Agape Loved and Summary, Romans 16:21 – End

As we reach the end of our series what a tremendous blessing and overwhelming knowledge, faith and hope we can have in Christ Jesus and the Gospel of God!

As Paul closes his letter to the church at Rome, we take extra notice of the ‘beloved’ description of the brothers and sisters in Christ. This word means that they (and we as a brother or sister) are ‘loved’. And not just any love but agape loved. Agapetos is the greek word used for beloved and this kind of love is used when describing God’s love to us, the love we are to have towards fellow believers and the love we are to have towards our enemies! This kind of love means a deep concern for someone to the point you would self-sacrifice. It is the love used in 1 Corinthians 13 (the love chapter). There is much more we could write about this rich greek word but suffice it to say that whenever we preach the gospel this must be the underlining motivator for it to be pleasing to God.

The last paragraph of the epistle gives us a summary of the righteousness and power of God. This is a fitting end and summarizes that God does and will receive glory of the entire lifecycle of His gospel. Salvation itself is dependant on God’s power to keep us from falling which He promised He would and will not fail. If any aspect of the salvation experience could be attributed to human kind, we need to be honest with ourselves and see the fault within that theology. The scriptures teach that we will not be able to take credit in any of our salvation experience. It is all to the glory of God’s grace.

Christian Community, Romans 16:1-20

We see many topics to study in this last chapter of Romans and Paul’s farewelll and summary. Beginning with verse 1 of chapter 16 we see the commendation of Phebe. A saint of God from the church at Cenchrea who is a highly favored fellow-laborer in the ministry of the Gospel who Paul recommends to the church of Rome. Here is another example of ‘church letters’ being exchanged between churches of like faith and order as this continues to be a practice in the Lord’s churches today. The act of exchanging letters of recommendation has a very practical application as it helps the church discern prior behavior from the candidate who wants to join to the assembly as a professing baptized believer.

Another subject we see is the word used to describe Phebe as a ‘servant’. This word in the greek is diakonos and can be translated as ‘Deacon’. Some churches allow women to be ordained deacons, but is this biblical? Are they doing due diligence to exegesis of Romans 16:1? To answer this question, we must see that this word ‘servant’, is used in a variety of verses meaning, minister, servant and deacon. How to use the word depends on its context.

  • In Rom 15:8, Christ is called a ‘diakonos,” translated by the word “minister”
    • Rom 15:8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
    • Does this mean Christ was a ‘Deacon’?; No, we see that in order for this word to actually mean the ordained office of the deacon, it must be presented in ‘context’ as such. Which we see in 1 Timothy chapter 3.
  • The ‘Office’ of the Deacon
    • Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife (1 Tim 3:12)
    • For they that have used the “office” of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree (1 Tim 3:13)
  • The Ordination of Deacons were men
    • Acts 6:3, “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business“

An objection that we hear many times is that maintaining the Biblical principles of women’s roles in the church is a form of oppression. This could not be further from the truth. Actually this is a fantastic chapter where we see the celebration of women and the role God has given them in His churches. In no way does Paul have a negative outlook of women or their absolute essential labor in the Lord. He continues in this chapter to give many personal greetings to church members and co-laborers and one married couple in particular is Priscella and Acquilla. The absolute love, appreciation and family oriented love of our dear brothers and sisters in Christ is beyond a value we can put into words. God’s roles for both men and women in the church is perfection. Striving to be faithful to the Word of God and God’s blueprint for His church is not only a blessing as we see it in motion but also pleasing to God.

Paul’s Joy In The Ministry, Romans 15:14-21

Paul has started wrapping up this inspired, beautfiul, masterpice letter to the church in Rome in verse 14. He commends the church to admonish one another using the goodness and knowledge only the Holy Spirit can give. He then goes on to describe that this ministry of the apostleship to the Gentiles, given to him directly by God, is the calling he was given by God and can only glory in what Christ has done through him. It is not lost on Paul just how gracious God is to use him in any capacity as it should be to us too. We may not be the Lord’s apostles, but He has certainly called us to salvation and then service, which heralds back to chapter 12:1, to present our bodies a living sacrifice ready to serve our great Lord and savior Jesus Christ.

The Law Fulfilled ‘In Us’ not ‘By Us’: Romans Series 8:1-5

With careful exegesis of the early verses in Romans 8, we identify that because we have the Spirit of God, we walk after the Spirit and can be described as one who is (vs1) not condemned and (vs4) the righteousness of the law is fulfulled ‘in’ us, not ‘by’ us because of our position in Christ and His fulfillment of law. To enter into practical righteousness too soon in these verses puts our justification as a self-performance based blessing, which it is not, it is a ‘Christ performance based blessing’. – Please join us as we study God’s Word together!

Pleasing God by Loving Your Stronger or Weaker Brother

Romans Series 14:13-21


This passage of Scripture digs deep into our motivation to love our brothers and sisters in Christ, even if our liberty of conscious needs to take a backseat. If you have a real love for them, you want to edify them and not bring them to a lack of peace within themselves before God. Ultimately, the Kingdom is not about our liberty of conscious, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost (14:17).

