WEBVTT

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 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Synchria, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and help her in whatever she may need from you.

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 For she's been a patron of many, and of myself as well.

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 Greet Prisca and Achilla, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.

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 Greet also the church in their house.

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 Greet my beloved Eponetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.

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 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you.

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 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners.

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 They're well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.

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 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.

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 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.

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 Greet Apellas, who's approved in Christ.

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 Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus.

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 Greet my kinsmen, Herodian.

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 Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus.

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 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphena and Tryphosa.

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 Greet the beloved Persis, who's worked hard in the Lord.

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 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord.

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 Also his mother, who's been a mother to me as well.

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 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Petrobus, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them.

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 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympus, and all the saints who are with them.

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 Greet one another with a holy kiss.

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 All of the churches of Christ greet you.

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 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you've been taught.

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 Avoid them.

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 Avoid them.

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 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the hearts of the naive.

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 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you.

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 But I want you to be wise as to what's good and innocent as to what's evil.

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 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.

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 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you.

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 So do Lucius and Jason, and so do Cipater, my kinsmen.

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 I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

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 Gaius, who's host to me and to the whole church, greets you.

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 Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Cortus, greet you.

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 Now, to him who's able to strengthen you, according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ,

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 according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages,

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 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings,

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 has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God,

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 to bring about the obedience of faith.

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 To the only wise God be glory forevermore, through Jesus Christ.

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 Amen.

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 Good morning, everyone.

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 For the benefit of any who may not know me, my name's Martin,

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 and I'm one of the pastors here at church.

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 Isn't it wonderful that God gives us all in different ways?

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 There are probably a number who are on the Bible reading roster

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 who are glad that you didn't get drawn to do the reading today.

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 So thanks, Catherine, for the reading.

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 And I've got to say, there might be some who are on the kids talk roster

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 who are glad you didn't.

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 But thanks, Jen, for the kids talk.

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 Isn't it wonderful to have so many kids in our midst?

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 Well, Paul says in Romans chapter 15, verse 4,

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 that whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction

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 that through endurance and through the encouragement of the scriptures,

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 we might have hope.

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 Thank you.

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 Paul was speaking about the scriptures, the Old Testament scriptures,

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 specifically, but the New Testament scriptures are equally the word of God.

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 And so I think it's reasonable to conclude that the books of the New Testament

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 have the same essential character and purpose,

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 which means that Romans 16, in the providence of God,

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 was written for our instruction,

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 that through the encouragement of the scriptures, we might have hope.

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 And that includes the long list of greetings in Romans 16, verses 3 to 16,

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 written for our instruction.

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 But what on earth are we to do with it?

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 I don't know anyone called Eponetus or Ampliatus or Philologus,

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 so I can hardly be expected to greet them.

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 I do know a few Marys and a few Julias,

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 but that doesn't really help because clearly they're not the same Mary

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 or the same Julia that Paul's talking about.

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 So what does this long list of greetings mean for us?

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 Well, I think there's a general rule of thumb when it comes to reading the Bible,

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 and that is that what the Bible means for us today

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 should be a natural extension of what it meant for the first readers.

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 So the question we need to ask is,

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 what did these greetings mean for the Roman believers who first received them?

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 Now, I've been tasked with bringing our series on Romans to a close

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 and initially set out to think I'd preach through the entire chapter,

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 but really I'm going to focus our attention on verses 3 to 16.

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 I'll say a few things about the later verses towards the end of my talk.

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 So I don't know whether I'm bringing the whole book of Romans to a close,

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 but we'll focus our thoughts on these greetings,

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 things particularly.

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 What are we to do with them?

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 Well, one thing that's going to help us answer that question

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 is to compare Romans 16 with other endings of Paul's letters.

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 Paul wrote 13 letters in the New Testament.

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 How does Romans 16 compare with his other letters?

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 Now, each week here at church,

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 either Dave or I will send out a reminder email

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 to people who are serving at church on the Sunday,

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 and I have a confession to make.

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 Whenever I do that, I just copy and paste an earlier email,

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 and then I change the names.

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 And then I'll change, you know,

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 I'll put a different Bible verse at the front,

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 but essentially I'm just sending the same email every time

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 with different people's names attached.

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 And always in the same order, and it's the same format.

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 The endings of Paul's letters are a little bit like that too.

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 There are more varied than that, but there are some similarities.

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 There are common elements that crop up again and again.

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 Think of it like baking.

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 If each of Paul's 13 letters is a different recipe,

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 there's a collection of ingredients in the pantry,

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 and no single recipe uses all the ingredients,

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 but all the ingredients get used, you know,

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 multiple times in different recipes.

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 And the other thing you notice in Paul's endings of his letters

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 is that he'll tend to add the ingredients in the same order.

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 So the, you know, the flour first, then the sugar,

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 then the milk, then the eggs, or whatever the order is, right?

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 The same, it tends to follow the same order.

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 Now, there are a few reasons, though,

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 that Romans 16 in particular is distinctive.

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 It's the lengthiest and most complex ending of any of Paul's letters.

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 It has the most ingredients,

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 and often those ingredients are included in greater quantity than elsewhere.

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 Sorry to keep pushing that metaphor,

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 but particularly that greeting section

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 where he's greeting individual people by name,

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 that is much longer than anywhere, than any equivalent.

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 In fact, he doesn't often do that.

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 He does send greetings,

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 but greeting particular people by name,

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 he only does that occasionally,

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 and I hear it's far and away the longest of any of his letters.

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 Romans is the only letter to end with a doxology in verse 25 to 27.

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 Normally, Paul ends his letters with basically a form of the same kind of sentence,

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 which is what we find in the second half of verse 20,

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 the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ will be with you.

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 That's how Paul tends to sign off his letters.

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 Well, here we've got that in verse 20,

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 and then it's as if Timothy and a few others said,

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 oh, hang on, make sure you send greetings from me.

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 So Paul added those in,

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 and then he thought, well, I can hardly finish it with,

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 quartus greets you,

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 so maybe that's how the doxology came about.

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 I don't know.

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 I mean, this is speculation, right?

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 But what I'm saying is,

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 it's a more complicated ending to a book than usual for Paul,

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 and especially the length,

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 the amount of time he devotes to these greetings.

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 So why did Paul do it?

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 Well, I think one likely reason Paul wrote the long list of greetings in verse 3 to 16

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 is because he was seeking to strengthen his connection

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 with the Christian community in Rome as a whole.

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 Remember, he didn't plant the church there.

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 He hadn't been there.

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 He hadn't visited them in person.

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 He was intending to visit,

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 and when he came,

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 he wanted them to assist him in a planned mission trip to Spain.

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 And so one of the reasons Paul wrote Romans

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 was to strengthen his ties with the church

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 or with the believing community there.

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 It's a bit like if you meet someone from another church

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 and you work out which church they're from,

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 it's quite possible that early on in that conversation,

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 there'll be an exchange that goes something like,

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 oh, do you know Fred and Jill?

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 We used to do beach mission together.

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 And then they say, oh, yeah, we know Fred and Jill.

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 And that mutual connection with someone who is loved and trusted and known,

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 that's a bridge that helps you build your relationship

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 in the early stages with this person you've just met.

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 That might be one of the reasons for these lengthy greetings,

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 but I don't really think that's a sufficient explanation.

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 This passage would have impacted its original readers

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 in other, more immediate ways.

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 And something that's going to help us appreciate this

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 is realising that Romans 16 is actually,

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 it's a fascinating chapter for historians

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 because it reveals quite a lot

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 about the composition of the Christian community in Rome.

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 It's a very personal part of Paul's letter.

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 There's a lot we don't know about the people Paul names,

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 but there are important things that we can surmise

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 from what Paul says here.

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 So I want to just point out three things about the church in Rome

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 that we can kind of glean from this chapter

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 and with those in mind,

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 how these greetings may have been received

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 by the believers in Rome.

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 First, these verses reveal that Paul was writing

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 to a mixed community.

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 Mixed in a couple of senses.

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 It was ethnically mixed.

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 It included both Jews and Gentiles.

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 It seems like predominantly Gentiles.

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 I think I've got a table that, Sean,

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 you might be able to bring up here,

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 which is, I don't know if the font's too small.

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 I mean, the details don't really matter.

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 I'm just trying to paint some broad brushstrokes here.

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 But there are at least four, maybe five,

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 possibly a few more Jews there.

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 You have Prisca and Aquila.

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 We know from Acts chapter 18 that Aquila is a Jew from Pontus.

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 There are three whom Paul specifically calls his kinsmen,

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 Andronicus and Junia in verse 7,

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 and then Herodian in verse 11.

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 And the fact that Paul singles out

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 and identifies them as his kinsmen

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 suggests that the majority of the others,

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 whom he doesn't designate that way,

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 are not Jewish.

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 They're Gentile believers.

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 So we've got maybe four or five Jews

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 and 21 or 22 Gentiles.

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 The numbers might not be precise,

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 but that's roughly how it breaks out.

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 So it's a mixed community in that sense

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 of including both Jew and Gentile.

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 It's also mixed in that it includes both women and men.

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 I mean, that's hardly surprising.

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 Almost every church will.

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 Among those poor names,

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 there are nine women and 16 men.

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 There's a general movement,

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 as Paul greets individuals by name,

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 from those he knows very well,

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 like Prisca and Aquila,

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 whom he'd spent significant time with

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 serving in ministry together with them.

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 But moving from those who are better known to Paul

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 to those he may only kind of know about

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 rather than know personally.

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 I don't think we can't press that too far.

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 When we get down to verse 13,

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 he talks about Rufus and Rufus's mother,

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 and he seems like he knows them quite well.

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 But beyond that general movement,

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 I think you can say there's no discernible ordering

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 or hierarchy in how Paul lists people.

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 He just, Jews and Gentiles, men and women,

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 people of different backgrounds and different social standing,

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 all freely jumbled together in Paul's greetings.

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 And by greeting people so liberally,

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 so expansively,

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 Paul is in a sense demonstrating to this mixed community

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 that everyone has a place,

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 whoever you are.

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 It's as Paul had said in Romans 12 verse 5,

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 we, though many, are one body in Christ

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 and individually members of one another.

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 And not just does everyone have a place

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 in this mixed community,

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 but everyone's contribution to the community matters.

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 As Paul had gone on to teach in Romans 12

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 about different parts of the body having different gifts

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 according to the grace given to us,

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 so in his greetings,

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 Paul takes pleasure in commending people

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 when he knew enough to do so.

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 So in verse 4,

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 he says of Prisca and Aquila,

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 they risked their necks for my life.

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 In verse 6,

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 he says of Mary,

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 greet Mary who worked hard for you.

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 Paul doesn't tell us what work Mary did.

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 Presumably it was known to the Romans

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 since it was on their behalf.

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 Verse 9,

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 read Urbanus,

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 our fellow worker in Christ.

00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:04.860
 Verse 12,

00:16:05.019 --> 00:16:07.440
 triphana and triphosa,

00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:09.860
 those workers in the Lord.

00:16:11.220 --> 00:16:12.139
 Verse 13,

00:16:12.659 --> 00:16:14.539
 speaking of Rufus' mother,

00:16:14.539 --> 00:16:15.179
 he says,

00:16:15.439 --> 00:16:17.699
 that she had been a mother to me as well.

00:16:17.779 --> 00:16:18.120
 That is,

00:16:18.379 --> 00:16:22.740
 she'd probably shown Paul hospitality in the past.

00:16:24.819 --> 00:16:26.120
 So we have here people

00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:28.639
 who had been involved in evangelism

00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:30.199
 and in ministry

00:16:30.199 --> 00:16:31.379
 and in serving the church

00:16:31.379 --> 00:16:32.019
 and in hospitality

00:16:32.019 --> 00:16:33.059
 in different ways

00:16:33.059 --> 00:16:34.559
 that Paul's able to name and identify

00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:35.639
 and commend.

00:16:36.539 --> 00:16:37.679
 Now just as an aside,

00:16:38.959 --> 00:16:41.159
 Paul specifically commends

00:16:41.159 --> 00:16:42.939
 twice as many women as men

00:16:42.940 --> 00:16:43.680
 for their work.

00:16:44.300 --> 00:16:45.800
 I think the next slide shows that.

00:16:45.900 --> 00:16:47.700
 There are seven women

00:16:47.700 --> 00:16:48.780
 whom he names

00:16:48.780 --> 00:16:50.140
 of the nine in total

00:16:50.140 --> 00:16:51.140
 whom he commends

00:16:51.140 --> 00:16:53.700
 for their work,

00:16:53.840 --> 00:16:55.080
 their ministry in the church

00:16:55.080 --> 00:16:56.800
 and only three men.

00:16:57.020 --> 00:16:58.700
 I don't think we should press that too far

00:16:58.700 --> 00:17:00.260
 but clearly we can see from this

00:17:00.260 --> 00:17:00.920
 that women

00:17:00.920 --> 00:17:02.900
 made a massive contribution

00:17:02.900 --> 00:17:03.860
 in the early church

00:17:03.860 --> 00:17:05.640
 in terms of their service and ministry.

00:17:05.640 --> 00:17:10.380
 And Paul loved to recognise

00:17:10.380 --> 00:17:11.480
 and acknowledge

00:17:11.480 --> 00:17:13.120
 the fruit of God's grace

00:17:13.120 --> 00:17:14.220
 in the lives of others.

