Missions Paul

Can you imagine how you might feel if the great Apostle praised you for successfully passing the tests of life?

“Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test”. (Romans 16:10)

We don’t know how Apelles was tested. But we do know how we have been tested.

We serve one also was tested in every way and didn’t fail.

See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation.” (Isaiah 28:16)

A tested stone. In every way possible He was tried, tempted, tested and He came out totally obedient.

But here’s the question: when you know you’ve done well, you’ve become a veteran as a follower of Christ, you’ve stood the test of time and the trials of life and you are now being recognised for having done so, you are being praised: can you pass this praise test?

Proverbs 27

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise, v21.

The kind of testing that makes a person a Godly person is not the testing but the successes.
How does a person handle praise?
Do they deflect it to God out of false humility?
Do they crave for more?
Do they try and please to get praise?
Is it a drug?
Does it create their fantasist identity?
Do preachers think they’re giving a presidential speech?
Do worship leaders think they’re pop idols?
If there’s no praise do workers think they are undervalued and so do not work?
Within praise there lies such temptation.
Praise is a crucible, it is a furnace.

Let’s not fail at the final hurdle. Let’s not pass the tests to simply fail at the grand podiums that our successes have built.

Whoever Apelles (and the others) actually was I believe the Apostle had confidence he could survive the test of praise.

Do you have one? It seems according to Facebook we have a mountain of friends (that we don’t know!)

I wonder what life was like as a dear friend of the Apostle Paul?

‘Greet … my dear friend Stachys.” (Romans 16 v 9b)

In every generation friendship has been sought, broken and found again. Times of deep loneliness as friends have walked out the door and times of huge blessing as friends have been made again. If you have a friend, treasure them. 

Stachys was treasured. It’s amazing you make it into the Bible for simply being known as a dear friend. So let’s work on those friendships and let’s also recognise them more. 

The Apostle in mentioning Stachys honours him. He wants others to know he can be relied upon, he is trustworthy, he is genuine. Today how can you honour your friend? How can you open the door for them to know others and be known?

They were alongside you; maybe for a season or longer. They walked where you were walking. They shared the same struggles and hopes. They came into your lane and helped you. And because of this there is no one who truly understands you and what you have been through than your co-worker. Don’t forget them.

Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ (Romans 16 v 9)

“Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord” (Romans 16 v 8)

““Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.”

His name is often appropriated to slaves or those who used to be so.

The Apostle isn’t swayed by a person’s past or even perhaps their present.

But in a few words we see the heart of this great man. We see his love, his kindness and tenderness.

How deeply moving to see someone in high office with such a heart for another who was at a place of lesser authority than him?

It is one of the joys of my life to see my Pastors that I serve do exactly this week in and week out. They love. They continue to find new ways to show kindness. Amazing things happen when people are loved. Christian social media news has been going crazy lately over a testimony of such love. “The co-founder of a Satanic movement in South Africa is telling his personal story about choosing to leave Satanism after his heart was overwhelmed with the love of Jesus” (CBN) How did he experience this miracle? A Christian lady hugged him and he had never experienced such unconditional love before.

My dear friend and my beloved in the Lord. Whatever was going on in Ampliatus’ life he knew the great Apostle loved him and I reckon that had a major impact on his life.

Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. (Romans 16 v 7)

It seems likely that Paul is commending another married couple. But unlike Priscilla and Aquila the male is mentioned first.

Both were Jews like Paul. They had paid the price for the gospel like Paul. They were identified as sent-ones (apostles) just like Paul (though not as the office that Paul had).

But the similarities stop there because Paul says this couple had come to Christ before he did.

Whilst he was known as Saul the Pharisee; whilst he was carrying out his murderous threats to Christians; they were in Christ. They were part of the hunted pack. In his past he viewed them as his enemies now they are colleagues, kinsmen, comrades in the faith and family. I wonder if they prayed for him when he was persecuting the Church. I wonder if they were sceptical when reports came that he had converted to Christ. I wonder if they had to forgive him.

Little did they know back then as they were looking over their shoulder that they would be part of Paul’s team. They are now announced as a couple with an excellent reputation from someone whose reputation used to be that of a murderer.

Continue running your lane because there are surprises in store for you! It might be tough today but it could well be part of a beautiful story that God is writing. The race isnt over keep running.

We don’t know who she was. She was on the team. Paul says she was a hard worker for them.

“Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.” (Romans 16 v 6)

We were created to work, to pour our whole energy and passion into whatever our hand finds to do.

There will be no impact, no fruit and no results without work.

Mary is not commended for her faithful church attendance but for her work for the cause of the Church in Rome. We don’t know what she did. But we can assume she shared in the struggle of what Paul was carrying.

There are plenty of ‘Mary’s’ in the church today. Think of them now. Think of all that they do. The hard work they are engaged in for the sake of others.

