Ministry Matters – Romans 15-16 (2024)

As we wrap up the book of Romans we see that one of the key words in chapter 15 and 16 is “ministry.” Paul used three different Greek words to discuss the theme. In Romans 15:8, 25, 31; and 16:1, it is the simple word for a servant or service. Our English word “deacon” comes from this word. In Romans 15:16 and 27 (the word “minister”), he used the ordinary word for service in public office or in the temple. In Romans 15:16 he used a word that is found nowhere else in the Greek New Testament; and it means “to perform sacred rites, to minister in a priestly service.”

In this section, Paul explained four different ministries.

The supreme example of ministry must always be Jesus Christ. “But I am among you as he that serves” (Luke 22:27). He came first of all to minister to the Jews, that through Israel He might be able to minister to the Gentiles. “To the Jew first” is a principle that was followed in the earthly ministry of Christ and in the early ministry of the church.

For example, John the Baptist came to minister to the nation of Israel to prepare them for their Messiah. When Jesus began His ministry, it was only to the people of Israel. When He sent out the Apostles on their first evangelistic mission, He ordered them, “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans do not enter; but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:5-6). This does not mean that He ignored individual Gentiles, because He did minister to a few (Matt. 8:5-13; 15:21-28); but His major emphasis was on Israel.

After His resurrection, He commanded the Apostles to remain in Jerusalem and begin their ministry there (Luke 24:44-49). The period covered by Acts 1-7 is characterized by a ministry only to Jews or Jewish proselytes. It was not until Acts 8 that the Gospel went to the Samaritans; in Acts 10 it went to the Gentiles. Then, through the ministry of Paul, it went throughout the Roman Empire (Acts 13:1-3).

When He came and died, Jesus Christ confirmed the promises that God made to Abraham and the other “fathers” of the Jewish nation (see Luke 1:30-33, 46-55, and 67-80). Some of these promises have already been fulfilled, but many await fulfillment when He returns to earth to establish His kingdom.

Was it selfish of God to emphasize the Jews? No, because through the Jews, He would send the Good News of salvation to the Gentiles. The first Christians were Jewish believers! “Salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:22). In the Old Testament period, God chose Israel to be a minister to the Gentiles; but instead, Israel copied the idolatrous ways of the Gentiles and had to be chastened. In the New Testament period, God chose Jewish believers to carry the Good News to the Gentiles, and they obeyed Him.

There is a beautiful progression in the promises that Paul quoted in Romans 15:9-12.

Romans 15:8 covers the period of the Gospels and Acts 1-7. Romans 15:9 describes the ministry of Paul as he witnessed among the Gentiles. Romans 15:10 could be applied to the church council in Acts 15 when the Gentiles were given equal status “with His people.” Today, Jews and Gentiles in the church are praising God together.

The word “trust” at the end of Romans 15:12 is actually the word “hope.” At one time the Gentiles were “without hope” (Eph. 2:12, NIV), but now in Christ they have hope. Not only do believers have hope, but they also have joy and peace and power (Rom. 15:13). The Holy Spirit of God shares these blessings with them as they yield to Him.

Because the Jewish Christians were faithful to take the Gospel to the Gentiles, the nations of the world today have the opportunity to trust Christ as Saviour.

Unless we understand the distinctive ministry of Paul, we will not fully appreciate the message of God’s grace. Paul explained the characteristics of his ministry.

It was received by grace (vv. 14-15). When he was Saul of Tarsus, the crusading rabbi, Paul knew little of the grace of God. He persecuted the church and sought to destroy it. When Paul met Jesus Christ on the Damascus road (Acts 9), he experienced the grace of God. It was God’s grace that saved him, and it was God’s grace that called him and made him an apostle (1 Cor. 15:8-11). “We have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name” (Rom. 1:5). In Ephesians 3, Paul explained his ministry to the Gentiles in greater detail.

It was centered in the Gospel (v. 16). As mentioned before, Paul used two different words for minister in this verse, but the emphasis is on priestly service. Paul looked on himself as a priest at the altar, offering up to God the Gentiles he had won to Christ They were a “spiritual sacrifice” to the glory of God (see 1 Peter 2:5). Even his preaching of the Gospel was a “priestly duty” (niv). This insight into ministry certainly adds dignity and responsibility to our service. It was important that the priests offer to God only that which was the best (see Mal. 1:6-14).

Note the involvement of the Trinity in the ministry of the Word. Paul was the minister of Jesus Christ; he preached “the Gospel of God”; and he served in the power of the Holy Spirit of God who sanctified his ministry. What a privilege, and yet what a responsibility, to be the servant of the Triune God, winning the lost to Jesus Christ! We must remember that soul-winning is a priestly ministry, a sacred obligation. And we must serve the Lord with dedication and devotion just as the priest in the temple.

It was done for God’s glory (v. 17). “Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God” (niv). The word translated “glory” carries the idea of “boast, take pride in.” Paul used it before in Romans 2:17, 23; 5:2-3, 11 (“joy”); 3:27; and 4:2. Paul was not bragging about his ministry. He was boasting in what the Lord had done. The apostle did not serve and suffer as he did just to make a name for himself, for he had a much higher purpose in mind. He wanted to bring glory to Jesus Christ. “That in all things He might have the preeminence” (Col. 1:18).