00:17:15.060 --> 00:17:16.320
 He loved to see

00:17:16.320 --> 00:17:18.140
 God's grace working

00:17:18.140 --> 00:17:18.960
 and working out

00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:21.340
 in the good deeds

00:17:21.340 --> 00:17:21.960
 and the service

00:17:21.960 --> 00:17:22.660
 and the love

00:17:22.660 --> 00:17:24.320
 and the hospitality of others

00:17:24.320 --> 00:17:25.980
 and to commend that,

00:17:26.040 --> 00:17:27.100
 to draw attention to it.

00:17:27.099 --> 00:17:32.539
 Now, personally,

00:17:32.719 --> 00:17:33.319
 I've got to say,

00:17:34.259 --> 00:17:35.359
 I don't think I'm very good

00:17:35.359 --> 00:17:35.779
 at this,

00:17:36.019 --> 00:17:36.899
 this kind of thing.

00:17:37.259 --> 00:17:37.839
 I think it's partly

00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:38.740
 Australian culture.

00:17:38.919 --> 00:17:39.579
 We're much better

00:17:39.579 --> 00:17:40.779
 at tearing one another down

00:17:40.779 --> 00:17:41.899
 than building one another up.

00:17:42.699 --> 00:17:44.559
 It's partly my own personality.

00:17:44.919 --> 00:17:45.179
 Like I,

00:17:46.019 --> 00:17:47.159
 in terms of my own personality,

00:17:47.339 --> 00:17:48.159
 I just tend to,

00:17:48.259 --> 00:17:49.199
 like when something's done,

00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:50.539
 I just go on to the next thing.

00:17:51.199 --> 00:17:52.459
 I rarely kind of pause

00:17:52.460 --> 00:17:53.920
 to reflect

00:17:53.920 --> 00:17:55.900
 and be grateful

00:17:55.900 --> 00:17:56.920
 and give thanks

00:17:56.920 --> 00:17:57.860
 and celebrate

00:17:57.860 --> 00:17:58.759
 what God's done.

00:18:00.340 --> 00:18:01.840
 I'm trying to get better at it.

00:18:02.660 --> 00:18:03.640
 Writing this talk,

00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:06.120
 I paused and wrote down

00:18:06.120 --> 00:18:07.420
 the names of two people

00:18:07.420 --> 00:18:08.740
 I've been intending

00:18:08.740 --> 00:18:09.720
 to write to

00:18:09.720 --> 00:18:11.660
 for an entire year

00:18:11.660 --> 00:18:13.740
 but never done it, right?

00:18:13.819 --> 00:18:14.160
 And so,

00:18:14.400 --> 00:18:15.079
 they're now written on,

00:18:15.180 --> 00:18:15.840
 those names are written

00:18:15.840 --> 00:18:16.620
 on a piece of paper

00:18:16.620 --> 00:18:17.340
 on my desk

00:18:17.340 --> 00:18:18.539
 and someone can check

00:18:18.539 --> 00:18:19.220
 with me next week,

00:18:19.319 --> 00:18:19.920
 keep me accountable

00:18:19.920 --> 00:18:20.340
 and say,

00:18:20.420 --> 00:18:20.940
 did you write

00:18:20.940 --> 00:18:21.860
 to those two people?

00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:24.539
 To thank them

00:18:24.539 --> 00:18:25.900
 for the work they did.

00:18:29.259 --> 00:18:29.740
 So,

00:18:29.840 --> 00:18:30.960
 I'm not very good at it

00:18:30.960 --> 00:18:32.740
 but when I do pause

00:18:32.740 --> 00:18:33.740
 and take breath

00:18:33.740 --> 00:18:34.420
 and consider

00:18:34.420 --> 00:18:35.740
 the good work of others,

00:18:36.539 --> 00:18:37.559
 it is a joy,

00:18:37.759 --> 00:18:38.220
 isn't it?

00:18:38.920 --> 00:18:40.100
 It is a joy

00:18:40.100 --> 00:18:41.840
 to recognise

00:18:41.840 --> 00:18:43.799
 the fruit of God's grace

00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:45.000
 in the lives

00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:45.700
 of other believers

00:18:45.700 --> 00:18:47.940
 and in fact,

00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:49.400
 when we fail to do that,

00:18:49.900 --> 00:18:50.559
 we're missing

00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:51.380
 an opportunity

00:18:51.380 --> 00:18:52.620
 to acknowledge

00:18:52.620 --> 00:18:53.540
 the grace of God

00:18:53.540 --> 00:18:55.960
 because it is only

00:18:55.960 --> 00:18:56.620
 God's grace

00:18:56.620 --> 00:18:57.660
 operating in any of us

00:18:57.660 --> 00:18:58.520
 that produces

00:18:58.520 --> 00:18:59.680
 good things.

00:19:01.360 --> 00:19:02.560
 Not only is it good

00:19:02.560 --> 00:19:03.340
 for each of us

00:19:03.340 --> 00:19:03.980
 to recognise

00:19:03.980 --> 00:19:04.780
 and celebrate

00:19:04.780 --> 00:19:05.540
 God's grace

00:19:05.540 --> 00:19:06.580
 in the lives of others,

00:19:07.240 --> 00:19:08.460
 it's good for them

00:19:08.460 --> 00:19:09.660
 to hear us do it.

00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:12.000
 Don't save

00:19:12.000 --> 00:19:13.800
 all your kindest words

00:19:13.800 --> 00:19:14.680
 for the eulogy.

00:19:14.680 --> 00:19:17.660
 Now,

00:19:18.380 --> 00:19:18.980
 yes,

00:19:19.060 --> 00:19:19.580
 of course,

00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:20.759
 we must not

00:19:20.759 --> 00:19:21.880
 in ourselves

00:19:21.880 --> 00:19:23.660
 be working

00:19:23.660 --> 00:19:24.640
 in order to seek

00:19:24.640 --> 00:19:25.600
 the praise of men.

00:19:26.500 --> 00:19:26.640
 I mean,

00:19:26.680 --> 00:19:26.940
 Jesus,

00:19:27.100 --> 00:19:27.779
 we know Jesus'

00:19:27.940 --> 00:19:28.820
 warnings about that.

00:19:30.140 --> 00:19:30.500
 Truly,

00:19:30.660 --> 00:19:31.220
 I say to you,

00:19:31.279 --> 00:19:31.920
 they've received

00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:33.000
 their reward in full.

00:19:33.259 --> 00:19:33.759
 We don't

00:19:33.759 --> 00:19:35.279
 do good

00:19:35.279 --> 00:19:36.220
 in order to

00:19:36.220 --> 00:19:37.180
 be praised

00:19:37.180 --> 00:19:37.940
 by people.

00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:40.160
 But Jesus was speaking

00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:40.880
 about our motive

00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:41.539
 for doing good.

00:19:41.539 --> 00:19:43.559
 He was critiquing hypocrisy.

00:19:44.220 --> 00:19:45.339
 He wasn't issuing

00:19:45.339 --> 00:19:47.039
 a blanket prohibition

00:19:47.039 --> 00:19:48.480
 on ever thanking

00:19:48.480 --> 00:19:50.379
 or expressing

00:19:50.379 --> 00:19:51.180
 appreciation

00:19:51.180 --> 00:19:52.180
 for someone else.

00:19:55.059 --> 00:19:55.819
 Children

00:19:55.819 --> 00:19:57.460
 need the praise

00:19:57.460 --> 00:19:58.480
 of their parents.

00:20:00.779 --> 00:20:01.899
 And to be honest,

00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:02.960
 we never really

00:20:02.960 --> 00:20:03.740
 outgrow that.

00:20:06.019 --> 00:20:07.500
 Genuine appreciation

00:20:07.500 --> 00:20:08.299
 of one another,

00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:10.200
 sincerely expressed,

00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:11.500
 is a refreshing

00:20:11.500 --> 00:20:13.240
 breeze for the soul.

00:20:14.460 --> 00:20:15.440
 We're humans,

00:20:15.599 --> 00:20:16.259
 not robots.

00:20:17.140 --> 00:20:17.839
 We're personal

00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:18.319
 beings,

00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:19.039
 not machines.

00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:20.900
 And it's easy

00:20:20.900 --> 00:20:22.039
 to grow discouraged

00:20:22.039 --> 00:20:23.240
 when we don't

00:20:23.240 --> 00:20:24.059
 feel appreciated.

00:20:25.759 --> 00:20:26.640
 But to this

00:20:26.640 --> 00:20:27.640
 mixed community,

00:20:28.259 --> 00:20:29.160
 Paul was liberal

00:20:29.160 --> 00:20:30.119
 in his greetings

00:20:30.119 --> 00:20:31.200
 and liberal

00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:32.220
 in his praise.

00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:34.359
 Everyone has a place

00:20:34.359 --> 00:20:35.900
 and everyone's

00:20:35.900 --> 00:20:36.240
 contribution

00:20:36.240 --> 00:20:36.859
 matters.

00:20:36.859 --> 00:20:41.699
 Romans 16

00:20:41.699 --> 00:20:42.519
 also suggests

00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:42.979
 that not only

00:20:42.979 --> 00:20:43.659
 was this Christian

00:20:43.659 --> 00:20:44.359
 community in Rome

00:20:44.359 --> 00:20:44.919
 mixed,

00:20:45.079 --> 00:20:45.879
 it was also

00:20:45.879 --> 00:20:46.859
 marginal.

00:20:48.719 --> 00:20:49.439
 There's a couple

00:20:49.439 --> 00:20:49.859
 of factors

00:20:49.859 --> 00:20:50.500
 that support

00:20:50.500 --> 00:20:52.019
 that conclusion.

00:20:53.699 --> 00:20:54.179
 First,

00:20:55.039 --> 00:20:55.619
 there are

00:20:55.619 --> 00:20:56.279
 indications

00:20:56.279 --> 00:20:57.240
 that a significant

00:20:57.240 --> 00:20:58.139
 number of the

00:20:58.139 --> 00:20:59.000
 believers in Rome

00:20:59.000 --> 00:20:59.740
 were immigrants.

00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:02.519
 So,

00:21:02.639 --> 00:21:03.019
 for example,

00:21:03.259 --> 00:21:04.000
 verse 5,

00:21:04.000 --> 00:21:05.700
 greets

00:21:05.700 --> 00:21:06.559
 Eponetus,

00:21:06.819 --> 00:21:07.440
 who was the

00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:08.579
 first convert

00:21:08.579 --> 00:21:09.359
 to Christ

00:21:09.359 --> 00:21:09.839
 in Asia.

00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:10.079
 I mean,

00:21:10.180 --> 00:21:11.059
 that's exciting,

00:21:11.180 --> 00:21:11.900
 the first convert

00:21:11.900 --> 00:21:12.359
 to Christ

00:21:12.359 --> 00:21:12.680
 in Asia.

00:21:12.920 --> 00:21:14.099
 But he's in Rome.

00:21:14.200 --> 00:21:14.440
 But really,

00:21:14.519 --> 00:21:15.559
 he's someone from Asia,

00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:16.940
 from modern-day Turkey.

00:21:19.319 --> 00:21:20.420
 Verses 3 and 4,

00:21:20.539 --> 00:21:20.779
 we've got

00:21:20.779 --> 00:21:23.299
 Prisker and Aquila.

00:21:23.299 --> 00:21:24.599
 We know a decent

00:21:24.599 --> 00:21:25.240
 amount about them

00:21:25.240 --> 00:21:25.659
 because they

00:21:25.659 --> 00:21:26.899
 appear in Acts,

00:21:27.299 --> 00:21:27.879
 the Book of Acts.

00:21:28.119 --> 00:21:29.079
 Aquila was born

00:21:29.079 --> 00:21:29.680
 in Pontus,

00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:30.779
 so that's on the

00:21:30.779 --> 00:21:31.299
 southern shore

00:21:31.299 --> 00:21:32.039
 of the Black Sea,

00:21:32.200 --> 00:21:32.940
 so northern

00:21:32.940 --> 00:21:34.220
 modern-day Turkey.

00:21:34.919 --> 00:21:35.519
 At some point,

00:21:35.579 --> 00:21:36.599
 he'd moved to Rome.

00:21:37.460 --> 00:21:38.079
 Whether he met

00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:38.700
 Prisker,

00:21:39.259 --> 00:21:39.879
 or Priscilla,

00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:40.419
 his wife,

00:21:40.480 --> 00:21:41.059
 before or after

00:21:41.059 --> 00:21:41.680
 he moved to Rome,

00:21:41.720 --> 00:21:42.240
 we don't know.

00:21:42.299 --> 00:21:43.019
 But in around

00:21:43.019 --> 00:21:43.759
 AD 49,

00:21:44.379 --> 00:21:45.119
 he and his wife

00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:45.879
 were forced to leave

00:21:45.879 --> 00:21:46.460
 Rome when the

00:21:46.460 --> 00:21:47.139
 Emperor Claudius

00:21:47.139 --> 00:21:48.039
 expelled Jews

00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:48.599
 from Rome.

00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:50.399
 He engaged

00:21:50.399 --> 00:21:50.879
 in ministry

00:21:50.879 --> 00:21:51.539
 with Paul,

00:21:51.539 --> 00:21:52.319
 and he,

00:21:52.460 --> 00:21:53.359
 or the couple,

00:21:53.519 --> 00:21:54.460
 Priscilla and Aquila,

00:21:54.579 --> 00:21:55.339
 engaged in ministry

00:21:55.339 --> 00:21:56.139
 with Paul in Corinth

00:21:56.139 --> 00:21:56.799
 and in Ephesus.

