Calvary Road Baptist Church

“WHERE THERE ARE PEOPLE THERE ARE PROBLEMS”

Romans 16.3-20 

We begin with Romans 16.3-16: 

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.

16 Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you. 

Allow me to make some observations about this passage we have just read before we go on to verses 17-20.

About Priscilla and Aquila. We read of them first in the book of Acts, where they turned up in Corinth, having just arrived from Rome. Apparently, Christians before they met Paul, they worked with him and shared quarters with him before journeying with him to Ephesus. In Ephesus, they discipled that great preacher Apollos. From this passage, we discover that they eventually made their way back to Rome. Knowing that Aquila was originally from Pontus, which is in what is now Asia Minor, this man must have been quite a traveler. No mean feat in those days of hazardous travel before modern modes of transportation. They were apparently courageous Christians, these helpers of Paul, having laid their necks down. So well known were their exploits that, though many of their particular deeds are not named in Scripture, Paul and all the Churches of the Gentiles owed them debts of gratitude. I would guess them to have been affluent people who used their earning power to help start Churches wherever they lived.

From verse 5, we surmise that they had a home large enough for a congregation to meet in. Imagine a Christian couple actually allowing services to be conducted in their home. Strange? Perhaps, but not unknown. Many congregations have Church members who have selected the location of the homes they purchased according to where their Church wanted to penetrate with the Gospel, using their home as a hub for door to door work and weekly Bible studies. That is what I suspect these two did with their home.

Epenetus, being the firstfruits of Achaia, was Paul’s first convert to Christ on the Greek peninsula. Mary, verse 6, was a woman who worked hard for Paul. This word “labor” translates a word that means diligent, hard, excruciating effort. She was no sissy Christian. This woman was for real.

If you examine their names, it appears that Aquila, Priscilla, and Mary were Jewish Christians, with Epenetus being a distinctly Greek name, most likely indicating that he is a Gentile Christian. Andronicus and Junia, verse 7, are also Jewish, identified as kinsmen, probably husband, and wife.

There are three other interesting facts in their biographies: First, they apparently were in a jail of some kind with Paul, hopefully for their Christian testimony. Second, they were prominent apostles, obviously apostles (sent ones) of the Churches and not apostles of Jesus Christ. This meant that they were exceptional Church planters sent out by a Church. And third, they had been believers in Christ longer than Paul.

Up to this point Paul’s greetings have been primarily to Jewish Christians. From this point on, most of his greetings are extended to Gentile believers, either slaves or former slaves, if names and references to being in a certain person’s household give any clue.

Amplias and Urbane, Stachys, and Apelles are commended verses 8, 9, and 10. Notice that Paul salutes them of the household of Aristobulus. It is implied that slaves owned by Aristobulus are who he has in mind. We do not even know if this Aristobulus was a believer or whether he was still alive since a man’s household would sometimes be kept intact after his death. What we do know is that the Gospel penetrated the walls surrounding his property. Praise the Lord.

Herodian, verse 11, is another kinsmen of Paul, a fellow Jew. With a name like that, it is likely that this man was related, as well, to the clan of wicked Herod. Remember, Herod the Great ruled Judea when Christ was a child, and he had solid ties with Rome. Many members of his extended family were known to have lived most of their lives in Rome. Thus, it may be that one of Herod’s relatives had trusted Jesus Christ to the saving of his wicked soul. Pay attention to the fact that this is the first reference to someone who would have had social prominence.

Aquila and Priscilla had financial resources, but do not for a minute think they were a part of the upper regions of the social strata. Most of those Paul is commending, most of those so far who are having an impact for Jesus Christ in Rome, are not influential people, in the commonly accepted sense of the word. This correlates well with Paul’s remarks in First Corinthians l.25-29: 

25  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

26  For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28  And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29  That no flesh should glory in his presence. 

Another group, who are probably the household slaves of a man named Narcissus, are mentioned, also in verse 11. But, notice, only those of that household who were in the Lord are mentioned, who had repented of their sins and trusted Jesus Christ to the saving of their souls.

Tryphena and Tryphosa and Persis are three women who labored, like Mary, who is mentioned in verse 5. Tryphena and Tryphosa might be sisters, it being common in Rome to name sisters from the same root word. Persis refers to being Persian, so she might have been a slave brought initially from Persia. Have you ever given thought to how far most of these slaves and ex-slaves were from their places of birth and their mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters? Thank God for the Churches these folks had. Thank God for Calvary Road Baptist Church.

