WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.919 Well, Jeff, today we're talking about Paul's friends, because Paul 2 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:03.759 had friends. 3 00:00:03.839 --> 00:00:07.360 He has a bunch of friends, and he's like, howdy, howdy, howdy, howdy, 4 00:00:07.360 --> 00:00:11.919 howdy howdy to all y'all people. And that's how he 5 00:00:12.039 --> 00:00:14.400 ends the pay the Book of Romans, which is kind 6 00:00:14.400 --> 00:00:16.160 of funny. But there's some really neat names in here, 7 00:00:16.199 --> 00:00:18.960 in some neat circumstances. So he's Chris and I'm Jeff, 8 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:19.879 and we're the Bible guys. 9 00:00:31.559 --> 00:00:34.399 Chris Man, it's so good to have you today. 10 00:00:34.679 --> 00:00:37.840 Nice Jeff, it's good to be here. That was going, 11 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:39.359 it's such a delight. 12 00:00:39.159 --> 00:00:42.320 To be together in the studio, and I was thinking, 13 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:44.439 you know, you're kind of a movie guy. 14 00:00:45.320 --> 00:00:46.560 I am a little bit of a movie Yeah. 15 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:48.439 So I thought, what we do is, we'll do a 16 00:00:48.520 --> 00:00:51.640 segment called name the movie, and I'm just gonna describe 17 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:54.399 it best I can and see if you can know 18 00:00:55.000 --> 00:00:55.840 what the movie is. 19 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:56.200 Well. 20 00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:58.399 On my show sheet, which is different than yours, it 21 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:00.520 said poor description of movies. 22 00:01:02.119 --> 00:01:02.600 That's what it's. 23 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:04.439 Supposed to the best description I can give you. 24 00:01:04.719 --> 00:01:06.879 Well, it's designed to be poorly descripted. 25 00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:08.599 And then I'm supposed to be able to guess the 26 00:01:08.640 --> 00:01:10.480 movie based on a non obvious description. 27 00:01:10.599 --> 00:01:12.840 Okay, here it is. You got to guess the movie. 28 00:01:13.200 --> 00:01:14.200 Well, I'm feeling pressure. 29 00:01:14.200 --> 00:01:18.840 But Leonardo DiCaprio wanders a frozen wasteland in search of 30 00:01:18.879 --> 00:01:19.439 an oscar. 31 00:01:20.239 --> 00:01:22.840 In search of an oscar, Yeah, that's The Revenant. 32 00:01:22.920 --> 00:01:24.560 There you go, for sure. 33 00:01:25.120 --> 00:01:27.719 And by the way, unbelievable movie. 34 00:01:27.799 --> 00:01:30.719 Okay, as I remember, is that he fought a bear. Yes, 35 00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:34.959 a guy learns to love a girl without her Instagram filters. 36 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:42.120 Wow, a guy learns to love a girl without her 37 00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:45.439 Instagram filters. That's something I'm totally familiar. 38 00:01:45.480 --> 00:01:46.159 It's a cartoon. 39 00:01:49.640 --> 00:01:53.719 And then he'd remotely is a talking donkey Shrek. There 40 00:01:53.719 --> 00:01:56.040 you go, Instagram filters. 41 00:01:56.040 --> 00:01:58.680 I remember, she's a princess, but then he falls in 42 00:01:58.719 --> 00:02:00.920 love with her when she actually turns in to an ogre. 43 00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:04.400 Remember, so Instagram filters wasn't literal. 44 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:05.519 No, I guess not. 45 00:02:06.439 --> 00:02:10.120 I'm sorry, dude, Okay, who I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm 46 00:02:10.120 --> 00:02:13.520 confusing you. Father reunites with long lost son and wants 47 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:15.120 him to take over the family business. 48 00:02:17.680 --> 00:02:20.120 It's a super famous movie star wars. 49 00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:22.039 That is hilarious. 50 00:02:22.759 --> 00:02:25.479 Remember one episode Yeah, well, I mean it would be 51 00:02:25.560 --> 00:02:28.879 episode five and six six. 52 00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:29.400 There you go. 53 00:02:30.159 --> 00:02:33.240 A lunatic in slaves entertainers and slowly kills children in 54 00:02:33.240 --> 00:02:36.599 front of his parents. Say it again, A lunatic in 55 00:02:36.759 --> 00:02:40.199 slaves entertainers and slowly kills children in front of their parents. 