Angels in the Life of Christ By Will Pounds

Everything we believe about Jesus Christ depends on God’s integrity and the faithfulness of His messengers.

Two witnesses or messengers in the Bible times were required to authenticate the accuracy and validate the message. The sender expected the messenger to accurately communicate his message with the utmost integrity. Any change in the message would result in criminal charges against the messenger.

God uses human and supernatural messengers. “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Hebrews 1:1-3 (NASB95).

The messengers all pointed to the coming of the final ultimate self-revelation of God in the person of His own unique one of a kind Son.

I. Angels are God’s Messengers

Angels are supernatural celestial spiritual beings.

The Bible tells us that God has messengers whom He sends forth to communicate His message. The word aggelos, angels in English, describes a supernatural order of heavenly beings whose assignment is to act as God’s messengers to men, and as agents to carry our His will. “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” (Hebrews 1:14, NASB 95).

Angels have personality, great intelligence, moral will and responsibility. They do not have bodies, but may be seen at times and appear as men. They do not have wings; artists and Hollywood created the wings. The Seraphim have six wings and fly, but they are a special category of supernatural servants. The Bible forbids worship of angels. They belong to the heavenly court praising God and doing His will on earth.

Three angels are named in the Bible.

Michael, the archangel is mentioned in the Old Testament only in Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1 where he is the champion of Israel, and watchful guardian of God’s chosen people. He disputed with Satan over the body of Moses (Jude 9). In Revelation 12:7-9 he leads the angelic armies in war against Satan, the chief fallen angel (Job 1:6-12; Gen. 3:1ff; Matt. 25:41; 2 Pet 2:4; Rev. 12:9). The early Protestant scholars identified Michael with the preincarnate Christ (Hengstenberg).

Gabriel is found in Daniel 8:15-16; 9:21 where he was sent to explain to Daniel the vision of the ram and the he-goat and to predict the 70 weeks. In the New Testament Gabriel is the messenger who announced the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus in Luke 1:19, 26. He is not called an archangel in the Bible. He is quite prominent in Jewish writings.

II. Angels in the Life of Christ

Gabriel and unnamed angels are sent to announce the coming of Jesus, to encourage Him after the temptations, minister to Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, help the grieving disciples at the resurrection of Jesus, announce His coming again in Acts, gather the saints and execute judgment to the wicked in Revelation.

Angel Gabriel announced the coming birth of John the Baptist

Zacharias was an elderly priest officiating at the altar of incense in the Temple when an angel suddenly appeared to him standing to the right of the altar of incense (Luke 1:10-22). The cloud of incense that rose from the hot altar symbolized the prayers of the people Israel as they gather outside praying (v. 10).

John and his wife Elizabeth had prayed for many years for a son, and no doubt for the coming of the Messiah. The angel was sent by God to give them the good news that a child would be born to them in their old age. “Fear fell on” Zacharias when he saw the angel. “Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear gripped (fell-upon) him” (v. 12).

The message the angel proclaimed was specific. “But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord’” (Luke 1:13-17, NASB 95).

Elizabeth will become pregnant even at her age! You will name your son John (“God is gracious”) and he will bring joy and gladness with extreme exultation, and many will rejoice because of his birth. The coming of the last of the Hebrew prophets will indeed be the time for rejoicing. God is visiting His people. This child “will be great in the sight of the Lord” (v. 14a).

Gabriel announced the coming birth of Jesus to Mary

“And coming in, he said to her, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.’ Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.’ And the angel departed from her” (Luke 1:28-38, NASB 95).

It is significant that the angel Gabriel did not rebuke Mary as he did Zechariah. “She was perplexed” or greatly troubled at the statement.” Mary did not doubt the promise, but was just confused about the statement because she was a virgin (cf. Isa. 7:14). She wanted to know how this would be accomplished since she and Joseph were not yet married. The betrothal usually lasted a year and unfaithfulness on the part of the bride was punishable by death. Therefore, Gabriel’s response was this will be the work of the Holy Spirit creatively bringing about the miraculous physical conception of Jesus. The apostle Paul understood this grand truth when he wrote: “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law” (Galatians 4:4, NASB 95).

Mary received special grace for the ministry God chose her to perform. She, like every other individual, was saved by grace through faith in Christ. She had no special merit. She was the object of God’s care; she “found favor with God.” She was endowed with grace, enriched with grace. She was full of grace because God graced her.

These majestic words of Gabriel remind us of Yahweh’s promise to old king David in 2 Samuel 7:13-16. A future descendent would sit on his throne and rule forever. The only way this prophecy could possibly ever be fulfilled is in the coming of a greater than David, the Messiah. This Son of Mary we are told in this passage will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High (cf. Isa. 9:7). This divine title means He will be equal with Yahweh. The phrase “son of” in Semitic thought refers to one who possessed his father’s qualities. Jesus is a “carbon copy” of His Father in heaven.

The reason for His coming is He will receive “the throne of His father David and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever.” The great coronation will take place when He returns and He will reign throughout eternity. This will take place in the Millennium and continue forever and ever.

This sovereign King is unique because “His Kingdom will never end.”

An unnamed angel announced Jesus birth to Joseph

We noted earlier the agitation on the part of Mary regarding her conceiving a bearing a son while still engaged to Joseph. The whole context of the Jewish engagement and marriage customs in the first century must be kept in mind when examining the birth narrative in the Gospels. Marriages were arranged by the parents and contracts were written up and agreed upon. Once the arrangement was confirmed the couple was considered married and were called husband and wife. However, they did not begin to live together for one year. During this time the woman continued to live with her parents and the man with his parents. This waiting period was a demonstration of faithfulness of the promise to be pure until the consummation of the marriage. If she was found to be with child during that year it would be obvious that she was unfaithful and the husband could terminate the marriage contact with a divorce. At the end of the year of betrothal the parents of the couple would have a great celebration of the wedding feast, the couple would then begin to live together, and the marriage was consummated physically.

Now it was plain that Mary had not told Joseph about the angel’s visit or that she was pregnant. Therefore, when it obvious to Joseph that Mary was with child he was shocked. He genuinely loved Mary. You can see that love by his actions. He did not want to create a public scandal and planned to divorce Mary privately. That is when the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and revealed to Him that “She was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 1:18).

Matthew fills in the details for us:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’ Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us.’ And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus” (Matthew 1:18-25, NASB 95).

Hebrew scholars can debate all they want to about the meaning of the Hebrew word almah whether it should be translated “young woman” or “virgin.” I think it means a young woman of marriageable age who is a virgin. Dr. Luke and Matthew are very clear when they mean “virgin” because they use the word parthenos and it has only one meaning, “virgin.” Mary’s miraculous conception fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy, and her son was “Immanuel . . . God with us.” The Holy Spirit, not Joseph, not any man, was responsible for the pregnancy of Mary.

At Jesus’ birth the angels worshipped Him

Nine months later Dr. Luke, the beloved physician, and author of the Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus was born in the city of David, called Bethlehem during the reign of Caesar Augustus. Angels worshipped Christ and announced the birth of the Savior to some humble shepherds who were watching over their sheep in the night.

“And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’ When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger” (Luke 2:9-16, NASB 95).

An unknown angel warned Joseph of Herod’s evil intent to murder the Messiah.

“Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him’” (Matthew 2:13, NASB 95). They stayed in Egypt until the death of Herod. However, because Archelaus was the worst of Herod’s living sons and was now reigning over Judea, Joseph and Mary took Jesus and they resided in the city of Nazareth in the regions of Galilee (Matt. 2:13-23).

Dr. Luke tells us that over the next thirty years, “Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). Yes, Jesus lived a fully normal human Jewish life in the town of Nazareth. But that is not the end to the visitation of angels in His life.

Angels strengthened Jesus during His ministry

When Jesus began His ministry about the age of thirty He was severely tempted by Satan (Matt. 4:1-11). After the forty days of temptation “the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him” (Matt. 4:11).

In the Garden of Gethsemane an angel appeared to Jesus and strengthened Him (Luke 22:43).

At His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane when Peter was trying to defend Jesus with a sword, Jesus told him that He could call down 72,000 angels (Matt. 26:53). “Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53, NASB 95). A Roman legion was equal to 6,000 troops. Twelve legions would be 72,000.

Angels attended Jesus’ resurrection

“And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it. And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you” (Matthew 28:2-7, NASB 95; cf. Mark 16:4-7; Luke 24:4-7).

“But Mary [not Jesus' mother] was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. And they said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.’ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus” (John 20:11-14, NASB 95).

Yes Jesus was crucified. He was certified dead by the Roman executioner when he thrust the spear into Jesus’ side and out came blood and water (Mark 15:44-47; Matt. 27:57-66; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:30-42). Witnesses who handled His body gave testimony that Jesus died. But behind that death of the sinless Lamb of God is the great truth that He died as a sacrifice for sin. “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. . . . But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8, NASB 95). The apostle Paul summarized the meaning of the death of Christ beautifully with these words: “He [God] made Him [Jesus Christ] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB 95).

But that is not all; Christ rose from the dead! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the most documented event in ancient history. Matthew Arnold said, “The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the best attested fact in history.”

William Lyon Phelps of Yale wrote, “It may be said that the historical evidence for the resurrection is stronger than for any other miracle anywhere narrated.”

Some of the best books on the resurrection have been written by lawyers who set out with the goal of disproving it as a historical fact.

Sir Edward Clark wrote, “As a lawyer I have made a prolonged study of the evidences for the first Easter. To me the evidence is conclusive, and over and over again in the high Court I have secured the verdict on evidence not nearly so compelling. As a lawyer I accept it unreservedly as the testimony of men to facts that they were able to substantiate.”

Angels reassured disciples at the ascension of Christ

“And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:9-11, NASB 95).

Angels will accompany Jesus when He returns

Listen to the words of Jesus. “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats” (Matthew 25:31-32, NASB 95).

The apostle Paul comforted fellow believers with the desire “to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire” (2 Thessalonians 1:7, NASB 95; cf. 2 Thess. 4:16-17). Many more passages of Scripture could be sited, but I think you get the idea. Angels were active in ministry during the life of Christ and will be when He returns in glory. The book of Revelation is full of angelic activity in heaven and will be vitally involved in the judgments before and after the coming of Christ.

What will you do with Jesus Christ; neutral you cannot be. What you choose to believe about Him will determine your eternal destiny. One thing is still true. Today angels rejoice when sinners repent and put their trust in Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation. Jesus said, “I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:10).

Title: Angels in the Life of Christ
Series: Life of Christ, Christmas

July 16, 2009 Posted by dtbrents | Angels | Angels, Bible Study, christianity, Church, devil, God | No Comments Yet

Common Grace: Myth vs. Reality

The following long quotations regarding the subject of common grace, the will, Calvinism and Arminianism are taken from Dr. Lewis S. Chafer’s Systematic Theology, Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1993.

During the late 20th and early 21st century, various Christians and so-called Christian leaders have attempted to radically misconstrue and distort what Dr. Chafer, founder of Dallas Theological Seminary, actually taught.

Scores of evangelicals today hold and teach Arminian rationalism (e.g., Norman Geisler, Bob George, Chuck Missler, Dave Hunt, Chuck Smith, William MacDonald, George Zeller, etc.), while often denying the same publicly. Claims by these individuals to represent a moderate Calvinism, and those to the right of them as extreme or hyper Calvinist, are not supported by historical, documented facts. In short, it is a ruse.

The following theological truth is set forth by way of contrast against the backdrop of error, rather than simply stating what any reader will discover when seriously studying Scripture. May the following ‘lofty’ quotes, in a small way, contribute to setting the record straight. May readers come to understand the importance of these subjects.

The Calvinistic system, which is here both held and defended as being more nearly Pauline than any other, is built upon a recognition of four basic truths, each of which should be comprehended in its basic character. These truths are: (1) Depravity, by which term is meant that there is nothing in fallen man that could commend him to God. He is an object of divine grace. (2) Efficacious grace, by which term is meant that fallen man, in being saved, is wrought upon wholly by God—even the faith which he exercises in his salvation is a “gift of God” (Eph. 2:8. (3) Sovereign and eternal election, by which term is meant that those who are saved by efficacious grace from the estate of depravity have been chosen of God for that blessedness from before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1:4; Rom. 8:30). (4) Eternal security, by which term it is meant that those chosen of God and saved by grace are, of necessity, preserved unto the realization of the design of God. Since sovereign election purposes this and sovereign grace accomplishes it, the Scriptures could not—being infinitely true—do other than to declare the Christian’s security without reservation or complication. This the Scriptures assuredly declare. Rationalism in its varied forms and Arminianism in particular challenge these sovereign verities. To the Arminian the limiting effect of depravity is annulled to a large degree by the supposed bestowment upon all men of a so-called “common grace” which provides ability on the sinner’s part to turn to Christ. According to this belief, men are saved by divine grace into a momentary right relation with God from which they can fall. The continuation in that right relation with God—regardless of the fact that it is the realization of the divine purpose—is made by the Arminian to depend on human merit and conduct. Similarly, sovereign election is to the Arminian no more than divine foreknowledge by which God is able to make choice of those who will act righteously in respect to His offers of grace—a foreseeing and consequent recognition of human merit, which recognition contradicts the doctrine of sovereign grace (Rom. 11:6). Vol. 3, page 267.

