²¹ Timothy, my fellow worker, sends you his greetings, as do Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.

²² I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings, too, as one of the Lord’s followers.

²³ Gaius says hello to you. He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church. Erastus, the city treasurer, sends you his greetings, and so does our brother Quartus.

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.

Final Remarks

Paul concludes his letter to the Romans by making one more point. I think it’s a significant point: God always intended for the Gospel to be spread to all people, regardless of background.

In other words, at no point was God surprised in all of this. From the beginning, when he spoke to Adam and Eve after their sin, God knew the day would come for Christ to die on the cross. When God promised Abraham that his descendants would outnumber the stars of the sky, he knew that the day would come when salvation would be offered to everyone, not just the Jewish people.

Nothing surprises God. Whatever you may be facing in life, God knew about it. It didn’t catch him off guard. There’s comfort in that.

My prayer: Lord, I thank you that everything is in your hands. And nothing surprises you. That means, whatever I’m facing, you’ve prepared for it. If I trust you, you will lead me through every situation. That’s such an incredible truth. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

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.

One More Thing

Paul wraps up his entire letter by driving home one last point. Remember, his original purpose in writing was to address divisions between the Jewish and Gentile believers. He has done that. By tying in the Old Testament Law to the value of God’s grace, he’s managed to draw both groups together.

But he knows that Satan loves to see the church divided. And so he warns them to be on their guard. To make sure they do everything to protect their unity.

It’s a warning that we need to heed even today. I believe one of the greatest threats to effective ministry is disunity. When we spend our time and energy battling each other, we have nothing left to present God’s love to the unchurched. Heck, even the Bible tells us that it is our love for each other than shows the unchurched we are Christ’s followers.

So, do your part. All of us. Let’s together protect the unity that we have. In doing so, we crush Satan’s ability to cause turmoil in our midst.

My prayer: Lord, I recognize that there are many great people out there doing wonderful things for you. I am not in competition with them. And so, I stand in unity with all of them. At the same time, I realize that there are times when I will disagree with those who serve at my side. Again, that’s okay. Even in our disagreements, I pray that we would find unity to serve you together. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹ I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. ² Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me.³ Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. ⁴ In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. ⁵ Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home.

Greet my dear friend Epenetus. He was the first person from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ. ⁶ Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard for your benefit. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews, who were in prison with me. They are highly respected among the apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. ⁸ Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. ⁹ Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys.

¹⁰ Greet Apelles, a good man whom Christ approves. And give my greetings to the believers from the household of Aristobulus. ¹¹ Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet the Lord’s people from the household of Narcissus. ¹² Give my greetings to Tryphena and Tryphosa, the Lord’s workers, and to dear Persis, who has worked so hard for the Lord. ¹³ Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has been a mother to me.

¹⁴ Give my greetings to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers and sisters who meet with them. ¹⁵ Give my greetings to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and to Olympas and all the believers who meet with them. ¹⁶ Greet each other in Christian love. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings.

Making It Personal

As Paul wraps up his letter to the church in Roma, he shares some personal remarks. I have to admit, it’s one of my favourite parts of Paul’s letters. He takes time to mention some of the individuals who have help him serve the church.

Let’s face it, no one is successful in ministry alone. I think it’s easy to forget that. So much is said about Paul and how successful his ministry was, and yet Paul recognizes that he doesn’t do it on his own. There are so many who stand with him, encourage him, strengthen him, bless him. Without those people, who knows how successful Paul would have been.

God has called each of us to serve in partnership with others. We all have a role to play. Successful ministry happens when we do our part and recognize the value of the others who serve alongside us.

Who are you serving with? Have you taken time to thank God for them? Perhaps now is a good time to do just that.

My prayer: Lord, I thank you for those who serve beside me in achieving all you’ve called me to do. From my wife and children, to the leadership team at Bikers’ Church, and all the members who fulfill their role each and every week, I am blessed to have great people at my side. And so, thank you for each one of them. Amen.

Until tomorrow.