Greetings Romans: Romans 16:21-23 (Sermon)

 

BAPTISM

Good morning! It is great to worship with you. In a couple of weeks, we will have our baptism service. That is one of my favorite services of the year. Baptism is like a spiritual IPO. It is an opportunity for a person to go public with their faith. It is an opportunity for us, as a church, to hear stories about what God is doing to redeem lives. I have been brought to tears hearing of God’s redemption again and again. If you are not getting baptized, you won’t want to miss Sunday, August 2nd. In the morning, we will hear the stories, and in the evening, we will go to Warren Dunes to watch the baptisms and celebrate. If you are interested in learning more about this baptism, stick around after that service. I will be upfront to answer any of your questions. 

LAST WORDS 

This morning, we are coming to the end of our series on Romans. It has been a blast. We began on July 6 of last year. We are reading the last things that Paul wrote to the church in Rome. After this morning, we have one more sermon. Sometimes the last things are the most important. 

MEXICO

When I was first dating Katie, we spent loads of time together. I was working in a church with Junior Highers and doing landscaping on the side. It was back when we had calling cards to make long-distance calls. I was in Mexico on a mission trip and missed Katie a ton. I went down the street to a small phone booth, got out my wallet, and found my flimsy AT&T calling card. I punched in the billion numbers and waited. The phone rang, and we connected. We talked and talked and talked. And then, eventually, I got interrupted with a female voice saying, “You have five minutes remaining.” The pressure was on. What should I say? What do I say with only five minutes remaining? I had an idea. I will tell her I love her. I had never said that to her before. But I didn’t want to waste it. What if she didn’t love me back? I waffled. Should I say it? It was awkward. I decided to make it the last thing I say. “You have one minute remaining.” It was now or never. I still wasn’t sure. I was listening to her share and thinking about what I would say. Okay, I was going to say it. “Katie, I have to say something.” “Yeah?” “I Lo…” “Thank you for using AT&T. Goodbye.” Dial tone. The call was up. Over. What did Katie hear? I got cut off. I couldn’t finish. I said, “I lov…” Those were my last words. My “Lo…” has continued to grow over the years. We still laugh about it today. She met me at the airport, and we drove home talking about my Lo. I bring that up because Paul’s last words were not cut off like mine, but like mine, they were filled with affection and not his alone. At first glance, they might seem trivial, but I would argue they powerfully illustrate a heart God would have us have for each other and the broader church. Let me show you what I am talking about. 

TEXT 

I am going to have S&S V. read for us. You all can come up here. Would you please stand with me in honor of God’s Word? 

Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you. (Romans 16:21–23, ESV)

PRAYER 

Thank you. I know that is short. But it is God’s Word and good. Let’s pray. Heavenly Father, we need you. I need you. Help us to understand and apply your Word for your praise and honor. Send your Spirit to work in our ears. Teach us your truth. Your Word is truth. In Jesus’s name we pray, amen. You may be seated.

CONTEXT 

Paul was concluding his letter to the church in Rome. It consisted of Jewish and non-Jewish followers of Jesus. These groups had vastly different cultures. This is why Paul wrote. He was headed to Spain on a mission trip. However, he planned a layover so he could talk to this church in person about the good news of Jesus before he took the message to a land that had never heard of him. In this sixteen-chapter letter, Paul spent eleven chapters discussing deep theological truths. In Chapter 12, Paul turned from theology to unpacking the implications of our religious doctrine. His main point was a call to the church to “Live together in the power of the gospel because it saves everyone who believes.” 

POINT / STRUCTURE 

The passage we read had three concluding sets of goodbyes. Unlike the greetings we read at the beginning of Chapter 16, which encourage the church to greet one another, this greeting is distinct. But so what? What can we learn from people saying hi? What does a greeting teach? Paul tells us some interesting details that make these sentences pop. Here are subject headings for each group: 

V. 21 A coworker and kinsmen 

V. 22 A scribe 

V. 23 A wealthy man, a city treasurer, and a nameless brother

Inherently, this set of eight men’s hellos is an encouragement for us not only to be committed to each other but also to care about those in the broader church.

