What is Romans as a whole about?
Paul’s introductions and conclusions often contain the main ideas of the letter as a whole.
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God — which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures — concerning his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh and was appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead. Through him we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the Gentiles, including you who are also called by Jesus Christ.
Romans 1:1-6
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent for long ages but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles — to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ — to him be the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 16:25-27
Romans is about how the good news of Jesus brings all peoples together, no matter who they are, for the sake of obedience to God.
What does it take for Christians who differ to live together in peace?
The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
Romans 16:19-20
sophos
σοφός
Wise, expert, skilled
What does it take for Christians who differ to live together in peace?
1. We must grow skillful in the things that lead to peace.
– Not judging others.
– Not fighting over things that don’t matter.
– Not assuming things about others.
– Listening before speaking.
– Recognizing our own blindspots.
– Thinking from other people’s perspective.
Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles contrary to the teaching that you learned. Avoid them, because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
Romans 16:17-18
What does it take for Christians who differ to live together in peace?
2. We must not be deceived into thinking that we’re the only “good Christians”.
3. We must be a community where no group is marginalized and where outsiders become insiders.
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae.
Romans 16:1
Women who “worked hard”:
– Mary
– Tryphaena
– Tryphosa
– Persis
xīn kǔ le
辛苦了
You worked hard
Likely slaves and former slaves:
– Ampliatus
– Asyncritus
– Hermas
– Hermes
– Julia
– Junia
– Nereus
– Patrobas
– Persis
– Phlegon
– Tryphaena
– Tryphosa
The gospel demands that Christians live in communities where no one is marginalized, where there are no outsiders.
[Christians] show that they want and are able to convince only the foolish, dishonorable and stupid, only slaves, women and little children. – Celsus
The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed.
Luke 4:18
What does it take for Christians who differ to live together in peace?
1. We must grow skillful in the things that lead to peace.
2. We must not be deceived into thinking that we’re the only “good Christians”.
3. We must be a community where no group is marginalized and where outsiders become
insiders.