00:21:57.139 --> 00:21:57.799
 Then they returned

00:21:57.799 --> 00:21:58.180
 to Rome

00:21:58.180 --> 00:21:59.420
 after Claudius' death.

00:22:00.339 --> 00:22:00.839
 The fact that

00:22:00.839 --> 00:22:01.539
 they can host

00:22:01.539 --> 00:22:02.079
 a church

00:22:02.079 --> 00:22:02.759
 in their home

00:22:02.759 --> 00:22:03.720
 suggests they

00:22:03.720 --> 00:22:05.319
 were reasonably

00:22:05.319 --> 00:22:05.839
 wealthy,

00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:08.240
 but clearly

00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:09.559
 not established

00:22:09.559 --> 00:22:10.159
 enough that it

00:22:10.159 --> 00:22:10.859
 could protect them

00:22:10.859 --> 00:22:11.599
 from expulsion

00:22:11.599 --> 00:22:12.720
 less than 10 years

00:22:12.720 --> 00:22:13.059
 earlier.

00:22:15.180 --> 00:22:15.839
 We've got

00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:16.319
 verse 7,

00:22:16.420 --> 00:22:16.980
 Andronicus

00:22:16.980 --> 00:22:17.579
 and Junia.

00:22:18.240 --> 00:22:18.700
 We're told

00:22:18.700 --> 00:22:21.099
 they are well

00:22:21.099 --> 00:22:21.639
 known to the

00:22:21.639 --> 00:22:21.919
 apostles

00:22:21.919 --> 00:22:22.339
 and they

00:22:22.339 --> 00:22:22.719
 were in

00:22:22.719 --> 00:22:23.079
 Christ

00:22:23.079 --> 00:22:23.599
 before me.

00:22:23.659 --> 00:22:23.959
 So they

00:22:23.959 --> 00:22:24.459
 are early

00:22:24.459 --> 00:22:24.899
 converts

00:22:24.899 --> 00:22:25.799
 to Christ

00:22:25.799 --> 00:22:27.980
 who became

00:22:27.980 --> 00:22:28.359
 believers

00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:29.019
 before Paul.

00:22:29.079 --> 00:22:29.899
 So very likely

00:22:29.899 --> 00:22:31.000
 not from Rome,

00:22:31.059 --> 00:22:31.339
 but they'd

00:22:31.339 --> 00:22:32.079
 moved to Rome.

00:22:33.079 --> 00:22:33.719
 Verse 13,

00:22:33.819 --> 00:22:34.059
 again,

00:22:34.139 --> 00:22:34.839
 Rufus' mother

00:22:34.839 --> 00:22:35.459
 had shown

00:22:35.459 --> 00:22:36.459
 Paul hospitality,

00:22:36.639 --> 00:22:37.079
 which must have

00:22:37.079 --> 00:22:37.519
 been somewhere

00:22:37.519 --> 00:22:38.299
 other than Rome.

00:22:40.159 --> 00:22:40.839
 There's also

00:22:40.839 --> 00:22:41.359
 the fact that

00:22:41.359 --> 00:22:42.199
 Paul is writing

00:22:42.199 --> 00:22:42.819
 to them

00:22:42.819 --> 00:22:43.899
 in Greek,

00:22:44.459 --> 00:22:45.579
 not in Latin.

00:22:47.219 --> 00:22:47.659
 And in fact,

00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:48.359
 Greek continued

00:22:48.359 --> 00:22:49.139
 to be the primary

00:22:49.139 --> 00:22:49.819
 language of the

00:22:49.819 --> 00:22:50.319
 church in the

00:22:50.319 --> 00:22:51.099
 Rome well

00:22:51.099 --> 00:22:51.460
 into the

00:22:51.460 --> 00:22:52.200
 second century.

00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:56.839
 And many

00:22:56.839 --> 00:22:57.259
 of the names

00:22:57.259 --> 00:22:57.700
 are Greek.

00:22:59.159 --> 00:22:59.980
 So the

00:22:59.980 --> 00:23:00.919
 indications here

00:23:00.919 --> 00:23:02.240
 are that the

00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:02.919
 Christian community

00:23:02.919 --> 00:23:03.659
 in Rome at

00:23:03.659 --> 00:23:04.960
 this time was

00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:06.359
 largely an

00:23:06.359 --> 00:23:07.359
 immigrant population,

00:23:08.519 --> 00:23:08.899
 or at least

00:23:08.899 --> 00:23:09.279
 a significant

00:23:09.279 --> 00:23:10.099
 proportion of it.

00:23:10.519 --> 00:23:10.939
 And it's

00:23:10.939 --> 00:23:11.819
 generally true

00:23:11.819 --> 00:23:13.119
 that newcomers

00:23:13.119 --> 00:23:13.919
 to a city

00:23:13.919 --> 00:23:14.799
 are more

00:23:14.799 --> 00:23:15.679
 marginal in

00:23:15.679 --> 00:23:16.179
 that city.

00:23:16.899 --> 00:23:17.240
 They have

00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:17.980
 less influence,

00:23:18.159 --> 00:23:18.759
 less property,

00:23:19.339 --> 00:23:19.899
 less wealth,

00:23:19.900 --> 00:23:20.640
 less power

00:23:20.640 --> 00:23:21.540
 in that place.

00:23:23.140 --> 00:23:23.580
 But beyond

00:23:23.580 --> 00:23:23.780
 that,

00:23:23.820 --> 00:23:24.280
 there's a second

00:23:24.280 --> 00:23:24.640
 factor,

00:23:24.800 --> 00:23:25.200
 and that is

00:23:25.200 --> 00:23:28.320
 that there are

00:23:28.320 --> 00:23:28.759
 hints or

00:23:28.759 --> 00:23:29.660
 indications or

00:23:29.660 --> 00:23:30.080
 suggestions,

00:23:30.240 --> 00:23:31.019
 it's likely

00:23:31.019 --> 00:23:31.620
 that a high

00:23:31.620 --> 00:23:33.259
 proportion of

00:23:33.259 --> 00:23:34.320
 those Paul names

00:23:34.320 --> 00:23:35.640
 were slaves

00:23:35.640 --> 00:23:37.840
 or former

00:23:37.840 --> 00:23:38.259
 slaves,

00:23:38.400 --> 00:23:38.920
 freedmen,

00:23:39.220 --> 00:23:39.680
 freedwomen.

00:23:40.060 --> 00:23:40.540
 So they'd been

00:23:40.540 --> 00:23:41.360
 born as slaves

00:23:41.360 --> 00:23:41.860
 and had since

00:23:41.860 --> 00:23:42.420
 been freed.

00:23:42.640 --> 00:23:42.800
 Now,

00:23:42.840 --> 00:23:43.360
 how do we know

00:23:43.360 --> 00:23:43.620
 that?

00:23:43.740 --> 00:23:44.240
 We know that

00:23:44.240 --> 00:23:44.740
 from naming

00:23:44.740 --> 00:23:45.340
 conventions.

00:23:45.339 --> 00:23:48.000
 people born

00:23:48.000 --> 00:23:48.579
 as slaves

00:23:48.579 --> 00:23:49.159
 would be given

00:23:49.159 --> 00:23:49.919
 a single name

00:23:49.919 --> 00:23:50.319
 by their

00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:50.699
 masters,

00:23:50.879 --> 00:23:51.099
 and there

00:23:51.099 --> 00:23:51.740
 were some

00:23:51.740 --> 00:23:52.240
 names that

00:23:52.240 --> 00:23:52.539
 were just

00:23:52.539 --> 00:23:53.159
 more commonly

00:23:53.159 --> 00:23:53.619
 given than

00:23:53.619 --> 00:23:53.939
 others.

00:23:54.659 --> 00:23:55.500
 Greek names

00:23:55.500 --> 00:23:56.039
 were common

00:23:56.039 --> 00:23:56.859
 to be given

00:23:56.859 --> 00:23:57.480
 to slaves.

00:23:58.480 --> 00:23:58.839
 There were

00:23:58.839 --> 00:23:59.919
 popular names

00:23:59.919 --> 00:24:00.799
 like Hermes.

00:24:02.059 --> 00:24:02.679
 Slaves would

00:24:02.679 --> 00:24:03.099
 be named

00:24:03.099 --> 00:24:03.539
 after their

00:24:03.539 --> 00:24:04.119
 place of

00:24:04.119 --> 00:24:04.480
 origin,

00:24:04.619 --> 00:24:04.939
 which might

00:24:04.939 --> 00:24:05.339
 account for

00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:05.619
 the name

00:24:05.619 --> 00:24:06.439
 Persis in

00:24:06.439 --> 00:24:07.019
 verse 12,

00:24:07.139 --> 00:24:07.659
 for a slave

00:24:07.659 --> 00:24:08.359
 who was from

00:24:08.359 --> 00:24:08.839
 Persia.

00:24:10.139 --> 00:24:10.899
 Slaves could be

00:24:10.899 --> 00:24:11.439
 named according

00:24:11.439 --> 00:24:12.039
 to the family

00:24:12.039 --> 00:24:12.599
 they served,

00:24:12.679 --> 00:24:13.019
 which is a

00:24:13.019 --> 00:24:13.720
 possible explanation

00:24:13.720 --> 00:24:14.299
 for the names

00:24:14.299 --> 00:24:15.440
 Mary or

00:24:15.440 --> 00:24:15.799
 Maria,

00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:17.240
 Julia and

00:24:17.240 --> 00:24:17.799
 Herodian.

00:24:19.759 --> 00:24:20.019
 So,

00:24:20.200 --> 00:24:20.299
 I mean,

00:24:20.360 --> 00:24:21.220
 I'm getting

00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:21.640
 most of this

00:24:21.640 --> 00:24:22.360
 data from

00:24:22.360 --> 00:24:24.299
 an article

00:24:24.299 --> 00:24:25.059
 written by a

00:24:25.059 --> 00:24:25.440
 scholar called

00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:26.079
 Peter Lamp,

00:24:26.839 --> 00:24:27.360
 the Roman

00:24:27.360 --> 00:24:27.900
 Christians of

00:24:27.900 --> 00:24:28.480
 Romans 16.

00:24:28.600 --> 00:24:29.000
 You can find

00:24:29.000 --> 00:24:29.620
 it online if

00:24:29.620 --> 00:24:30.019
 you're interested.

00:24:30.700 --> 00:24:31.380
 Ask me about

00:24:31.380 --> 00:24:31.759
 it later if

00:24:31.759 --> 00:24:32.259
 you don't

00:24:32.259 --> 00:24:32.640
 remember that.

00:24:33.480 --> 00:24:34.220
 But the

00:24:34.220 --> 00:24:34.980
 indications from

00:24:34.980 --> 00:24:35.519
 the names,

00:24:35.579 --> 00:24:36.160
 just the names

00:24:36.160 --> 00:24:37.000
 alone we see

00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:37.920
 in Romans 16,

00:24:38.180 --> 00:24:38.839
 here's how he

00:24:38.839 --> 00:24:39.299
 breaks it up.

00:24:39.360 --> 00:24:40.059
 We've got

00:24:40.059 --> 00:24:41.440
 four that are

00:24:41.440 --> 00:24:42.519
 likely freeborn,

00:24:42.519 --> 00:24:44.480
 ten that are

00:24:44.480 --> 00:24:45.379
 likely slave

00:24:45.379 --> 00:24:45.759
 born,

00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:46.460
 and twelve

00:24:46.460 --> 00:24:47.099
 where it's

00:24:47.099 --> 00:24:47.460
 kind of hard

00:24:47.460 --> 00:24:47.859
 to tell.

00:24:50.180 --> 00:24:50.920
 But beyond

00:24:50.920 --> 00:24:51.180
 that,

00:24:51.299 --> 00:24:51.960
 in verse 10

00:24:51.960 --> 00:24:53.359
 and verse 11,

00:24:53.440 --> 00:24:53.839
 look at how

00:24:53.839 --> 00:24:54.359
 Paul greets

00:24:54.359 --> 00:24:54.759
 people in

00:24:54.759 --> 00:24:55.259
 those verses.

00:24:55.420 --> 00:24:55.920
 Verse 10,

00:24:56.279 --> 00:24:56.759
 second half,

00:24:56.819 --> 00:24:57.079
 he says,

00:24:57.420 --> 00:24:58.079
 greet those

00:24:58.079 --> 00:24:59.000
 who belong

00:24:59.000 --> 00:25:00.039
 to the family

00:25:00.039 --> 00:25:00.700
 or to the

00:25:00.700 --> 00:25:01.839
 household of

00:25:01.839 --> 00:25:02.480
 Aristobulus.

00:25:02.839 --> 00:25:03.000
 Now,

00:25:03.079 --> 00:25:03.480
 presumably,

00:25:03.619 --> 00:25:04.519
 Aristobulus is

00:25:04.519 --> 00:25:05.279
 the head of

00:25:05.279 --> 00:25:05.879
 the household

00:25:05.879 --> 00:25:07.000
 and is not

00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:07.539
 himself a

00:25:07.539 --> 00:25:07.859
 Christian,

00:25:08.299 --> 00:25:08.839
 or Paul would

00:25:08.839 --> 00:25:09.139
 have greeted

00:25:09.139 --> 00:25:10.019
 Aristobulus as

00:25:10.019 --> 00:25:10.279
 well.

00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:11.519
 But he says,

00:25:11.599 --> 00:25:12.119
 greet those who

00:25:12.119 --> 00:25:12.859
 belong to the

00:25:12.859 --> 00:25:13.399
 household of

00:25:13.399 --> 00:25:14.799
 Aristobulus,

00:25:14.919 --> 00:25:15.859
 likely some

00:25:15.859 --> 00:25:16.479
 of his slaves

00:25:16.479 --> 00:25:17.519
 and freedmen.