COWORKERS AND KINSMEN 

Let’s look more closely: 

21 A coworker and kinsmen 

22 A scribe 

23 A wealthy man, a city treasurer, and a nameless brother

Turn in your Bibles, if you have them, to verse 21. What does it say? 

“Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen” (Romans 16:21, ESV). 

In the previous list in Chapter 16, we mostly don’t know who they were; we do know many of the names Paul allowed to fill these sentences. 

TIMOTHY 

For example, Timothy was possibly Paul’s closest friend and a spiritual son. Paul called him his “true and beloved child.” Paul and Timothy ministered together and traveled together. Paul wrote two letters to him that are in our Bible today. Timothy was mentioned in several other letters and in Acts. We read in one of Paul’s letters that Timothy came from an area near Galatia, known as Turkey. His mother was Jewish, and his father was not. Paul wrote that Timothy came to faith because of his grandmother Lois and mother Eunice (2 Timothy 1:5). He grew up and gained a good reputation. From Paul’s encouragement, we can infer that he had an evangelistic gifting as well as anxiety about sharing his faith. When Paul met him, he took him under his wing and mentored him. He then sent him off to minister in Corinth, Philippi, Colossae, Thessalonica, and Ephesus. Paul even had him circumcised as an adult to break down a barrier to ministering to Jewish people. Timothy was locked in for the Lord at all costs (Acts 16:1–4). The last communication we got from Paul to Timothy was Paul asking him to visit him in Rome. Paul was under house arrest, and he wanted to see his friend. And this friend cares about the people in the church in Romans.   

LUCIUS JASON SOSIPATER

Beyond Timothy, Paul mentioned Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater sent their greetings. He called them kinsmen, his kinsmen. That meant they were Jewish. Paul was Jewish, and so were they. Not all Christians are Jewish. The Jews and Non-Jewish followers of Jesus were having issues at the time. Rome had both groups. And these Jewish men were saying hi. Presumably, the others who were saying hi were not Jewish at the time. 

LUCIUS

Who was this kinsman Lucius? There is one in Acts 13, from Cyrene, the northern part of Africa. Lucius could also be a nickname for Luke, who wrote Acts and the Gospel of Luke in our Bibles. However, no Biblical scholar, I read, thinks either was the same person. The Bible has multiple people with the same name. For instance, there are multiple Dans, Josephs, and Jameses in the Bible. Even in this room, we have several Jeffs, Mikes, and Carries. From what we gather here, Lucius was Jewish and was with Paul in Corinth as he wrote this letter. And Lucius cares about the church 617 miles away. 

JASON 

Paul next mentioned “Jason.” We read about Jason in Acts 17. Paul was traveling through the town of Thessalonica. God was using him to convert Greeks, Jews, and prominent women to the faith. It was incredible! However, some of the Jewish people didn’t think so. They were jealous. So, they incited a mob to attack this missionary effort. The rioting spread to the attack on the home of a man named Jason, likely the same Jason mentioned in Romans 16:21. 

SOSIPATER

The next greeting came from Sosipater. Scholars think that it is the same name as Sopater in Acts 20. Sopater accompanied Paul on his missionary journey through Macedonia. Paul was not alone in his ministry or his ancestry. He knew he needed help and got it from the church community, from people like Sosipater, Jason, Lucius, and Timothy. We can’t do “life” alone; we need each other, like Paul needed others. 

VERSE 22

21 A coworker and kinsmen 

22 A scribe 

23 A wealthy man, a city treasurer, and a nameless brother

This brings us to verse 22 and the next section. Paul moves from his colleagues in the ministry to his administrative help, like our Sonja. If you have your Bible, look at verse 22. 

“I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord” (Romans 16:22, ESV). 

This is interesting. Tertius means third. Often, enslaved people were given numbers instead of names. 

FRIEND NAMED TRE

I have a friend who goes by Tre. I had known him for years and realized that this was not his real name. It was a nickname. He was named after his dad, who was named after his dad. Tre is French for the number three. Tre’s real name is Charles, I think, Charles the III. But he goes by the name Tre. In the same way, perhaps Tertius was the III of some Charles out there. Slaves often were given numbers instead of names. 

