Author: Charlie Garrett

Sunday, 2 March 2014

Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began… Romans 16:25

Paul now begins his closing verses of the epistle with a doxology. This is actually the only epistle that he ends with one. Others contain one or more doxologies, but this one is unique in this way. And so he begins with “Now to Him…” This is speaking of Jesus Christ as noted in verse 20, just before Tertius’ insert greetings. It is He “who is able to establish you.” This sentiment is found in Ephesians 3:20 –

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…”

The work that Christ has begun in us as recipients of His offering of grace, He is fully capable of establishing and continuing in us. Back in Romans 1:11, 12, Paul wrote these words concerning this very precept –

“For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be established— that is, that I may be encouraged together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.”

His hope was to “impart some spiritual gift that you may be established.” Now he notes that it is the Lord who in fact is able to so establish them. And, this is “according to my gospel.” In other words, the doctrines which were set forth in this epistle, written by him. This gospel is entirely Christ centered: We were predestined for salvation, because God foreknew us (Romans 8:29); our calling is of the Lord (Romans 8:30); salvation is of the Lord (Romans 10:9); justification is of the Lord (Romans 3:24); sanctification is of the Lord; this came through the work of the Holy Spirit who testifies to the work of Christ (Romans 15:16) ); and glorification is of the Lord (Romans 8:30).

After noting that the Romans can be established through the words of his epistle, he adds “and the preaching of Jesus Christ.” Paul was personally instructed by the Lord. He also had the testimony of the other apostles concerning the words of the Lord. But care must be taken here to understand what Paul is speaking of. The majority of Jesus’ recorded words in the gospels were spoken to Israel, under the law. There is a separation between these words and the words which speak of the church age. The two are not to be mixed. If what Jesus said under the law was enough to establish us, there would be no need for New Testament epistles. But there is because the church age and the kingdom age as spoken to Israel are, in fact, separate dispensations. Mixing these two then often leads to erroneous doctrine.

And this is absolutely certain because Paul’s “gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ” mentioned here are “according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began.” This is how God does things in redemptive history. He progressively reveals His intentions for us.  Until Paul revealed these mysteries (and those in his other epistles) they were entirely unknown. Paul, being the apostle to the Gentiles, wrote back and forth in this letter to Jew and then to Gentile, showing that both are acceptable to Christ, and both are in need of Christ. This mystery, or hidden truth, is revealed through Paul. Before that, it was unknown “since the world began.” The word used here literally means “in times eternal.”

There were in fact hints of the dispensational model given all the way back in Genesis, such as clues that the Gentiles would, for a certain time, assume the banner of redemption; the Church Age. But these hints were concealed until the events came about. Only in hindsight can we fully grasp what the allusions we were given back there actually meant. The mystery was secure until it was fully revealed after the coming of Christ. This concept of hiding and revealing things is actually noted right in Deuteronomy. There it says –

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” Deuteronomy 29:29

God, in His infinite wisdom, has taken man through various dispensations in order to show us that in any situation we are utterly dependent on Him and His open hand of grace and mercy.

Life application: All hail the work of Jesus Christ which reconciles us to God.

Heavenly Father, Your word is beyond compare. Though we have searched it carefully for thousands of years, still new insights and hidden truths are revealed as the days go by. How wonderfully glorious is this superior Word which You have given us. Help us to not forsake it for life’s trivial pursuits, but to search it out and hold fast to it all our days. Amen.

Saturday, 1 March 2014

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Romans 16:24

This verse is another internal clue that all of verses 22-24 were penned by Tertius the scribe and not by Paul. In verse 20, Paul wrote, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.” it seems unlikely that he would repeat himself so closely in wording at such a close interval. But for Tertius to make the same comment would be natural and even expected. This salutation was probably a common one among the saints from the earliest days of the church and would have been repeated often.

In fact, these words of Tertius are a mirror of John’s final words in the book of Revelation which also say, “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”

Tertius, though a mere scribe, was granted the high honor of being a part-author in the eternal word of God. As his greeting to the Romans has become a part of this word, he is reaching across space and through time to greet you personally! Think of that as you again read his words and reflect on the wonder of the Bible.

Life application: What things do you think will survive your evaluation by Christ? As believers, we will all stand before Him and receive from Him our rewards. Some things will be burned away, some will survive (1 Corinthians 3:12-15). The process will be perfectly fair and we will be thoroughly satisfied with what He decides, but we may not be happy with our reflections on the life we lived. Endeavor now to do those things which will be pleasing to the Lord so that your rewards will be many and your cup will be large and eternally blessed with overflow.

