ROMANS 16:1-7

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Wednesday Evening:  March 28, 2007

Text:  Romans 16:1-7  I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:  2  That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a scourer of many, and of myself also.  3  Greet Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in Christ Jesus:  4  Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.  5  Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia unto Christ.  6  Greet Mary, who bestowed much labour on us.  7  Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

PAUL’S RECOMMENDATIONS

Romans 16:1-2  I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant [deaconess, feminine gender] of the church which is at Cenchrea  (port of Corinth on the Saronic Gulf):  2  That ye receive her in the Lord (in the spirit of one in the family), as becometh saints (as one who has high values), and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a scourer (maintained and cared for others) of many, and of myself also.

AGED WOMEN

Titus 2:3-5  The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;  4  That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,  5  To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

PRISCILLA AND AQUILA

Romans 16:3-4  Greet Priscilla (wife) and Aquila (husband) my helpers in Christ Jesus: 4  Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

THEY WERE TENTMAKERS

Acts 18:3  And because he was of the same craft, he abode with them, and wrought: for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

TRAVELED WITH PAUL

Acts 18:18  And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; …

THEY DISCIPLED APPOLOS

Acts 18:26  And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue: whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more perfectly.

FIRST FRUITS OF ACHAIA

Romans 16:5  Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well beloved Epaenetus, who is the first fruits of Achaia unto Christ.

STEPHANAS ALSO FIRST FRUITS

1 Corinthians 16:15  I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,)

MARY HELPED OTHERS

Romans 16:6  Greet (remembered by Paul) Mary (unknown to us), who bestowed much labour [aorist active indicative, toiled] on [for] us [plural (more than one)].

PAUL’S RELATIVES

Romans 16:7  Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen [cousins (kinfolk), Luke 1:36, Mary and Elizabeth], and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

BROTHER AND MOTHER

Romans 16:13  Salute Rufus chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

IN CHRIST BEFORE PAUL

Romans 16:7  Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen, and my fellow prisoners, who are of note [well marked] among the apostles, who also were in [en, into] Christ before me.

IN FLESH, IN SPIRIT

Romans 8:8-9  So then they that are in [en, into] the flesh cannot please God.  9  But ye are not in [en, into] the flesh, but in [en, into] the Spirit (of sonship), if so be that the Spirit (of sonship) of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ (who cried Abba, Father), he is none of his.

SPIRIT OF SONSHIP

Romans 8:15  For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption [sonship], whereby we cry, Abba, Father. (as Jesus in the garden)

OTHERS COULD NOT SEE OR HEAR

Luke 8:10  And he said, Unto you (disciples) it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.

GOD BLINDED THEM

John 12:39-40  Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,  40  He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

VEIL STILL IN PLACE

2 Corinthians 3:14-16  But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which veil is done away in Christ.  15  But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.  16  Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the veil shall be taken away.

PAUL TURNED TO THE LORD

Acts 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

SAVED BEFORE ACTS 9

Acts 22:3  I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

RECEIVED SIGHT AND BAPTIZED

Acts 9:17-18  And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.  18  And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.

PAUL INTO CHRIST

Acts 9:20  And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.

CORNELIUS AND HIS HOUSE

Acts 11:17  Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?

PREACHING TO JEWS ONLY

Acts 11:19-21  Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word (of the kingdom) to none but unto the Jews only.  20  And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.  21  And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed (the word of the kingdom), and turned unto the Lord.

MANY BELIEVED ON THE LORD

Acts 18:8  And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.