56 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:43.120 It's a family favorite. 57 00:02:43.759 --> 00:02:44.800 Is this the Hungry Games? 58 00:02:44.960 --> 00:02:48.439 No? No, no, no, it's a kid's show from when 59 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:49.360 you were a kid. 60 00:02:50.919 --> 00:02:51.759 Say it when we're talking. 61 00:02:51.800 --> 00:02:55.719 A lunatic in slaves entertainers and slowly kills children in 62 00:02:55.719 --> 00:02:58.560 front of their parents. I have no idea Willie Wonka 63 00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:03.759 in the Chocolate Fact that's Is this a great description? 64 00:03:04.039 --> 00:03:05.159 That's hilarious. 65 00:03:05.719 --> 00:03:09.400 Uh? Illegal immigrants chased by the feds. 66 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:12.719 Illegal immigrants chased by the feds. That could be a 67 00:03:12.759 --> 00:03:17.560 thousand legal immigrants chased. 68 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:20.039 By the most famous scenes on a bicycle. 69 00:03:21.439 --> 00:03:26.879 Oh. Et, but they weren't illegal immigrants. 70 00:03:26.879 --> 00:03:29.840 Well why were the Feds chasing them? 71 00:03:30.520 --> 00:03:34.000 Because they were? They had et. They broke them out. 72 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:36.280 But that doesn't make them immigrants. 73 00:03:36.280 --> 00:03:38.719 Well I'm sorry, I'm just reading what's in front of me, dude. 74 00:03:38.599 --> 00:03:41.080 Ye, well, you know, maybe perhaps. 75 00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:43.120 Okay, you know, anyway, that's okay. 76 00:03:43.680 --> 00:03:48.280 I can't be Chris angry again, that's right, instagrams are 77 00:03:48.280 --> 00:03:50.039 Actually I'm not upset about that one as much as 78 00:03:50.039 --> 00:03:53.360 I have Instagram. Unless there was a scene in Shrek. 79 00:03:53.400 --> 00:03:56.800 Where did she reference Instagram? I don't know, because that 80 00:03:56.800 --> 00:03:57.479 would be funny. 81 00:03:57.560 --> 00:04:01.319 I don't know. I'm not sure real seriously. 82 00:04:00.919 --> 00:04:03.199 Well, Shrek was actually so long ago, I know. 83 00:04:03.560 --> 00:04:07.680 Right, Yes, so we should move on. Are you ready? 84 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:08.120 Yes? 85 00:04:08.240 --> 00:04:09.159 Okay. 86 00:04:09.280 --> 00:04:12.080 So there's a lot of interesting things that he says 87 00:04:12.159 --> 00:04:15.199 a lot of times when you get into these passages 88 00:04:15.199 --> 00:04:17.319 that just have lists, like lots of names and lots 89 00:04:17.319 --> 00:04:19.040 of things, sometimes it's easy to blow over it, like 90 00:04:19.240 --> 00:04:20.800 it's not that big of a deal. And yet we 91 00:04:20.839 --> 00:04:22.519 have to remember the Holy Spirit wanted us to know 92 00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:24.680 these things. The Holy Spirit made sure that these were 93 00:04:24.839 --> 00:04:27.199 including scripture. So there's some really interesting things in here. 94 00:04:27.800 --> 00:04:29.360 So he's wrapping it up. This is kind of the 95 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:33.079 long goodbye at the end of Romans. This chapter sixteen, 96 00:04:33.399 --> 00:04:36.720 he says, I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who 97 00:04:36.800 --> 00:04:39.680 is a deacon in the church at Centuria. Welcome her 98 00:04:39.720 --> 00:04:42.120 in the Lord as one who has who is worthy 99 00:04:42.160 --> 00:04:45.279 of honor among God's people. Help her and whatever she needs, 100 00:04:45.519 --> 00:04:48.279 for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me. 101 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:51.560 Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my coworkers in 102 00:04:51.560 --> 00:04:53.839 the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they once risk 103 00:04:53.920 --> 00:04:56.000 their lives for me. I'm thankful to them, and so 104 00:04:56.079 --> 00:04:57.360 are all the gentile churches. 105 00:04:57.720 --> 00:04:57.959 Also. 106 00:04:58.000 --> 00:04:59.879 Give my greetings to the church that meets in their home. 107 00:05:00.560 --> 00:05:03.759 Greet my dear friend Epinetus. He was the first person 108 00:05:03.759 --> 00:05:06.079 from the province of Asia to become a follower of Christ. 