The Arminian View of Original Sin. It is exceedingly difficult for a system of doctrine, which builds so much on the freedom of the human will and contends that all men are by virtue of a common grace enabled to act without natural or supernatural restraint in the matter of their own salvation, to defend unconditionally the doctrine of total depravity. It is observable that Arminianism has put but little emphasis upon the teaching respecting that inability which is the nature and essence of original sin. The Arminian notion of depravity, whatever it is supposed to be in its original form, is largely overcome, it is contended, by a fancied common grace. However, in the working of this scheme, one of the Arminian inconsistencies—a withdrawing with one hand what is bestowed with the other—is displayed. It is rather too much to suppose that a common grace—itself without Biblical justification—is a complete corrective of total depravity; and it will not be without explanation, in part at least, if, starting with such a premise as their idea of common grace provides, the Arminians drift into equally unscriptural notions respecting sanctification and sinless perfection. Naturally, the will of man, which is supposed to be emancipated by common grace, may, as effectually, defeat the realization of that which is best. It is certain that, when given an unrestrained freedom of volition, that volition will not always turn in the right direction or toward God. It may as readily turn from God, and that, it is contended, even after years of life and experience in a regenerate state. Over against this fallacious rationalism—this unsupported theory and feeble deification of man—the Scriptures assert, and in accordance therewith the Calvinists teach, that man is totally depraved, that God must and does move in behalf of fallen man for his salvation—even engendering saving faith—and that salvation, being distinctly a work of God, is, like all His works, incapable of failure. It is thus demonstrated that the erroneous exaltation of the human ability in the beginning becomes man’s effectual undoing in the end. Over against this, the man who is totally incompetent, falling into the hands of God, who acts in sovereign grace, is saved and safe forever. For such an achievement the glory is not to be shared by fallen man but is altogether due God alone. Vol. 3, page 275.

The Arminian View of Universal and Efficacious Calling. Without reference to a limited or an unlimited redemption—which theme some theologians are determined to bring into the discussion of an efficacious call and which it is believed has but a remote relation to the subject in hand—the real question is whether, as the Arminian contends, the divine influence upon men whereby they are enabled to receive the gospel and to be saved is that common grace which the Arminian claims is bestowed upon all men, or whether that divine enablement, as the Calvinist declares, is a specific, personal call of the individual by which the Holy Spirit moves that one to understand and intelligently to accept the saving grace of God as it is in Christ Jesus. If the contention of the Arminian be true—that God gives no more enablement to one than to another—the fact that, when the gospel is preached alike to each, one is saved and another is not, becomes a matter of the human will which, it is claimed, either accepts or rejects the gracious invitation. Such an arrangement might seem plausible were it not for that array of Scripture, already considered in another connection, which declares that man has no power to move himself toward God. The New Testament not only lends no support to the Arminian notion of common grace, but definitely teaches that men are helpless in their fallen estate (cf. Rom. 3:11; 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 4:3–4; Eph. 2:8–9). On the other hand, the Calvinist contends that, when God by His Spirit inclines one to receive Christ, that one, in so doing, acts only in the consciousness of his own choice. It is obvious that to present a convincing argument to a person which leads that person to make a decision, does not partake of the nature of a coercion of the will. In such a case, every function of the will is preserved and, in relation to the gospel, it remains true that “whoever will may come”; yet back of this truth is the deeper revelation that no fallen man wills to accept Christ until enlightened by the Holy Spirit (John 16:7–11). Vol. 3, page 276.

Again it will be seen that the Arminian exaltation of the human will in the matter of personal salvation encourages those same Arminians to contend, as they do, that the same free will by which the individual accepts Christ is itself able to depart from God after he is saved. To such rationalistic conclusions, the Word of God, which asserts the inability of man to turn to God, lends no support. It is rather revealed that, after one is saved, “it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13); nor does this continuous inclination by the Spirit of the Christian’s volition partake in any respect of a coercion of the human will. Vol. 3, page 278.

The Arminian View of Divine Decrees. Under this aspect of the general theme, this solemn truth respecting God is approached again. None but the most careless will fail to recognize that the subject of divine decrees, with its corresponding doctrines of predestination, election, and reprobation, involves the contemplation of the most fathomless, inaccessible, and mysterious themes to which the human mind may be addressed. To comprehend this vast subject would be equivalent to comprehending the mind of God. That difficulties arise in the mind of man when reflecting on so great a subject is to be expected, since it could not be otherwise. Similarly, it is generally conceded that this topic in all its bearings—philosophical, theological, and practical—has been more considered than any other; yet the mysteries involved must remain inscrutable until the greater light of another world breaks upon the human mind. In its simple form, the question now in view may be stated thus: Did God have a plan in eternity past which He is executing in time? The two extreme positions—Socinianism and Calvinism—may well be compared at this point. The former held that all future events which depend upon secondary causes, such as the human will, are by necessity unknowable even to God, while the Calvinists maintain that God has not only ordained whatsoever cometh to pass, but is executing the same through His providence. Midway between these so divergent conceptions is the position of the Arminians—a position in which conflicting ideas appear. Arminians have not been willing to deny the foreknowledge of God in agreement with the Socinians; nor have they been willing to accept that estimation of God which accords to Him the unconditional authority to act, power to achieve, and purpose to govern, in all that cometh to pass. Therefore, the doctrines of divine decrees, of predestination, of sovereign election, and of retribution are by the Arminians either directly denied or explained away by recourse to reason. At times the plain assertions of the Sacred Text have been distorted in this effort. They claim that God had no other decree respecting the salvation of men than that He would save those who believe, and condemn and reprobate those who do not believe. Beyond this, man is responsible apart from any divine relationship. Having sent His Son into the world to remove the insuperable obstacle of sin and having removed man’s inability by a bestowal upon him of a supposed common grace, man is left to make his own choice, though, of course, the gospel must be preached unto him. According to this plan, God determines nothing, bestows nothing apart from the removal of inability, and secures nothing. Certain individuals are chosen of God only in the sense that He foresaw their faith and good works—which faith and good works arise in themselves and are not divinely wrought. In the end, according to this system, man is his own savior. A salvation which originates in such uncertainties, builds upon mere foreknowledge of human merit, and exalts the human will to the place of sovereignty, cannot make place for the doctrine of security, since eternal security of those who are saved depends on the sovereign undertakings of God. Vol. 3, page 278.

The Arminian View of the Fall. A return to a full discussion of the fall of man, already pursued at length in Volume 2, is uncalled for here. What has been written before must serve as a background for this brief reference to a theme so extended and mysterious. Far more than is sometimes realized, the doctrine of the fall of man is closely related to the whole Biblical scheme of predestination. Apart from the fall with its complete ruin of the race, there could be no sufficient basis for the doctrine of sovereign grace with its utter disregard for human merit, nor for a defense against the notion that sovereign election represents a respect of personal qualities in man on the part of God. Arminians of the older school have not denied the fall of man, or the extent of that fall. They suppose, however, no matter how complete the fall, that it is overcome by the bestowal of common grace. From the moment that grace is bestowed, the case of a man is different. Ability on man’s part to act for or against the will of God becomes the cornerstone of the Arminian structure of Soteriology. The supposed ability to reject God not only conditions and makes contingent the salvation of men to the extent that God may assume no more than to foreknow what man will do, but that supposed ability survives after regeneration and renders it possible for the redeemed to degenerate back to their original lost estate. Calvinists maintain that men are wholly unable to deliver themselves or to take one step in the direction of their own salvation, that men have no claim upon God for salvation because of merit, and that the salvation of men is a divine undertaking built upon a righteous ground which not only provides a holy God with freedom to save meritless men, but provides as well the same righteous freedom on God’s part by which He can keep them saved forever. When this divinely wrought arrangement for the salvation of men through grace is abandoned and a merit system for man is substituted, as the Arminians choose to do, they find themselves beset with fears, backslidings, and failures which have no recognition in the New Testament. A grave question arises under the Arminian system, namely, whether men who have been impressed with the notion that they are to a large degree their own saviors and keepers, will ever find the rest and peace which is the portion of those who have ceased from their own works and are wholly cast upon God. Vol. 3, page 279.

The Arminian View of Omniscience. No slight difficulty for the Arminian system arises from the obvious fact that God could foreknow nothing as certain in the future unless He had Himself made it certain by foreordination. Neither could foreknowledge function apart from foreordination, nor foreordination apart from foreknowledge. Merely to foreknow what will be determined by secondary causes, leaves the entire program of events adrift without chart or compass. According to His Word, God assuredly foreknows, foreordains, and executes. Every prediction of the Bible incorporates these elements, and nowhere more conclusively than in the events connected with the death of Christ. God foreknew that His Son would die upon a cross, but He did more about it than merely to foreknow. Peter declares that Christ as the Lamb was “foreordained before the foundation of the world” (1 Pet. 1:20); and so great an event could not be left to the uncertainties of human wills. “Wicked hands” crucified the Son of God, but this was according to the “determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23). The salvation of each individual who believes on Christ is no more an accident of human determination than is the death of Christ. The Arminian idea of election to eternal glory on the part of some, is that it includes those who believe on Christ, persevere, and die in the faith, whereas the Scriptures teach that certain men believe, persevere, and die in the faith because of the fact that they are elect and destined to eternal glory. When man is given the responsibility of working out his own eternal destiny, as Arminianism expects him to do, it will be remembered that all this could be done as effectively whether God foreknew it or not. Security, according to the Arminian conception of it, is that which God foreknew men would do in their own behalf and, since the human element bulks largely in it, the actual arrival of a soul in heaven’s glory is more or less accidental—certainly not predetermined and executed by God. Vol. 3, page 280.

The Arminian View of Divine Sovereignty. It is conceded by all who are of a pious mind that God is the Supreme Ruler of the universe and that He exercises His authority and power to that end. That He is putting into effect precisely what He had before designed, would not create prejudice as a proposition by itself, were it not for the fact that such an admission leads on logically to the Calvinistic position respecting the predestination, justification, and glorification of all whom He has chosen for eternal salvation. Calvinists contend that God acts in perfect reason, but upon a level much higher than may be comprehended by the human understanding; and therefore they do not assume to assign a reason for all of God’s ways in the universe and with men. Arminians, however, seek to assign a reason for God’s dealings with men and do, by so much, deny His sovereignty. It is a worthy attitude to believe that God rules over all things, executing precisely His own will and purpose, and that in doing this He acts always within the limitations which His adorable attributes impose. It follows, also, that, because of His omnipotence, God could have prevented any and every form of evil, and that, as evil is present, it is serving a purpose which is worthy of God and which will, in the end, be recognized as worthy by all intelligences. Arminians tend to discredit the sovereignty of God by assuming that events are not necessarily to be considered as having a place or part in the divine will. This has led to much discussion regarding the divine volition. Arminians are wont to distinguish an antecedent will from a consequent will in God. The former moves Him to save all men, while the latter is conditioned by the conduct of men. The antecedent will is not a sovereign will; it, too, is restricted by human action. Such a conception is far removed from the Calvinistic teaching concerning the efficacious will of God—that which not only elects to save some, but actually does save them and preserve them, having anticipated all things requisite to that end and having provided those requisite things. As before stated, the two impediments or barriers which stood in the way were sin and the freedom of the human will. In the sacrificial death of His Son, God dealt finally with the obstacle which sin engenders. By moving the hearts of men to desire His saving grace (which acts have no semblance to coercion), He removes the obstruction which the free will of man might impose. The two systems—Arminianism and Calvinism—are each consistent at this point within themselves. The Arminian contends that man is supreme and that God is compelled to adjust Himself to that scheme of things. The Calvinist contends that God is supreme and that man is called upon to be conformed to that revelation. The Arminian is deprived of the exalted blessing which is the portion of those who believe the sublime facts of predestination, election, and the sovereignty of God, because he hesitates to embrace them in their full-orbed reality. Having incorporated into his scheme the finite human element, all certainty about the future is for the Arminian overclouded with doubts. Having made the purpose of God contingent, the execution of that purpose must be contingent. By so much the glorious, divine arrangement by which the ungodly may go to heaven, is replaced by the mere moral program in which only good people may have a hope. Vol. 3, page 281.

