As Paul starts to bring his letter to an end, he acknowledges that he has a very high regard for these Roman Christians who show many signs of spiritual maturity. They were good, they had received all they really needed to know about the Gospel and they were able to teach one another. What a commendation!

So, he says, I've written to you to remind you of some of the things you already know, very simply because that is my ministry, wherever I go (or might be going) I proclaim the Gospel. And that, of course, is what he has been doing in this letter in a very full way. We may sometimes try to reduce the Gospel to "Four Spiritual Laws" or something similar, but after we have read Paul's letter to the Romans we ought to realise that such "abbreviating the Gospel" may be all right to use for starters but it is no more than that: starters!

So, he continues, I've preached this Gospel around much of the north eastern Mediterranean area, in fact wherever it hasn't been preached before, because that's the ministry God gave me, and it's been because of that that I've been unable to get to see you; I've been too busy spreading the Gospel to manage it. Paul says all this with simplicity and humility, and it's true! What a man! What a God!!

D. Application?

1. Could Paul's commendation to the Roman Christians apply to me?

2. Am I a witness for God wherever I go?

Chapter: Rom 15

Passage: Rom 15:23-33

A. Find Out:

1. To where was Paul planning to eventually go? v.24

2. Where was he about to go to? v.25

3. What had been done for the Jerusalem Christians? v.26

4. So what was Paul going to do? v.28

5. What did he ask the Romans to do? v.30

6. What specifically? v.31,32

B. Think :

1. How is the breadth of Paul's ministry revealed here?

2. What is he teaching indirectly about spiritual and material blessings?

3. Of what danger was he aware?

C. Comment :

Paul now reveals his future intentions: to make his way to Spain via Rome to share the Gospel, but before he does that he has another task to perform, to deliver a gift for the poor in Jerusalem. In all this a number of things are revealed.

First, Paul's continuing desire to spread the Gospel to places where he has not yet been. Second, his sense of having completed his work in the areas where he has previously preached the Gospel. Third, the care of the Gentile Churches in the northern Mediterranean area for the Jewish believers back at Jerusalem. Fourth, Paul's awareness of the likely problems he will face when he returns to Jerusalem.

The truth of this latter point is seen in Acts 21 where we find the prophet Agabus prophesying these problems (v.11) which start being seen in v.27 onwards. Clearly Paul's writing to the Romans was before all this took place. In this passage, therefore, we sense something of the panorama of Paul's ministry and the life of the church across this part of the world, that we are rarely shown outside the book of Acts.

D. Application?

1. Do we show the same concern for other parts of the church as is seen in

this passage?

2. Do we have a yearning to spread the Gospel and bless others, despite

the possible consequences?

Chapter: Rom 16

Passage: Rom 16:1-7

A. Find Out:

1. What threefold way is Phoebe described? v.1,2

2. What sort of people are Priscilla and Aquilla seen to be? v.3,4

3. What twofold description does Epenetus get? v.5

4. How is Mary commended? v.6

5. What four things are we told about Andronicus and Junius?

B. Think :

1. What sort of people are Paul's friends shown to be?

2. Who apparently was coming with this letter?

3. If Paul was sending greetings to these people what does it say

about the church in Rome?

C. Comment :

First of all Paul introduces to the Roman Christians a lady by the name of Phoebe who, presumably, was coming with this long letter to them. She has been a real servant to the church and to Paul and so he commends her strongly. Next he greets a number of people he knows in Rome. (The alternative idea that these are people in a team who are going to Rome, is probably precluded on the basis that the team would have been very large and would have included the whole church that met with Aquilla and Priscilla.) If we assume, as most commentators do that these are people in Rome, it indicates that the church of that day was very mobile, there being a number Paul knew very well, even though he had not yet been to Rome.

Those in the list we have read today are clearly zealous Christians who were workers with whom Paul happily associated. That says a lot for them! The calibre of Christians here was, therefore, very high, people who put themselves out for their Lord and for their fellow Christians, in an age when it was frequently very dangerous to proclaim your faith!

D. Application?

1. Are we very parochial as Christians, never looking outside our

own small church group?

2. How do we match up against the descriptions of these first

century Christians?