109 00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:09.600 Give my greetings to Mary, who has worked so hard 110 00:05:09.639 --> 00:05:13.439 for your benefit. Greet andre Nikas and Junia, my fellow 111 00:05:13.519 --> 00:05:16.120 Jews who were in prison with me. They're highly respected 112 00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:18.639 among the Apostles and became followers of Christ before I did. 113 00:05:19.160 --> 00:05:23.839 Greet Ampiliadis, my dear friend and the lorde Urbanus are 114 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:28.120 co worker in Christ. And my dear friends Steakies. Greet Apelles, 115 00:05:28.759 --> 00:05:31.759 a good man whom Christ approves, and give my greetings 116 00:05:31.759 --> 00:05:34.079 to the believers from the household of Aristobulus. 117 00:05:34.519 --> 00:05:36.040 Greet Herodian. By the way, I. 118 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:39.160 Noticed I'm number one reading all these crazy names. Aristotleus. 119 00:05:39.279 --> 00:05:41.000 This is one of those This is one of those 120 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:43.600 days where I'm just extremely rad at you because you're 121 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:44.000 killing it. 122 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:45.040 Dude, where do you go. 123 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:48.560 Greet Herodian, my fellow jew. Greet the Lord's people from 124 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:51.279 the household of Narcissus. Oh, you should have read that one. 125 00:05:51.439 --> 00:05:55.639 Give my greetings to Tripeda and Triphosis, the Lord's workers, 126 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:58.240 and too, dear Persis, who has worked so hard for 127 00:05:58.319 --> 00:06:01.639 the Lord. Greet Rufus, who names your kid Rufus. These 128 00:06:01.639 --> 00:06:04.680 are hysteric. I love Bible names. Greet Rufus, whom the 129 00:06:04.720 --> 00:06:06.879 Lord picked out to be his very own, and also 130 00:06:06.920 --> 00:06:09.399 his dear mother who's been a mother to me. Give 131 00:06:09.439 --> 00:06:15.519 my greetings to asking Cretus, fledge On Hermes, Patrobus, Hermas, 132 00:06:15.879 --> 00:06:18.319 and the brothers and sisters who meet with them. Give 133 00:06:18.319 --> 00:06:23.800 my greetings to Philologus, juliets Narius and his sister into Olympus, 134 00:06:23.879 --> 00:06:25.399 and all the believers who meet with them. You know, 135 00:06:25.399 --> 00:06:26.959 people are sitting on the edge of their seat right now, 136 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:30.040 just saying read another one, Jeff. Greet each other in 137 00:06:30.120 --> 00:06:33.079 Christian love. All the churches of Christ send you their greetings, 138 00:06:34.040 --> 00:06:34.480 does it, Saint? 139 00:06:34.560 --> 00:06:36.120 Christian lovers with a sacred kiss? 140 00:06:37.160 --> 00:06:40.759 This one says, Greet each other in Christian love? 141 00:06:41.399 --> 00:06:47.560 Really mine sacred kiss yours? NLT. Yeah, Yeah, so's mine. 142 00:06:48.120 --> 00:06:49.079 That's interesting, isn't that. 143 00:06:49.959 --> 00:06:53.160 No, so yours is probably just a different updated version 144 00:06:53.199 --> 00:06:53.519 than mine. 145 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:54.879 Yeah for sure. Yeah. 146 00:06:55.160 --> 00:06:57.240 So so we'll stop there because he's going to give 147 00:06:57.240 --> 00:07:01.959 some instructions at the end. Different but basically he's highlighting 148 00:07:02.160 --> 00:07:05.199 a couple of really really important things. 149 00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:08.519 One, he has a team of people. It's not just 150 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:11.040 Paul the rock star. 151 00:07:11.560 --> 00:07:11.680 Right. 152 00:07:12.319 --> 00:07:15.040 He mentions, how many people say so important to me 153 00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:17.160 in the ministry, right, the work with me in the ministry. 