The Arminian View of Sovereign Grace. As certainly as there are two widely separated and divergent forms of religion in the world—in the one, God saves man and in the other, man saves himself—so definitely Calvinism and Arminianism are withdrawn the one from the other. All the forms of religion that men cherish are, with one exception, in the class which is identified by the obligation resting upon man to save himself; and in this group, because of its insistence that the element of human merit must be recognized, the Arminian system is classed. Standing alone and isolated by its commitment to the doctrine of pure uncompromising grace, the true Christian faith, as set forth by the great Apostle and later defended by Calvin and by uncounted theologians before and since his day, is a system of Soteriology characterized by its fundamental feature that God, unaided and to His own unshared and unchangeable glory, originates, executes, and consummates the salvation of man. The sole requirement on the human side is that man receive what God has to give. This he does, he is told, by believing upon Christ as his Savior. Arminianism distorts this sublime, divine undertaking by the intrusion of human features at every step of the way. It can rise no higher in the interpretation of the Word of God respecting sovereign election, than to claim that it consists in the action of divine foreknowledge by which God foresees the men of faith, holiness, and constancy. This interpretation not only reverses the order of truth—the Scriptures declare that men are elected unto holiness and not on account of holiness—but intrudes at the very beginning of the divine program in salvation the grace-destroying element of human merit. In the matter of the one condition of believing on Christ for salvation, the Arminians have constantly added various requirements to the one which is divinely appointed, and all of these infringe upon this one essential of pure grace by adding to it the element of human works. Similarly, in the sphere of the believer’s safekeeping, which is declared to be altogether a work of God, Arminianism makes security to be contingent upon human conduct. Arminians seem strangely blinded in the matter of comprehending the divine plan by which, apart from all features of human merit, sinners are elected in past ages without respect to future worthiness, saved at the present time on the sole condition of faith in Christ, and kept to the eternal ages to come through the power of God on a basis which sustains no relation to human conduct. In reality, to assert so much is to declare that Arminians are blind to the true gospel of divine grace which is the central truth of Christianity—that is, if the Pauline revelation is to be considered at all. Over against this and in conformity to the New Testament, Calvinists assert that election is on a basis of grace which foresees no human merit in those chosen, that present salvation is by faith or belief alone, and that those saved are kept wholly by divine grace without reference to human worthiness. It would seem wholly unnecessary to remind the student again that there is an important body of truth which conditions the believer’s daily life after he is saved, and that his life is motivated, not by a requirement that works of merit must be added to the perfect divine undertaking and achievement in saving grace, but is motivated by the most reasonable obligation to “walk worthy of the vocation [calling] wherewith he is called” (Eph. 4:1). Behaving well as a son is far removed in principle from the idea of behaving well to become a son. It is the blight of Arminian soteriology that it seems incapable of recognizing this distinction, and therefore does not allow a place for the action of pure grace in the realization of the sovereign purpose of God through a perfect salvation and an eternal safekeeping apart from any and every form of human merit or cooperation. Though much must be made of this theme in other connections, a word is in order at this point respecting the meaning of the term sovereign grace—a term employed by Calvinists with genuine satisfaction, but both rejected and avoided by Arminians. Sovereign grace originates and is at once a complete reality in the mind of God when He, before the foundation of the world, elects a company who are by His limitless power to be presented in glory conformed to the image of His Son. By so much they are to be to all intelligences the means by which He will manifest the exceeding riches of His grace (Eph. 2:7). This manifestation will correspond to His infinity and will satisfy Him perfectly as the final, all-comprehensive measurement of His attribute of grace. Two obstacles, allowed by Him to exist, must be overcome—sin and the will of man. That His grace may be manifest and its demonstration enhanced, He undertakes by Himself—for no other could share in its achievement—to overcome the obstacle of sin. That this obstacle is overcome is declared in many texts of the Scriptures. Two may be quoted here: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29); “to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:19). There remains, therefore, but the obstacle of the human will. Having designed that man as creature shall be possessed of an independent will, no step can be taken in the accomplishment of His sovereign purpose which will even tend to coerce the human volition. He does awaken the mind of man to spiritual sanity and brings before him the desirability of salvation through Christ. If by His power, God creates new visions of the reality of sin and of the blessedness of Christ as Savior and under this enlightenment men choose to be saved, their wills are not coerced nor are they deprived of the action of any part of their own beings. It is the unreasoned objection of Arminians that the human will is annulled by sovereign election. Vol. 3, page 282.THE INCAPACITY OF THE UNSAVED. The Arminian notion that through the reception of a so-called common grace anyone is competent to accept Christ as Savior if he will, is a mild assumption compared with the idea that the unregenerate person, with no common or uncommon grace proffered, is able to dedicate his life to God. Much has been written on previous pages regarding the overwhelming testimony of the Bible to the utter inability and spiritual death of the unsaved. They are shut up to the one message that Christ is their Savior; and they cannot accept Him, the Word of God declares, unless illuminated to that end by the Holy Spirit. Saving faith is not a possession of all men but is imparted specifically to those who do believe (Eph. 2:8). Vol. 3, page 385.

THE ONE WHO CONVICTS THE UNSAVED. Within the whole divine enterprise of winning the lost, there is no factor more vital than the work of the Holy Spirit in which He convinces or reproves the cosmos world respecting sin, righteousness, and judgment. The wholly unscriptural and untenable Arminian notion of common grace, which asserts that all men at birth are so wrought upon by the Holy Spirit that they are rendered capable of an unhindered response to the gospel invitation, has, with the aid of human vanity which owns no limitations in human ability, so disseminated its misleading errors that little recognition is given to the utter incapacity of the unsaved, natural man to respond to the gospel appeal. Inattentive or uninstructed evangelists and zealous soul-winners too often go forth assuming that all persons anywhere and everywhere are able at any time to comply with the terms of the gospel, whereas the Scriptures teach that no man is able to make an intelligent decision for Christ apart from the enlightening work of the Holy Spirit. Vol. 6, pp. 88.

July 9, 2009 Posted by dtbrents | Common Grace | Bible Doctrine, christianity, Church, Common Grace: Myth vs. Reality, Doctrine, Religion | No Comments Yet

ROMANS CHAPTER 16

Romans 16:1

Phoebe may have been the person who personally delivered Paul’s epistle to the Romans. She received Paul’s hearty commendation. It’s interesting that of the first five believers mentioned by Paul (verses 1-6), three of them were women. When it comes to service for Christ and His assembly, women in no way take a second place to men. They are “heirs together of the grace of life” (1 Peter 3:7) and at Christ’s judgment seat their faithfulness will be rewarded. When it comes to laboring faithfully for the Master, there is neither male or female in Christ. We all serve the same Saviour as His love-slaves, though in different capacities. Biblical Christianity, in spite of what its critics say, has always dignified womanhood and allowed believing women to find the full satisfaction and joy of being the persons God would have them to be. It is in societies where Biblical principles are not honored that women are horribly mistreated and held in low esteem.

Phoebe was both a SISTER and a SERVANT (v.1). Paul recognized her as a sister in Christ (an endearing family term) and as a servant (diakonon) of the assembly. She was the servant of the local assembly that was at Cenchrea, a seaport city located right next to Corinth (compare Acts 18:18).

Phoebe was a “servant” or a “deaconess” of the church. Is this word used in a general sense to indicate that she was a humble servant of the assembly or is it used in the more technical sense that she held an office in the church? Did the early church have such an office as “deaconess” (female deacon)? There is no mention of “deaconesses” in the New Testament. There is, however, one passage that is of interest, found in 1 Timothy chapter 3, the chapter which gives the qualifications of elders (bishops) and deacons. In the middle of Paul’s list of qualifications for deacons, Paul adds this statement: “Even so must their wives be grave, no slanderers, sober, faithful in all things” (1 Tim. 3:11). The word “wives” may be also translated as “women.” It refers either to the wives of the deacons or to other women in the assembly (deaconesses?). If it refers to the wives of deacons, then why was nothing said by Paul in this chapter about qualifications for wives of the elders? Why are the wives of deacons told to measure up to a certain standard when there is silence concerning the wives of elders? Some would say that Paul was setting forth qualifications, not for deacons’ wives, but for deaconesses.

Whether or not the “office” of a deaconess can be Biblically supported, we still must recognize the “work” of a deaconess. Whether she holds such an official title or not, the godly female saint is to function as a humble servant. If we understand the purpose of male deacons, then we can understand the need for female servants. The origin of deacons is found in Acts 6:4. There was a need to minister to needy widows and this problem was becoming a burden to the apostles, even to the point of taking away from their ministry of prayer and the preaching of the Word of God. The church’s spiritual leaders must never be turned aside from their chief work of prayer and preaching. Qualified “deacons” were appointed to handle these matters so that the apostles could give themselves “continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.” The ministry of the widows was given to the deacons so that the apostles could devote themselves to the ministry of the Word of God.

This is the primary function of a deacon today. He is to be spiritual man, a humble, capable servant who handles such things as finances, building and property care and upkeep, and anything else that will help to ease the burden from the spiritual leaders of the assembly so that they can give themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word. Needless to say, if a Pastor spends 25 hours one week in painting, doing repair work, shoveling snow, cleaning the church building, etc., then the pulpit ministry is going to suffer greatly. Faithful and capable deacons should be able to handle many of these necessary chores. Imagine a large snowstorm that has covered the ground with 15 inches of freshly fallen snow. The Pastor puts his snow gear on and goes out to tackle the job. Suddenly Deacon Dave comes along on his snowmobile, grabs the shovel, and says, “Pastor, I’ll handle this! I want you to go back to your office and use the time to PRAY and PREPARE to PREACH. The deacons can handle the snow, but God has gifted certain men to feed the flock (Eph. 4:11-12) and we don’t want you to be distracted from your main task!”

Likewise, godly women in the assembly can fulfill similar functions. There are countless chores and needful jobs that women can take care of which will help to ease the load and lighten the burden from the spiritual leaders of the assembly. The humble female servant should ask, “What can I do for the Pastor and elders that could ease their load and make it easier for them to devote themselves to the crucial ministry of the Word?” Whether we call them “deaconesses” or not, this “work of a deaconess” is greatly needed in our day, and the entire assembly will benefit from it. Women can function as deaconesses even if they do not hold an official title.

Romans 16:2

Paul exhorts the Roman believers to “receive” Phoebe. It means they were to “receive her unto themselves, to admit her, to receive her into intercourse and companionship” (Thayer). They were to eagerly welcome her into their midst (this word “receive” is used of believers eagerly waiting the coming of the Lord–Titus 2:13—”looking for”; Jude 21—”looking for”; and compare Luke 2:25—”waiting” and Luke 2:38—”looked for”). It is used in Philippians 2:29 of the Philippian believers receiving Epaphroditus, Paul’s faithful fellow soldier. It is used of the Lord Jesus who received sinners and ate with them (Luke 15:2). They were to receive her “in the Lord,” as a sister in Christ, one who enjoyed blessed UNION with the Son of God. They were to do so “as becometh saints,” in a manner worthy of saints. They were to receive her in a manner appropriate for saints. As believers, we are to walk worthy (same word) of our high, holy, heavenly calling (Eph. 4:1), and this would include our conduct towards our fellow believers. Being saved is an awesome privilege, but it carries with it awesome responsibilities to walk and live in a worthy manner.

As saints, we are to walk worthy of our calling (Eph. 4:1).

We are to walk worthy of God’s good news, the gospel (Phil. 1:27).

We are to walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing (Col. 1:10).

We are to walk worthy of God who has called us into His kingdom and glory (1 Thess. 2:12).

In 3 John Gaius was exhorted to minister to the saints “after a godly sort” or in a manner worthy of God. That is, he was to extend hospitality to them as if God Himself had come for a visit. How we would treat the Saviour ought to be the way we should treat the saints. They are worthy of such treatment for Christ’s sake.

The Lord never wants us to forget WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST. We must never forget that we are SAINTS (Rom. 1:7). God has sanctified us in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 6:11). We are His HOLY ONES who have been set apart to serve the living God. May we live saintly. May we not bring shame on the Name of the One who has set us apart unto Himself.