Lord God, I’m excited about the life You’ve given me. There are so many opportunities to reach out to others in their times of need, there are many chances to share Your word or to tell those around me about Your gospel of peace, and there are even times where I can just sit and be still in Your presence and feel Your Spirit of comfort and peace. Thank You for Your constant hand upon my life. Thank You… Amen.

Friday, 28 February 2014

Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. Romans 16:23

This verse is most probably a continuation of Tertius’ greeting which began in the previous verse, but it could be a return to Paul’s thoughts. Under the assumption that it is Tertius, in addition to his own greeting, he includes greetings from:

1) “Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church.” The word “host” carries the thought of a person who accommodates another in his house at his own expense, without charge or expected return. He simply opened his house and welcomed others in. This sounds much like Priscilla and Aquila whom Paul noted earlier in this chapter. The whole church met in their house.

The name Gaius (although not necessarily the same person) is first seen in Acts 19 during a time of trouble in Ephesus. A “Gaius of Derbe” is seen in Acts 20. Paul notes him in 1 Corinthians 1:14 as someone he personally baptized. And, Gaius, if the same individual, has the high honor of a letter being written to him which is included as a book of the Bible. 3 John 1:1 says, “To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth.” To be so prominently displayed in the pages of the Bible, and to be so faithfully noted, is both rare and honoring of his Christian service.

2) “Erastus, the treasurer of the city” is noted in Acts 19:22. He was sent by Paul, along with Timothy, to minister in Macedonia. The treasurer of the city would be a high distinction within the Roman Empire and he would be considered a noble. This shows that Paul was probably speaking of him when he wrote this to the Corinthians –

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

Saying “not many” implies that some were. Paul may have had him in his thoughts as he wrote about the varying types God has chosen. He is also mentioned one more time in 2 Timothy 4:20 – “Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.” Other than these things, nothing more is said about him in Scripture.

3) “Quartus, a brother.” There is something rather unusual here. The name “Tertius” means “three” and the name “Quartus” means “four.” At times, slaves were given no real names, but were simply numbered – “Hey Six, go get me some coffee.”

Because of this, it is possible that Tertius and Quartus were from the same household and either real brothers, born as slaves in the flesh; or brothers in Christ, reborn as slaves to Him. If this is so, then Paul’s words above (1 Corinthians 1:26-29) have all the more ring of truth about them!

Life application: Status, amount of wealth, type of employment, and other social identifiers don’t mean a thing in regards to our relationship with the Lord. The only thing that matters is whether we have received Jesus and what we are doing for Him. Don’t ever feel that you are somehow unworthy of His favor. He has accepted you and He is pleased with you.

Lord, Your word says that You have chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty. I certainly feel weak at times – weak in my body, weak in my spirit, and weak in my faith. But I know that You have accepted me just as I am. I know Your grace is sufficient and Your love is eternal. Thank You for choosing even me. Amen.

Thursday, 27 February 2014

I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord. Romans 16:22

We find in this verse much more than might be at first apparent. “I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle” tells us that Paul used an amanuensis or “penman” who wrote what Paul had either first written, or what he directly dictated to Tertius. Paul’s writing was unusually large as is noted in Galatians 6:11 – “See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!”

It is believed because of this, and several other pertinent clues, that Paul’s vision was poor. If he wrote with such large letters, the epistle delivered to Rome would be many pages long and rather unwieldy. Further, it wasn’t uncommon for people to use a scribe to pen their letters as they let their thoughts out. Some people think more clearly as they speak and this may be the case with Paul. It is certainly not the case that Paul first spoke in Hebrew, Aramaic, or some other language and then Tertius translated the epistle into Greek. Paul was fluent in Greek as is seen in Acts 21:37.

Further, it was his custom to sign each epistle that was sent in his name even if he used a scribe. He notes this in 2 Thessalonians 3:17 – “The salutation of Paul with my own hand, which is a sign in every epistle; so I write.” The unusually large letters and the style of his penmanship ensured that an epistle from him was easily recognized.

The words which state “who wrote this epistle” are graphas ten epstolen. It means “wrote” not “translated” or “interpreted.” The substance of the letter is Paul’s entirely. Tertius simply put the words down as he received them.

His name, Tertius, is a Latin name and some have tried to connect it with “Silas” who is noted 13 times from Acts 15-18. This doesn’t seem likely because Silas is named so prominently in Acts by that name. For him to change to the Latin name when Jews were also being addressed in Romans seems quite a stretch, but it’s not impossible.