Rufus, verse 13, was a man chosen, or elected, in the Lord. Apparently, his mom had opportunity to minister to Paul, and so his reference to “his mother and mine.” It is terrific when a mother realizes that God has given her more than enough love for her children, plenty enough love to give freely to others.

Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren that are with them, verse 14. Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints that are with them, verse 15. All Greek or Roman names. All names were common to slaves. All names were common to those of the lower strata of society.

A couple of final comments before our final passage. Why did Paul write such extended greetings like this? Several possible reasons come to my mind:

First, to provide Phoebe with a list of names to make contact with when she arrived in Rome. Remember, Rome was a city of over one million people, and the Churches were not, at that time, listed in the phone book or by property addresses.

Second, it was a way of making personal contact with those few people in Rome that Paul knew or knew about and to win the favor of those whose names were familiar to him for the reputations they had as soldiers of the cross. Do you get the idea that Paul was a friendly fellow? Can you imagine him walking into a congregation without greeting every person in the room? I cannot.

Third, it was a way of doing the best he could to establish a relationship with the Christian community in Rome, by drawing attention to what they had in common, the Lord Jesus Christ and mutual Christian friends. It is Paul’s reminder of this relationship that provides for him a jumping-off point for what he wants to accomplish at this point in his letter.

Two things in verse 16:

“Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.”

First, to paraphrase, “I want everyone to kiss each other.” A custom in those days, and indeed carrying no inappropriate connotations, but a great way for people to get around to breaking the ice and properly greeting each other in the days before shaking hands was customary, and properly greeting Phoebe for the first time. Clever man that Paul. It is good to do break the ice stuff at gatherings of people who might have initial suspicions about each other or shyness of some kind.

Second, he lets them know that the Churches of Christ salute them, greet them, say “Hi” to them. “Hey, Romans. You are not in this alone. We are in the fight with you. And we are watching your Churches, by the way. Fight the good fight.”

With what relationships he has been able to now establish with the Romans solidified, he turns to the last exercise of apostolic authority found in this letter to the Romans. Read what he wrote in Romans 16.17-20. Stand, once again please, as we read this passage: 

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. 

There is divisiveness in the Christian community, a bit in each of the Churches. This is not unusual. Christians and those in attendance during every congregation’s worship are fully capable of sinning. The real problems arise when you fail to deal with the unity and harmony-destroying tendencies that arise from time to time.

Notice what is the Scriptural remedy for divisiveness: 

First, THERE IS THE EXHORTATION 

“Now, I beseech you, brethren.” 

Notice how Paul speaks to these people when he speaks to them firmly. Every parent and everyone who would minister to children or young people need to take note of Paul’s approach.

Do you see someone doing something he or she should not do? Or are you aware of a problem that needs to be corrected? You do not just plow into that guy or those people. You use the relationship that you have with them as a jumping-off point.

How futile it is for a parent, or for a Sunday School teacher, or a pastor or discipler to attempt to rebuke or correct someone without first paying attention to the relationship between them. This is something parents who did not grow up in intact homes are frequently unaware of and can learn when they are discipled or when they are faithful to every Church service.

Paul relies upon his relationship with the Romans in three ways in his attempt to rebuke them, to correct them, to help them:

First, he writes, “Now.” That is, “in light of what I have just written.” “Based upon my acquaintance with a number of people and my knowledge of the lives and ministries of others among you, I want to urge you to....” Paul could never have gotten away with what he wrote in Romans 16.17-20 without first writing Romans 16.3-16.

Second, “I beseech you.” Notice, Paul does not skin these people. Neither does he verbally assault them. The verb he uses carries the idea of coming alongside, drawing up next to someone. It is like a man walking up and throwing his arm around your shoulder in a big brother sort of way.

He caps it off with “brethren.” “Hey folks, we are part of the same family.” Has he not already subtly reminded them of the fact that he has been a Christian longer than any of them, except Andronicus and Junia?

We see that Paul is making the most of his appeal, urging his target audience to do something good for them to do, but which they do not have to do. In this way, Paul ministers like a shepherd, not like a goat herder would try to drive the flock. 

Second, THERE IS THE EXTIRPATION 

“mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to which ye have learned; and avoid them.” 