It was done by God’s power (vv. 18-19). The Holy Spirit empowered Paul to minister, and enabled him to perform mighty signs and wonders. The miracles God gave Paul to do were “signs” in that they came from God and revealed Him to others. And they were “wonders” in that they aroused the wonder of the people. But their purpose was always to open the way for the preaching of the Gospel. Miracles were given to authenticate the messenger and the message (Heb. 2:1-4). Miracles by themselves can never save the lost. When Paul healed the crippled man at Lystra (Acts 14), the immediate response was pagan: the people called Paul and Barnabas gods and tried to worship them! When Paul shared the Gospel with them, they did not respond so enthusiastically. Finally, the people stoned Paul and left him for dead outside the city walls.

The Spirit of God empowered Paul to share the Word, and the purpose was to “make the Gentiles obedient” (Rom. 15:18). It was “by word and deed” that the apostle shared the Good News.

We may not be able to perform miracles today, since this was a special apostolic gift. But “by word and deed” we can share the love of God with the lost around us. Changes in conduct and character are just as much miracles as the healing of the sick.

It was according to God’s plan (vv. 20-24). God had a special plan for Paul to follow: he was not to preach where any other apostle had ministered. (This is one evidence that Peter had not founded the churches at Rome, or had been to Rome; for this would have prevented Paul from going there.) “From Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum” (Rom. 15:19) covers about 1,400 miles! When you consider the slowness of travel and the dangers involved (2 Cor. 11:26-27), you can appreciate the tremendous achievement of Paul’s missionary ministry. While it is not wrong to enter into another man’s labors (John 4:38), it is also good to have a pioneer ministry and take the Gospel to new territory. Paul cited Isaiah 52:15 as the divine approval for this kind of ministry.

The vast area of opportunity in other parts of the empire kept Paul from visiting Rome sooner. He was not hindered from going to Rome by satanic opposition or physical obstacles, but by the challenge of completing his work right where he was. He was so faithful in his evangelistic outreach that he was able to say that he had no more place to minister in those parts. This did not mean that Paul personally witnessed to every person in that area, but that he took the Gospel and left behind witnessing churches and Christians who would carry on the work. Paul finished one job before he started another one, a good example for our evangelistic ministry today. Paul’s desire for many years had been to visit Rome and then move on to Spain, but there is no record that he ever did. Tradition says that he did go to Spain, and possibly to Britain, after he was released, but church tradition is not always to be trusted.

Paul and his associates had received a special offering from the Gentile churches in Greece for the suffering Jewish saints in Jerusalem. Details about this collection are recorded in 2 Corinthians 8-9. There were several purposes behind this special offering. To begin with, it was an expression of love on the part of the Gentiles toward their Jewish brethren. Second, it meant practical relief at a time when the poor Jewish believers needed it the most. Third, it helped to unite Jews and Gentiles in the church. It was a bond that brought them closer together.

Paul looked on this offering as the paying of a debt. The Gentiles had received spiritual wealth from the Jews. They now returned material wealth, paying their debt. Paul considered himself a “debtor” to the whole world (Rom. 1:14). He also considered the Gentile Christians debtors to the Jews, for it was the Jews who gave to the Gentiles the Word of God and the Son of God. We Christians ought to feel an obligation to Israel, and to pay that debt by praying for Israel, sharing the Gospel, and helping in a material way. Anti-Semitism has no place in the life of a dedicated Christian.

Not only was this offering a payment of a debt, but it was also “fruit” (Rom. 15:28). It was not “loot” that Paul stole from the churches! It was fruit—the natural result of their walk with the Lord (see John 15:1-8).

When the life of the Spirit flows through a church, giving is no problem. Paul, in 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, described the miracle of grace that occurred in the churches of Macedonia.

Paul was anxious that this offering be received by the Jewish believers and be acceptable to them. He wanted to bring about, under God, a closer bond between the mother church at Jerusalem and the daughter churches in other parts of the empire. Unfortunately, there were still Jews who opposed the message of grace to the Gentiles and who wanted the Gentiles to become Jews and accept the Jewish Law. (Bible students call these people “Judaizers.” They followed Paul wherever he went and tried to steal his churches from him. The Epistle to the Galatians was written to combat their evil works.)

What a remarkable chapter! In it Paul greeted at least twenty-six people by name, as well as two unnamed saints; and he also greeted several churches that were meeting in homes. He closed with greetings from nine believers who were with him in Corinth when he wrote the letter. What is the significance of this? It shows that Paul was a friend maker as well as a soul winner. He did not try to live an isolated life; he had friends in the Lord, and he appreciated them. They were a help to him personally and to his ministry. In my own reading of Christian biography, I have discovered that the servants whom God has used the most were people who could make friends. They multiplied themselves in the lives of their friends and associates in the ministry. While there may be a place for the secluded saint who lives alone with God, it is my conviction that most of us need each other. We are sheep, and sheep flock together.