00:25:17.899 --> 00:25:18.259
 Likewise,

00:25:19.039 --> 00:25:20.959
 in verse 11,

00:25:21.519 --> 00:25:22.139
 greet those in

00:25:22.139 --> 00:25:22.599
 the Lord who

00:25:22.599 --> 00:25:23.399
 belong to the

00:25:23.399 --> 00:25:24.079
 household of

00:25:24.079 --> 00:25:24.899
 Narcissus.

00:25:27.899 --> 00:25:28.259
 So,

00:25:29.479 --> 00:25:29.759
 I mean,

00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:31.219
 certainty and

00:25:31.219 --> 00:25:32.019
 precision isn't

00:25:32.019 --> 00:25:32.479
 possible,

00:25:32.879 --> 00:25:33.699
 but probably,

00:25:33.959 --> 00:25:34.839
 looking at the

00:25:34.839 --> 00:25:36.319
 data here in

00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:36.739
 terms of the

00:25:36.739 --> 00:25:37.259
 names,

00:25:38.139 --> 00:25:39.019
 at least two

00:25:39.019 --> 00:25:39.839
 thirds of the

00:25:39.839 --> 00:25:40.839
 Christian population

00:25:40.839 --> 00:25:41.919
 in Rome were

00:25:41.919 --> 00:25:43.379
 slaves or

00:25:43.379 --> 00:25:44.159
 freedmen and

00:25:44.159 --> 00:25:44.699
 freedwomen.

00:25:45.579 --> 00:25:45.939
 That is,

00:25:45.980 --> 00:25:46.480
 they'd been born

00:25:46.480 --> 00:25:47.159
 into slavery.

00:25:49.579 --> 00:25:50.099
 They likely

00:25:50.099 --> 00:25:50.779
 lived with,

00:25:51.939 --> 00:25:52.839
 it's likely that

00:25:52.839 --> 00:25:53.559
 the majority of

00:25:53.559 --> 00:25:54.000
 believers in

00:25:54.000 --> 00:25:54.599
 Rome lived in

00:25:54.599 --> 00:25:55.199
 the poorer,

00:25:55.459 --> 00:25:56.519
 crowded sectors

00:25:56.519 --> 00:25:57.000
 of Rome,

00:25:57.459 --> 00:25:58.119
 where people were

00:25:58.119 --> 00:25:58.799
 crammed together

00:25:58.799 --> 00:25:59.319
 in apartment

00:25:59.319 --> 00:25:59.819
 blocks,

00:26:00.599 --> 00:26:01.119
 where most

00:26:01.119 --> 00:26:01.839
 immigrants lived.

00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:04.599
 So,

00:26:04.699 --> 00:26:05.919
 this community

00:26:05.919 --> 00:26:06.559
 was,

00:26:06.899 --> 00:26:07.539
 in some sense,

00:26:07.579 --> 00:26:07.899
 in the city,

00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:08.419
 marginal.

00:26:08.420 --> 00:26:09.720
 It wasn't at

00:26:09.720 --> 00:26:10.440
 the centre of

00:26:10.440 --> 00:26:11.300
 civic life in

00:26:11.300 --> 00:26:11.600
 Rome.

00:26:12.620 --> 00:26:13.400
 They were poorer

00:26:13.400 --> 00:26:13.880
 people,

00:26:15.539 --> 00:26:16.000
 part of the

00:26:16.000 --> 00:26:16.279
 masses.

00:26:17.560 --> 00:26:18.180
 Their names

00:26:18.180 --> 00:26:18.700
 would not be

00:26:18.700 --> 00:26:19.420
 spoken in the

00:26:19.420 --> 00:26:20.440
 imperial palace,

00:26:21.180 --> 00:26:23.039
 nor enrolled in

00:26:23.039 --> 00:26:23.600
 the list of

00:26:23.600 --> 00:26:24.240
 senators of

00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:24.560
 Rome.

00:26:25.960 --> 00:26:27.140
 No monuments

00:26:27.140 --> 00:26:28.440
 would be erected

00:26:28.440 --> 00:26:29.240
 in their honour

00:26:29.240 --> 00:26:30.539
 on the

00:26:30.539 --> 00:26:31.120
 Capitoline

00:26:31.120 --> 00:26:31.460
 Hill.

00:26:33.060 --> 00:26:34.080
 They lived in

00:26:34.080 --> 00:26:34.640
 obscurity,

00:26:34.640 --> 00:26:35.780
 obscurity,

00:26:35.780 --> 00:26:36.320
 they died in

00:26:36.320 --> 00:26:36.940
 obscurity,

00:26:37.500 --> 00:26:38.640
 as part of the

00:26:38.640 --> 00:26:39.460
 mass of the

00:26:39.460 --> 00:26:41.300
 underclasses in

00:26:41.300 --> 00:26:41.880
 the capital of

00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:42.660
 the Roman Empire.

00:26:44.880 --> 00:26:45.480
 Indeed,

00:26:45.560 --> 00:26:46.080
 when they were

00:26:46.080 --> 00:26:46.460
 noticed,

00:26:46.520 --> 00:26:46.900
 it was with

00:26:46.900 --> 00:26:47.300
 scorn.

00:26:47.940 --> 00:26:48.720
 Roman historian

00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:49.720
 Tacitus called

00:26:49.720 --> 00:26:51.360
 the Christians

00:26:51.360 --> 00:26:53.620
 in Rome

00:26:53.620 --> 00:26:55.759
 a class hated

00:26:55.759 --> 00:26:56.320
 for their

00:26:56.320 --> 00:26:57.180
 abominations.

00:26:58.860 --> 00:26:59.340
 And Tacitus

00:26:59.340 --> 00:27:00.060
 describes how

00:27:00.060 --> 00:27:00.920
 seven or eight

00:27:00.920 --> 00:27:01.900
 years after Paul

00:27:01.900 --> 00:27:03.000
 wrote this letter,

00:27:03.000 --> 00:27:04.119
 the Emperor

00:27:04.119 --> 00:27:06.039
 Nero fixed the

00:27:06.039 --> 00:27:07.019
 blame for a

00:27:07.019 --> 00:27:07.839
 fire in Rome

00:27:07.839 --> 00:27:08.279
 on the

00:27:08.279 --> 00:27:08.720
 Christians.

00:27:09.579 --> 00:27:10.359
 In an attempt

00:27:10.359 --> 00:27:11.079
 to, people were

00:27:11.079 --> 00:27:11.559
 saying Nero

00:27:11.559 --> 00:27:12.180
 started it,

00:27:12.420 --> 00:27:12.940
 and Nero was

00:27:12.940 --> 00:27:13.440
 trying to shift

00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:13.779
 the blame

00:27:13.779 --> 00:27:14.279
 somewhere else,

00:27:14.319 --> 00:27:14.740
 so he fixed

00:27:14.740 --> 00:27:15.079
 it on the

00:27:15.079 --> 00:27:15.460
 Christians,

00:27:15.819 --> 00:27:16.240
 made them

00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:16.700
 convenient

00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:17.400
 scapecoats,

00:27:17.640 --> 00:27:18.279
 no one shed a

00:27:18.279 --> 00:27:18.660
 tear because

00:27:18.660 --> 00:27:18.920
 they didn't

00:27:18.920 --> 00:27:19.359
 care about the

00:27:19.359 --> 00:27:19.740
 Christians,

00:27:20.339 --> 00:27:21.180
 and soon Nero

00:27:21.180 --> 00:27:21.559
 was just

00:27:21.559 --> 00:27:22.440
 arresting and

00:27:22.440 --> 00:27:24.099
 killing Christians

00:27:24.099 --> 00:27:24.720
 just because they

00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:25.279
 were Christians.

00:27:26.220 --> 00:27:26.619
 Here's what

00:27:26.619 --> 00:27:27.420
 Tacitus says,

00:27:28.579 --> 00:27:29.579
 mockery of every

00:27:29.579 --> 00:27:30.539
 sort was added to

00:27:30.539 --> 00:27:31.119
 their deaths,

00:27:31.779 --> 00:27:32.400
 covered with the

00:27:32.400 --> 00:27:32.940
 skins of

00:27:32.940 --> 00:27:33.340
 beasts,

00:27:33.460 --> 00:27:33.980
 they were torn

00:27:33.980 --> 00:27:34.740
 by dogs and

00:27:34.740 --> 00:27:35.259
 perished,

00:27:36.120 --> 00:27:36.720
 or were nailed

00:27:36.720 --> 00:27:37.259
 to crosses,

00:27:38.220 --> 00:27:38.900
 or were doomed

00:27:38.900 --> 00:27:39.600
 to the flames

00:27:39.600 --> 00:27:40.539
 and burned to

00:27:40.539 --> 00:27:41.120
 serve as a

00:27:41.120 --> 00:27:42.299
 nightly illumination

00:27:42.299 --> 00:27:43.220
 when daylight

00:27:43.220 --> 00:27:43.920
 had expired.

00:27:46.820 --> 00:27:47.720
 Now that lay

00:27:47.720 --> 00:27:49.100
 ahead, less than

00:27:49.100 --> 00:27:49.799
 ten years in the

00:27:49.799 --> 00:27:51.019
 future, not

00:27:51.019 --> 00:27:51.840
 unknown at this

00:27:51.840 --> 00:27:52.539
 stage to Paul

00:27:52.539 --> 00:27:52.799
 and his

00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:53.880
 recipients, but

00:27:53.880 --> 00:27:54.720
 it illustrates the

00:27:54.720 --> 00:27:55.799
 vulnerability and

00:27:55.799 --> 00:27:56.720
 the powerlessness

00:27:56.720 --> 00:27:57.880
 of the Christian

00:27:57.880 --> 00:27:58.580
 community in

00:27:58.580 --> 00:27:58.900
 Rome.

00:27:59.740 --> 00:28:00.200
 They were

00:28:00.200 --> 00:28:01.620
 economically and

00:28:01.620 --> 00:28:02.160
 socially

00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:03.160
 marginal.

00:28:05.160 --> 00:28:06.000
 To this

00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:07.040
 marginal community

00:28:07.040 --> 00:28:07.980
 despised in the

00:28:07.980 --> 00:28:09.640
 world, Paul's

00:28:09.640 --> 00:28:10.480
 greetings say,

00:28:11.700 --> 00:28:12.600
 you are known

00:28:12.600 --> 00:28:14.019
 and you are

00:28:14.019 --> 00:28:14.360
 loved.

00:28:16.900 --> 00:28:17.700
 It would have

00:28:17.700 --> 00:28:18.240
 been much more

00:28:18.240 --> 00:28:18.940
 economical for

00:28:18.940 --> 00:28:20.620
 Paul to issue a

00:28:20.620 --> 00:28:21.360
 general greeting,

00:28:21.560 --> 00:28:22.300
 greet all the

00:28:22.300 --> 00:28:23.100
 saints in Rome,

00:28:24.200 --> 00:28:24.960
 greet everyone who

00:28:24.960 --> 00:28:25.700
 belongs to Christ,

00:28:25.820 --> 00:28:26.580
 something like that,

00:28:26.579 --> 00:28:27.579
 people.

00:28:27.579 --> 00:28:29.299
 But instead, Paul

00:28:29.299 --> 00:28:30.139
 brought to mind

00:28:30.139 --> 00:28:31.059
 individuals,

00:28:32.559 --> 00:28:33.439
 remembered them,

00:28:34.299 --> 00:28:35.159
 acknowledged them,

00:28:36.099 --> 00:28:36.899
 greeted them by

00:28:36.899 --> 00:28:37.519
 name.

00:28:38.899 --> 00:28:39.819
 Greet my beloved

00:28:39.819 --> 00:28:41.599
 Eponetus, greet

00:28:41.599 --> 00:28:42.599
 Mary, greet

00:28:42.599 --> 00:28:43.500
 Andronicus and

00:28:43.500 --> 00:28:44.419
 Junia, greet

00:28:44.419 --> 00:28:45.599
 Ampliatus, greet

00:28:45.599 --> 00:28:46.619
 Urbanus and so

00:28:46.619 --> 00:28:46.839
 on.

00:28:47.799 --> 00:28:48.659
 He greeted them by

00:28:48.659 --> 00:28:49.099
 name.

00:28:50.099 --> 00:28:50.839
 As many as he

00:28:50.839 --> 00:28:51.399
 could remember,

00:28:55.559 --> 00:28:56.740
 Dale Carnegie

00:28:56.740 --> 00:28:58.439
 in his well-known

00:28:58.439 --> 00:28:58.899
 book, How to

00:28:58.899 --> 00:28:59.439
 Win Friends and

00:28:59.439 --> 00:29:00.099
 Influence People,

00:29:00.179 --> 00:29:00.779
 has a chapter

00:29:00.779 --> 00:29:02.199
 devoted to this

00:29:02.199 --> 00:29:02.659
 principle.

00:29:03.799 --> 00:29:04.639
 Remember that a

00:29:04.639 --> 00:29:06.019
 person's name is

00:29:06.019 --> 00:29:07.039
 to that person

00:29:07.039 --> 00:29:08.459
 the sweetest and

00:29:08.459 --> 00:29:09.259
 most important

00:29:09.259 --> 00:29:10.220
 sound in any

00:29:10.220 --> 00:29:10.699
 language.