To extirpate something is to remove it, to excise it, to cut it out. I am sure that Paul is assuming that the divisive people he here writes about have been previously dealt with about their harmful behavior. However, for some reason, they have refused to live in peace and harmony according to Scriptural truth. That being true, Paul prescribes what is supposed to happen to such folks as these:

First, mark them. What does it mean to “mark them”? It means that you identify those folks. How do you identify them? You do not, really. You don’t usually need to identify them. They typically identify themselves. Troublemakers identify themselves by their behavior. That is, they conduct themselves in such a way as to cause divisions. Oftentimes, they will say, “Who? Me? What have I done?” However, the real issue is not what they have done, but what is the result of what they have done, divisions in the body, disruptions. Clearly, it is the Christian Church member’s responsibility to do those things that ensure unity and harmony, except when dealing with sin as the Bible instructs. The divisive person does not deal with sin Biblically. He or she deals with it, but not Biblically. The result is division. Such people also mark themselves by causing offenses contrary to the doctrines that you have learned. That is, they do not do the doctrines that you have learned. They do things that cause people to stumble. These are things you have been taught not to do.

Let me give you an example: Suppose one Church member commits a terrible sin against another Church member. Oh, it is a terrible sin. Suppose the sinning member is instructed by the pastor to go and ask forgiveness and give restitution to the person sinned against. Things are okay so far. Do you know what the divisive person will do? He or she will find out about that sin, will care nothing for the forgiveness asked for or granted, and will make sure that what has occurred between two private individuals is spread far and wide, for no other purpose than to spread gossip, to make other people unhappy, and to disrupt the harmonious relationships we have with each other. Never mind that the sin may have been dealt with to the satisfaction of the Christian originally sinned against. Never mind that the person’s family is satisfied with the handling of the matter so far. All the troublemaker is concerned about is that trouble be caused. Troublemakers like to stir up the pot.

One thing that you have learned since I have been the senior pastor of this Church is that we strive to deal with sin in a Biblical way. So help me, if you do not think I am dealing with sin in a Biblical way you have every right in the world to approach me about it and confront me with charges of wrongdoing. However, if disruptive behavior takes place in our Church, I purpose to deal with whatever threatens the unity and harmony of our congregation, whether the threat is posed by a Church member or by someone who attends but is not a member.

What is the appropriate action by the Church? Avoid them. Please understand, so contagious is this spiritual plague of trouble-making and divisiveness that Paul commands the Roman Christians to avoid such people as have been identified as committing this type of sin. By avoid, I am of the opinion that what is in mind is Church discipline for the Church member and perhaps going so far as prohibiting nonmembers from attending our services. We must avoid those who by their behavior seek to divide us and cause us to stumble, thereby hindering our effectiveness in reaching people with the Gospel. What is to be said, then, about those whose conduct has the same effect on the congregation as those who are causing division? What if someone does not gossip, but they do stay away? What if they are not being disciplined for an offense, but their absenteeism and lack of faithfulness accomplishes the same thing as if they were being disciplined? Does not that, too, impact the congregation’s unity? Yes, it does. 

Third, THERE IS THE EXPLANATION 

Why are such strong measures to be taken to eliminate those who cause divisions and offenses in the Church? 

Verse 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.” 

Two reasons are listed by the apostle:

First, strong measures are called for because of their motives. Please note that I have not identified anyone’s motives. The Word of God has done this for us. We are not to judge motives that God has not specifically identified to us, Matthew 7.1, Luke 6.37, John 7.24, and First Corinthians 4.3. People who claim to be Christians and who may even occupy a place of service, but who cause divisions, do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ. They may claim to serve Him. They may even think they serve Him. But in fact, they do not serve Him if they cause this kind of trouble. Instead of serving Christ, they serve their own belly. Paul means by this that they serve their own desires, not Christ’s desires for them.

The second reason for taking such strong measures against divisive people are their methods: 

“by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” 

Let me give you a typical speech that someone who uses fair words to deceive the simple will use: “Please understand that I would never say anything bad about so and so. I realize that he is a sincere Christian, but ....” Here is another one: “She is such a wonderful woman. My what tenderness and compassion she has. It is just that ....” Finally, there are flares of temper in front of visitors and unconverted folks. That just will not do, under any circumstances, especially if it occurs repeatedly. To restate: Why are such strong measures taken against divisive people who cause others to stumble? Two reasons: First, because their motives are declared in God’s inspired Word to be selfish. Second, because their mouths are used to minister deceit as well as disruption instead of grace to their hearers. 