TERTIUS 

Perhaps he was a slave. Paul didn’t say he was a kinsmen. He certainly was a fellow worker with his pen. He had a special job. He wrote this letter for Paul. He was what scholars call an amanuensis, a scribe, or secretary. He took Paul’s words down and put them on a parchment. Now, not all of Paul’s words were dictated. He made a point in a couple of his letters to note the size of his letters or that he writes himself. Regardless, we can confidently say that Paul was the author of the content, but Tertius made his contribution in verse 22. God picked the words and preserved the text for us today. God meant for Tertius to let us know that he said hello to the Roman church. And why did he care about the broader church, he added that he too was “In the Lord.” Jesus was his Savior and King. And after writing this letter, he wanted to let the church in Rome know that he too cared for them. I love that. 

HUMILITY 

All these points show Paul being humble. He understood enough to let ink be split by servants greeting the whole church, like Timothy, Lucius, Jason, Sosipater, and Tertius. He didn’t hog the limelight. He called the Romans not to think of themselves more highly than they ought. He taught them to practice humility, and he practiced it himself. He took his own medicine. He was not above them. He didn’t write this letter to brag or to turn the conversation toward his accomplishments. He didn’t tell Tertius, “Hey, Tertius, you don’t know these guys like me. I already sent my greetings from the churches. It is getting long. Let’s cut that part out. They will stop reading if you bring that up. You don’t need to tell them you are writing for me. Are you going to want to do this every time?” Paul may have struggled with this sentence, but he didn’t stop. He gave Tertius space on the parchment to share his last words. And they have stuck for two thousand years. They are part of God’s divinely inspired holy Word.  

VERSE 23

That brings us to the final section: 

21 A coworker and kinsmen 

22 A scribe 

23 A wealthy man, a city treasurer, and a nameless brother

Look at verse 23. What does that say? 

“Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you” (Romans 16:23, ESV).

GAIUS

We read about Gaius in several places in the New Testament. Again, I go back to people smarter than me who write commentaries. They tell us that these men named Gaius are different people with the same name. But not all. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he wrote, 

“I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius” (1 Corinthians 1:14, ESV).

Paul was writing to the church in Rome from Corinth. And his letter to Corinth indicates that Paul baptized a man with this same name. Not only did Paul write that a Gaius in Corinth hosted him. Not only that, Gaius had enough wealth to host the church. That points to financial wealth. He had money. I don’t know about you, but I don’t have enough parking for all of you. And my house is certainly not big enough. Christianity is not just for the impoverished. And just because a person is wealthy doesn’t mean he or she was a crook or is evil. God has and can use wealth for his glory. I have been a beneficiary of people’s generosity, and maybe you have too.

ERASTUS

The next guy to say hi was politically connected. Look at the second person mentioned: 

“Erastus, the city treasurer” (Romans 16:23, ESV). 

I got a text the other day from one of our world travelers in church. They took this picture and sent it to me.  

It is hard to make out. But these people had been to Corinth, Greece, and saw this inscription. The full translation states, “I, Erastus, gave this road to the people of Corinth as a gift.” It was written 2000 years ago. What it means is that Erastus donated a road to the city of Corinth, and we have evidence that anyone with a plane ticket and a guide can see it for themselves today. Consider that. 

COMP

What would that be like for us? It would be like you donating a section of road for the city of Sawyer, and leaving a monument, and after 2000 years, it is still there! Imagine the resources necessary for it to be that permanent. Erastus had that. He was the city treasurer. Maybe in the year 4026, Warren Woods and Warren Dunes will still be there. But what if there is a road named after you in 4026? Who can do that, Elon, Gates, or Buffet? Erastus did. He must have loved his neighbors and God. God’s love can change lives and motivate radical generosity. It can motivate one to undergo a medical procedure to share one’s faith, give up one’s home for hospitality, and even give up money for a road-building project. Erastus made an impact on his community.

LOVING THE COMMUNITY

We have several people here who have served our neighbors well. Some of you help with community health, public schools, and public safety. We are thankful for your generosity to our community. We want to be salt and light in a dark world. Erastus seems like he was. Not only did he care about the broader church miles away.  