154 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:20.639 It's not just me, and he sees he recognizes the 155 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:23.800 value of those around him. So it just proves that Paul, 156 00:07:23.879 --> 00:07:26.839 like we talked about before, you know, Paul was this ambitious, 157 00:07:26.839 --> 00:07:29.680 self centered person. You know, he had ambition, but he 158 00:07:29.680 --> 00:07:31.439 had a team of people to make it happen with him. 159 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:35.759 And so he actually takes the time in this letter 160 00:07:36.120 --> 00:07:39.000 to say, I know that there are people there that 161 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:41.639 I know personally and their value, and I want to 162 00:07:41.639 --> 00:07:44.560 communicate to you how valuable they are to me. So 163 00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:46.600 he you know, he goes are out of his way 164 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:49.279 to praise them. There's a couple of different notes in 165 00:07:49.279 --> 00:07:54.879 my study Bible, and it says Phoebe was known as 166 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:58.040 a deacon, or servant or helper, and apparently she was 167 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:01.240 a wealthy person who supported Paul's ministry. Baby was highly 168 00:08:01.279 --> 00:08:03.759 regarded in the church, and she may have delivered this 169 00:08:03.959 --> 00:08:07.639 letter from Corinth to Rome. She's a good example of 170 00:08:07.639 --> 00:08:09.680 a woman who had an important role in the early Church. 171 00:08:10.120 --> 00:08:13.560 And it says since Sharia, the town where Phoebe lived 172 00:08:13.959 --> 00:08:17.399 was in the eastern port of Corinth, six miles from 173 00:08:17.439 --> 00:08:18.399 the city center. 174 00:08:18.879 --> 00:08:20.240 And I think that that's a. 175 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:23.199 Pretty cool thing to see in this list, how many 176 00:08:23.240 --> 00:08:24.040 women there were. 177 00:08:25.120 --> 00:08:27.199 You know that that early on in the church. 178 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:30.439 Not only did Jesus and the Gospels spend his time 179 00:08:30.600 --> 00:08:33.399 elevating women, and the culture in that day did not 180 00:08:33.720 --> 00:08:34.360 elevate women. 181 00:08:34.440 --> 00:08:35.080 Women had no. 182 00:08:35.159 --> 00:08:36.840 Rights, women were property. 183 00:08:36.559 --> 00:08:39.000 Women were property, They had no voice in the court 184 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:43.279 of law, they couldn't give testimony, women were treated so poorly. 185 00:08:43.720 --> 00:08:48.600 And yet Jesus spent his time elevating women, giving them positions, 186 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:53.200 you know, recognizing them, just ascribing value and worth. 187 00:08:53.000 --> 00:08:56.960 To them, defend defending them when people wouldn't and they 188 00:08:57.000 --> 00:08:59.519 would discard. And then Paul, here's here's. 189 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:02.879 An and the greatest announcement in the history of humanity 190 00:09:03.879 --> 00:09:06.440 was the resurrection, and he announced to women before he 191 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:07.919 ever went to his apostles. 192 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:11.279 Right, right, Well, I always say women first of the cross, first. 193 00:09:11.120 --> 00:09:11.639 Of the tomb. 194 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:13.279 Yeah, women, that's right, and. 195 00:09:13.279 --> 00:09:14.840 So and so. Yeah. 196 00:09:14.879 --> 00:09:18.039 So here here in the Gospels we have you know, 197 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:21.879 these you know examples right there. And then also here 198 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:24.679 with Paul, we see that he's listing all these people 199 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:26.360 who are dear to him, that are so important, that 200 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:29.200 are so gifted, that are so essential, and so many 201 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:30.639 of them are women. I just think that that's a 202 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:31.399 good thing to point out. 203 00:09:31.559 --> 00:09:35.120 Right, Well, he mentions Phoebe for one, he mentions Priscilla, 204 00:09:35.240 --> 00:09:37.559 and he mentions Priscilla before her husband Aquilla. 