00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:14.240
 Saying if you

00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:14.599
 want to have

00:29:14.599 --> 00:29:15.299
 friends, then

00:29:15.299 --> 00:29:17.139
 learn how to

00:29:17.139 --> 00:29:17.959
 remember their

00:29:17.959 --> 00:29:18.379
 names.

00:29:18.380 --> 00:29:20.200
 because people

00:29:20.200 --> 00:29:20.720
 love to hear

00:29:20.720 --> 00:29:21.240
 their name.

00:29:23.300 --> 00:29:24.780
 Because the

00:29:24.780 --> 00:29:25.420
 fact is that

00:29:25.420 --> 00:29:26.240
 for all of us,

00:29:26.280 --> 00:29:26.880
 for every single

00:29:26.880 --> 00:29:27.520
 one of us,

00:29:27.900 --> 00:29:28.480
 there is a

00:29:28.480 --> 00:29:29.560
 longing to be

00:29:29.560 --> 00:29:30.080
 known.

00:29:31.300 --> 00:29:32.200
 We want to be

00:29:32.200 --> 00:29:32.580
 known.

00:29:33.800 --> 00:29:34.560
 It's painful,

00:29:34.740 --> 00:29:35.280
 and no doubt

00:29:35.280 --> 00:29:36.140
 you've experienced

00:29:36.140 --> 00:29:36.660
 this at some

00:29:36.660 --> 00:29:37.060
 time in your

00:29:37.060 --> 00:29:37.700
 life, it's

00:29:37.700 --> 00:29:38.460
 painful when

00:29:38.460 --> 00:29:39.060
 you are

00:29:39.060 --> 00:29:40.660
 ignored or

00:29:40.660 --> 00:29:42.620
 forgotten or

00:29:42.620 --> 00:29:43.220
 left out.

00:29:45.300 --> 00:29:46.240
 Even just to

00:29:46.240 --> 00:29:46.840
 hear their

00:29:46.840 --> 00:29:47.780
 names read out

00:29:47.779 --> 00:29:48.399
 in Paul's

00:29:48.399 --> 00:29:49.399
 epistle would

00:29:49.399 --> 00:29:50.059
 say to these

00:29:50.059 --> 00:29:50.539
 believers,

00:29:51.460 --> 00:29:53.779
 you are

00:29:53.779 --> 00:29:54.099
 known.

00:29:55.240 --> 00:29:55.579
 You are

00:29:55.579 --> 00:29:55.980
 known.

00:29:57.299 --> 00:29:57.839
 But beyond

00:29:57.839 --> 00:29:58.460
 that, consider

00:29:58.460 --> 00:29:59.299
 the designations

00:29:59.299 --> 00:30:00.039
 Paul scatters

00:30:00.039 --> 00:30:00.500
 amongst his

00:30:00.500 --> 00:30:01.399
 greetings.

00:30:02.220 --> 00:30:02.660
 So initially

00:30:02.660 --> 00:30:03.379
 Paul speaks of

00:30:03.379 --> 00:30:03.680
 his own

00:30:03.680 --> 00:30:04.039
 affection.

00:30:04.240 --> 00:30:04.920
 Verse 5,

00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:06.119
 my beloved

00:30:06.119 --> 00:30:06.720
 Eponetus.

00:30:07.519 --> 00:30:08.220
 Verse 8,

00:30:08.759 --> 00:30:09.639
 Ampliatus,

00:30:10.119 --> 00:30:10.779
 my beloved

00:30:10.779 --> 00:30:11.539
 in the Lord.

00:30:12.319 --> 00:30:13.019
 Verse 9,

00:30:13.200 --> 00:30:13.759
 my beloved

00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:14.420
 Stachys.

00:30:14.420 --> 00:30:16.759
 Then that

00:30:16.759 --> 00:30:17.480
 spills over

00:30:17.480 --> 00:30:18.259
 into absolute

00:30:18.259 --> 00:30:18.980
 terms,

00:30:20.100 --> 00:30:20.560
 talking about

00:30:20.560 --> 00:30:22.340
 maybe not so

00:30:22.340 --> 00:30:22.900
 much Paul's

00:30:22.900 --> 00:30:23.500
 affection for

00:30:23.500 --> 00:30:23.740
 them, or

00:30:23.740 --> 00:30:24.160
 that's certainly

00:30:24.160 --> 00:30:24.519
 there in the

00:30:24.519 --> 00:30:24.820
 background,

00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:26.279
 but their

00:30:26.279 --> 00:30:27.000
 status in the

00:30:27.000 --> 00:30:27.779
 eyes of God.

00:30:28.920 --> 00:30:29.420
 Verse 10,

00:30:29.539 --> 00:30:29.960
 greet a

00:30:29.960 --> 00:30:31.480
 Pelus who

00:30:31.480 --> 00:30:32.860
 is approved

00:30:32.860 --> 00:30:33.880
 in Christ.

00:30:36.180 --> 00:30:37.240
 Verse 12,

00:30:38.320 --> 00:30:38.660
 greet the

00:30:38.660 --> 00:30:38.940
 beloved

00:30:38.940 --> 00:30:39.620
 Persis,

00:30:40.039 --> 00:30:40.400
 who has,

00:30:41.100 --> 00:30:42.039
 greet the

00:30:42.039 --> 00:30:42.539
 beloved

00:30:42.539 --> 00:30:43.200
 Persis.

00:30:44.460 --> 00:30:45.339
 Verse 13,

00:30:46.099 --> 00:30:46.980
 greet Rufus,

00:30:47.940 --> 00:30:49.460
 chosen in

00:30:49.460 --> 00:30:50.019
 the Lord.

00:30:52.259 --> 00:30:52.859
 Despised

00:30:52.859 --> 00:30:53.480
 by men,

00:30:53.740 --> 00:30:54.339
 but approved

00:30:54.339 --> 00:30:55.099
 in Christ.

00:30:56.099 --> 00:30:56.639
 Hated by

00:30:56.639 --> 00:30:57.180
 the Emperor,

00:30:57.680 --> 00:30:58.240
 but loved

00:30:58.240 --> 00:30:58.960
 by God.

00:30:59.940 --> 00:31:00.420
 Forgotten

00:31:00.420 --> 00:31:00.680
 in the

00:31:00.680 --> 00:31:01.139
 world,

00:31:01.659 --> 00:31:02.500
 but chosen

00:31:02.500 --> 00:31:03.519
 in the

00:31:03.519 --> 00:31:03.899
 Lord.

00:31:06.200 --> 00:31:06.720
 Now,

00:31:06.759 --> 00:31:07.259
 if Paul were

00:31:07.259 --> 00:31:07.940
 writing to

00:31:07.940 --> 00:31:08.240
 Grace

00:31:08.240 --> 00:31:08.920
 Evangelical

00:31:08.920 --> 00:31:09.680
 Church today,

00:31:10.379 --> 00:31:10.680
 he would

00:31:10.680 --> 00:31:11.059
 no doubt

00:31:11.059 --> 00:31:11.639
 say similar

00:31:11.639 --> 00:31:12.099
 things to

00:31:12.099 --> 00:31:12.399
 us.

00:31:12.539 --> 00:31:15.359
 Because this

00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:15.599
 is the

00:31:15.599 --> 00:31:15.960
 heart of

00:31:15.960 --> 00:31:16.299
 God.

00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:18.039
 This is

00:31:18.039 --> 00:31:18.619
 how God

00:31:18.619 --> 00:31:19.480
 sees us.

00:31:21.180 --> 00:31:21.519
 Isaiah

00:31:21.519 --> 00:31:22.000
 43,

00:31:22.159 --> 00:31:22.659
 verse 1,

00:31:22.740 --> 00:31:23.059
 but now

00:31:23.059 --> 00:31:24.139
 thus says

00:31:24.139 --> 00:31:24.619
 the Lord,

00:31:24.859 --> 00:31:25.920
 he who

00:31:25.920 --> 00:31:26.480
 created you,

00:31:26.559 --> 00:31:26.940
 O Jacob,

00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:27.619
 he who

00:31:27.619 --> 00:31:28.119
 formed you,

00:31:28.159 --> 00:31:28.659
 O Israel,

00:31:29.240 --> 00:31:29.940
 fear not,

00:31:30.039 --> 00:31:30.659
 for I have

00:31:30.659 --> 00:31:31.440
 redeemed you,

00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:32.559
 I have

00:31:32.559 --> 00:31:33.359
 called you

00:31:33.359 --> 00:31:34.319
 by name,

00:31:35.879 --> 00:31:36.279
 you are

00:31:36.279 --> 00:31:36.720
 mine.

00:31:39.139 --> 00:31:39.659
 Or

00:31:39.659 --> 00:31:40.019
 Revelation

00:31:40.019 --> 00:31:40.379
 3,

00:31:40.460 --> 00:31:40.960
 verse 5,

00:31:40.960 --> 00:31:41.340
 Jesus

00:31:41.340 --> 00:31:41.880
 says,

00:31:43.680 --> 00:31:44.480
 Revelation

00:31:44.480 --> 00:31:44.860
 3,

00:31:44.920 --> 00:31:45.380
 verse 5,

00:31:45.460 --> 00:31:45.819
 the one

00:31:45.819 --> 00:31:46.720
 who conquers

00:31:46.720 --> 00:31:47.420
 will be

00:31:47.420 --> 00:31:48.380
 clothed thus

00:31:48.380 --> 00:31:48.940
 in white

00:31:48.940 --> 00:31:49.420
 garments,

00:31:50.420 --> 00:31:51.180
 and I

00:31:51.180 --> 00:31:51.920
 will never

00:31:51.920 --> 00:31:52.840
 blot his

00:31:52.840 --> 00:31:53.660
 name out

00:31:53.660 --> 00:31:53.900
 of the

00:31:53.900 --> 00:31:54.220
 book of

00:31:54.220 --> 00:31:54.620
 life.

00:31:55.620 --> 00:31:56.480
 I will

00:31:56.480 --> 00:31:57.519
 confess his

00:31:57.519 --> 00:31:59.299
 name before

00:31:59.299 --> 00:32:00.000
 my father

00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:00.620
 and before

00:32:00.620 --> 00:32:01.220
 his angels.

00:32:01.220 --> 00:32:05.259
 Christ saves

00:32:05.259 --> 00:32:05.600
 us,

00:32:05.839 --> 00:32:06.279
 Christ has

00:32:06.279 --> 00:32:06.960
 redeemed us

00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:07.680
 to be part

00:32:07.680 --> 00:32:08.279
 of a great

00:32:08.279 --> 00:32:08.600
 people,

00:32:08.700 --> 00:32:09.079
 a great

00:32:09.079 --> 00:32:09.539
 multitude,

00:32:10.440 --> 00:32:11.759
 but not

00:32:11.759 --> 00:32:12.299
 in such a

00:32:12.299 --> 00:32:12.740
 way that

00:32:12.740 --> 00:32:14.440
 you individually

00:32:14.440 --> 00:32:15.240
 disappear

00:32:15.240 --> 00:32:16.460
 into the

00:32:16.460 --> 00:32:17.539
 mass of

00:32:17.539 --> 00:32:17.900
 the great

00:32:17.900 --> 00:32:18.480
 unwashed.

00:32:19.640 --> 00:32:20.079
 No,

00:32:20.779 --> 00:32:21.400
 you,

00:32:21.900 --> 00:32:23.079
 you

00:32:23.079 --> 00:32:23.839
 yourself

00:32:23.839 --> 00:32:24.600
 are known

00:32:24.600 --> 00:32:25.360
 by name,

00:32:27.019 --> 00:32:27.620
 clothed in

00:32:27.620 --> 00:32:28.000
 white,

00:32:29.220 --> 00:32:29.900
 loved and

00:32:29.900 --> 00:32:30.480
 honoured by

00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:30.920
 God.

00:32:32.280 --> 00:32:33.100
 And you

00:32:33.100 --> 00:32:33.860
 will hear

00:32:33.860 --> 00:32:34.860
 your saviour

00:32:34.860 --> 00:32:35.640
 say your

00:32:35.640 --> 00:32:36.080
 name.

00:32:38.080 --> 00:32:38.900
 For those

00:32:38.900 --> 00:32:39.600
 marginal in

00:32:39.600 --> 00:32:40.220
 the world

00:32:40.220 --> 00:32:41.460
 are precious

00:32:41.460 --> 00:32:42.600
 and esteemed

00:32:42.600 --> 00:32:43.340
 in the

00:32:43.340 --> 00:32:44.200
 sight of

00:32:44.200 --> 00:32:44.620
 God.

00:32:46.080 --> 00:32:46.880
 To this

00:32:46.880 --> 00:32:47.240
 marginal

00:32:47.240 --> 00:32:47.740
 community,

00:32:47.900 --> 00:32:48.400
 Paul's greeting

00:32:48.400 --> 00:32:48.900
 says,

00:32:49.700 --> 00:32:50.240
 you are

00:32:50.240 --> 00:32:51.840
 known and

00:32:51.840 --> 00:32:52.160
 you are

00:32:52.160 --> 00:32:52.500
 loved.

00:32:52.500 --> 00:32:55.400
 God

00:32:55.400 --> 00:32:56.319
 is

00:32:56.319 --> 00:32:56.599
 a third

00:32:56.599 --> 00:32:56.900
 thing the

00:32:56.900 --> 00:32:57.519
 greetings in

00:32:57.519 --> 00:32:58.500
 Romans 16

00:32:58.500 --> 00:32:59.019
 reveal about

00:32:59.019 --> 00:32:59.440
 the Christian

00:32:59.440 --> 00:33:00.900
 community in

00:33:00.900 --> 00:33:01.380
 the city and

00:33:01.380 --> 00:33:01.839
 that is that

00:33:01.839 --> 00:33:02.339
 it was

00:33:02.339 --> 00:33:03.680
 fragmented.