QUARTUS

That brings us to the end of our passage, the last greeting from, 

“Our brother Quartus” (Romans 16:23, ESV). 

Who was he? We don’t know. His name, like Tertius, is a number. It meant fourth. That is his only mention in the Bible. 

• He didn’t have a road named after him. 

• He didn’t have a home to host. 

• He didn’t write the letter. 

• He wasn’t a kinsman with Jewish heritage. 

• He likely was a slave. 

• And he is the last one mentioned. 

And notice this: Paul called him “our brother,” not a biological one but a spiritual one, just as the wealthy, the connected, and the co-workers of Paul were. This word illustrates to us the value of our unity in our diversity. We can learn from Paul’s team. There was no distinction in value based on wealth, age, sex, or ancestry in Paul’s list. In the same way, our identity can and should be rooted in relation to our spiritual connection to knowing and loving God, our Father, and Jesus, our Savior. We may be diverse and different in our biology, personality, history, and ancestry. However, we can be united in one person who saves all who believe, Jesus. That unity brings diverse people together. We come together to worship and spread the good news.

Our differences can be our strengths. 

• We need people who can write. 

• We need people who can host. 

• We need people who can give. 

• And we need people who can travel. 

We need each other. We can’t live life isolated. Nor can we serve God alone. Let us be honest about our differences and excited about what unites us as well as the mission before us. Paul called the church to welcome one another as Christ welcomed us. He called the church to greet one another. He called the church to love genuinely. That is what these guys were doing. 

WHY? 

Let’s circle back. Paul’s three sentences here were like an “I Lo….” moment. It expressed the care for people far away. It demonstrates unity in diversity and genuine affection for Christians who are far away. It illustrates what a church committed to the broader church can look like. God wants us to care for each other. Do we? Can we? Will we?  

• We can care for Converge Community Church, our second site, which is miles and minutes away. We do, and you did. You hit a homerun for our VBS down there. 

• We can care for our brothers and sisters in Poděbrady, Czechia. You did. Some of you went there. Some of us gave financially. And some of us prayed. 

Let us be people who care for our brothers and sisters near and far. Let us be a people who love others. 

APPLICATION 

Maybe you are like, I care, but I don’t have much to give. I get that. What if all Lucius or Quartus gave was a hello? Would that be enough? I believe so. If that were what God was calling them to do, that would be enough. We can only give what we can give. We need to listen to the Spirit and love each other appropriately. That could mean something as simple as a note, or even a prayer. Let us remember what Jesus did and follow his Spirit. Ask God what he wants you to do and how he wants you to care. We can pause and do that quietly in our hearts right now. 

LIMITATIONS 

What if you are like, “I don’t get it. Why care about people all over the world? I am overwhelmed right here. People here need him, too.” Yes. You are right. They do. Are you resistant to giving more or open to weeping with those who weep, and rejoicing with those who rejoice? Maybe you don’t have space for caring for the Christian who is suffering in Iran, Nigeria, or our sister site, Converge. Why? Why is that? I imagine there are a variety of reasons. We are limited. We are not God. I get that. I feel that God’s love motivates our love. Be open to being pressed, challenged, and moved by the Spirit to love those God brings along your way. 

GOSPEL

Perhaps you are at a point where you are thinking not of others but of yourself. You are beaten up by life and need God’s care. You are exhausted, overwhelmed, and broken. You want to know that there is a God out there and he loves you. He does. How do I know? He sends the sun and the rain. He gives us a new day. He brought you here. Romans tells us that God shows us his love for us by sending his one and only Son, Jesus, to die on the Cross for us, knowing that we would have our act together. He knows we would live for ourselves and ruin the good he gives. He knows we would ignore him and his ways. He knows we would rebel, like a rude child disrespecting their parents, but asking to use the car in the same breath. God knows. He sees. He cares for you. Tell God what is going on inside of you. He can handle your struggles. Friends, we are all bankrupt, broken, and hopeless without Jesus. We have strayed from him and his ways. We need his forgiveness and love. God’s love is not cut off from you. Believe it and receive it, today. Turn from your sin and receive it, today. Will you? 

PRAYER

Let’s pray. 

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