205 00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:38.679 Right, that's pretty rare. 206 00:09:38.919 --> 00:09:42.080 The only times that happens in the Bible are Mary 207 00:09:42.120 --> 00:09:43.919 and Joseph, Priscilla and Aquilla. 208 00:09:44.639 --> 00:09:45.679 Wow, that's pretty good. 209 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:45.919 Yeah. 210 00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:49.200 Everything else is David and Bathsheba. It's Abraham and Sarah, 211 00:09:49.440 --> 00:09:52.879 it's Adam and Eve. Right, just start going through the 212 00:09:52.879 --> 00:09:54.600 list of all the husbands and wives. It's always the 213 00:09:54.639 --> 00:09:57.440 husband first, the woman's second. That's just a social convention. 214 00:09:57.519 --> 00:09:58.840 It's not like God's trying to say that's how it's 215 00:09:58.840 --> 00:10:02.440 supposed to be, right, But in those social conventions, there's 216 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:05.039 a couple of exceptions that happen where people think of 217 00:10:05.200 --> 00:10:08.159 Mary first and then Joseph, and they think of Priscilla 218 00:10:08.200 --> 00:10:09.600 first and then Aquilla. 219 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:12.320 Right, So it wasn't necessarily like a buck against custom. 220 00:10:12.559 --> 00:10:15.519 It was more like, that's how important Priscilla was. 221 00:10:15.639 --> 00:10:19.200 Yeah, Priscilla was that important of a discipler. Her and 222 00:10:19.240 --> 00:10:22.559 her husband disciple Apollos, who, other than Paul, was the 223 00:10:22.600 --> 00:10:26.200 other most famous preacher. Apollos rose above Peter as far 224 00:10:26.200 --> 00:10:28.240 as famous preachers go during that time. 225 00:10:28.320 --> 00:10:28.519 Right. 226 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:31.879 So Paul at one point says, Hey, some of you 227 00:10:31.879 --> 00:10:35.159 are saying I follow Paul, and some say I follow Apollos, 228 00:10:35.159 --> 00:10:35.919 and some say. 229 00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:36.919 That I follow Cephis. 230 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:40.799 Right, So he's kind of implying that that Percephus being Peter, 231 00:10:41.080 --> 00:10:43.480 He's kind of implying that Apollos was second only to 232 00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:48.720 Paul as far as fame goes. And it was Priscilla 233 00:10:48.960 --> 00:10:53.039 and Aquilla who discipled Apollos, Right, this is very significant. 234 00:10:53.080 --> 00:10:56.159 She was incredibly important. And then the idea that he 235 00:10:56.320 --> 00:10:58.639 sends this letter with a woman named Phoebe. 236 00:10:58.720 --> 00:10:59.600 That's church history. 237 00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:02.279 That's pretty established that it was Phoebe who delivers the 238 00:11:03.000 --> 00:11:04.600 most doctrinal book in the Bible. 239 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:06.159 Yeah, it would have been. 240 00:11:06.000 --> 00:11:08.799 Brought to the synagogue first or to the early Church, 241 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:11.279 and they would have read it there publicly, and she 242 00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:13.600 would have been the reader of the most doctrinal book 243 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:17.960 in the letter in the Bible. And that really highlights 244 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:21.039 its you know, countercultural, that really highlights how important these 245 00:11:21.080 --> 00:11:22.440 two women are in the ministry. 246 00:11:22.600 --> 00:11:22.799 Yeah. 247 00:11:22.840 --> 00:11:24.840 And for those who don't know the history or the 248 00:11:24.879 --> 00:11:29.960 background between, you know, behind Priscillaicuila, my notes say this, 249 00:11:30.039 --> 00:11:33.519 Prisillonicuila were a married couple who had become Paul's close friends. They, 250 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:37.799 along with other Jews, had been expelled from Rome by 251 00:11:37.799 --> 00:11:40.480 the emperor and had moved to Corinth. And there they 252 00:11:40.519 --> 00:11:43.519 had met Paul and invited him to live with them. 253 00:11:43.879 --> 00:11:46.679 And they were Christians before they met Paul and probably 254 00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:50.320 told much, probably told him much about the Roman Church. 