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But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness Gal 5:22 |
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Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Wednesday, March 20, 2019
Today's Passage : Today's Passage:Personal Greetings Bible Verse:Romans 16:1-16 "Icommend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. " Message:
Having ended the epistle in Chapter 15, Paul finds he must include additional information. We see demonstrated here a shade of difference between an “epistle,” which is more of an essay in the form of a letter, and an ordinary “letter” intended to be read by a friend or acquaintance. One might say that Chapter 16 is a letter written to accompany his epistle.
Icon of Jesus
Today’s passage begins with an introduction. Almost certainly, Phoebe is the person who carried the epistle from Corinth to Rome. She has considerable means, for Paul introduces her as a patron, that is, a person who had been providing him and many other Christians in Corinth with material support. Such a patrician Greek might have been a citizen of Rome and, in any case, would have considered a trip to Rome as normal as a wealthy American taking a trip to New York.
The rest of the passage is a list of people in Rome whom Paul knows. Prisca (also called “Priscilla,” the diminutive form of Prisca) and Aquila had an importance to the early church that is practically unheralded today. As recounted in Acts 18, they were Roman Jews who had been expelled by Claudius; they were instrumental in starting two of the great churches of Paul’s missions, Corinth and Ephesus. Paul had lived with them for 18 months. Although undocumented, most scholars believe that Aquila became the Bishop of Asia Minor and was martyred with his wife.
Paul accomplishes two things with his list of “shout outs.” Naturally, he says hello to old friends. But also, he strengthens his own credentials and credibility with readers of the epistle, many of whom would have known one or more of the people mentioned. He is giving himself references.
Although some of the names are possibly (or clearly) Jewish, such as Mary and Herodion, most of the names are Roman or Greek. Less than a decade before, Claudius had expelled the Jews from Rome and it had only been open for their return for a couple of years. The Roman church was primarily a church of Gentiles.
Meditation : Prayer : Walk with me, dear Lord, so that I may not be alone as I face this day, but always in your presence. Your joy is a lighthouse in a world often dark with sin, and I pray that I may reflect the light of your truth, to inspire others as I have been inspired. In the name of Christ, bless me this day, and all whom I may meet......Amen |
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