, should fire and fuel our faith, and fire and fuel our zeal for the Lord. Let's not be casual Christians, amen? Let us go to him outside the camp, bearing his shame, bearing his reproach, and serve the Lord Christ, amen? He is worthy, worthy of that service. Pray with me. Father in heaven, Lord, we thank you for the example that the church at Rome is to us, that these precious brothers and sisters, these saints at Rome are to us. And as you said in your word, we are to imitate Paul as he imitates Christ, And also, we can see how we can and should imitate these as they serve the Lord Christ. It's an encouragement to us, Lord. It's a conviction to us. It's a joy to us to see these greetings, the testimonies of these saints in times past who, bearing the torch for the gospel that we bear now, labored and served diligently, toiled to the point of exhaustion, risked their necks, gave everything they had, sacrificed, denied themselves. It's an encouragement to us, Lord, to press on. These who persevered in their race until the end, faithfully serving the Lord, Thank you, Lord, for this encouragement, and thank you for the necessary charge that you've given us, and I pray, God, by your Spirit, you would cause us to be a zealous, diligent, faithful, giving, sacrificial, loving, worshiping, witnessing people. Help us, Lord, we pray. We are weak and can do nothing apart from you, but we pray, Lord, our heart We're grateful for the gospel, grateful in consideration of the mercies of God poured out on us. And we want you, Lord, to bind us to the horns of the altar, pour out our lives as living sacrifices to God. You might be glorified that our Lord Jesus Christ might be exalted and magnified. Help us, Lord, by your Spirit. Strengthen us for the battles that are ahead. As Paul warns this church in verses 17 to 20, you've warned us time and again on the pages of Scripture. We know it's coming. Strengthen us, Lord, for the battles that are ahead. Help us to wage the good warfare. Help us to fight the good fight in faith. Cause us, Lord, to persevere, to overcome. May it be for your glory. Help us, Lord, to be faithful with the gospel, to see the kingdom built. to see our Lord Jesus Christ receive the full reward of His suffering. Help us, Lord, to be faithful as these precious examples in Scripture were, and may it be, Lord, for Your glory, the everlasting praise and worship of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Your name. In Christ's name, we pray these things. Hello, and thanks for listening. My name is Mark Brashear, and I have the blessed privilege of serving with the saints at Cornerstone Church near Orlando, Florida. We're so grateful that you've connected with us through the sermon that you've just heard. For more information, visit us at cornerstoneorlando.org, or better yet, come and see us on the Lord's Day at 3370 Snow Hill Road in Oviedo, Florida. We're just east of Orlando and about 15 minutes from the campus at UCF. It would be a joy to have you worship with us.