Messages in Romans Series

  • God’s Gospel To His Glory, The End of Romans Series: 16: 25-27 here
  • Agape Love To Those In The Lord, Romans Series 16:5-24 here
  • The Christian Community, Romans Series 16:1-20 here
  • Paul’s Desire in the Ministry:Spain, Romans Series 15:22-33 here
  • Paul’s Joy In the Ministry, Romans Series 15:14-21 here
  • The Example of Christ: Stronger/Weaker Brother, Romans Series 5:1-13 here
  • Please God With Edifying Your Brother: Stronger/Weaker, Romans Se ries 14:13-21 here
  • The Goal Is God’s Glory, Not Meat Or Drinks, Romans Series 14:7-23 here
  • Love In Variance Of Conscious: Weak and Stronger of the Fatih, Romans Series 14: 1-6 here
  • The Christian Citizen, Romans Series Chapter 13 here
  • Building Christian Character, Romans Series 12:9-21 here
  • The Church Body, Romans Series 12:3-10 here
  • Our Reasonable Service, Romans 12:1-5 here
  • What About Israel? Part 3: Full Circle: Roman Series 11:18 32 here
  • What About Israel-Part 2, Grafting Gratefulness, Romans 11:16-22 here
  • What About Israel?, Romans Series 11:11-36 here
  • The Elect And Blindness Of The Rest, Romans series 11:1-11 here
  • No Difference Between Me and You, We Both Need Mercy, Romans Series 10:12-21 here
  • Simplicity Of Faith & The Complication of Works, Romans Series 10:5-11 here
  • What Israel Missed, Romans Series 10:1-4 here
  • Gentiles Not Looking, But Found Grace, Romans Series 9:30-33 here
  • Had God Not Chose, None Would Come, Romans Series 9:19-29 here
  • The Sovereign Grace Of God Illustrated, Romans Series 9:14-18 here
  • God’s Vindication In Israel’s Rejection, Romans Series9:6-13 here
  • Paul’s Sorrow For Israel, Romans Series 9:1-5 here
  • Our Invincibility In The Decrees of God and Love of Christ, Romans 8:31-39 here
  • Providence To Glory, Romans Series 8:28-30 here
  • The Guarantees Of Glory Romans Series 8:26-30 here
  • Wordless Groanings In The Heart: The Spirit’s Intercessory Prayer, Romans Series 8:26-27 here
  • Distinctions Of The Glorified Body; Romans Series 8:18-25 here
  • Spirit Of Adoption & Glorification – Romans Study Series, Ch 8:14-25 here
  • Romans Study Series, Chapter 8:1-27, “Ministry Of The Spirit” here
  • Romans Series 8:1-5 Positional Fulfillment Of Law here
  • The Law Of The Spirit Of Life, Romans 8 here
  • A Comprehensive Look at Romans Chapters 1-7 here
  • The Inner Struggle Of Every Christian; Romans Series 7:14-25 here
  • Relationship To Law Terminated At Death, Romans Series 7:1-5 here
  • Objective and Subjective Sanctification, Romans Series 6:12-23 here
  • Shall We Continue TO Sin Because We’re Not Under the Law? – Part 1 Romans Series 6:15 here
  • Dead To Sin Legally In Christ -Symbolically In Baptism, Romans Series 6:1-5 here
  • The Reign of Grace, Romans 5:21 here
  • The Reign Of Life, Romans Series 5:12-21 here
  • The Only Hope, Romans Series5:1-11 here
  • Biblical Truth Series, Part 8: The Nature Of Abraham’s Faith, Romans Series 4:18-25 here
  • Who Are Abraham’s Children?: Part 1 Romans Series 4:9-16 here
  • Imputed-Reckoned-Counted, Not Infused, Romans Series 4:1-9 here
  • Justified Through Redemption, Romans 3:24 here
  • Justification By Faith, Part1 Romans Series 3:22-24 here
  • Turning Point: But Now, Romans Series 3:20-22: here
  • Universal Unrighteousness, Romans Series 3: 9-20: here
  • The Advantage of the Jew, Romans Series 3:1-8: here
  • Deception Of Possessing Law or Circumcision, Roman Series 2:25-29: here
  • Exposing Hypocrisy, Romans Series 2:17-24: here
  • Outside-Inside Law: No Difference, Romans Series 2:12-16: here
  • God’s Judgment of Your Works, Romans Series 2:6-11: here
  • Forbearabce Leads To Repentance, Romans Series 2:4-5: here
  • No One Exempt, Romans Series 2:1-5: here
  • Roman Series, 1:18-31, The Wrath of God Revealed – Part2: here
  • Roman Series, 1:17-18 The Wrath Of God Revealed, Part1: here
  • The Just Shall Live By Faith, Romans Series1:17: here
  • Romans Series 1:17 Security in Imputed Righteousness: here