Paul tells the Roman believers to “assist” Phoebe. The verb means “to stand by to help” (Thayer), to “provide” (see Acts 23:24) whatever she might have needed. Why were they to assist her? Because she was a succourer or helper of many, including Paul. Those who are helpers deserve to be helped. Those who assist others deserve to be assisted. It is fitting and appropriate to assist the helper. We are not told exactly what Phoebe did to help Paul and the many others. Yet think of the countless thousands through the centuries who have been spiritually helped and blessed by Paul’s epistle to the Romans. By delivering this epistle, Phoebe has indeed “been a helper of many.”

Romans 16:3-4

It is interesting that Priscilla, the wife, is mentioned by Paul before Aquila, her husband. Consider the following information that the New Testament provides about this remarkable husband/wife team:

Aquila and Priscilla were industrious. They were diligent and occupied in a good way. They were tentmakers (Acts 18:2-3) and they worked hard at their trade. We should note that Aquila was a Jew (Acts 18:2). Although Paul first met these two believers in Corinth, they were originally from Rome (Acts 18:2).
They were hospitable (Acts 18:3). They opened their home to the Apostle Paul who was also a tentmaker. They opened not only their home to Paul but also their hearts.
They were teachable. Aquila and Priscilla were probably converted under Paul’s ministry. We have no record that they were saved prior to their encounter with Paul in Acts 18. They not only received Paul into their home but they received Paul’s Christ into their hearts. With all eagerness and readiness of mind they received with joy the message that Paul preached. They were disciples of Paul. They absorbed the doctrine and the truth which the Apostle gave them.
They were Bible orientated (Acts 18:24-26). Not only were they teachable, but they were able to teach others also. Apollos was a great preacher who was mighty in the O.T. Scriptures, but he was ignorant of the essential facts of the gospel (and weak on dispensational truth). With a godly concern for this man, Aquila and Priscilla took Apollos aside and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly. It is possible that Priscilla may have taken the lead in this session with Apollos because in some manuscripts her name is mentioned first (see Acts 18:26 in the New American Standard Bible). Some wives are better able to explain Bible doctrine than their husbands, and in the right setting it is permissible for the woman to take the lead (though certainly not in a local church teaching situation). She knew God’s Word and she was able to deal with these kinds of doctrinal matters. This husband and wife team was well grounded in God’s truth and able to minister that truth to others.
They were local church orientated (1 Cor. 16:19 and Rom. 16:5). Both of these passages speak of the church that was in their house (both in Rome and in Ephesus). Their home was a place for believers to assemble—a place for worship, singing, preaching, fellowship, prayer and the breaking of bread.
They were a husband and wife team. Priscilla’s name is mentioned six times in the N.T. and in each place her husband’s name is found as well. She is always mentioned with him. This implies harmony in their relationship and unity of purpose. She worked with her husband, not against him. They functioned as a team in the service of the King.
They were rightly orientated to God’s gifted man (Rom. 16:3). In this verse they are described as Paul’s “helpers” (literally “fellow workers”). As Priscilla and Aquila came to Paul’s mind, he was able to say, “These dear believers are my helpers, my fellow workers.” Can your Pastor say the same thing about you? What kind of relationship do you have with God’s gifted man (compare Eph. 4:11)? Are you a help or a hindrance to your Pastor? Are you working with him or against him? Does he see you as a plus or a minus? Paul certainly considered this husband and wife team to be a great PLUS to his ministry and service for Christ.
They were courageous (Rom. 16:4). Apparently Paul owed his life to this brave husband-wife team. We are not told any of the details, but they somehow risked and hazarded their lives for Paul’s sake. They laid down their own necks in order to save Paul’s life, and as a result Paul and all the churches of the Gentiles owed them a debt of thanks. Paul was God’s special apostle to the Gentiles, and if Priscilla and Aquila had not intervened, Paul might have died and his ministry to the Gentiles might have come to an abrupt end. Priscilla and Aquila manifested a genuine love for Paul in the spirit of 1 John 3:16. Whatever incident Paul was referring to, it is possible that Priscilla played the more significant role in light of the fact that her name is mentioned first in Romans 16:3. This brings us to our next point.
Priscilla was submissive but she was not suppressed. In the six New Testament references where this husband/wife team is mentioned, Priscilla’s name comes first in three of these places (some would say this is true in four out of these six places because of a textual variant in Acts 18:26; see the New American Standard Bible translation of this verse). Since it was customary to list the husband’s name first, why did Priscilla’s name come first in these passages? We are not given the reason why and we can only surmise. Was it because she was the more energetic of the two? Did she have the stronger character? Did she have superior zeal? Did she have superior ability in certain areas? Did she play a more significant role in risking her own neck for Paul’s sake? Without trying to speak where the Scriptures are silent, the following might be said:She was not suppressed. She seemed to have special gifts or abilities or a unique devotion to Christ which enabled her in some areas to surpass her husband in such a way as to merit special recognition from Paul.
She was submissive. In the six places where she is mentioned in the New Testament (by Luke and Paul), it is never implied that she was out of line in any way. She is never rebuked but only commended. She is always mentioned in connection with her husband. She was a submissive wife.
They were faithful and consistent to the very end (2 Timothy 4:19). This is Paul’s last letter, written about 14 years after he had first met Aquila and Prisca (Priscilla). They were faithful believers. Nothing negative is said about these two believers in any of the writings of Paul or Luke. As far as the record shows, between Paul and Aquila/Priscilla there was always harmony. Paul never had to say of them what he said of Demas (2 Tim. 4:10). What about you? In what spiritual condition will you be in 14 years from now? May we not leave our first love and may we not lose the joy of our salvation.

Romans 16:5

Paul sent greetings to the church that was in the house of Aquila and Priscilla. This brings us to the interesting question of “house churches.” In the first century there were no church buildings as we know them today. Believers would assemble together wherever they could—in homes, in fields (compare Acts 16:13 where we find Jews gathered by a river), in the catacombs, etc. They had Christ’s promise, “For where two or three are gathered together in My Name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Also transportation was not as easy then as it is today. Today we can travel from one end of a large city to the other without much of a problem, but in the first century when most transportation was done on foot, this would not have been so simple.

The following passages are significant when it comes to “house churches”:

When Aquila and Priscilla lived in Ephesus mention was made of “the church that is in their house” (1 Cor. 16:19).

In Romans 16:14 Paul greets several believers and then makes mention of “the brethren who are with them.” In Romans 16:15 Paul greets several believers and then makes mention of “the saints who are with them.” Could this indicate two additional locations where believers were accustomed to meet?

In Acts 12:12 we learn that “many were gathered together and were praying” in the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark.

The house of Lydia was used as a gathering place for believers (Acts 16:15,40).

In Laodicea there was a house church hosted by Nymphas (“[greet] the church that is in his house”–Colossians 4:15).

In Philemon 2 we read, “And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house.”

Even if believers did meet together in different locations, it is important to keep in mind that, in God’s reckoning, each major city had but one church. Thus in the city of Rome there were not several churches; there was but one church. Every city had only one church. For example, in 1 Corinthians 1:2 we read about “the CHURCH (singular) of God which is at (in) Corinth.” Corinth was a large city but it only had one church. In Revelation 2:1 we learn of “the CHURCH (singular) of Ephesus.” Ephesus was also a very large city but there was but one church, even though we know that there was at least one “house church” in this city (see 1 Cor. 16:19). And even if we grant that Corinthian believers may have met together in different homes, there were occasions when the “WHOLE CHURCH” would come together “IN ONE PLACE” (see 1 Cor. 14:23 and 11:20).

Today, in spite of having superior transportation, we justify having more than one church in a city because of the size and population of the city. “One church could not possibly reach all these people. There is room in this city for several churches.” In light of this, it is interesting to consider population estimates of some of the cities that were prominent in New Testament times:

JERUSALEM

Josephus states that at Passover time (when there were thousands and thousands of pilgrims and visitors) there were 2,700,000 people in this city. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia says that the population of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. may have been as much as 250,000 (but probably less). It would be safe to say that there were at least 100,000 people.

How many believers were in the Jerusalem church (see Acts 2:41; 4:4; 5:14; etc.)? How many churches were there in Jerusalem (Acts 15:4)?

ROME

“The population of the city during the first century A.D. was formerly estimated as being between 1,2000,000 and 2,000,000 inhabitants. In 1941, however, an inscription was discovered at Ostia with statistics indicating that in 14 A.D., the year of the death of Augustus, the city of Rome had a population of 4,100,000 inhabitants” (An Introduction to the New Testament, D. Edmond Hiebert, Vol. 2, page 164 and see Introduction to the New Testament by Everett F. Harrison, p. 299).

ALEXANDRIA

Alexandria was the second largest city in the Roman empire and it contained three major groups: Egyptians, Jews and Greeks. According to the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia, “at the beginning of the Christian era there were 300,000 free men in the city of Alexandria.” The World Book Encyclopedia says that at its height this city may have had a population of one million.

EPHESUS

There was only one church in this major city (Rev. 2:1). Its population was so great that in the second century it rivaled the city of Alexandria with respect to population.

ANTIOCH

How many churches were there in this city (Acts 14:26-27)? This too was one of the largest cities in the empire. Its population also was a mixed multitude. According to the Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia its population in New Testament times was 500,000 (half a million).

THESSALONICA

How many local churches were to be found in this city (1 Thess. 1:1)? In Paul’s day this city may have had as many as 200,000 people (see Introduction to the New Testament by Everett F. Harrison, page 260).

CORINTH

This large commercial city had only one local church (1 Cor. 1:2). The city was heterogeneous (a mixture of everything). People thronged there to make money and spend it. Common enterprise and business and common debaucheries were the only bond that held the people together. It was the city of sin and immorality and its population may have been as high as 700,000 (most estimates would say one half million people). The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia says there were 200,000 free men and 500,000 slaves.

Observations: These were very large cities even in terms of modern day population statistics, yet there was only one church in each city. Today we are far from the New Testament pattern. The Lord predicted that this would happen in the parable of the mustard seed (Matthew 13:31-32). Out of true Christianity there grew up an abnormal, unusual, hideous, monstrous religious system which has come to be called “Christendom.” We might call it “churchianity.” The devil has succeeded in corrupting, complicating, confusing and cluttering what once was a very clear testimony. He has created a mess!

Romans 16:5—Epaenetus

Paul enjoyed a harvest of souls while he ministered in Asia. The first-fruit of that harvest (the first convert) was Epaenetus, a believer who was dear to the Apostle’s heart. The KJV has “Achaia” but the Greek manuscripts seem to better support the reading of “Asia” (see Darby’s translation and the Scofield Reference Bible, 1967 edition). Asia refers to Asia Minor (modern day Turkey), the area where Ephesus was located (as well as the other cities mentioned in Revelation 2-3).

Paul mentions Epaenetus after having mentioned Aquila and Priscilla who also labored in Asia, specifically in Ephesus, one of the chief cities of Asia (1 Cor. 16:9). As William Hendricksen has pointed out, “It is easy to imagine that whenever Paul or any of his fellow-workers, such as Prisca and Aquila, looked back upon the tremendous expansion of Christianity in and around the Roman province of Asia, they must have said, ‘And it all began with Epaenetus; he was the firstfruits’” (Romans Chapters 9-16, p. 503). Paul certainly remembered with joy the firstfruits in Macedonia (actually the firstfruits in Europe) who happened to be a woman by the name of Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened (Acts 16:14). It is always a joy to look back and remember the first person who was saved in a certain area, knowing that the God who has begun such a good work will indeed continue it. In a harvest, the “firstfruits” mark just the beginning and indicate that there are many more fruits to come. Such was certainly the case in Asia (see Acts 19:10-20). Do you have fond memories of the first person you led to the Lord? Have there been more to follow?

Romans 16:6—Mary

We are told little about Mary except for the fact that she “labored much” for Paul and his companions (or for the church in Rome if the textual variant “you” is accepted). The meaning of the Greek term is that she worked hard and toiled laboriously even to the point of weariness and exhaustion. Many believers work extremely hard for the cause of Christ and often it goes unnoticed and unappreciated and unrewarded by men. But God certainly takes note (see Hebrews 6:10). May we give our all for the Saviour and for His work: “Rise up, O men of God, be done with lesser things; Give heart and soul and mind and strength to serve the King of Kings.”

Mary (Miriam) was a very common name in New Testament times and several different women had this name:

1. Mary the mother of Christ (Matt. 1:16).
2. Mary Magdalene (Luke 8:2).
3. Mary the mother of John Mark (Acts 12:12).
4. Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha (Luke 10:42).
5. Mary the wife of Clopas (John 19:25; note that in this verse three of the four women mentioned had the name “Mary”).
6. Mary who is mentioned in Romans 16:6.