Some Mends to greet (vv. 1-16). He began with Phebe, a member of the church at Cenchrea, and the lady who carried the letter to the saints at Rome. Never did a messenger carry a more important letter! Cenchrea was the seaport of Corinth, so Phebe was probably won to Christ during Paul’s year and a half of ministry in Corinth. The word “servant” is the feminine of deacon, and some students believe she was a “deaconess” in the church. This is possible, because there were women in the early church who served by visiting the sick, assisting the young women, and helping the poor. Paul confessed that Phebe had been a helper (literally “protectress”) of himself and other Christians. And he encouraged the church to care for her.

How we wish we had the details of the stories behind each of these names! We have met Priscilla and Aquila in the Book of Acts (18:1-3, 18-19, 26). Where and when they risked their lives for Paul, we do not know, but we are glad they did it! (see also 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19) At the time of this writing, they were in Rome and a church met in their house. In this chapter, Paul greeted a number of such assemblies (Rom. 16:10-11, 14-15).

Four persons are called “beloved” by Paul: Epenetus (Rom. 16:5), Amplias (Rom. 16:8), Stachys (Rom. 16:9), and Persis (Rom. 16:12). Paul would remember Epenetus in particular, for he was the first of the converts in Asia. Apparently he belonged to the household of Stephanas, for in 1 Corinthians 16:15 these people are also called “the firstfruits of Achaia.”

Andronicus and Junias are called “kinsmen,” which may mean blood relatives of Paul, or only that they too were Jewish, possibly of the tribe of Benjamin like Paul. At one time they had been in prison with Paul. The word “apostle” here does not imply that they held the same office as Paul, but rather that they were “messengers” of the Lord. The word “apostle” has both a narrow and a broad meaning.

The Rufus mentioned in Romans 16:13 may be the same as the one named in Mark 15:21, but we cannot be certain. If so, then Simon’s experience at Calvary led to his conversion and that of his household. Paul and Rufus were not related. “His mother and mine” means only that Rufus’ mother had been like a mother to Paul (see Mark 10:30).

This list shows the parts that people played in Paul’s ministry and the ministry of the churches. Phebe was a “succourer” of many. Priscilla and Aquila were “helpers” and “laid down their own necks” for Paul. The conversion of Epenetus led to the salvation of others in Asia. Mary “bestowed much labor.” Andronicus and Junias went to prison with Paul. One can only give thanks for these devoted saints who fulfilled their ministries to the glory of God. May we follow in their train!

Some foes to avoid (vv. 17-20). Not everyone was working with Paul for the spreading of the Gospel. There were some who, for selfish reasons, were dividing the churches by teaching false doctrine. These people were probably the same Judaizers who had given Paul trouble in other churches (see Phil. 3:17-21). Instead of preaching the truth, these men spread their own religious propaganda, using deceit and clever speeches. We have the same problem today, and Christians must beware of false teachers. They come to your front door with magazines, books, and tapes, trying to convince you that they are teaching the truth. Paul gives two instructions: mark them (identify them), and avoid them.

It is a matter of obedience to the Lord and testimony to others. The issue is not making or keeping friends, but pleasing the Lord and maintaining a consistent testimony. Romans 16:20 suggests that these false teachers really come from Satan, and one day even he shall be completely defeated.

Some faithful servants to honor (vv. 21-27). What a roll call of heroes! Timothy was mentioned often in the Book of Acts and the Epistles. He was Paul’s “son in the faith” and labored with Paul in many difficult places (see Phil. 2:19-24). Lucius was a fellow Jew, as were Jason and Sosipater. We have no proof that this is the same Jason who protected Paul in Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9). That Jason was probably a Gentile.

Tertius was the secretary who wrote the letter as Paul dictated it. Gaius was the man in whose home Paul was residing at Corinth. First Corinthians 1:14 told how Paul won Gaius to Christ and baptized him when he founded the church in Corinth. Apparently there was an assembly of believers meeting in his house. Erastus held a high office in the city, probably the treasurer. The Gospel reached into high places in Corinth as well as into low places (1 Cor. 1:26-31; 6:9-11).

Romans 16:24 was probably written by Paul’s own hand, since this was his “official seal” in every letter (see 2 Thes. 3:17-18).

The closing benediction is the longest one Paul ever wrote. It reflects his special ministry to the Gentiles. “The mystery” has to do with God’s program of uniting believing Jews and Gentiles in the one body, the church (see Eph. 3). This was Paul’s special message. It was because of this message that the Judaizers persecuted Paul, because they wanted to maintain Jewish privileges. Both Jews and Gentiles in the Roman churches needed to know what God’s program was. Some of this Paul had explained in Romans 9-11.

Christians are established by the truth, which explains why Paul wrote this letter: to explain God’s plan of salvation to Christians so they would be established, and so they would share the truth with the lost. After all, we cannot really share with others something we do not have ourselves.

This means that our own study of Romans should make us more stable in the faith, and more excited to share Christ with others. And the result: “To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever!” Romans 16:27

Sources:

Life Application Study Bible, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 1988), WORDsearchCROSS e-book, 1923.

Warren W. Wiersbe,The Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament, Volume 1, (Colorado Springs, CO: Victor, 2001), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 562-567.