00:33:05.559 --> 00:33:05.859
 Now what

00:33:05.859 --> 00:33:06.019
 do you

00:33:06.019 --> 00:33:06.599
 picture when

00:33:06.599 --> 00:33:07.119
 Paul's letter

00:33:07.119 --> 00:33:07.700
 arrived in

00:33:07.700 --> 00:33:08.099
 Rome?

00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:09.720
 Phoebe,

00:33:09.859 --> 00:33:10.180
 it seems,

00:33:10.299 --> 00:33:10.720
 mentioned in

00:33:10.720 --> 00:33:11.359
 verses 1 and

00:33:11.359 --> 00:33:13.220
 2 from the

00:33:13.220 --> 00:33:13.720
 vicinity of

00:33:13.720 --> 00:33:14.019
 Corinth,

00:33:14.119 --> 00:33:14.640
 she seems like

00:33:14.640 --> 00:33:15.259
 she's delivering

00:33:15.259 --> 00:33:15.480
 it.

00:33:15.680 --> 00:33:16.039
 What do you

00:33:16.039 --> 00:33:16.660
 picture taking

00:33:16.660 --> 00:33:17.200
 place there?

00:33:17.299 --> 00:33:17.819
 Phoebe brings

00:33:17.819 --> 00:33:18.140
 the letter.

00:33:18.339 --> 00:33:18.539
 Do you

00:33:18.539 --> 00:33:18.920
 picture a

00:33:18.920 --> 00:33:19.619
 large crowd

00:33:19.619 --> 00:33:20.460
 gathered like

00:33:20.460 --> 00:33:20.980
 this in

00:33:20.980 --> 00:33:21.619
 one place in

00:33:21.619 --> 00:33:22.359
 an auditorium?

00:33:23.119 --> 00:33:23.720
 Listening as

00:33:23.720 --> 00:33:24.000
 the letter

00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:24.380
 was read

00:33:24.380 --> 00:33:24.660
 out?

00:33:25.880 --> 00:33:26.480
 Well that

00:33:26.480 --> 00:33:26.920
 wasn't the

00:33:26.920 --> 00:33:27.460
 reality in

00:33:27.460 --> 00:33:27.740
 Rome.

00:33:29.099 --> 00:33:29.900
 The greetings

00:33:29.900 --> 00:33:31.599
 in Romans 16

00:33:31.599 --> 00:33:32.440
 indicate that

00:33:32.440 --> 00:33:32.880
 the Christian

00:33:32.880 --> 00:33:33.500
 community there

00:33:33.500 --> 00:33:34.400
 was dispersed

00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:35.980
 into several

00:33:35.980 --> 00:33:37.039
 different clusters

00:33:37.039 --> 00:33:37.960
 and groupings.

00:33:38.220 --> 00:33:38.640
 It's hard to

00:33:38.640 --> 00:33:39.079
 know exactly

00:33:39.079 --> 00:33:39.559
 how many,

00:33:40.420 --> 00:33:40.960
 but if we go

00:33:40.960 --> 00:33:41.680
 to the next

00:33:41.680 --> 00:33:42.039
 table,

00:33:42.319 --> 00:33:42.500
 thanks.

00:33:43.799 --> 00:33:44.319
 Oh yeah,

00:33:44.380 --> 00:33:44.619
 there we go,

00:33:44.700 --> 00:33:45.319
 thanks Sean.

00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:47.559
 In verse 5

00:33:47.559 --> 00:33:47.960
 there's mention

00:33:47.960 --> 00:33:48.619
 of the church

00:33:48.619 --> 00:33:49.420
 in the house

00:33:49.420 --> 00:33:49.960
 of Prisca

00:33:49.960 --> 00:33:50.400
 and Aquila.

00:33:50.900 --> 00:33:51.539
 Now so their

00:33:51.539 --> 00:33:52.160
 house is probably

00:33:52.160 --> 00:33:52.580
 a Roman

00:33:52.580 --> 00:33:53.200
 villa so it

00:33:53.200 --> 00:33:54.320
 might have

00:33:54.320 --> 00:33:54.920
 an atrium

00:33:54.920 --> 00:33:55.740
 like a hall,

00:33:56.500 --> 00:33:57.360
 a foyer sort

00:33:57.360 --> 00:33:57.840
 of hall area

00:33:57.840 --> 00:33:58.200
 that could

00:33:58.200 --> 00:33:58.620
 accommodate

00:33:58.620 --> 00:33:59.259
 maybe 20

00:33:59.259 --> 00:33:59.620
 to 50

00:33:59.620 --> 00:34:00.340
 people depending

00:34:00.340 --> 00:34:00.680
 on how

00:34:00.680 --> 00:34:01.060
 large it

00:34:01.060 --> 00:34:01.320
 was.

00:34:02.060 --> 00:34:02.779
 So you've

00:34:02.779 --> 00:34:03.279
 got a house

00:34:03.279 --> 00:34:03.800
 church in

00:34:03.800 --> 00:34:04.060
 that sort

00:34:04.060 --> 00:34:04.519
 of traditional

00:34:04.519 --> 00:34:05.160
 house church

00:34:05.160 --> 00:34:05.519
 model.

00:34:06.740 --> 00:34:07.540
 Interestingly that

00:34:07.540 --> 00:34:07.880
 verse,

00:34:08.000 --> 00:34:08.539
 Romans 16

00:34:08.539 --> 00:34:08.840
 verse 5,

00:34:08.940 --> 00:34:09.400
 is the only

00:34:09.400 --> 00:34:11.260
 time the word

00:34:11.260 --> 00:34:12.740
 church is

00:34:12.740 --> 00:34:14.099
 used of the

00:34:14.099 --> 00:34:15.320
 Roman Christian

00:34:15.320 --> 00:34:16.880
 community in

00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:17.619
 the letter of

00:34:17.619 --> 00:34:17.980
 Romans.

00:34:17.980 --> 00:34:18.980
 Christians

00:34:18.980 --> 00:34:19.500
 because they

00:34:19.500 --> 00:34:20.219
 weren't a

00:34:20.219 --> 00:34:21.039
 single church,

00:34:21.099 --> 00:34:21.480
 a single

00:34:21.480 --> 00:34:21.840
 gathering,

00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:22.159
 the word

00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:22.559
 church means

00:34:22.559 --> 00:34:22.960
 gathering,

00:34:23.300 --> 00:34:23.860
 there was one

00:34:23.860 --> 00:34:25.360
 gathering in

00:34:25.360 --> 00:34:26.820
 Prisca and

00:34:26.820 --> 00:34:27.480
 Aquila's house.

00:34:29.019 --> 00:34:29.679
 There are other

00:34:29.679 --> 00:34:30.199
 groups though,

00:34:30.320 --> 00:34:30.820
 verse 10 and

00:34:30.820 --> 00:34:31.400
 11 as we've

00:34:31.400 --> 00:34:31.960
 seen mentioned

00:34:31.960 --> 00:34:32.539
 those who

00:34:32.539 --> 00:34:33.179
 belong to the

00:34:33.179 --> 00:34:33.639
 family of

00:34:33.639 --> 00:34:34.380
 Aristobulus or

00:34:34.380 --> 00:34:35.039
 the household and

00:34:35.039 --> 00:34:35.380
 those who

00:34:35.380 --> 00:34:35.880
 belong to the

00:34:35.880 --> 00:34:36.340
 household of

00:34:36.340 --> 00:34:36.980
 Narcissus.

00:34:38.360 --> 00:34:39.420
 In those two

00:34:39.420 --> 00:34:40.219
 groupings the

00:34:40.219 --> 00:34:40.780
 householder

00:34:40.780 --> 00:34:41.179
 himself,

00:34:41.960 --> 00:34:42.440
 the head of

00:34:42.440 --> 00:34:43.099
 the house was

00:34:43.099 --> 00:34:44.019
 not, it

00:34:44.019 --> 00:34:44.360
 seems, a

00:34:44.360 --> 00:34:44.660
 Christian.

00:34:45.559 --> 00:34:45.960
 So where

00:34:45.960 --> 00:34:46.300
 did they

00:34:46.300 --> 00:34:46.620
 meet?

00:34:47.720 --> 00:34:48.519
 Did they just

00:34:48.519 --> 00:34:49.300
 kind of gather

00:34:49.300 --> 00:34:49.780
 where they

00:34:49.780 --> 00:34:50.360
 could, when

00:34:50.360 --> 00:34:52.039
 they could, in

00:34:52.039 --> 00:34:52.599
 those little

00:34:52.599 --> 00:34:53.680
 household groupings,

00:34:54.539 --> 00:34:55.599
 a few slaves, a

00:34:55.599 --> 00:34:56.320
 few servants in

00:34:56.320 --> 00:34:56.900
 each place?

00:34:58.340 --> 00:34:59.059
 There are two

00:34:59.059 --> 00:34:59.860
 other clusters of

00:34:59.860 --> 00:35:00.440
 believers in

00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:01.140
 verse 14 and

00:35:01.140 --> 00:35:01.780
 15, look at

00:35:01.780 --> 00:35:02.440
 verse 14 and

00:35:02.440 --> 00:35:03.780
 15, greet

00:35:03.780 --> 00:35:04.539
 Asyncretus,

00:35:04.720 --> 00:35:05.700
 Phlegon, Hermes,

00:35:05.820 --> 00:35:06.860
 Patrobus, Hermas

00:35:06.860 --> 00:35:08.180
 and the brothers

00:35:08.180 --> 00:35:08.720
 who are with

00:35:08.720 --> 00:35:09.039
 them.

00:35:10.579 --> 00:35:11.380
 Then verse 15,

00:35:11.460 --> 00:35:12.340
 greet Philologus,

00:35:12.480 --> 00:35:13.599
 Julian, Nereus and

00:35:13.599 --> 00:35:14.160
 his sister,

00:35:14.360 --> 00:35:15.460
 Olympus and

00:35:15.460 --> 00:35:16.140
 all the saints

00:35:16.140 --> 00:35:16.620
 who are with

00:35:16.620 --> 00:35:16.920
 them.

00:35:17.920 --> 00:35:18.440
 These groups

00:35:18.440 --> 00:35:19.120
 perhaps met in

00:35:19.120 --> 00:35:20.120
 apartment blocks or

00:35:20.120 --> 00:35:21.000
 workshops in the

00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:21.840
 poorer districts of

00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:23.420
 Rome with a

00:35:23.420 --> 00:35:24.180
 capacity of maybe

00:35:24.180 --> 00:35:24.960
 10 to 15

00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:25.360
 people.

00:35:27.559 --> 00:35:28.260
 Then there are

00:35:28.260 --> 00:35:28.980
 another 14

00:35:28.980 --> 00:35:29.539
 mentioned in

00:35:29.539 --> 00:35:30.099
 Paul's greetings

00:35:30.099 --> 00:35:30.579
 who aren't

00:35:30.579 --> 00:35:31.300
 assigned to any

00:35:31.300 --> 00:35:32.340
 identifiable group.

00:35:32.960 --> 00:35:33.539
 We can't be

00:35:33.539 --> 00:35:34.099
 sure how they

00:35:34.099 --> 00:35:34.620
 were connected.

00:35:35.240 --> 00:35:35.780
 Did they link

00:35:35.780 --> 00:35:36.260
 up with some

00:35:36.260 --> 00:35:36.780
 of those other

00:35:36.780 --> 00:35:38.000
 five or so

00:35:38.000 --> 00:35:38.500
 groups?

00:35:39.180 --> 00:35:39.559
 Were there

00:35:39.559 --> 00:35:39.880
 some other

00:35:39.880 --> 00:35:40.680
 groups and

00:35:40.680 --> 00:35:41.280
 clusters and

00:35:41.280 --> 00:35:42.200
 cell groups that

00:35:42.200 --> 00:35:42.740
 Paul doesn't

00:35:42.740 --> 00:35:43.120
 mention?

00:35:43.119 --> 00:35:44.319
 Some may

00:35:44.319 --> 00:35:44.559
 have been

00:35:44.559 --> 00:35:45.119
 isolated.

00:35:45.500 --> 00:35:45.920
 Whatever the

00:35:45.920 --> 00:35:46.239
 case, we

00:35:46.239 --> 00:35:47.299
 can't press the

00:35:47.299 --> 00:35:48.699
 details but we

00:35:48.699 --> 00:35:49.199
 get the

00:35:49.199 --> 00:35:51.179
 impression that

00:35:51.179 --> 00:35:52.400
 the Christian

00:35:52.400 --> 00:35:52.900
 community in

00:35:52.900 --> 00:35:53.259
 Rome was

00:35:53.259 --> 00:35:54.179
 somewhat fragmented

00:35:54.179 --> 00:35:55.179
 in terms of

00:35:55.179 --> 00:35:56.099
 their gatherings.

00:35:56.099 --> 00:36:03.299
 to this fragmented

00:36:03.299 --> 00:36:04.259
 community, Paul's

00:36:04.259 --> 00:36:05.059
 greetings say,

00:36:06.299 --> 00:36:06.980
 remember one

00:36:06.980 --> 00:36:07.339
 another.

00:36:08.500 --> 00:36:09.079
 Remember one

00:36:09.079 --> 00:36:09.420
 another.