Romans 16:7

There is some uncertainty as to whether the second name represented a man (Junias) or a woman (Junia). It depends on how the word is accented. If this person was a woman it is possible that Andronicus and Junia were husband and wife. Paul tells us four interesting facts about these two believers:

Romans 16:8–Ampliatus

According to Hendriksen the name Ampliatus was a common name among slaves. Possibly Ampliatus was a slave in the church of Rome, but he was beloved to Paul. Believers have a wonderful bond in Christ regardless of their station in life or their position in society. The gospel puts every believer on the same level. We are all bond slaves serving our Master, the Lord Jesus (Col. 3:23-24). Ampliatus may have been a slave, but he was Paul’s dearly beloved brother in Christ. In the New Testament churches the emphasis was upon a man’s spirituality and walk with the Lord and not on his station in life. For example, in 1 Timothy chapter 3 a man is not disqualified for the officer of elder or deacon because he is a slave (nothing of the sort is mentioned). This opens the way to the fascinating possibility that a slave could have been an officer in a local assembly of believers and his believing slave owner (master) would have been in submission to him in the assembly, whereas outside of the assembly the believing slave would be subject to his believing master. One is reminded of the days of William Carey in India when the people were in bondage to a strict caste system, but when these people trusted Christ as their Saviour and entered the church of the living God, they enjoyed an equal status in Christ, being co-heirs of the grace of life. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

Romans 16:9—Urbanus and Stachys

The word “helper” means “fellow-worker” (same word as found in verse 3). Believers work together on the same team, having the same ambition (to please Christ–2 Cor. 5:9) and having the same goal (the glory of God–1 Cor. 10:31). Just as the members of our human body help one another, so it is with the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12, 20-27). Stachys was beloved to Paul. Notice in these verses how encouraging Paul’s greetings are. These Roman believers certainly had their weaknesses and faults, but Paul greeted them in love and “love is kind and thinketh no evil” (1 Cor. 13:4,5). Paul saw these believers not as they were in themselves but as they were “in Christ” (see verses 3,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 and notice the expressions “in Christ,” “in the Lord”).

Romans 16:10—Apelles and Aristobulus

The word “approved” is found elsewhere in Rom. 14:18; 1 Cor. 11:19; 2 Cor. 10:18; 13:7 and 2 Timothy 2:15 (Timothy was to make every effort to show himself “approved” unto God as an unashamed workman). It is also found in James 1:12—”Blessed is the man that endureth temptation (bears up well under trial) for when (after) he is tried (tested and found approved), he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.” This same word with the negative particle (“unapproved”) is found in 1 Cor. 9:27 (“castaway”) and means “unapproved, disqualified, rejected” (see also Rom. 1:28; 2 Cor. 13:5,6,7; Tit. 1:16; Heb. 6:8; 2 Tim. 3:8). Apelles was a believer who was tested by trials and afflictions and adverse circumstances, but he trusted the Lord and remained true to Christ. How the believer responds to the fiery trials which God sends his way is of utmost importance.

Some (Lightfoot, Hendricksen) have suggested that Aristobulus may have been the grandson of Herod the Great (the brother of Herod Agrippa I), although it is difficult to determine if this were really the case. If so, then Paul was probably referring to slaves in his household who were believers. We should never be reticent to look for believers even in the most unexpected places. The Herod family was one of the most ungodly families in the history of mankind (see the notes on the Herod family in our set of notes entitled Infamous Unbelievers), but God is able to do His wonderful work of grace even within the gates and walls of the most infamous unbelievers. Even in our day it is ironic that the most celebrated and publicized atheist of the last half of the twentieth century had a son who became a Christian, to her utter dismay and disgust!

Romans 16:11 Herodion, Narcissus

Herodion was Paul’s kinsman, probably indicating that he was a Jew (see discussion under verse 7). We should also be reminded of the close kinship that all believers have as “brethren.” There cannot be a closer relative than a brother! The name “Herodion” may indicate some relationship to the family of Herod. Hendricksen suggests “associated with” or “having admiration for” the family of Herod. Murray suggests that he was of the family or household of Herod. Perhaps he too was associated with the household of Aristobulus (v.10).

The name “Narcissus” reminds us of a mythological youth who was so beautiful that all the girls longed to be his, but he only shunned them. He would have none of them. Finally one of the girls whose heart he had wounded prayed this prayer to the gods, “May he who loves not others love himself.” The goddess Nemesis granted her request. As Narcissus bent over a clear pool for a drink and saw there his own reflection, he immediately fell in love with it. He burned with love for himself and could not stop gazing at that reflection. He stayed there, pining away, until he died. Thus Narcissus (narcissism) has become a term which refers to SELF LOVE, an excessive interest in one’s own appearance, comfort, importance, abilities, etc. Sadly this is one of the chief characteristics of the last days—”For men shall be lovers of their own selves” (2 Tim. 3:2).

Lightfoot suggests that Narcissus could have been a rich and powerful freedman who was closely connected to the Emperor Claudius, serving as his secretary, and who was later put to death shortly after Nero assumed the throne. If Aristobulus was related to the Herods (see v.10), then he would have been a close ally of Claudius. These two possibilities may give us some help in understanding Philippians 4:22 (“[the saints] that are of Caesar’s household”), because there would have been at least two households within the palace that had believers in them.

Romans 16:12 Tryphaena, Tryphosa and Persis—three female laborers!

These three believers were known for their LABOR. The word means strenuous labor, even to the point of weariness and exhaustion. Even in the midst of labor, the believer is to learn to REST (Matthew 11:28). These three women labored “in the Lord” and we know that our labor is not in vain in the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58). Our labor is to be “in the Lord” and it is also to be for His great Name’s sake (Rev. 2:3), because of WHO HE IS. The One we labor for is worthy of our utmost energy and effort. He deserves nothing less than our best. If anyone labored, it was the Apostle Paul himself: “But by the grace of God I am what I am; and His grace, which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain, but I LABORED more abundantly than they all; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10 and compare Col. 1:29; 2 Cor. 11:23). This was a LABOR motivated and empowered by the grace of God. Our motivation for labor should also be LOVE—love for the Saviour and for believers and for all mankind. God is not unrighteous to forget such a labor of love (Heb. 6:10).

Tryphaena and Tryphosa had names which were very similar and perhaps they were sisters (sometimes parents give their daughters names that sound alike or are similar in some way (Ruth and Rachel, Joan and Jean, etc.). The labor of Persis is described in the past tense which is unusual (the labor of the first two women is described in the present tense). Hendricksen offers a possible explanation: “Does the distinction in tense indicate that the frailties connected with old age have caught up with Persis, so that she is no longer able to labor as diligently as was once the case? If so, Paul takes care that her past labors are not forgotten. A lesson for us all to remember.” Paul was careful how he referred to a female saint. In verse 9 he addresses Stachys (a man) as “my beloved” but he addresses Persis as “the beloved.” It’s important to be careful about such things, lest a man give the impression that he is being too familiar with a woman.

Romans 16:13 Rufus and his mother

It is possible that Paul is here sending greetings to the same “Rufus” who is mentioned in Mark 15:21, the son of Simon, the man who carried our Lord’s cross. The “Rufus” mentioned in Mark 15:21 had a brother named Alexander. Paul described the mother of Rufus as “his mother and mine.” There was a sense in which Paul claimed the mother of Rufus as his mother, reminding us of Mark 10:29-30. She no doubt had had occasion to care for Paul as if he were her own son. When we are saved and become members of the family of God (John 1:12) we soon discover that we have many brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers! God’s blood-bought children have a unique relationship one with another. “Let Christian mothers find here a great field for that wonderful heart of instinctive loving care given by God to mothers,—that they extend their maternal care beyond their own family circle, to all Christians, and especially to all laborers for Christ. The Lord will remember it at His coming!” (W.Newell)

All believers are “chosen in the Lord.” We all are God’s elect (see Col. 3:12; Rom. 8:33; 2 Tim. 2:10; 1 Pet. 1:2; 2:9 where this same word is used). Compare also Ephesians 1:4. Some believe that this term is here used in a special sense, meaning that Rufus was a “choice” believer (an exceptional believer having some eminence–see the NASB—”a choice man in the Lord”). Thayer says it can have the meaning of “choice, select, i.e. the best of its kind or class, excellent, preeminent.” But if Rufus was such an outstanding, preeminent believer, why is he only mentioned here and nowhere else in the Scriptures? [Aquila and Priscilla, for example, are mentioned a number of times in the N.T.] So it is possible that Paul used the expression “chosen in the Lord” in its common, normal sense. Perhaps he was seeking to encourage the heart of Rufus by reminding him of the glorious fact of his election, a fact which should bring forth much thanksgiving from the heart of every believer (2 Thess. 2:13). Perhaps Rufus was saved in a remarkable way, having been a person who seemed very unlikely to ever come to Christ. We all know people who, from a human point of view, seem to be impossible candidates for salvation: “That man will never get saved!” But the God who converted Saul of Tarsus can wonderfully surprise us. “Rufus, never forget God’s wonderful work of calling you and choosing you and bringing you to Himself! You are a trophy of God’s sovereign, saving grace!”

Romans 16:14-15 Ten believers.

Five believers are greeted by name in verse 14 and mention is made of the “brethren that are with them.” Five believers are mentioned in verse 15 as well as “all the saints who are with them.” See our lengthy discussion under Romans 16:5 concerning “house churches.” Nereus may have been instrumental in the salvation of two famous Romans. In 95 A.D. Rome was shocked when two distinguished Roman citizens were condemned for being Christian believers: Flavius Clemens and his wife Domatilla (she was the granddaughter of Vespasian, a former Emperor and the niece of Domitian, the reigning Emperor). Flavius was executed and his wife was banished to an island. Flavius and his wife had a household servant named Nereus (see verse 15). Nereus was a common name, but if the household servant of Flavius was the same man Paul referred to, then it seems likely that Nereus was influential in the salvation of these two prominent people (see William Barclay’s discussion of this in his Letters to the Romans, also cited by MacArthur in Romans 9-16).

Romans 16:16 The Holy Kiss

In the early church there was a unique kinship among believers: “Greet one another with an holy kiss.” Also there was a unique kinship among assemblies of believers: “The churches of Christ greet you.” Believers had a special relationship one with another and assemblies had a special relationship one with another, all because of Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament the term “KISS” is mentioned five times in connection with greetings. Four times Paul speaks of “an holy kiss” (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26) and once Peter speaks of “a kiss of love” (1 Pet. 5:14). The Lord Jesus spoke of this custom when He gently reprimanded Simon the Pharisee: “Thou gavest me no kiss” (Luke 7:45). When Paul said farewell to the Ephesians they “fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him” (Acts 20:37 and compare the welcome of the prodigal son in Luke 15:20). The custom was to kiss on the forehead or cheek, not on the lips (it was in no way a sensual, erotic or romantic kiss). Since Paul exhorted them to “greet one another” with this kiss, could it be that the greeting was to extend to all believers, not just to members of the same sex (compare Gen. 29:11 where Jacob kissed Rachel, which was not a romantic kiss but an affectionate greeting among relatives)? However there are some who feel that this custom only applied to members of the same sex—men kissing men and women kissing women (see The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, p. 1814). It was a “holy kiss” indicating that God was involved and God was pleased in this warm and affectionate display of genuine love between believers: “it should never imply less than three parties: God and the two who kiss each other. The holy kiss symbolizes Christ’s love mutually shared” (Hendricksen).

In our society and in most societies today, a warm and affectionate greeting is expressed in ways other than by a kiss. A warm and affectionate “holy handshake” would certainly be a God-honoring substitute for what the first century Christians did, and if we are to “greet one another” then the hand should not be refused even if it be offered by a member of the opposite sex. We are brothers and sisters in Christ and we are to see that we love one another with a PURE HEART fervently (1 Pet. 1:22).

There are times when believers try to obey the “letter of the law,” and in doing so actually disobey the “spirit of the law.” This could happen with “the holy kiss.” There are some churches in America that seek to practice this custom, believing it to be Biblical. However those who have witnessed this report that such a greeting is anything but warm and affectionate. Kissing fellow believers is so foreign to our custom that we go through the motions of it but it loses all warmth and affection. Thus in keeping to the letter of the law we have lost the spirit of the law. Far better to lose the letter of the law by substituting the kiss for a more comfortable handshake, and thus be able to fulfill the spirit of the law (a warm and affectionate greeting). Those believers who live in countries where this kind of kissing is still practiced are better able to fulfill both the letter and the spirit of this command.