We need more people like Mary.

Here it is: you wondered how it all began didn’t you?!!

“Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.” (Romans 16 v 5)

Immediately after the leaders Priscilla and Aquila are presented Paul is mentioning Epenetus. He may well have been placed here because he was also a Church leader. He is amongst the group led by Phoebe who are bringing this letter to the Church.

One thing is sure is that he was someone who people were still thankful to God for (which suited his name as it means Praise). Whether or not Epenetus had become a leader he had certainly grown in discipleship since the day of his conversion. The Orthodox Church believe he was one of the 70 Apostles (celebrated on January 4^th). He was Paul’s dear friend.

That day (probably around 48-52 AD) when Epenetus gave his life to Christ the world of evangelism looked quite small. Just one man. However, look at the spread of the gospel now!

From one small seed …!

The next time you see someone come to Christ then pause long enough to understand that this person has a destiny greater than anyone could ever imagine.

Do you wake into a storm today? Are you being tossed about by circumstance? Are you looking for guidance?

Let’s meet a remarkable couple who battled with uncertainty but seemingly got through their storms.

“Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house.” (Romans 16 v 3-5)

Aquila originated from the south shore of the Black Sea and had settled in Italy with his wife Priscilla until the Emperor expelled all the Jews from Rome in AD 49. So they arrived into Corinth as refugees where they met Paul who stayed with them and then later they travelled together to Ephesus. They became so close Paul calls them co-workers. (Acts 18:2 “There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome.”) This couple became church leaders and were influential with Paul in the planting of churches in Corinth and Ephesus. They had their own church that met in their house in Corinth. But there is so much story between the lines.

The emperors were often involved in such ethnic cleansing. Claudius was no exception, he was a racist and he increasingly became intolerant of the Jews.

Aquila and Priscilla had suffered, they went through this evil purging feeling like dirt in such wicked circumstances. No doubt they experienced every fear and doubt. But through it all unbeknown to them God was working it all out.

Your greatest catastrophe can be your greatest opportunity.

This couple may never have left voluntarily. Sometimes we have to be violently thrown out of our nest. So much so that the only presence we feel is that of the evil one. It is much later that we realise the overriding presence is that of God.

In AD 54 Claudius died and presumably it was then that the couple returned to Rome along with other Jewish/Christian refugees. Again they had their own church in Italy, presumably planted by them. But one thing they had come to know is the stability of God. No matter what turbulence we go through God is always there holding us in that storm. Paul greets them and they deserved to be mentioned first.

I met these three people yesterday morning: Sharon and Dot, two Deacons and Titus an Elder of a church in a village just outside Sheffield. All had served in the church for over 30 years. They not only loved their church and the community where it sits but they loved their Pastor and his family. I’m thinking of them this morning and others that I meet who may not be standing behind pulpits on Sundays but are definitely the backbone of the church. Their names and faces flash through my mind and I am privileged to have met them and for many to call them friends.

As with the genealogies found all the way through the Bible, the Apostle has his own lists of people in his letters. He is a doctrine man, a leader of the church and God has used him powerfully yet he never forgets to mention people within the church.

“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. (Romans 16 v 1-2)

So let us look at Phoebe but have the Sharon, Dot and Titus people in our minds.

• She is ‘our sister’. Phoebe is family. Paul says she is the Roman Church family as much as the Corinthians.
• She is a deacon in the church in Cenchreae (east Corinth). Phoebe rolled her sleeves up and served the church. She worked hard (on top of whatever else she did) for the good of the church community.
• She was a benefactor of many people including Paul. Phoebe (maybe through her business work) had contributed financially to many, even helping Paul himself. She was generous and kind.

Perhaps Phoebe was bringing this letter from Paul to them. He is keen for them to give her a great welcome and to help her with whatever she needs when she arrives.

Paul is the networker, opening doors for further relationships to develop, encouraging unity. We can make it easy or hard for people to move into the next chapter of their life. We can be the bridge or the wall.

Phoebe arrived into family; she was honoured for all she had done in the church in Corinth and she reaped hospitality as one who had sown it liberally.

The Sharon, Dot and Titus people may not be carrying a letter to a far-off city for us. Their next chapter may seem so much more insignificant and yet if you have been blessed by them then it is our duty to encourage them in whatever is before them, to make it easier and to bless them.

Don’t let go of what is in your heart.

“The God of peace be with you all. Amen.” (Romans 15 v 34)

Paul carried to the end his desire for the Jew and Gentile to be together making up the body of Christ. He uses the word ‘shalom’ (peace) as a Jewish benediction over these majority Gentile readers. This is his heart’s desire and after asking for prayer for himself he declares this over them revealing what was truly in his heart.

Carry what is in your heart to the end, don’t let go.