Romans 16:17-23--Final Instructions and Greetings

Romans 16:17-23
English Standard Version

Final Instructions and Greetings
17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 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. 19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.

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

​23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.

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Again, we won't have a lot of "meat" here today because this is mostly some final instructions from Paul and some final greetings from those that were with him, including the scribe who is penning the letter for him.  The main "instruction" portion is at the beginning of our text that Paul tells the church in Rome to watch out for those who are out to cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that they had been taught (I assume Paul is concerned about the group that was originally called the "circumcision party" and later the Judaizes.  These Jews were preaching a different gospel that was no gospel at all (Paul tackles this false gospel as well as some others in his epistles, but specifically tackles the issues with the Judaizers in Galatians, which reads a lot like a condensed version of the book of Romans).  Paul says that the church in Rome should avoid such people because they do not serve the Lord, but they serve their own appetites.

This also sounds like the warnings that he gives in Galatians and other places to watch out for the philosophers of that day and the people that made themselves out to be "super-apostles"--great orators who were simply out to fleece the flock of Christ, but they had no interest in sharing in the sufferings of Christ and they would take their money and run when things got hard--sometimes even renouncing their so-called faith to save their own skin because they never really believed it to start off with.  Again, the church shouldn't be associating with these false teachers, false prophets and false apostles.

Just because these Christians were spiritually mature (and everyone seemed to know that reputation) did not mean that they should intentionally test God.  They should still be wise as to what is good and innocent to what is evil.  I think I've used this example in the past, but the US Treasury Agents of the Secret Service that are responsible for detecting counterfeit money do not study counterfeits, they just know the real thing so well that they recognize any imperfection in size, shape, color, feel, smell, etc.  That's basically what Paul is telling these Christians.  They have no need in trying to do "opposition research," just be wise about what the Word of God says and stand firm on that.  Many of us would do well to heed this advice today.  We don't need to try to debate our opponent in a classical format where we know their arguments and they know ours so that would could argue the opposite point of view if required--we should simply stand firm on the Word of God and the gospel of Christ.  Whatever doesn't line up with that is vain and worthless.

Paul then says that the time is coming soon where God is going to crush Satan under the feet of the church there in Rome.  My guess is this is speaking to some sort of oppression that they were wondering, "Will it ever end?."  Paul seems to know that the end of that particular trial was coming soon.  He then closes with his traditional closing (and opening) where he wishes these church members to experience the grace and peace that comes through Jesus Christ our Lord.

We have some final greetings from those who were with Paul, and we definitely would recognize some of these names--like Timothy--and there are again names that are largely unfamiliar to us, but important to Paul in that they are giving care and shelter to him while he writes the letter.  There are even some prominent city officials who are with him who have become Christians.  I'm sure that must have been exciting news for the Christians in Rome.

We'll wrap up the book of Romans next time with Paul's doxology--a fitting way to end this epistle.  I hope you have learned to love this book as much as I have as it has transformed much of my thinking about the process of salvation, my assurance of my salvation, and how true peace and unity come only through the gospel of Jesus Christ (and that we're doing something wrong if the Church looks as divided and dysfunctional as the world).