“The churches of Christ” sent their greetings to the church of Christ that was in Rome. The churches of the first century had a kinship and unity that we no longer find among churches today. This is because first century churches all shared in common the following:

SAME TEACHING “as I teach every where in every church” (1 Cor. 4:17)

SAME PRACTICE “as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches” (1 Cor. 7:17)

SAME CUSTOM “But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God” (1 Cor. 11:16).

SAME ORDER “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (1 Cor. 14:33).

Today there is a group of churches called “THE CHURCH OF CHRIST” which claims to base its practices and its doctrine solely on the authority of the New Testament Scriptures. Sadly this group of churches promotes serious error in at least two points: 1) They teach baptismal regeneration, that a person cannot be saved and cannot have his sins forgiven until he is baptized in water (see our study on DOES WATER BAPTISM SAVE?); 2) They teach that a believer in Christ can lose his salvation (see our study on ETERNAL SECURITY).

Romans 16:17-18 A Call for Separation

At this point in the text we have an abrupt break in the flow of thought. Paul had been giving a series of greetings to the believers living in Rome. Then he suddenly stopped as if he were somehow reminded of something very urgent that he must share with these believers for their own safety and protection. It reminds us of Jude when he gave all diligence to write of the common salvation but then he changed what he intended to do because he was suddenly impelled to exhort the people to earnestly contend for the faith and to beware of false teachers (Jude 3 and following).

In these verses Paul sounds out a final warning and exhortation concerning false teachers in which he spells out two ways in which believers may protect themselves against false teachers. The first way is by SEPARATION (verse 17) and the second way is by PENETRATION (Verse 18).

SEPARATION (Verse 17)

The first way we may protect ourselves against false teachers is by SEPARATION. This verse is structured around two commands. Biblical separation can be realized only as these two commands are obeyed. The first command is a command for identification: MARK THEM! It is impossible to separate from a false teacher if you do not know who he is. He must be identified for what he really is. This command is given to the “brethren” in Rome, not just to the elders in Rome and not just to the leadership of this local assembly. Every believer is to show this kind of discernment. Paul was saying, “Make sure you can spot them and identify them. Constantly be on guard, watching for those who might promote false doctrine (compare the warning Paul gave to the Ephesians elders in Acts 20:29-31).

Paul then gives some help in identifying these false teachers, describing them as those who “cause divisions and offenses (stumbling blocks).” Those who are faithful to the Word of God and “narrow minded” in a good way (the Bible is a very narrow book, compare Matthew 7:13-14), are likely going to be accused of being DIVISIVE. “You separatists are always dividing the body of Christ. Why don’t you be more loving and less dogmatic about what you believe?” Etc. Paul reminds us who the divisive ones really are: those who go contrary to the doctrine which has been handed down. In other words, those who cause divisions are those who refuse to stand obediently and faithfully upon the written Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation. Those who move away from that sure foundation are the ones, from God’s perspective, who are causing division. They should not have budged from the rock solid foundation of truth!

These false teachers cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine (teaching) which the Roman believers had received. This preposition para (contrary) is normally translated “along side of.” The error creeps up to the truth and comes along side of it. Error always rides closely to the truth and yet it does not quite match up to the truth. It comes close to it though, and is very subtle. Paul expected the Roman believers to know enough doctrine so that they could discern truth from error and thus be able to mark and identify false teachers. They need to be very skilled at telling the difference between that which is counterfeit and that which is true, even though the false and the true may look very similar in many ways. One of the problems in so many churches today is that the people do not know enough doctrine to be able to recognize a person who is teaching contrary to sound doctrine.

Once the false teacher has been marked and identified, what is next? This brings us to our second command which is a command for severance: AVOID THEM! Literally it means, “turn away from them.” Notice that we are to separate not merely from their teachings but from them. Alva McClain said it this way, “Get as far away from them as possible.”

Concerning those who teach false doctrine, notice what the New Testament tells us in other places:

Let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8-9).

From such turn away (2 Tim. 3:5).

An heretic, after the first and second admonition, reject (Tit. 3:10).

If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not . . . (2 John 10).

(Each of these passages must be studied in its context so that each command
might be correctly understood and properly obeyed.)

PENETRATION (Verse 18)

The penetration demanded here in verse 18 is twofold. First, there is penetration into their motives (“For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own belly”) and second, there is penetration into their methods (“and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple”).

Penetration into their motives: We must penetrate beyond the mere profession. They professed to serve Christ, but Paul penetrated into their true motive. He denied that they served Christ, but rather he discerned that they served their own belly. This was a very strong way of saying that they were SERVING SELF. The word “belly” (6@484″) comes from a word meaning “hollow” and can denote the entire physical cavity (often used in the NT of the womb). In John 7:38 it stands metaphorically for the innermost part of man (Vine). In Philippians 3:18-19 Paul used this term to describe the enemies of Christ: “whose God is their belly.” Many today claim to be serving Christ but are really striving for personal gain and fame. They care not about the Name and reputation of Christ. They are serving and pleasing SELF and not God.

Penetration into their methods: They deceive the hearts of the simple (literally “without evil”, innocent, those who are unsuspecting). These victims are trustful souls who expect nothing bad. How do these false teachers deceive these unsuspecting ones? They do it with good words (words that sound so good, so plausible) and fair speeches (polished language). False teachers really know how to communicate! It is POISON but it is served on such a beautiful platter! They are very smooth talkers. They have a gift at making error sound so good. We remember the words of the serpent in Genesis 3 which sounded so good to Eve. We need to penetrate and look beyond their flattering and polished speeches and discern the hiss of the serpent. Such people are to be marked and avoided!

Romans 16:19

After giving a strong word against unregenerate false teachers, Paul admonishes the Romans concerning their responsibility toward good and evil. He first notes their fidelity (they had not succumbed to false teaching): “your obedience has reached unto all men.” We have already seen that the Romans were famous for their faith (Rom. 1:8). Where there is faith there will also be obedience: “by faith Abraham…obeyed” (Heb. 11:8). The greatest antidote against false teaching is to simply obey the Word of God (compare Rom. 6:17). Their obedience caused Paul to be glad and rejoice over them (compare the Apostle John’s rejoicing over obedient believers in 3 John 3-4). The Roman believers occupied a crucial and strategic place in heart of the empire and it would be tragic if their faith would be corrupted. Historically we know that eventually this did happen. The most corrupt and influential religious system that ever developed from Christianity bears the name “Roman”–the Roman Catholic church!

Paul’s earnest desire for these believers was that they would be “wise unto that which is good and simple concerning evil.” Being “wise unto that which is good,” will include “the constant study of God’s Word of truth, and careful observation and valuing what is good in the lives about us, and of those whose lives and works we read. Paul sums it up in Philippians 4:8″ (Newell). God wants us to be careful students when it comes to what is good, who is good, and how to be good. We need to be constantly testing what is that good will of God (Rom. 12:2), ever following that which is good (1 Thess. 5:15; 1 Pet. 3:13), ever avoiding what is not good (1 Pet. 3:11–”eschew”), and abounding to every good work (2 Cor. 9:8; Eph. 2:10; 2 Thess. 2:17; 2 Tim. 3:17; Tit. 3:1) being fruitful therein (Col. 1:10).

Being “simple concerning evil” in some sense must be opposite in meaning to “wise unto that which is good.” We are not to be wise unto that which is evil. We are to be naive (innocent, uninitiated) toward evil, in a good way. We are not to study evil in the sense of going out and doing experiential research and personal investigations of how rotten the world system has become. When it comes to knowledge and understanding, we are to be mature and be un-childlike, but when it comes to malice and wickedness we are to be very immature and unknowing (1 Cor. 14:20). If there is a corrupt television program, the believer does not need to view it in order to discover for himself how evil it is so that he might warn others. “Many Christians rationalize watching degrading movies and TV programs by claiming they need to be familiar with the ways of the world in order to better analyze secular culture and be better prepared to witness to those who are worldly. But it is not necessary to sift through garbage to recognize it for what it is, and the more we are around it the more we pick up its stench. The more willingly we associate with evil, the more it will drag us down to its level” (MacArthur). We are to “abhor that which is evil” (Rom. 12:9) and shrink back from it in terror, not try to get close enough to it to investigate it. As sinners saved by grace we have already been as close to sin as we ever need to be. Our object now is to get as far away from it as possible, “hating even the garment spotted by the flesh” (Jude 23).

The word “simple” literally means “unmixed.” It is from a verb meaning “to mix, mingle, to mix wine and water” with the negative prefix, thus: not mixed, unmixed. It means “without admixture of evil, free from guile, innocent, simple” (Thayer). It was used of wine not diluted with water (pure wine) and metal not weakened in any way (pure metal). It is used in two other places in the NT—1) Philippians 2:15, “That ye might be blameless and harmless, the sons of God . . . in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.” 2) Matthew 10:16, “Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (notice that here as in Romans 16:19 the word is contrasted with the word “wise”). The “dove” in Scripture seems to be a symbol of purity. It is used in Song of Solomon 6:9 in parallel with the term “undefiled” and it is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 3:16.

Romans 16:20

In this verse believers have been given the wonderful promise that our war with Satan will shortly come to a complete and final end, with Satan totally vanquished and with God’s saints sharing in the glorious victory. He’s the “God of peace” in the sense that He alone is able to bring an end to the war with Satan which will result in peace for the saints (“peace” in the sense of the end of war, freedom from conflict). Obviously God’s people enjoy God’s peace now (John 14:27), but in light of the promise in this verse, Paul was probably thinking of the ultimate peace that believers will gain through the defeat of Satan.

This promise is a direct reference to Genesis 3:15 where we are told that the seed of the woman (Christ) would bruise or crush the Serpent’s head (a fatal blow), and that Satan would bruise or crush Christ’s heel (Calvary’s cross). God will inflict a crushing blow upon the archenemy of our souls, and we will share in God’s victory over Satan. The ones who are “co-heirs” (Rom. 8:17) are also co-conquerors. He will be crushed “under your feet.” When the Israelites conquered enemy kings they would symbolize their great victory by putting their feet upon their necks (Joshua 10:24). God invites His saints to celebrate His victory over Satan.

When will this great defeat of Satan take place? It will happen “shortly, quickly, suddenly, soon.” Believers are encouraged by the fact that the battle, though difficult, will not be long. We can expect it to be soon. Satan’s time is short and his defeat is certain.

Prophetically we know that at the mid-point of the tribulation Satan will be cast out of the third heaven and execute his fury upon the earth, knowing that his time is short (Rev. 12:12). He knows his doom is impending. Three and a half years later he will be cast into the abyss at which time he will literally be “under the feet” of millennial saints. His final and ultimate doom is described in Revelation 20:10 (and compare Matthew 25:41).

When Paul wrote to the Romans, Satan, though defeated at Calvary, was still an active and formidable foe, as he still is today (1 Pet. 5:8-9; 1 John 4:4). Believers of the first century, as well as believers today, are joyfully expecting the imminent return of Christ (Tit. 2:13; Rom. 13:11; 1 Cor. 1:7; etc.). We know that once this event takes place (which may be at any time), Satan’s defeat will soon follow. It is from the perspective of imminency that we may speak of Satan’s defeat as “soon.” Believers of any period of church history should be encouraged by the fact of Christ’s soon coming and Satan’s soon defeat!

This Greek phrase “soon” or “shortly” is also found in Revelation 1:1 and 22:6—”the things which must shortly come to pass.” There are those today who believe that the tribulation period is not future but has already been fulfilled in history at or around the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. They believe that most prophecy, including most of what was predicted in the book of Revelation, was fulfilled at this time. Since it says “these things must shortly come to pass” they reason that all these things must have taken place in the first century. But Romans 16:20 serves as an argument against such thinking. Obviously Satan is an active and dangerous foe today and he has not yet received his crushing and defeating blow, even though it has been nearly 2000 years since Paul promised that this would soon take place! And yet, from the perspective of believers both then and now, this event may be anticipated to take place “shortly.”

