Ro 16

Church leaders

Context: After 15 chapters of evangelical doctrine on salvation from sin by faith and how to walk in it, Ro 16 commends leaders contending for it and charges everyone else to be discerning and to avoid those who add to or subtract from it.

Read: Romans 16

Warm-up: How do you react to such sections in Scripture with long lists of names?

1) vv1-16 mention nearly thirty Christians in Rome by name, including about ten women. Why were they all greeted personally?

  • Did Paul address everyone known to him, or were they a favored “inner circle”? cf 1Th 1:2
  • What did all these greetings combined convey?
    • Why is such genuine affection important for effective leadership?
  • What made those mentioned by name worthy of explicit praise as leaders?
    • What does “working hard in the Lord” mean?
    • Did they hold any titles?
    • Phoebe at the top of the list is described as a “servant” (gr. diaconos): Why? [While servants were the lowest class, Christ made faithful servanthood the top “hierarchy” criterion in the church, Mk 9:35; 1Cor 9:19]
      • What distinguished Phoebe’s service in Cenchreae, the port city of Corinth? [Romans was written in Corinth. Being found trustworthy, Phoebe was likely the letter bearer]
    • v2 also calls her a “prostatis” (gr.), from proistemi (lit. to make stand before). While not used elsewhere in the NT, the Septuagint translation of the OT uses it as title of government officials in diverse executive functions (1Chr 29:6; 2Chr 8:10). Did Paul explain his purpose why he referred at all to Phoebe’s function, v2?
      • Paul’s request to help Phoebe uses the related verb paristemi (from para-histemi, lit. to stand close beside): For what kind of help did Paul ask using this wordplay?

2) vv17-20: Divisions always afflict the church (1Cor 11:19) and on various issues, e.g. gender roles being among them. What characterizes those responsible for ‘creating divisions’?

  • What could this mean “to create obstacles (gr. skandalos) contrary to (gr. para, lit. besides) the doctrine that you have been taught”?
    • What did Paul mean by ‘obstacles’? The fact that they held different opinions? Why or why not? cf Ro 14:1-4
    • According to Strong’s lexikon, skandalos is a purely Biblical word. Literally, it means the trigger stick of a trap. How can false doctrine be the trigger of an entrapment? cf Rev 2:14
  • What defines false doctrine as false? [contrary to, or literally beside/in addition to what you were taught]
    • Does this lock everyone in their traditions, no matter how wrong it may be? Why not?
    • Did Paul elevate here church traditions to an authoritative status, or did he raise one tradition over every other? => Which one? 2Thes 2:15; 3:6
    • What did Romans (the letter) do to the tradition that the church received in Rome?
  • => Can we interpret the Bible other than through the glasses of our own traditions and cultural constraints? Why or why not? Mk 7:6-8
    • What did Paul think about that? Ro 15:4-6 (cf 2Tim 3:16)
    • What determines whether Scripture will correct us or whether we impose on it our own traditions? 2Pet 1:19

3) v18: What motivates the false teachers to deviate from the pure doctrine of the gospel by adding or subtracting from it?

  • ESV translates: “…serving …their own appetites (lit. belly)”: What ‘appetite’ (if any) did Paul have in mind? =>
  • v17: To address such deviations, on what checks and balances did Paul insist?
    • How did Paul define in v17 what he meant by ‘obedience’ in v19? cf Ro 6:17
    • What happens if ‘brothers’ neglect this corporate responsibility? cf Rev 2:16
  • v19: Why must such obedience be complemented by wisdom? i.e. what would obedience accomplish without spiritual discernment?
  • v20: Why does such spiritual discernment continually depend on God’s grace?

4) v20 is a prayer of blessing/promise: “May God soon crush… “. Where did Paul find this promise? =>

  • Read Gen 3:15. How could Paul apply this promise to the church?
    • Why is that surprising?

5) vv21-23: What might have moved some of Paul’s friends to add their greetings, incl. Tertius (Paul’s amanuensis)?

6) vv24-27: What is the main clause of this long sentence? => What is “glory forevermore”?

  • v27: Why does the Bible so insist on giving all glory to God through Jesus Christ?
  • vv24-26 assert that God is “able to strengthen you…” – for what? =>
    • Why did Paul call it obedience of faith? cf Ro 9:31
    • What is the means by which God confers the strength for such faith-obedience?
      • Hint: What has knowledge to do with this, Ro 10:2?

7) Personal & application

  • What does or does not motivate you to ‘work hard in the Lord’?
  • What do you retain as the take home message of Ro 16?
    • What does Ro 16 establish as the means by which believers must avoid schisms?
  • Where do you draw the line in rejecting the proponents of certain doctrines as false or to be tolerant, respectively?
  • How can you cultivate a desire to see God glorified instead of yourself?