00:36:10.679 --> 00:36:11.079
 Now in this

00:36:11.079 --> 00:36:11.719
 chapter, Paul's

00:36:11.719 --> 00:36:12.299
 extending his

00:36:12.299 --> 00:36:13.339
 personal greetings

00:36:13.339 --> 00:36:14.619
 to people he

00:36:14.619 --> 00:36:15.360
 knows in Rome

00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:16.179
 and to others

00:36:16.179 --> 00:36:17.960
 but grammatically

00:36:17.960 --> 00:36:19.980
 he uses second

00:36:19.980 --> 00:36:20.860
 person plural

00:36:20.860 --> 00:36:21.559
 imperatives.

00:36:21.739 --> 00:36:22.420
 What that means is

00:36:22.420 --> 00:36:22.980
 that they're

00:36:22.980 --> 00:36:24.279
 basically exhortations

00:36:24.279 --> 00:36:24.880
 addressed to

00:36:24.880 --> 00:36:25.260
 everyone.

00:36:26.460 --> 00:36:27.579
 When Paul says

00:36:27.579 --> 00:36:28.420
 greet Prisca and

00:36:28.420 --> 00:36:29.059
 Aquila and the

00:36:29.059 --> 00:36:29.579
 church in their

00:36:29.579 --> 00:36:30.119
 house, he's

00:36:30.119 --> 00:36:31.220
 saying you

00:36:31.220 --> 00:36:33.140
 all greet

00:36:33.140 --> 00:36:33.660
 Prisca and

00:36:33.660 --> 00:36:34.539
 Aquila and the

00:36:34.539 --> 00:36:35.180
 church in their

00:36:35.180 --> 00:36:35.619
 house.

00:36:36.460 --> 00:36:38.119
 You all greet

00:36:38.119 --> 00:36:38.720
 my beloved

00:36:38.720 --> 00:36:39.220
 Eponetus.

00:36:39.599 --> 00:36:40.740
 You all greet

00:36:40.740 --> 00:36:41.599
 Mary who worked

00:36:41.599 --> 00:36:42.400
 hard for you

00:36:42.400 --> 00:36:43.160
 and so on.

00:36:44.860 --> 00:36:46.019
 After all, Paul

00:36:46.019 --> 00:36:46.640
 isn't there

00:36:46.640 --> 00:36:48.820
 himself in

00:36:48.820 --> 00:36:49.760
 person to pass

00:36:49.760 --> 00:36:50.079
 on his

00:36:50.079 --> 00:36:50.420
 greetings.

00:36:50.420 --> 00:36:51.599
 greetings, he

00:36:51.599 --> 00:36:52.159
 needs the

00:36:52.159 --> 00:36:52.880
 Roman believers

00:36:52.880 --> 00:36:53.780
 to do it for

00:36:53.780 --> 00:36:56.500
 him and he

00:36:56.500 --> 00:36:58.079
 involves them

00:36:58.079 --> 00:36:58.559
 in it.

00:36:59.920 --> 00:37:01.079
 He involves

00:37:01.079 --> 00:37:01.659
 them in

00:37:01.659 --> 00:37:02.360
 greeting one

00:37:02.360 --> 00:37:02.700
 another.

00:37:03.099 --> 00:37:03.659
 Greet, greet,

00:37:03.800 --> 00:37:03.960
 greet.

00:37:04.059 --> 00:37:04.559
 On and on it

00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:05.420
 goes until we

00:37:05.420 --> 00:37:06.059
 finally reach

00:37:06.059 --> 00:37:06.900
 verse 16.

00:37:07.599 --> 00:37:08.159
 Greet one

00:37:08.159 --> 00:37:09.840
 another with a

00:37:09.840 --> 00:37:10.559
 holy kiss.

00:37:12.139 --> 00:37:12.820
 There's a

00:37:12.820 --> 00:37:13.420
 cultural element

00:37:13.420 --> 00:37:13.760
 here.

00:37:13.920 --> 00:37:15.480
 Kissing is still

00:37:15.480 --> 00:37:16.760
 today used as a

00:37:16.760 --> 00:37:17.800
 common greeting in

00:37:17.800 --> 00:37:18.720
 the Mediterranean.

00:37:20.780 --> 00:37:21.480
 But at least in

00:37:21.480 --> 00:37:21.900
 the second

00:37:21.900 --> 00:37:25.260
 century, by at

00:37:25.260 --> 00:37:25.740
 least the second

00:37:25.740 --> 00:37:26.400
 century, greeting

00:37:26.400 --> 00:37:26.900
 with a holy

00:37:26.900 --> 00:37:27.880
 kiss was actually

00:37:27.880 --> 00:37:29.240
 incorporated in

00:37:29.240 --> 00:37:30.060
 church liturgy.

00:37:31.600 --> 00:37:32.240
 People would

00:37:32.240 --> 00:37:32.860
 kiss one another

00:37:32.860 --> 00:37:33.620
 during the church

00:37:33.620 --> 00:37:34.740
 service and say

00:37:34.740 --> 00:37:35.519
 peace be with

00:37:35.519 --> 00:37:35.740
 you.

00:37:37.680 --> 00:37:38.360
 It was an

00:37:38.360 --> 00:37:38.880
 expression of

00:37:38.880 --> 00:37:39.640
 love and unity.

00:37:41.019 --> 00:37:41.800
 Whether or not

00:37:41.800 --> 00:37:43.320
 Paul envisaged it

00:37:43.320 --> 00:37:44.340
 being included in

00:37:44.340 --> 00:37:45.080
 church liturgy,

00:37:45.700 --> 00:37:46.220
 maybe we could

00:37:46.220 --> 00:37:46.660
 bring that in

00:37:46.660 --> 00:37:46.920
 here.

00:37:46.920 --> 00:37:48.880
 But whether or

00:37:48.880 --> 00:37:50.440
 not Paul envisaged

00:37:50.440 --> 00:37:52.659
 that, he wanted

00:37:52.659 --> 00:37:53.619
 the believers in

00:37:53.619 --> 00:37:55.400
 Rome to remember

00:37:55.400 --> 00:37:56.639
 one another and

00:37:56.639 --> 00:37:57.380
 to welcome one

00:37:57.380 --> 00:37:58.079
 another even

00:37:58.079 --> 00:37:59.099
 though they were

00:37:59.099 --> 00:37:59.920
 fragmented into

00:37:59.920 --> 00:38:00.539
 these different

00:38:00.539 --> 00:38:01.180
 groupings.

00:38:03.059 --> 00:38:03.599
 Their physical

00:38:03.599 --> 00:38:04.700
 fragmentation and

00:38:04.700 --> 00:38:05.579
 dispersal throughout

00:38:05.579 --> 00:38:06.500
 the city must not

00:38:06.500 --> 00:38:07.920
 be a barrier to

00:38:07.920 --> 00:38:08.900
 the deeper unity

00:38:08.900 --> 00:38:10.340
 and love of the

00:38:10.340 --> 00:38:10.680
 spirit.

00:38:12.059 --> 00:38:12.800
 And so Paul says

00:38:12.800 --> 00:38:13.420
 remember one

00:38:13.420 --> 00:38:14.760
 another, greet

00:38:14.760 --> 00:38:15.900
 one another with a

00:38:15.900 --> 00:38:16.500
 holy kiss.

00:38:17.760 --> 00:38:18.700
 Let's think this

00:38:18.700 --> 00:38:19.660
 into our context.

00:38:21.740 --> 00:38:22.720
 First question for

00:38:22.720 --> 00:38:23.240
 you to consider.

00:38:25.160 --> 00:38:26.260
 Is there anyone

00:38:26.260 --> 00:38:27.360
 in this gathering

00:38:27.360 --> 00:38:29.599
 here whom you

00:38:29.599 --> 00:38:30.579
 cannot greet with

00:38:30.579 --> 00:38:31.260
 a holy kiss?

00:38:33.980 --> 00:38:34.900
 That is, is there

00:38:34.900 --> 00:38:35.660
 anyone here whom

00:38:35.660 --> 00:38:36.639
 you cannot warmly

00:38:36.639 --> 00:38:37.880
 embrace or

00:38:37.880 --> 00:38:39.280
 handshake or look

00:38:39.280 --> 00:38:39.880
 in the eye?

00:38:39.880 --> 00:38:42.660
 anyone to whom your

00:38:42.660 --> 00:38:44.579
 body language doesn't

00:38:44.579 --> 00:38:46.400
 communicate, I'm glad

00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:48.320
 you're here, I

00:38:48.320 --> 00:38:50.440
 welcome you, but

00:38:50.440 --> 00:38:52.220
 rather I don't know

00:38:52.220 --> 00:38:52.500
 you.

00:38:55.840 --> 00:38:57.260
 If that's the case,

00:38:58.340 --> 00:38:58.980
 can I suggest

00:38:58.980 --> 00:39:02.079
 first acknowledge the

00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:02.900
 sadness of that

00:39:02.900 --> 00:39:03.460
 situation?

00:39:03.460 --> 00:39:05.720
 that's not the way

00:39:05.720 --> 00:39:06.579
 God intends it to

00:39:06.579 --> 00:39:06.800
 be.

00:39:09.300 --> 00:39:10.220
 Secondly, consider

00:39:10.220 --> 00:39:12.519
 what might it take

00:39:12.519 --> 00:39:13.320
 to move from

00:39:13.320 --> 00:39:14.380
 avoiding that other

00:39:14.380 --> 00:39:16.240
 person to greeting

00:39:16.240 --> 00:39:16.800
 them with a holy

00:39:16.800 --> 00:39:17.199
 kiss?

00:39:17.380 --> 00:39:18.019
 What would it take?

00:39:18.099 --> 00:39:18.599
 Try and imagine,

00:39:18.720 --> 00:39:19.380
 what would it take?

00:39:21.820 --> 00:39:22.960
 It may need to start

00:39:22.960 --> 00:39:23.679
 in your heart.

00:39:24.720 --> 00:39:25.599
 What needs to happen

00:39:25.599 --> 00:39:26.300
 in your heart for

00:39:26.300 --> 00:39:27.400
 affection for that

00:39:27.400 --> 00:39:28.300
 other person or other

00:39:28.300 --> 00:39:29.000
 people to grow?

00:39:29.000 --> 00:39:31.900
 Perhaps there are

00:39:31.900 --> 00:39:32.440
 grievances.

00:39:32.559 --> 00:39:33.400
 Are there grievances?

00:39:33.599 --> 00:39:34.099
 Well, if there are

00:39:34.099 --> 00:39:36.039
 grievances, the Bible

00:39:36.039 --> 00:39:36.840
 kind of gives you two

00:39:36.840 --> 00:39:37.340
 options.

00:39:38.940 --> 00:39:40.460
 Just bear with them,

00:39:40.579 --> 00:39:41.159
 forgive them,

00:39:42.579 --> 00:39:43.280
 overlook them,

00:39:44.280 --> 00:39:45.639
 or address them.

00:39:46.800 --> 00:39:47.559
 They're both biblical

00:39:47.559 --> 00:39:48.559
 responses depending on

00:39:48.559 --> 00:39:49.059
 the nature of the

00:39:49.059 --> 00:39:49.599
 grievance.

00:39:50.739 --> 00:39:51.980
 But holding onto a

00:39:51.980 --> 00:39:53.119
 grievance, nurturing

00:39:53.119 --> 00:39:54.340
 it, letting it fester,

00:39:55.000 --> 00:39:56.159
 that doesn't build the

00:39:56.159 --> 00:39:57.139
 unity of love that the

00:39:57.139 --> 00:39:57.940
 spirit desires.

00:39:59.000 --> 00:40:00.860
 So if there are

00:40:00.860 --> 00:40:01.659
 people here you're

00:40:01.659 --> 00:40:02.360
 struggling to greet

00:40:02.360 --> 00:40:03.260
 with a holy kiss,

00:40:04.260 --> 00:40:05.280
 just try and imagine

00:40:05.280 --> 00:40:08.320
 what steps might help

00:40:08.320 --> 00:40:10.000
 you get there to be

00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:11.139
 able to express genuine

00:40:11.139 --> 00:40:12.000
 affection and warmth

00:40:12.000 --> 00:40:12.739
 for that other person.

00:40:15.539 --> 00:40:16.679
 Second question for us

00:40:16.679 --> 00:40:18.039
 as a whole, are we

00:40:18.039 --> 00:40:20.679
 ready to greet one

00:40:20.679 --> 00:40:21.500
 another with a holy

00:40:21.500 --> 00:40:23.219
 kiss in the fragmented

00:40:23.219 --> 00:40:25.139
 Christian community in

00:40:25.139 --> 00:40:26.199
 Newcastle and the

00:40:26.199 --> 00:40:26.440
 Hunter?

00:40:26.440 --> 00:40:29.679
 What would that mean?

00:40:30.679 --> 00:40:31.200
 Well, that means

00:40:31.200 --> 00:40:32.280
 looking for and

00:40:32.280 --> 00:40:34.139
 rejoicing in faith in

00:40:34.139 --> 00:40:35.539
 Christ wherever we

00:40:35.539 --> 00:40:37.260
 find it, even when it

00:40:37.260 --> 00:40:37.840
 sits alongside

00:40:37.840 --> 00:40:38.880
 disagreement on

00:40:38.880 --> 00:40:39.740
 secondary things.

00:40:41.740 --> 00:40:43.380
 It matters to God that

00:40:43.380 --> 00:40:44.679
 we can greet with a holy

00:40:44.679 --> 00:40:46.400
 kiss believers from

00:40:46.400 --> 00:40:47.079
 other churches.