I wrote to, Gary DeMar, a very prominent author, anti-dispensationalist and defender of the view that says that most prophecies have been fulfilled in the past, in or around 70 A.D. I simply asked him when he believed Satan would be crushed in light of Romans 16:20. I also asked him if he thought this has already taken place in 70 A.D. Here is his response:

The primary reference is the Roman Christians to whom Paul is writing (“your feet” not “their feet,” that is, not the feet of people who were not alive when Paul wrote his letter). The crushing is to take place “soon.” “Soon” means “soon.” Since nearly 2000 years have passed, whatever Paul was describing, it is history. Satan could refer to the apostate Jews who Revelation describes as a “synagogue of Satan” (Rev. 2:9; 3:9), the same ones that Jesus describes as being related to the Devil in John 8:44 (“ye are of your father the devil”). The Jews were the ones “who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out,” Paul writes. “They are not pleasing to God, but hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved, with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them to the utmost” (1 Thess. 2:14-16). This “wrath” might be Paul’s crushing mataphor. (5/21/01)

Notice that DeMar, in seeking to understand “soon” literally, is forced to understand the verse in a very non-literal way. He says that “soon” means “soon” but then goes on to explain that Satan does not really mean Satan but it is merely a metaphor for the unbelieving Jews who will be crushed in 70 A.D. This is typical of the preterist position. By insisting that most prophecies find their fulfillment in the first century they are forced to understand most prophecies in a very non-literal way. [See our booklet, The Great Tribulation—Future or Fulfilled?]

Romans 16:21-24

In the first part of this chapter Paul sent his personal greetings to various saints in Rome. In this section, beginning with verse 21, Paul conveys greetings to the Romans from his companions who were with him in Corinth. The book of Romans was written in Corinth at the close of Paul’s third missionary journey. On these verses, see a very helpful quote by Bishop Moule (cited also by Newell, p. 562).

Paul mentions his faithful fellow-worker Timothy, his own son in the faith (see Phil. 2:19-20; 1 Tim. 1:2). Paul had a warm place in his heart for Timothy even to the end of his life. Among his last recorded words, Paul twice asked to see Timothy again (2 Tim. 4:9,21). Lucius is probably the same man mentioned in Acts 13:1, among the prophets and teachers of the great church at Antioch. Some identify Lucius with Luke (see MacArthur). Jason could be the same man mentioned in Acts 17:5-9 who entertained Paul and Silas and whose house was assaulted by a mob. Sosipater may be the same man called Sopater in Acts 20:4-6, and if so he was one of the noble Bereans of Acts 17:10-12. The last three names mentioned in verse 21 are said to be Paul’s kinsmen, indicating they were Jews (see our discussion of “kinsmen” under Romans 16:7), another reason for not identifying Lucius as Luke (Luke was a Gentile).

Verse 22 is the one verse in the book of Romans that Paul did not write! Tertius was Paul’s secretary or amanuensis (an assistant, one who takes dictation). Paul spoke as he was moved and carried along by the Holy Spirit (compare 2 Peter 1:21) and Tertius recorded or transcribed with precision what he said. But here Paul allowed Tertius to speak for himself and to send greetings to the Romans. Apparently Paul generally dictated his letters, perhaps due to an eye problem which forced him to write in large letters when he did write, John Hancock style (Gal. 6:11). At the end of his epistles Paul would normally pen a greeting with his own hand, which was a token of the letter’s authenticity (see 2 Thess. 3:17 and Gal. 6:11). He greeted the saints “in the Lord,” in the Person of our blessed Head who alone can unite believers together.

Gaius (verse 23) was known for his hospitality, and not only hosted Paul but also the whole assembly. “Here is a brother whose hospitality welcomes all saints. Brother, if you have a longing to be helpful to God’s saints, be a Gaius! Count not the things you have as your own, but as belonging to Christ; and, therefore, to be used freely by Christ’s own” (Newell). He is probably the same man mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:14, whom Paul baptized (Paul wrote Romans from Corinth). Some identify him with Titius Justus of Acts 18:7. It is thought that Gaius was a rich and prominent man and as such may have had a spacious house suitable for the gathering of the saints for worship.

Erastus (verse 23) was the chamberlain or city treasurer of Corinth. It is the word “oikonomos” (compare the English word “economy”) which means “house manager, steward” or in this case “superintendent of the city’s finances.” We get the term “dispensation” from this word. Erastus was a dispensationalist in more ways than one. He was entrusted with the city’s finances and more importantly, as a believer, he was entrusted with the responsibility to manifest and exhibit God’s grace (Eph. 3:2). Erastus was a man of high station and political influence, and as such had the opportunity to be an excellent testimony before the leaders of the city. May we shine for Christ wherever God has put us, whether high or low (Phil. 2:15).

Quartus (verse 23) may not have been a prominent person, but he was a dear brother in Christ and Paul sent heartfelt greetings from Quartus to the Romans. How thankful we should be that Christ is not ashamed to call us “brothers” (Heb. 2:11). Quartus was the last of Paul’s companions to send greetings.

In verse 24 Paul gives a closing benediction very similar to what was written in verse 20. Some manuscripts omit this verse (!, A,B,C). To have two benedictions very close to each other was not foreign to Paul’s style (see 2 Thess. 3:16,18). The believer in Christ cannot be reminded too often of his need for the God of grace and the grace of God (compare 2 Cor. 9:8; 2 Tim. 2:1).

Romans 16:25-27 (closing benediction).

There are a number of similarities between these verses and Paul’s opening verses in Romans chapter 1. Consider the following:

Romans 16	Romans 1
“my gospel”—v. 25	“the gospel of God”—v.1″not ashamed of the gospel”—v. 16
“the preaching of Jesus Christ”—v.25	“concerning His Son, Jesus Christ”—v.3″the gospel of Christ”—v.16
“to stablish (establish) you”—v. 25	“to the end ye may be established”—v.11
“made known to all nations”—v.26	“among all nations”—v.5
“for the obedience of faith”—v.26	“for obedience to the faith”—v.5
“the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets”—v.25-26	“which He had promised afore by His prophets in the holy scriptures”—v.2

The last of these (in bold print) is actually a contrast. In chapter 1 Paul speaks about the gospel of God which had been promised before by the Old Testament prophets, but in chapter 16 Paul, in speaking of the gospel, mentions a mystery which had been kept secret but which is now revealed by the New Testament prophets. There is a sense in which the gospel is both old and new. There is an aspect of the gospel which is old and which was revealed on the pages of the Old Testament Scriptures. There is another aspect of the gospel which is new and which was kept secret throughout the Old Testament period, but which has been made known during this present age by Paul and other New Testament prophets and apostles.

The Old Gospel

The gospel message centers around the Person and work of Christ, and especially His substitutionary death and His bodily resurrection from the dead. Paul defines the gospel most clearly in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 where he says, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures . . .and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” The cross and the empty tomb must not be preached according to our own ideas and opinions, but in strict accordance and agreement with what has been revealed about these stupendous events in the Scriptures, even the Old Testament Scriptures. For example, a most detailed account and descriptive explanation of Christ’s substitutionary death is set forth in Isaiah 53, about 700 years before Christ was crucified. Even in the New Testament it is hard to find the doctrine of the substitutionary death of Christ so thoroughly covered as it is in Isaiah 53 (the New Testament writers assume that you have already mastered what God said through the prophet Isaiah!). Proof that the great truths of Christ’s death and resurrection were revealed in the Old Testament can be found in the words of our risen Lord in Luke 24:44-46.

When Philip preached the gospel to the African, he used Isaiah 53 as a starting point (Acts 8:28-35). In Acts 2:24-32 Peter preached the resurrection of Christ and used Psalm 16 as the basis for his message. In Acts 3:18 Peter preached the gospel and announced that the sufferings of Christ had been foretold by the mouth of all God’s prophets. In Acts 4:10-11 Peter preached the death and resurrection of Christ and based it on Psalm 118. In Acts 10:43 Peter proclaimed that all the prophets had pointed to Jesus Christ and the forgiveness found in Him. In Acts 13:33-37 Paul preached the gospel in a synagogue and told the Jews that Christ’s resurrection was a fulfillment of Psalm 2 and Psalm 16.

In Romans Paul’s main theme is justification by faith and Paul sets forth Abraham as an example of this, based on Genesis 15:6 (Rom. 4:1-8). The revelation of God’s righteousness had been “witnessed by the Law and the prophets” (Rom. 3:24). In Romans 10 Paul discusses the gospel of the grace of God and he quotes from several Old Testament passages to establish his points (see verses 6,7,8,11,13,15,16,18). In Romans 15 Paul cites several Old Testament passages which were in harmony with the fact of the gospel going to the Gentiles (verses 9-12,21).

In Galatians Paul again uses Abraham as an example of justification by faith (3:6) and Paul even goes so far as to say that the promise of Genesis 12:3 was given by God because God foresaw that the Gentiles would be justified by faith and blessed (Gal. 3:8). In this same context Paul says that God “preached before the gospel to Abraham” (Gal. 3:8). Paul cites Habakkuk 2:4 as support for his doctrine of justification by faith (3:11).

The gospel Paul preached was “according to the (Old Testament) Scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4)! His basic themes of the cross and the empty tomb and justification by faith were themes that could be found in the Old Testament. There was no mystery is this.

The New Gospel

Today there is a “mystery” aspect of the gospel which was unknown in other ages but which now forms the very core of the gospel preaching of this age:

Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; that the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel . . . that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:5-8).

In this age, therefore, there is a distinctive element to the content of the gospel which is called “the mystery of the gospel” (see Eph. 6:19 and compare Col. 1:26-27; 4:3). This new revelation is that the Gentiles are fellow-heirs and fellow-members of the body, and fellow-partakers of the promise (Eph. 3:6). Such equality—Jew and Gentile united together in one body—was previously unknown. The distinctive message of the church is that Jew and Gentile alike may believe the gospel and be united together into ONE BODY (1 Cor. 12:13) for the purpose of manifesting and bearing witness to Christ who is the sovereign Head of this unique and living organism!

Dispensational writers have long recognized the distinctive element of gospel preaching in this church age:

The idea that Gentiles should be on exactly the same plane as Israelites and, furthermore, in the intimate relationship as being members of the same body, is absolutely foreign to the Old Testament. According to Isaiah 61:5,6, the Gentiles are pictured as being the servants and Israel as the priests of God. While it is true that the Gentiles were promised blessings in the future millennial kingdom, they are never given equality with the Jews in the Old Testament (Walvoord, The Church in Prophecy, pp. 46-47).

The Old Testament does predict Gentile blessing for the millennial period (Isa. 61:5-6; 2:1-4), but the blessings do not include equality with the Jews as is true today in the Body of Christ. Great blessing is promised Gentiles in the predictions of the Old Testament, but not on the basis of equality of position with the Jews. This equality is the point of the mystery revealed to the apostles and prophets in New Testament times (Ryrie, Dispensationalism Today, p. 134).

Mystery truth is not developed in Romans as much as it is developed in Ephesians and Colossians, but the epistle to the Romans does touch on some of these things. The uniqueness of being in the body of Christ is treated in Romans 12 and the unique ONENESS and IDENTIFICATION with Christ that both Jews and Gentiles enjoy by virtue of being “IN CHRIST” is wonderfully treated in Romans 6. The glorious and precious mystery of “Christ in you” (Col. 1:26-27) is touched upon in Romans 8:9-10. The union of the believer with Christ, likened to a marriage relationship (Eph. 5:29-32) is presented in Romans 7:1-4. The many riches that Jews and Gentiles alike share in Christ are wonderfully set forth in Romans 8. The mystery of Israel’s partial and temporary blindness is set forth in Romans 11:25. Indeed, Romans, more than any other epistle, helps us to understand God’s purpose and program for Israel, in light of what God is doing today among the Gentiles and in light of what God will do in the future (Romans 9-11). Thus the book of Romans contributes in a significant way to our understanding of mystery truth. May God help us to be good and faithful stewards of these things (1 Cor. 4:1-2)!¹

Let us now consider some of the key words and phrases in these final three verses:

Romans 16:25

“To stablish you” means to render you firm and constant, to keep you from falling. God has all power and ability to establish believers in the truth, that our FAITH might be fixed down on God’s FACTS. Those believers who are not well grounded in the truths set forth in the book of Romans are on dangerous ground and are susceptible to many grievous errors. But those believers who have mastered Paul’s doctrinal masterpiece have fortified themselves on these great foundational truths and it is difficult to get them to move or budge from the rock-solid foundation upon which they have established themselves. As a case in point, the fellowship of Bible believing churches of which I was a part was deeply hurt by false teaching which denied the eternal Sonship of Christ (teaching instead that Christ became the Son of God at the time of the incarnation). This error is so simply and clearly answered and refuted in Romans 1:3-4 (at the incarnation the One who was already the Son became a man “of the seed of David according to the flesh,” whereas the erroneous view teaches that at the incarnation the eternal God became the Son). This is but one example of how a correct understanding of the teaching set forth in Romans can establish believers in the truth and keep them from falling into error.

