Written ~ 08-01-2024
Read Romans Chapter Sixteen
Romans 16
Before we dive into the last chapter of the Book of Romans, let’s go back and briefly revisit each chapter and summarize what Paul felt exceedingly compelled to share with the believers in Rome and with us…
Chapter One:
- Do not be ashamed of the Good News about Jesus Christ
- Stay away from wickedness
Verses 1:16-17…
16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
Verses 1:28-29a…
28 “Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. 29 Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness…”
Chapter Two:
- Do not condemn the wicked
Verse 2:1…
1 “You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.”
Chapter Three:
- We are all sinners
Verse 3:23…
23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Chapter Four:
- Have faith like Abraham
Verses 4:20-21…
20 “Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. 21 He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever He promises.”
Chapter Five:
- Rejoice, even in problems and trials
- Adam and Christ are contrasted
Verses 5:3-5…
3 “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.”
Verse 5:18…
18 “Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone.”
Chapter Six:
- We no longer live under the power of sin
Verses 6:5-6…
5 “Since we have been united with Him in His death, we will also be raised to life as He was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.”
Chapter Seven:
- We will struggle with sin
Verses 7:21-25a…
21 “I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. 22 I love God’s law with all my heart. 23 But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. 24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? 25a Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Chapter Eight:
- We are not condemned when we belong to Christ
- We are controlled by the Holy Spirit living within us
- The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness
Verses 8:1-2…
1 “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”
Verse 8:9…
9 “But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you.”
Verses 8:26-27…
26 “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.”
Chapter Nine:
- God shows mercy and compassion for His purpose
Verses 9:14-16…
14 “Are we saying, then, that God was unfair? Of course not! 15 For God said to Moses,
“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”
16 So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.”
Chapter Ten:
- Salvation is for everyone
Verse 10:8…
8 “The message is very close at hand;
it is on your lips and in your heart.”
“And that message is the very message about faith that we preach…”
Chapter Eleven:
- God’s mercy is for everyone
- Gentiles have been grafted into God’s special olive tree
Verses 11:17-18…
17 “But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree—some of the people of Israel—have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. 18 But you must not brag about being grafted in to replace the branches that were broken off. You are just a branch, not the root.”
Chapter Twelve:
- Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world
- God has given each of us special gifts
Verses 12:1-2…
1 “…I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Verses 12:6-8…
6 “In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”
Chapter Thirteen:
- We must submit to governing authorities
- Love your neighbor as yourself
Verse 13:1…
1 “Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.”
Verse 13:10…
10 “Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.”
Chapter Fourteen:
- We must not criticize one another
- Keep firm in your convictions
Verses 14:12-13…
12 “Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God. 13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.”
Verse 14:23…
23 “But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning.”
Chapter Fifteen:
- We must be considerate
- God is the source of our hope
Verses 15:1b-2…
1 “…We must not just please ourselves. 2 We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord.”
Verse 15:13…
13 “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”
So, this brings us to the final chapter of the Book of Romans. We have read some very strong words from Paul and we need to be wise in our understanding of them. Everything Paul wrote in this letter to the believers in Rome is just as applicable to us today as it was to that first century church. His reason for writing this letter was to remind Christians how to behave now that they are representing Christ with every attitude, with every behavior and with every word that comes from their mouths. We need to follow every principle Paul laid out and listen carefully to each warning that he gave.
Most of chapter sixteen has Paul giving his greetings to fellow believers , these are people he served alongside, even those he spent time with while in prison and those who played crucial parts in the growth of the church. He is taking time to basically thank everyone for the things they have done to further the Gospel message.
In verses 16:17-20 Paul gives us some final instructions…
Romans 16:17-20…
17 “And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. 18 Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people. 19 But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to be wise in doing right and to stay innocent of any wrong. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
The final warning Paul gives in this letter, is for us to watch out for people who cause divisions in the church and teach things contrary to the Gospel message. This warning is quite possibly more relevant in our culture today than it was in the first century. Well, maybe not more relevant, but this warning definitely applies to the world we are living in today. We don’t have to look very far to see divisions in the church. Ideologies that aren’t Scriptural have swept through the church and caused such friction that some denominations are being ripped apart because of the fierce disagreements on the foundational commands God has given to us in His Word. When the Word of God is twisted around to such an extent that people begin believing what’s bad is good and what’s good is bad it shows a significant ignorance in our culture’s knowledge of what the Scriptures actually say. As a believer, we should have solid footing in the Word of God, so when we hear a “smooth talking, glowing worded and deceptive teaching,” we will recognize it immediately. Paul was able to compliment the church in Rome for being obedient to the Word of God and gave them the added exhortation to continue “being wise in doing right and to continue in their obedience to the Lord.”
Let’s also take Paul’s added exhortation to heart…
- Always be obedient to the Lord
- Be wise in doing good
- Stay innocent of any wrongdoing
When we practice even those few things we can uphold the type of lifestyle that would honor the Lord and be pleasing to God. Then, in so many words, Paul says when you continue doing those things, “…the God of Peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” When we walk in victory and maintain a strong and established foundation in God’s Word, the enemy won’t have any ground to stand on. We will know the presence of the Lord because we are walking steadfast in His footsteps.
Paul ends his letter to the believers in Rome with an added push of confidence…
Romans 16:25-27…
25 “Now all glory to God, who is able to make you strong, just as my Good News says. This message about Jesus Christ has revealed His plan for you Gentiles, a plan kept secret from the beginning of time. 26 But now as the prophets foretold and as the eternal God has commanded, this message is made known to all Gentiles everywhere, so that they too might believe and obey Him. 27 All glory to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, forever. Amen.”
~AMEN~