00:40:49.079 --> 00:40:50.740
 God's family includes

00:40:50.740 --> 00:40:51.820
 all of its fragmented

00:40:51.820 --> 00:40:52.380
 parts.

00:40:52.380 --> 00:40:54.079
 grace and everyone

00:40:54.079 --> 00:40:55.480
 who trusts in Christ

00:40:55.480 --> 00:40:56.720
 is my brother or

00:40:56.720 --> 00:40:57.039
 sister.

00:40:59.920 --> 00:41:02.260
 Of course, for

00:41:02.260 --> 00:41:04.160
 Rome, their unity

00:41:04.160 --> 00:41:05.800
 extended far beyond the

00:41:05.800 --> 00:41:07.519
 walls of the city, just

00:41:07.519 --> 00:41:08.720
 as our unity in Christ

00:41:08.720 --> 00:41:10.340
 extends far beyond the

00:41:10.340 --> 00:41:11.079
 New England highway.

00:41:13.280 --> 00:41:14.500
 Verse 16, look at the

00:41:14.500 --> 00:41:15.400
 end of verse 16.

00:41:15.780 --> 00:41:16.860
 After saying, greet one

00:41:16.860 --> 00:41:18.000
 another with a holy

00:41:18.000 --> 00:41:21.000
 kiss, Paul says, all

00:41:21.000 --> 00:41:21.960
 the churches of

00:41:21.960 --> 00:41:24.200
 Christ greet you.

00:41:27.019 --> 00:41:28.599
 There's a wider family

00:41:28.599 --> 00:41:29.840
 of God, Paul says, all

00:41:29.840 --> 00:41:30.599
 the churches of

00:41:30.599 --> 00:41:33.160
 Christ, which extends

00:41:33.160 --> 00:41:34.300
 its greetings to this

00:41:34.300 --> 00:41:35.500
 mixed, marginal,

00:41:35.720 --> 00:41:36.960
 fragmented community in

00:41:36.960 --> 00:41:37.860
 Rome and to which they

00:41:37.860 --> 00:41:38.280
 were linked.

00:41:39.680 --> 00:41:41.500
 Now, what do we make of

00:41:41.500 --> 00:41:42.740
 words, Paul's words here

00:41:42.740 --> 00:41:43.420
 in the second half of

00:41:43.420 --> 00:41:43.920
 verse 16?

00:41:44.000 --> 00:41:44.559
 Are they a mere

00:41:44.559 --> 00:41:45.120
 platitude?

00:41:45.839 --> 00:41:46.619
 Is Paul just making

00:41:46.619 --> 00:41:47.000
 that up?

00:41:47.059 --> 00:41:47.759
 I mean, how can Paul

00:41:47.759 --> 00:41:50.319
 say, all the churches

00:41:50.319 --> 00:41:51.319
 of Christ greet you?

00:41:52.980 --> 00:41:54.139
 No doubt there's some

00:41:54.139 --> 00:41:57.480
 hyperbole, but actually,

00:41:59.239 --> 00:42:00.859
 as Paul, when Paul wrote

00:42:00.859 --> 00:42:02.859
 this letter, as he

00:42:02.859 --> 00:42:05.219
 laboured on this letter

00:42:05.219 --> 00:42:06.440
 in the city of Corinth,

00:42:07.799 --> 00:42:08.799
 with the help of

00:42:08.799 --> 00:42:10.000
 Tertius the scribe, he

00:42:10.000 --> 00:42:11.059
 mentions in verse 22,

00:42:11.059 --> 00:42:14.500
 at that time there were

00:42:14.500 --> 00:42:15.579
 gathered in Corinth

00:42:15.579 --> 00:42:17.639
 representatives from all

00:42:17.639 --> 00:42:18.799
 the regions where Paul

00:42:18.799 --> 00:42:19.799
 had planted churches.

00:42:20.759 --> 00:42:21.840
 You can read about it in

00:42:21.840 --> 00:42:23.679
 Acts chapter 20 and

00:42:23.679 --> 00:42:24.940
 observe some overlap even

00:42:24.940 --> 00:42:25.599
 with names that are

00:42:25.599 --> 00:42:26.500
 mentioned in this chapter.

00:42:27.599 --> 00:42:29.039
 There was Sopita or

00:42:29.039 --> 00:42:30.519
 Sosipata of Berea,

00:42:31.820 --> 00:42:33.299
 Aristarchus, Secundus and

00:42:33.299 --> 00:42:34.619
 Jason from Thessalonica,

00:42:35.420 --> 00:42:36.699
 Gaius from Derbe, not to

00:42:36.699 --> 00:42:37.699
 be confused with the Gaius

00:42:37.699 --> 00:42:38.719
 in verse 23, who's a

00:42:38.719 --> 00:42:39.359
 Gaius of Corinth.

00:42:40.399 --> 00:42:41.759
 Timothy, Paul's co-worker

00:42:41.759 --> 00:42:43.480
 from Lystra, Tychicus and

00:42:43.480 --> 00:42:44.519
 Trophimus from Asia.

00:42:45.819 --> 00:42:46.679
 Why had they come to

00:42:46.679 --> 00:42:46.919
 Corinth?

00:42:47.000 --> 00:42:47.899
 They'd come to Corinth as

00:42:47.899 --> 00:42:48.579
 representative of the

00:42:48.579 --> 00:42:49.399
 churches because they were

00:42:49.399 --> 00:42:50.799
 going to assist in

00:42:50.799 --> 00:42:51.779
 safeguarding the

00:42:51.779 --> 00:42:53.359
 collection that Paul was

00:42:53.359 --> 00:42:54.759
 about to escort to Rome

00:42:54.759 --> 00:42:56.319
 for the poor saints in

00:42:56.319 --> 00:42:56.559
 Rome.

00:42:58.839 --> 00:43:00.119
 So when Paul wrote this

00:43:00.119 --> 00:43:01.659
 letter, there were

00:43:01.659 --> 00:43:02.799
 representatives from, in

00:43:02.799 --> 00:43:03.599
 some sense, all the

00:43:03.599 --> 00:43:03.939
 churches.

00:43:03.940 --> 00:43:05.980
 And when Paul says, all

00:43:05.980 --> 00:43:06.960
 the churches greet you,

00:43:07.079 --> 00:43:07.820
 Christ greet you, I

00:43:07.820 --> 00:43:08.539
 don't think he's making

00:43:08.539 --> 00:43:09.440
 up empty words.

00:43:09.960 --> 00:43:11.440
 I think he's representing

00:43:11.440 --> 00:43:13.679
 the genuine interest and

00:43:13.679 --> 00:43:15.840
 care and affection of

00:43:15.840 --> 00:43:17.159
 those other churches for

00:43:17.159 --> 00:43:17.700
 their brothers and

00:43:17.700 --> 00:43:18.400
 sisters in Rome.

00:43:26.579 --> 00:43:28.260
 The Roman believers were

00:43:28.260 --> 00:43:29.000
 connected to something

00:43:29.000 --> 00:43:29.860
 much, much greater.

00:43:29.860 --> 00:43:33.920
 The Roman believers were

00:43:33.940 --> 00:43:38.139
 called the Doxology.

00:43:38.980 --> 00:43:39.880
 Let me just read it out.

00:43:41.720 --> 00:43:43.159
 Now to him who is able to,

00:43:43.240 --> 00:43:44.360
 verse 25, now to him who

00:43:44.360 --> 00:43:45.380
 is able to strengthen you

00:43:45.380 --> 00:43:46.900
 according to my gospel and

00:43:46.900 --> 00:43:47.860
 the preaching of Jesus

00:43:47.860 --> 00:43:49.940
 Christ, according to the

00:43:49.940 --> 00:43:51.039
 revelation of the mystery

00:43:51.039 --> 00:43:52.179
 that was kept secret for

00:43:52.179 --> 00:43:53.880
 long ages, but has now

00:43:53.880 --> 00:43:55.039
 been disclosed through the

00:43:55.039 --> 00:43:58.300
 prophetic writings, and

00:43:58.300 --> 00:43:58.900
 through the prophetic

00:43:58.900 --> 00:43:59.800
 writings has been made

00:43:59.800 --> 00:44:00.880
 known to all nations,

00:44:01.760 --> 00:44:03.000
 according to the command of

00:44:03.000 --> 00:44:04.500
 the eternal God, to bring

00:44:04.500 --> 00:44:05.579
 about the obedience of

00:44:05.579 --> 00:44:07.659
 faith, to the only wise

00:44:07.659 --> 00:44:09.139
 God be glory forevermore

00:44:09.139 --> 00:44:10.340
 through Jesus Christ.

00:44:10.460 --> 00:44:10.699
 Amen.

00:44:13.219 --> 00:44:15.440
 What the Roman Christians

00:44:15.440 --> 00:44:17.920
 and the churches of Greece

00:44:17.920 --> 00:44:19.139
 and Macedonia and Asia

00:44:19.139 --> 00:44:21.460
 and the Christians of

00:44:21.460 --> 00:44:23.260
 Newcastle and the Hunter

00:44:23.260 --> 00:44:25.320
 and every place today are

00:44:25.320 --> 00:44:27.400
 connected to is the plan that

00:44:27.400 --> 00:44:28.920
 God is working out throughout

00:44:28.920 --> 00:44:30.260
 all of history into the

00:44:30.260 --> 00:44:30.980
 present time.

00:44:32.520 --> 00:44:34.160
 The revelation of Jesus

00:44:34.160 --> 00:44:36.380
 Christ, our Saviour, the

00:44:36.380 --> 00:44:37.680
 one who died for sins and

00:44:37.680 --> 00:44:38.320
 rose again.

00:44:40.420 --> 00:44:42.320
 The proclamation of Christ

00:44:42.320 --> 00:44:44.960
 to, verse 26, to all

00:44:44.960 --> 00:44:47.480
 nations to bring about the

00:44:47.480 --> 00:44:48.620
 obedience of faith, that is

00:44:48.620 --> 00:44:49.760
 that people may obey the

00:44:49.760 --> 00:44:51.320
 gospel by trusting in Jesus,

00:44:52.320 --> 00:44:53.840
 by coming to believe in him.

00:44:55.380 --> 00:44:56.740
 That's God's great plan.

00:44:56.739 --> 00:44:58.759
 That's what God's doing in the

00:44:58.759 --> 00:44:59.339
 world today.

00:45:01.519 --> 00:45:03.339
 And when the churches of the

00:45:03.339 --> 00:45:05.659
 East heard about the faith of

00:45:05.659 --> 00:45:07.599
 the believers in Rome, they

00:45:07.599 --> 00:45:08.199
 rejoiced.

00:45:09.379 --> 00:45:12.059
 Verse 19, Paul says,

00:45:12.119 --> 00:45:13.759
 for your obedience is known to

00:45:13.759 --> 00:45:16.059
 all so that I rejoice over you.

00:45:18.779 --> 00:45:22.079
 Likewise, let's rejoice wherever

00:45:22.079 --> 00:45:23.699
 we find faith in Christ.

00:45:25.259 --> 00:45:26.739
 There's something amiss if we

00:45:26.739 --> 00:45:28.880
 find more joy in the progress of

00:45:28.880 --> 00:45:30.400
 the Newcastle Knights or the

00:45:30.400 --> 00:45:31.500
 Australian cricket team.

00:45:34.619 --> 00:45:36.259
 Not least because, well, maybe

00:45:36.259 --> 00:45:36.860
 least because they'll

00:45:36.860 --> 00:45:37.259
 disappoint.

00:45:37.779 --> 00:45:39.719
 But there's a miss, right?

00:45:39.739 --> 00:45:41.219
 If we find more joy in those

00:45:41.219 --> 00:45:42.539
 things, it's easy to find joy in

00:45:42.539 --> 00:45:43.159
 those things.

00:45:44.079 --> 00:45:45.179
 But we're part of a greater

00:45:45.179 --> 00:45:45.960
 team, aren't we?

00:45:48.519 --> 00:45:50.059
 And we strive in a greater

00:45:50.059 --> 00:45:50.659
 contest.

00:45:53.279 --> 00:45:54.980
 And our victory in that

00:45:54.980 --> 00:45:57.639
 contest is assured because it's

00:45:57.639 --> 00:45:59.860
 God himself who strengthens us,

00:46:00.320 --> 00:46:02.099
 Paul says in verse 25, because

00:46:02.099 --> 00:46:03.539
 it's the grace of our Lord Jesus

00:46:03.539 --> 00:46:05.840
 Christ that is with us, Paul says

00:46:05.840 --> 00:46:06.539
 in verse 20.

00:46:07.400 --> 00:46:09.019
 We're part of a greater team and

00:46:09.019 --> 00:46:10.599
 we strive in a greater contest.

00:46:11.480 --> 00:46:14.719
 So let us rejoice wherever we find

00:46:14.719 --> 00:46:18.360
 faith in Christ and give God the

00:46:18.360 --> 00:46:19.140
 glory for it.

00:46:20.140 --> 00:46:22.760
 To the only wise God, be glory

00:46:22.760 --> 00:46:24.980
 forevermore through Jesus Christ.

00:46:25.680 --> 00:46:25.960
 Amen.

00:46:25.960 --> 00:46:26.079
 Amen.

00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:26.079


00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:26.079


00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:26.079


00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:26.079


00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:26.079


00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:26.079


00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:26.079


00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:26.079


00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:26.079


00:46:26.079 --> 00:46:26.079