255 00:11:50.759 --> 00:11:54.919 Like Paul, Prisilinicquila were missionaries. They helped believers in Ephesus 256 00:11:55.320 --> 00:11:58.279 in Rome, where they were allowed to return again and 257 00:11:58.320 --> 00:12:00.000 eventually back. 258 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:03.080 An emphasis and second Timothy chapter for right, So very cool. 259 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:06.200 Yeah, and then they have a church meeting in their home, 260 00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:09.200 which I think, I think more Christians need to be 261 00:12:09.240 --> 00:12:11.759 thinking of that because we're kind of messed up with 262 00:12:11.799 --> 00:12:14.399 the idea that what happens on Sunday morning is the church. 263 00:12:14.639 --> 00:12:17.960 I'm going to church. We kind of think then that 264 00:12:18.440 --> 00:12:22.240 we minimize the gatherings in our homes sometimes. But he's 265 00:12:22.279 --> 00:12:24.720 saying that there's this group of Christians that are gathering 266 00:12:24.720 --> 00:12:27.360 regularly in their home and where you might not be 267 00:12:27.519 --> 00:12:31.840 the Paul in your world, right, maybe one of our listeners, 268 00:12:31.879 --> 00:12:34.960 you know, Chris Zarba is your Pall. Okay, that's great, 269 00:12:35.159 --> 00:12:37.200 but you can still have a group of believers that 270 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:40.039 are gathering together. You're helping disciple, and that's what's happening here. 271 00:12:40.039 --> 00:12:42.919 That's what home fellowships are. That's what you know, small 272 00:12:42.960 --> 00:12:45.720 groups are. That's what you know. Maybe you're doing a 273 00:12:45.720 --> 00:12:48.879 Discovery Bible study, or maybe you're starting a house church. 274 00:12:49.039 --> 00:12:51.399 You can do that and not have that be contrary 275 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:53.840 to the larger gathering that you're a part of, right, 276 00:12:54.120 --> 00:12:55.559 And that's what they're doing there, And he mentions it 277 00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:57.360 a couple times. I think there's somebody else that has 278 00:12:57.399 --> 00:13:00.480 a house church meeting too. He mentions, but yeah. 279 00:13:00.840 --> 00:13:05.799 In verse number seven when it says, greet Andrew, Andronicus 280 00:13:06.200 --> 00:13:09.000 and Junia, my fellow Jews who are who were in 281 00:13:09.039 --> 00:13:11.879 prison with me. You're highly respected among the apostles and 282 00:13:11.919 --> 00:13:13.440 became followers of Christ before I did. 283 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:14.440 So. 284 00:13:14.519 --> 00:13:17.200 My sting notes say that they may have been a 285 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:21.399 husband and wife team, much like Priscilla and Aquila. The 286 00:13:21.440 --> 00:13:24.279 fact that they were highly respected among the apostles could 287 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:27.840 mean that they had distinguished themselves as apostles. Paul also 288 00:13:27.919 --> 00:13:29.480 notes that they were fellow Jews and at one time 289 00:13:29.519 --> 00:13:31.840 been in prison with him. Yeah, so just another little 290 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:34.080 insight about those people. 291 00:13:34.120 --> 00:13:37.039 He mentions, Yeah, the other one, so Junia would be 292 00:13:37.120 --> 00:13:40.759 a female. And then in verse fourteen, it mentions, give 293 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:48.320 my greetings to a syncretous fledge on Hermes Petrobus and Hermas. 294 00:13:48.720 --> 00:13:51.240 Hermas would be the feminine version of Hermes, right, And 295 00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:53.519 so you've got another woman there that and he says, 296 00:13:53.559 --> 00:13:55.519 and the brothers and sisters who meet with them. So 297 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.759 these people also seem to be this group seemed to 298 00:13:58.799 --> 00:14:02.399 be leaders in a lite fellowship Christian fellowship there in Rome. 299 00:14:02.600 --> 00:14:04.320 Hey, I would like to go back to verse number 300 00:14:04.360 --> 00:14:07.440 eleven when it says, greet the Lord's people from the 301 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:08.840 household of narcissists. 