This “Tertius” then has been given the liberty by Paul to make his own greeting to the Romans. When he does, he says “I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.” Two possibilities for “in the Lord” arise. One is that he “wrote” the epistle in the Lord, meaning under divine inspiration. The second is that “greet” is being tied to “in the Lord.” This would mean that his greeting is as a Christian and with brotherly love because of it. The second is certainly more likely. It has already been indicated (as noted above) that Paul is the author and he is the scribe.

However… in this sentence he becomes the author and therefore, under divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he has the high honor of being one of the authors of the Bible, even if it is for a short thought or two! It is an amazing thing to contemplate. This honor is not unlike that of Jeremiah’s scribe, Baruch, in the Old Testament. In Jeremiah 45, after so many trials and with the future very uncertain, the Lord took the time to address Baruch personally. The entire chapter is devoted to this exchange –

“The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: ‘You said, ‘Woe is me now! For the Lord has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.’ ‘Thus you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,’ says the Lord. ‘But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.'”

Tertius and Baruch were both given high honor regardless of how they may have felt about what they were doing. They are noted in God’s word and are no less important than those they served.

Life application: Tertius is known for doing only one thing for the Lord, being a scribe for someone else who is writing a letter. It seems menial, but the Lord honored Tertius with the signing his name and giving a greeting. Thus he became a partial author of God’s eternal word. Like Baruch and Tertius, if you are in Christ, you too are a valued member of God’s community and what you do will never go unnoticed by Him. He will reward you for your acts of faithfulness and your name will be eternally inscribed on heaven’s rolls.

Lord God, I sometimes feel that what I do in life isn’t of great value. I know there are preachers, teachers, missionaries, authors, scholars, professors and the like who are dedicated to serving you faithfully. But when I read your word, I see that you also favor the common man and look upon the work of his hands with delight when it is done for you. I will serve you in my duties and I am confident that You notice my efforts. Amen.

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you. Romans 16:21

In the first portion of Romans 16, Paul greeted many in Rome. After this came his thoughts concerning the need to avoid divisions and strife by avoiding those who would otherwise tear apart the harmony within the church. With that thought complete, he now extends greetings from those with him. First noted is the famous Timothy who is seen throughout the New Testament and to whom two epistles were written.

Timothy is first introduced into the Bible in Acts 16 –

“Then he came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed, but his father was Greek. He was well spoken of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium. Paul wanted to have him go on with him. And he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in that region, for they all knew that his father was Greek. And as they went through the cities, they delivered to them the decrees to keep, which were determined by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem. So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.” Acts 16:1-5

After this, Timothy seemed to never be far from Paul. He is noted in the introduction of five of Paul’s letters as being there with him. In Philippians 2:19-23 he is mentioned in a most honorable way when Paul calls him “a son with his father” –

“But I trust in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, that I also may be encouraged when I know your state. For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state. For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character, that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel. Therefore I hope to send him at once, as soon as I see how it goes with me.”

In Hebrews 13, we learn that Timothy had even been imprisoned for his faith at one time. He was eventually ordained as the first bishop of the church at Ephesus and is a person never noted as anything but firm and resolute in his friendship with Paul and his integrity and endurance in his work for the Lord.

After mentioning “Timothy my fellow worker” Paul goes on to note Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater. Some teach that Lucius is actually Luke who wrote Luke and Acts, but Jamieson-Faucett-Brown disagree. They say that “the fuller form of ‘Lucas’ is not ‘Lucius’ but ‘Lucanus.'” He is probably the same person noted again as Lucius of Cyrene in Acts 13:1 among a list of “prophets and teachers.”

Jason is mentioned in Acts 17:5-9 in connection with a disturbance at his home where they met to share the gospel. This occurred in Thessalonica. And Sosipater is most likely known as “Sopater of Berea” in Acts 20:4. Collectively, these three are called “my countrymen” by Paul. They were of Jewish descent and therefore of the same stock as Paul. They each had extended their greetings to those in Rome and at the same time added both note and credibility to the letter Paul penned to them.

Life application: Consider how faithless many people are. When trials or troubles come along, they fly off like a bird. But Timothy held to Paul like a son to his father. If your church goes through a bumpy patch which isn’t involving wrong doctrine, will you just get up and leave or will you stick with it through the trial? And what about those you are close to as friends and associates? How willing are you to stand with them in their own times of need? Be faithful like Timothy who stayed with Paul through the most amazing trials and difficulties.

Lord Jesus, from time to time we find out how faithless many friends and colleagues are. When difficult times come, they are gone like birds out an open window. I would pray for that not to be how I am remembered by others. Instead, help me to be there for them in their time of need and to be remembered as a faithful friend. But Lord, be with me and remind me of this. With You, I know I will remain faithful to those around me. Amen.