Chapter: Rom 16

Passage: Rom 16:8-16

A. Find Out:

1. Why is Ampliatus mentioned? v.8

2. How did Urbanus stand out? v.9

3. How had Apelles stood out? v.10

4. How were Aristobulus & Narcissus mentioned? v.10,11

5. How did Tryphena, Tryphosa & Persis stand out? v.12

6. Why was Rufus's mother a blessing? v.13

B. Think :

1. How many homes are mentioned here?

2. How many workers are mentioned?

3. How many women are picked out?

C. Comment :

Today we continue to examine this list of people in Rome to whom Paul sends greetings, people that he clearly knows very well. They each stand out for different reasons.

One man stands out for the special place he holds in Paul's heart, another because he is a fellow worker with Paul, others because they are just very good friends of Paul, and even one who is a relative. Several "households" are mentioned and we can assume that Paul had stayed with each of them at particular times and therefore the whole family had been a blessing to him. A number of women get special mention and therefore it is clear that the early church had women fully functioning in them (this is not to say they were in positions of authority for that was spoken against by Paul elsewhere). One lady in particular has obviously been almost as a mother to Paul in the past.

What stands out from this list? The sense of the fellowship there evidently was in the early church, the comradeship between these "co-workers with Christ". Also the mobility of these early Christians in an age where travel was not as convenient as it is today. Here we have a list of saints whose descriptions take up no more than a line or two of Scripture - but they ARE there, these saints who have blessed Paul!

D. Application?

1. Would my home be a blessing to Paul?

2. Would I merit Paul's friendship as a co-worker?

Chapter: Rom 16

Passage: Rom 16:17-24

A. Find Out:

1. Against whom were they to watch? v.17

2. What were such people doing? v.18

3. How were they doing it? v.19

4. What did Paul want for the Romans? v.19

5. What did he strongly declare? v.20

6. Who were the various people sending greetings? v.21-24

B. Think :

1. What was this last concern that Paul had for the church in Rome?

2. How did Paul think they could fall prey to others?

3. How does this happen today?

C. Comment :

Having just greeted all his friends in Rome, before he finally closes, Paul has one more matter of concern that is in his mind which he shares. His concern is to watch out for people who first of all cause divisions in the church and then through their unbelief and false teaching put blockages in people's lives that prevent them going on with God. Divisions come when people gather into cliques or when different viewpoints on minor issues are allowed to become major issues. We always need to be on our guard against this happening.

Obstacles are matters of unbelief that hinder the believer's progress, e.g. God doesn't do miracles today, e.g. the gifts of the Spirit are not for today, i.e. Jesus isn't the same today as he was 2000 years ago! Such teachings quench the faith and expectancy of believers and are obstacles to growth. Paul's desire is that these believers know and experience all that is good and be completely innocent of evil, and by that means they will overcome Satan.

Finally some of Paul's comrades also join in his greeting to the Romans and again we get a glimpse of the fellowship of the believers with Paul.

D. Application?

1. Are we constantly working to bring about unity in the body of Christ, the

church?

2. Have we allowed "unbelief obstacles" in?

Chapter: Rom 16

Passage: Rom 16:25-27

A. Find Out:

1. How is God able to establish us? v.25a

2. What had that been? v.25b

3. What has happened to it now? v.26a

4. Why has it happened? v.26b

5. How does Paul therefore describe God? v.27

6. What does he want for Him? v.27

B. Think :

1. In the light of all the wonders of the Gospel in this letter, how does Paul

view God?

2. What does he believe God deserves?

3. How has he described the Gospel in these few verses?

C. Comment :

Concluding this wonderful letter Paul's closing desire is to glorify God. He does this in the way he describes the Lord.

First, we should note, he describes the Lord as "wise". Not only that He is the ONLY God, there is no other like Him.

Second, he gives his reasoning for describing God like this: because of the wonderful Gospel, a Gospel that was hidden throughout the ages of Israel's history but which has now been made known, a Gospel that had been proclaimed through the prophets but which has only become understood or revealed now.

Third, the results of this Gospel are twofold: that people from all nations might believe in Jesus and submit to Him as Lord, and then as a result of that they may be established or stabilised in life by Him.