302 00:14:09.080 --> 00:14:16.000 And you said, and you said, you should have read that. 303 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:20.519 One well, I just thought, I thought, narcissist. 304 00:14:20.720 --> 00:14:23.240 What do you mean, what do you mean? I don't 305 00:14:23.240 --> 00:14:26.679 know what you mean. Yeah, that was good. I just 306 00:14:26.679 --> 00:14:28.919 felt like I was hogging all the good words. That's 307 00:14:28.960 --> 00:14:29.320 what it was. 308 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:30.759 Hey man, I thought was funny. 309 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:36.000 So so yeah, so so basically, another thing that we could, 310 00:14:36.399 --> 00:14:40.840 you know, take from this is that it's another great 311 00:14:40.879 --> 00:14:44.559 picture of how God designs the church because you know, 312 00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:47.120 after all, you know, all of this is written within 313 00:14:47.159 --> 00:14:49.679 the context of the church, and every person that Paul 314 00:14:49.759 --> 00:14:53.679 mentions has an important role, you know, of of moving 315 00:14:53.720 --> 00:14:57.279 the gospel forward, establishing the ministry and everything else. And 316 00:14:57.600 --> 00:14:59.639 you know, Paul is also the writer in First Corinthians, 317 00:14:59.639 --> 00:15:02.159 where you talk talks about is it first or Second Corinthians. 318 00:15:02.159 --> 00:15:05.879 He talks about the hand needing the foot? Yeah, yeah, yeah, twelve, 319 00:15:06.080 --> 00:15:10.080 Chapter twelve, Yeah, chapter twelve, where he talks about, you know, 320 00:15:10.320 --> 00:15:13.480 how the church has different people serving different positions and 321 00:15:14.039 --> 00:15:16.679 all have different needs. It's just a great reminder that, like, 322 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:19.639 you know, when for those of us who don't know, 323 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:22.480 he says, you know, the hand can't say to the foot, 324 00:15:22.519 --> 00:15:24.759 I don't need you. And what if the whole body 325 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:27.480 were an eyeball, you know, then where would the hearing be, 326 00:15:28.000 --> 00:15:30.519 and so that they're just the body as many members. 327 00:15:31.120 --> 00:15:33.559 We all have different roles, we all have different parts, 328 00:15:34.000 --> 00:15:36.639 and one can't say that the other member is not 329 00:15:36.679 --> 00:15:39.759 important because they all work together for the one body. 330 00:15:40.120 --> 00:15:42.200 And then he you know, talks about how the church 331 00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:45.840 is one body, and it's just a great picture how 332 00:15:46.480 --> 00:15:48.639 we as listeners. You know, let's just say we're getting 333 00:15:48.679 --> 00:15:51.080 up today having our coffee, ready to head into work. 334 00:15:51.399 --> 00:15:54.639 Just know that you are an important role in the church. 335 00:15:55.279 --> 00:15:58.159 You may have the gift of pastoring where you know, 336 00:15:58.200 --> 00:16:00.759 which means the caring gift, and you want to use 337 00:16:00.799 --> 00:16:01.919 that at the office. 338 00:16:01.559 --> 00:16:02.559 Today, right. 339 00:16:02.759 --> 00:16:05.360 Or you may have the gift of evangelism, which is 340 00:16:05.399 --> 00:16:08.039 one of the outward gifts of pushing the gospel forward 341 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:10.519 and just telling people about Jesus and inviting the men 342 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:13.799 to an environment like that or whatever it is. Maybe 343 00:16:13.799 --> 00:16:17.559 it's just as simple as encouragement, where people, you know, 344 00:16:17.639 --> 00:16:19.200 eventually get to the place where they look at your 345 00:16:19.240 --> 00:16:20.200 life and say. 346 00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:23.240 How could you, how could you be so encouraging. 347 00:16:23.960 --> 00:16:26.759 I was watching Black Widow last night with my wife, 348 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:29.600 you know, the Black Widow Marvel movie, and you know, 349 00:16:29.639 --> 00:16:32.320 she had this really bad past and rough past, and 350 00:16:32.600 --> 00:16:35.919 the girl looked at she callet Johansson and said, how 351 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:38.240 is it that you have kept your heart? 