Fourth, THERE IS THE REPUTATION 

Verse 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.” 

The Roman believers had a reputation for obedient Christian living. Their reputation for obedience to God was broadly rumored. For their fine testimony, Paul is absolutely delighted.

But with a fine reputation comes a responsibility to set a good example for others. And Paul wants them to be wise concerning that which is good and simple concerning that which is evil. That is, he wants them to deal with these sinful people instead of putting it off and learning by tragic experience.

The Church where I served in my first pastorate had developed such a good reputation around town for serving God that a neighbor of mine who is now a Baptist pastor told me that he had recommended to a visiting couple that they not attend our Church because, he said, “Your visitors didn’t mean business for God.” My neighbor felt his friends were not spiritual enough to take our Church seriously. That was a compliment.

Do you realize the reputation of Calvary Road Baptist Church has as a Church that deals with sin within our membership? God be praised, but we are the only Church that some Christians and some pastors have ever encountered that conscientiously deals with sin as prescribed in the Bible. So, we have to deal with such people as cause divisions and offenses. Our reputation is at stake, as well as God’s blessings. 

Finally, THERE IS THE EXPECTATION 

“And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly.” 

Why should Christians do right? Should you and I not do right because it is always right to do right and because it is never wrong to do right? To be sure.

But there is another reason given to us in Scripture for doing the right thing, particularly when the right thing is removing from the Church influences that cripple our effectiveness in winning souls and serving and glorifying God: God, the God of peace, will bruise Satan under our feet shortly.

What is implied by this statement? Four things are suggested that I would like to point out:

First, Paul mentions the God of peace. Why is this? This is because divisive people, people who cause problems, are the antithesis of peace and tranquillity. They do nothing but stir things up. Contrary to their behavior, however, our God is a God of peace. Peace of heart, peace of mind, peace in the congregation. People who make that peace impossible simply have to stop, or else leave.

Second, this God of peace, our God, will bruise Satan. You see, God wins. God always wins. There is no time or occasion in which Satan has ever or will ever win against God. The mention of Satan strongly suggests that when someone is sowing discord, creating disunity by being divisive and causing others to stumble, Satan is using them to attempt to cripple the Church. That should bother people, you would think.

Under our feet, third, tells me that when God beats Satan in this particular skirmish, He will do so using you and me. That is, God’s victory will be enjoyed by those He uses to gain the victory.

And, finally, it will happen soon. That is, the experience of victory over Satan is simply a step of obedience or two away. 

I come away from this passage with four things, in order of increasing importance. See if you were struck the same way I was.

First, though I did not mention it before, I was impressed by the number of women Paul referred to. This business of mommy staying at home and never serving God out in the light of day is not Scriptural. Granted, a number of these women served God as single women. However, let the married woman be careful to avoid the trap of using husband and children as shields to hide behind to excuse her lack of service to God.

Second, and I did mention this, notice the very small number of people who seemed to have social standing. While God may indeed bless you socially or financially, remember that those lost people of means are often harder to reach with the Gospel than are those less well off. Our response to this reality? Let us seek to reach the most people we can.

Third, take note of how the Apostle Paul proceeded from relationship to rebuke. Too often, we see something that we think is wrong. And it is wrong. And we move directly to that person to straighten him out. Paul’s way, God’s way, is for us to deal with those we have relationships with. If you don’t have a relationship with someone who has a problem? Build a relationship with him and then deal with the problem. I praise the Lord that I have been approached many times by Church members who love me (I do not doubt that), and those who have brought things to my attention that they think I need to attend to and deal with. I both have and will continue to deal with these things. People do right in proceeding from relationship to rebuke, and I am pleased with such efforts.

Finally, and most importantly, we see what must be done when there are some in the Church who are divisive and disruptive and will not respond to efforts to curb their divisive conduct. They need to be identified, and they will usually be identified by the consequences of their behavior, and they need to be removed from the congregation if they do not repent.

If we do this, and we need to do this because we, like the Romans, have a reputation to uphold, God will grant us victory over Satan ... soon.

Would you like to contact Dr. Waldrip about this sermon? Please contact him by clicking on the link below. Please do not change the subject within your email message. Thank you.

Pastor@CalvaryRoadBaptist.Church