Throughout this letter Paul showed the various elements of the Gospel: the fact that every man was lost, the fact that Jesus had died to take our sins and justify all who would believe, and the fact that having been justified we enter into a new resurrected life based on the love of God within us. No wonder he describes God as wise, if He can produce a means of salvation like this!

D. Application?

1. The Gospel came from God. It is perfect!

2. The Gospel is the only hope for lost mankind

RECAP: "Closing Greetings" - Rom 15:14 - 16:27

SUMMARY :

In these last 6 studies we have seen:

- Paul referring to his own ministry which he feels is coming to an end

around the north east end of the Mediterranean area

- Him sharing on his desire to visit Rome on his way to Spain

- His introducing Phoebe coming with this letter

- His greeting his many friends in Rome

- His encouragement to stand against people who might bring division or

obstacles

- Greeting from some of those with him

- His final words of praise to the only wise God.

COMMENT :

These are two chapters that reveal much personal insight into Paul's life and ministry. We have seen his passionate desire to go on sharing the Gospel and the large number of Christians that he clearly knows and who give us some indication of the extent of Christian life and fellowship in those days.

LESSONS :

1. A challenge to be zealous for the Lord to share the Gospel, the only answer to men's

needs

2. We should be looking much further afield than just our own small church group

3. A challenge to consider what sort of words of commendation and greeting our lives

might merit

4. To work for unity in the church and to work against divisions and obstacles to faith

5. The Gospel originates from God and is perfect, meeting every need in lost mankind.

PRAY :

Thank the Lord for the wonder of the Gospel. Ask Him to stir a zeal in you to share it. Ask Him to help you bring unity to the church.

Praise and worship Him for the wonder of what He has done through His Son, Jesus.

SECTION SUMMARY

In this second half of this letter to the Romans we have seen the apostle Paul:

Ch. 8 :

-   reminding us that we live lives led by the Spirit of God

-   challenging us to remember that we live in a fallen world but

     are helped by the Spirit

-   proclaiming that God is for us and is working all things for our

     good, so that we are now more than conquerors

Ch. 9 :

-   working out the theme that God is sovereign, even in Israel's

     history

Ch. 10:

-   continuing to explain how Israel, despite hearing the word,

     mostly refused to respond to it.

Ch. 11:

-   explaining how Israel are not totally rejected, how a remnant

     who believe are saved

-   warning Gentiles not to take their inheritance casually

Ch. 12:

-   turning to practical issues, explaining that the Christian life

     flows out of a surrendered life to God

-   reminding us that what we have are from God as gifts from

     Him to be used

-   giving us distilled practical challenges in living the life of love

Ch. 13:

-   following on this theme, challenging us to remember love

     includes loving the authorities and obeying the law (for love is

     fulfilling the law)

Ch. 14:

-   challenging us to accept those who are weak in faith

Ch. 15:

-   continuing this challenge

-   speaking of his own ministry and desire to visit them

Ch. 16:

-   bringing greetings to his many friends in Rome

CONCLUSIONS

1. About God

- He has sovereignly moved to provide a salvation through the death and resurrection of His own Son, by the provision of His Holy Spirit in our lives, and the promise of eternity with Him in glory.

- He sovereignly moves in our lives and works all things for the good of those who love Him.

- In the case of Israel, He has sovereignly moved throughout their history, choosing those who would respond to Him and rejecting those who would reject Him.

2. About Israel

- God's love has been extended to Israel throughout its history.

- The privileges of that love have been lost to the nation as a whole by their rejection of their messiah but are available still to all who will receive Jesus as their Saviour and Lord.

3. About the Church

- We live by the power of the Holy Spirit within us.

- We are called to a life of total surrender to God.

- He gives each of us different gifts for the blessing of the body of Christ, the

church, and for reaching the world with God's love.

- He calls us to a life of love that is expressed towards each other, to the world at large, and involves accepting the rule of authorities, and loving and accepting each other, even when there are differences in points of practice from weaker faith.

4. About Paul?

- Well let's just be very grateful to God for the gift of this man with his zeal and his grasp of the wonders of the Gospel that he has communicated to us in such a marvellous way.