352 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:39.159 Like? 353 00:16:39.200 --> 00:16:41.360 How have you not lost your heart in all of this? 354 00:16:42.279 --> 00:16:43.559 And that's what people do. 355 00:16:43.600 --> 00:16:45.799 They eventually get to the place where they look at 356 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:49.360 our lives and they ask why. Right, you know, it's 357 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:53.120 living a life that leads to why when somebody around 358 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:54.879 you says how can you be this. 359 00:16:54.919 --> 00:16:57.039 Way or why do you act this way? 360 00:16:57.639 --> 00:17:01.360 Maybe that's your part of influence because because that's what 361 00:17:01.480 --> 00:17:02.360 God has placed in you. 362 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:02.720 Yep. 363 00:17:03.639 --> 00:17:06.480 The other thing I really enjoy when you read a 364 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:09.799 passage like this, when Paul just unloads with all these people. 365 00:17:10.839 --> 00:17:14.880 He references here several different fellowships that are gathering, and 366 00:17:14.920 --> 00:17:18.440 he's writing to another one. He's writing to the church 367 00:17:18.480 --> 00:17:23.039 in Rome. You can see there's no competition. It's not 368 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:25.119 like he's saying, hey, I like this church, but watch 369 00:17:25.119 --> 00:17:27.839 out for those people over there or whatever. Right, He's 370 00:17:27.880 --> 00:17:30.440 just he's not trying to compete at all. He's not 371 00:17:30.599 --> 00:17:33.319 implying that maybe some are good and some are bad 372 00:17:33.480 --> 00:17:35.559 and all that kind of stuff. He's just saying, man, 373 00:17:35.799 --> 00:17:39.000 everybody that's in Rome, that's for Jesus I'm for them, 374 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:41.359 and I think that as Christians we should be that way. 375 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:44.440 You know, I've told a lot of different stories about how, 376 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:46.759 you know, easy it is for us to the names 377 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:49.599 on our church signs really serve to tell Christians why 378 00:17:49.640 --> 00:17:52.759 we disagree with each other, whether it's Baptist or Lutheran 379 00:17:52.880 --> 00:17:57.400 or you know, Methodist or whatever. And Paul doesn't really 380 00:17:57.400 --> 00:18:00.119 have that sense here. Paul's just saying, we're all believers, 381 00:18:00.279 --> 00:18:02.799 we're all landed on the line, we're all risking our 382 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:06.720 lives for God's kingdom, and I just want you to love. 383 00:18:06.799 --> 00:18:08.359 I want you to learn to love Phoebe like I 384 00:18:08.359 --> 00:18:10.720 love Phoebe. I want you to learn to love you know, 385 00:18:11.279 --> 00:18:15.119 Aristoculus or whatever, Ampliatus, whatever. I want you to learn 386 00:18:15.160 --> 00:18:17.720 to love those guys as much as I have, because 387 00:18:17.759 --> 00:18:20.680 they're all just towing the line for the Gospel. They're 388 00:18:20.720 --> 00:18:22.920 all working together on this. And I think that we 389 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:25.480 should in all of our communities, we should not look 390 00:18:25.519 --> 00:18:27.359 at the church down the street as being a threat, 391 00:18:28.160 --> 00:18:31.000 right right. We shouldn't look at the Christians, you know, 392 00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:33.720 who do things a little bit differently than us, as 393 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:36.319 some kind of a threat that we need to correct them. 394 00:18:36.359 --> 00:18:38.759 We need to rise up like God's given us the 395 00:18:38.880 --> 00:18:41.400 responsibility of a prophet to call them out and bring 396 00:18:41.480 --> 00:18:44.279 judgment on them instead. You know what, you know, if 397 00:18:44.319 --> 00:18:46.640 they're for Jesus, we should be for them, right, if 398 00:18:46.680 --> 00:18:48.720 they're for salvation by grace or faith, we should be 399 00:18:48.759 --> 00:18:51.839 for them. And you know, I think that to some extent, 400 00:18:52.119 --> 00:18:54.240 we have that in the community we live in, right 401 00:18:54.279 --> 00:18:57.200