Believers cannot be fully established in the truth apart from a proper understanding of “mystery truth” which is the subject of this closing paragraph. It is sad indeed that believers in general are so ignorant of these Sacred Secrets which were so near and dear to the heart of the apostle Paul. There is a body of truth which was hidden and locked up in the loving heart of God during all the past ages, but which now in this present age God desires to make known to His saints. And yet the ignorance of “mystery truth” in our day is astounding. At ordination councils the question has been asked: “What does it mean to be a steward of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1-2) and how important is this to your ministry?” In some cases they don’t have a clue. How ignorant we are when it comes to understanding the riches and glories of this mystery which God delights to make known (Col. 1:27)! Paul’s great burden was to preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages hath been hidden in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:8-9). May this be near and dear to our heart as well.

“According to my gospel”—The expression “my gospel” is found in only two other places in the Bible: 1) Romans 2:16—”In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel“; 2) 2 Timothy 2:8—”Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel.” When Paul spoke of “my gospel” he was not necessarily referring to “mystery truth” as this last passage indicates. That the Messiah would be of the seed of David and that He would be raised from the dead were truths that were revealed in the Old Testament and were not mysteries.

What did Paul mean by “my gospel”? In what sense did the gospel belong to Paul? Remember, in Romans 1:1 Paul had made it very clear that the good news that he preached was “the gospel of God.” It was God’s good news! In what sense was it Paul’s good news? There are at least two reasons why Paul personalized the good news: 1) It was Paul’s gospel in the sense that it was entrusted to him: “The glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust” (1 Tim. 1:11). “A dispensation (stewardship) of the gospel is committed unto me . . . for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel” (1 Cor. 9:17,16). Paul took very seriously his gospel responsibility. 2) It was Paul’s gospel in the sense that it was uniquely revealed to him: “The gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:11-12). “My gospel . . . according to the revelation of the mystery” (Rom. 16:25-26). “I went up by revelation, and communicated to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles” (Gal.2:2). “By revelation He made known unto me the mystery” (Eph. 3:3 and compare v.6—”by the gospel”).

Paul’s good news included mystery truth: “that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Eph. 6:19). In light of this, there are two ultradispensational errors that must be avoided: 1) Paul was the only person who received the revelation of the mystery. This error is corrected by Ephesians 3:5 which teaches that mystery truth was revealed to God’s holy apostles and prophets. No doubt Paul was the chief revelator of mystery truth but it was not given to him exclusively. He was not the only steward of the mysteries of God (1 Cor. 4:1-2). 2) Mystery truth was not made known until Paul revealed it. The mysteries of God are revealed in all the fulness of their preciousness in Paul’s epistles, but Paul was not the first to reveal these secrets.

It should be noted that mystery truth had been revealed, at least in germ form, by the chief Revelator of all, our Lord Jesus Christ. This is seen especially in the mysteries of Matthew 13 and in the Upper Room Discourse of John 14-17. Here are some examples:

The mystery of the church was anticipated in Matthew 13:45-46.
The mystery of “Christ in you” (Col. 1:27) was anticipated in John 14:20 and 17:23.
The mystery of the oneness of Christ and His church (Eph. 5:31-32) was anticipated in John 17:21-23.
The mystery of the rapture (1 Cor. 15:51-52) was anticipated in John 14:1-3.
The mystery of the present status of the nation Israel (Romans 11:25) was anticipated in Matthew 13:44.
The mystery of iniquity working throughout the course of this present age (2 Thess. 2:9) was anticipated in the parables of the mustard seed and leaven.
The mystery of Jews and Gentiles being united together in one body (Eph. 3:5-6) was anticipated in John 10:16.

Lewis Sperry Chafer also discovered a significant correspondence between the “mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” as delineated in Matthew 13 and the mysteries revealed by Paul in the New Testament epistles:

In Matthew 13 there is given by Christ Himself, and under seven parables, the characteristics of this age. In this Scripture this age is itself declared to be a mystery, or sacred secret (13:11), and the parables develop the truth that there are three major features present throughout this age, namely, (a) that which is acceptable—the wheat, the pearl, and the good fish; (b) that which represents blinded Israel (verses 14-15), who are the treasure hid in the field—the field is the world—and (c) the presence of evil—the tares, evil birds, leaven, and bad fish. It should be observed that, in the New Testament, each of these three factors is itself declared to be a mystery, or sacred secret: (a) the Church composed of Jews and Gentiles in one Body (Eph. 3:4-6), (b) Israel blinded until the Church is called out (Rom. 11:25; cf. Acts 15:13-18), and (c) the presence and character of evil in this age (2 Thess. 2:7). See Systematic Theology, Vol. IV, p. 44.

As already stated, ultradispensationalists teach that mystery truth was not revealed prior to Paul and that it was revealed exclusively by Paul. Dr. Ernest Pickering answers this: “To say that ‘church truth’ was never revealed before Paul is to deny the places in Scripture where the Lord Himself taught such truth. The Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17) is most certainly applicable [specifically and exclusively] to the church. The blessed position of the saints in Christ, the access in prayer, the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the rapture of the Church—all and more are taught in the Upper Room Discourse” (Distinctive Teachings of Ultra-Dispensationalism).

“And the preaching of Jesus Christ” (Rom. 16:25). Paul’s gospel centered in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He not only preached Christ (2 Cor. 4:5) but he rejoiced whenever others preached Christ (Phil. 1:18). Paul made it clear from the start of this epistle that Jesus Christ, God’s eternal Son, was the center and the core of the gospel (Rom. 1:1-4). And when Paul preached the mystery of the gospel among the Gentiles he ceased not to preach among them the unsearchable riches of Christ (Eph. 3:8). Only as we are separated unto and devoted to the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ can we be separated unto and devoted to the gospel (Rom. 1:1).

“According to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began”—This mystery, once kept secret, is now revealed! It is a secret no longer! That which was hidden is now being made known! “It is the secret ‘hushed’ throughout the long ages of the past, but now spoken out” (Moule). The phrase “since the world began” is literally rendered, “in the times of the ages” (Darby) or “in everlasting times” (Kelly). It is the mystery that has been hidden from ages and from generations (Col. 1:26).

There are five passages which clearly define what a New Testament mystery is. They are as follows:

“Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ which in other ages [generations] was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit” (Eph. 3:4-5).
“And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ” (Eph. 3:9).
“Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints” (Col. 1:26).
“I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 13:35).
“According to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 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” (Rom. 16:26).

In light of these five passages we can derive the following definition of a New Testament mystery: A New Testament mystery is that which was hidden, kept secret, and not made known to men in previous generations [prior to Paul’s generation] but was made manifest and revealed in the New Testament era to and by the New Testament apostles and prophets.

According to this Bible-based definition, dispensationalists have long maintained the position that a New Testament mystery is something which had never been revealed in previous generations (in the Old Testament period) but which God was pleased to make known in Paul’s time. As already outlined, such mysteries were made known first by Christ (partially) and then by His apostle Paul (fully). Contrary to this position is Reformed Theology (or Covenant Theology) which says that the New Testament mysteries were revealed in Old Testament times, but they were not as clearly understood as they are today. They teach that such mysteries were not altogether absent from the Old Testament (see note in The New Geneva Study Bible under Eph. 3:5). Thus they teach that the mysteries were partially revealed, but not fully understood until later. However, this is contrary to the five passages previously listed. These verses do not say that the mystery was partially made known but that it was not made known at all. It was hidden and kept secret and locked up in the loving heart of God, as it were.

Let’s illustrate this with a specific example. In 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Paul makes known a mystery which had been hidden in previous ages. The secret which he revealed was that there would be a whole generation of living believers who would not taste of physical death. The Old Testament nowhere says anything about such an event. Moses, Elijah, David and Isaiah never had the slightest hint that such a thing would one day take place. It was completely hidden from them and it could not be found in their holy Scriptures. God never breathed out a word of it until New Testament times when it was hinted at by our Lord (John 14:1-3) and fully explained by Paul (1 Cor. 15:51-52 and 1 Thess. 4:13-18). This is a true New Testament mystery.

The mystery which Paul spoke of in Romans 16 was that Jews and Gentiles were now being dealt with by God on the basis of total equality and that upon believing on Christ they would be united together into one body for the purpose of showing forth the excellencies of the One who called them out of darkness into His marvellous light! Out of two, God made ONE NEW MAN (Eph. 2:11-18) and ONE NEW FLOCK (John 10:16). And it is our privilege, in the day in which we live, to make known this mystery, to reveal the secret, to uncover the revelation that had once been hidden! This is one case where God wants us to be good secret tellers (in contrast to Prov. 11:13 where revealing secrets is condemned).

Romans 16:26

“But now is made manifest by the Scriptures of the prophets”

The mystery which was once kept secret is now made known. The phrase: “by the Scriptures of the prophets” is a poor translation. It should be rendered “by prophetic scriptures” (Kelly, Darby). God has made known this mystery by the writings of His prophets.

It is difficult to understand how non-dispensational interpreters can take this to be a reference to the Old Testament writings, especially after Paul has just stated that the mystery was kept secret in previous ages. Paul must be referring to New Testament prophets. In Ephesians 3:5 we learn that the mystery which was not made known unto the sons of men in other ages is now being revealed to God’s holy apostles and prophets. These are New Testament apostles and prophets, the same men referred to in Ephesians 2:20 (see also 1 Cor. 12:10,29; Eph. 4:11). Of course, the prophetic writings which most clearly and most fully set forth the mysteries are Paul’s epistles, Paul being the chief but not the only revelator of mystery truth. When it came to mystery truth, the Old Testament prophets were totally in the dark. The only One who knew about the mysteries in the O.T. period was God Himself.

“According to the commandment of the everlasting God”

The word “command” means “command, order, injunction.” It is not the same word for “commandments” which is used of the Lord’s Great Commission in Acts 1:2 (referring to those commands the Lord gave to His disciples after the resurrection and before the ascension).

Paul uses this word, in reference to his mission, in only two other places: 1) “Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment (order) of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope” (1 Tim. 1:1). Paul was an apostle (a “sent-one”) by order of the living God, and there is a sense in which this is true of every believer: “As Thou hast sent Me into the world,, even so have I sent them into the world” (John 17:18 and see 20:21 and see our paper, The Great Commission According to John). God’s command and order is that we should represent Him rightly in the world and make known His glorious gospel to all nations. 2) “But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment (order) of God our Saviour” (Tit. 1:3). Paul knew that he had a gospel responsibility and a preaching responsibility committed unto him. He was under orders to make known and manifest God’s Word through preaching.

Certainly these statements are in full harmony with the Great Commission which includes Christ’s command to go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15), to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20), to preach repentance and remission of sins to all nations, starting with the Jews first (Luke 24:47) and to be Christ’s witnesses throughout the world, beginning first with Israel (Acts 1:8; and compare Romans 1:16—”to the Jew first,” and see our paper, To the Jew First). But as time went on the early disciples learned more and more about church truth and mystery truth, and these further revelations served to deepen and enrich their understanding of the gospel of grace and of God’s purpose for the present age. But none of these further revelations ever diminished their obligation to preach Christ and His gospel according to the original marching orders which they had received during the 40 days between the resurrection and ascension.

“Made known to all nations for the obedience of faith”

The language here is very similar to Romans 1:5—”for obedience to the faith among all nations.” All men from all nations are commanded to believe and be saved (compare Acts 17:31 and 1 John 3:23a). All men everywhere are responsible to OBEY the gospel by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who DISOBEY the gospel will be punished with everlasting destruction (2 Thess. 1:8-9). We need to let people know that God has commanded them to be saved, and strongly urge them to respond to the gospel imperative in the right way (compare 2 Corinthians 5:18-21).

Jesus, I long, I long to be winning

Men who are lost, and constantly sinning;

O may this hour be one of beginning

The story of pardon to tell!

—–Herbert Tovey

Romans 16:27

To God,

only wise,

Be glory

through Jesus Christ

forever.

Amen

July 9, 2009 Posted by dtbrents | Romans | Bible Study, Christ, christianity, Church, faith, Father, God, Religion, Romans, ROMANS CHAPTER 16 | No Comments Yet

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From A Gracious Home 1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively, without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once. 2. Only for today, I will take the greatest care of my appearance: I will dress modestly; I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself. 3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one. 4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes. 5. Only for today, I will devote ten minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul. 6. Only for today, I will do one good deed and not tell anyone about it. 7.Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings are hurt, I will make sure no one notices. 8. Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will make it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision. 9. Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as no one else who exists in this world. 10. Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. Indeed, for twelve hours I can certainly do what might cause me consternation were I to believe I had to do it all my life. Bl. Pope John XXIII
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