Exposition by Max A Forsythe
Christ Covenant Reformed (PCA)
Eight or nine years ago, I learned some of my worship order and weekly mailing methods from Rev Al Lutz in our Lexington, Kentucky congregation. One of his habits was to send out a weekly sermon outline to everyone on the mailing list of two hundred or more. Each week, he would write personal notes on as many mailings as he could reasonably handle. While I have not been quite that systematic, from time to time I have done the same with our weekly mail ministry as well. But, one person who we mailed to for two years, while they were becoming Christian, finally met me after that length of time and said that they felt like they already knew me very well. With that said, may I observe that this is similar to what Paul is doing here at the end of this wonderful letter to the Roman Christians scattered in their several house churches.
Now to get this epistle to Rome, Paul needed a messenger and from the first verse we can understand that Phoebe was the messenger in question. Of course in our time it is hard for us to comprehend how letters and correspondence were once sent. Certainly, the rulers of countries had their specially appointed mounted couriers to communicate matters of state on land and swift ships to carry them overseas. The colonial secretary for King George on one occasion left his secretary to make the final copy of essential correspondence to our Continental Congress. He noted that a naval Frigate was waiting at a dock on the Thames for evening tide and that the message must be delivered to the ship master by 4:00 in that afternoon. The letter was delayed and Lord North did not find out about it until he returned from vacation. By then his letter of appeasement was far too late. Had it been sent, there is some thought that our American Revolution might have been avoided.
Paul certainly did not have such imperial means to send or lose his epistle, and like many since writing was invented, a trusted person had to carry it to its destination. At one time local postmen took advantage of known travelers to post the days mail to the next community where that postman would forward the mail on by the most convenient person and route. As long as you got it out the door and on to another community the next day, you were doing well. Many of the southern colonies even had laws requiring Plantation owners to forward by immediate messenger any mail that came their way. And so, in the course of time, mail would pass through many hands and go around Robin Hood's barn to get to its intended recipient within several months.
Generally, if my mental notes are accurate, most mail could be delivered within these United States within three months and overseas within six. What a marvelous efficiency has Ben Franklin's Postal Service achieved since then. Today we can talk about a few short days instead of months to achieve the same results. And of course, there are many many more billion pieces being carried than in any other time in history.
Very important messages are still being sent by trusted carriers. And this important task is given to Phoebe and the Church in Rome is commended to receive her and make her welcome. There are certainly many of Paul's friends in Rome to welcome Phoebe as we see in the list that follows. Some are known to us from other references and a few are only names that we cannot even begin to know with any intimacy this many years later.
We see that Priscilla and Aquila have returned to Rome after having met and assisted Paul in Corinth. We can tell that Priscilla is especially close to Paul because of the nick name he uses for her. Her real name would have been Prisca. In English, we shorten names, but through the Greek and Latin translations we add on to achieve the same effect. In our day it is uncommon for such friendships to be so close.
Just last week I was reading how General Robert E Lee kept a busy correspondence with several young ladies for most of his life. George Washington was also known to have been very popular in the same respect. When modern author's uncover these letters, they jump to all of the wrong conclusions because of what society would think today. Even amongst men, friendship is not as close as it once was because of related social conditions. We all have learned to be very careful and politically correct in our business and professional environments. This is a sad fact, because there are so many lonely people who could profit from having friends in Christ.
Friendship and fellowship like we have here at Christ Covenant is getting to be a rare commodity. So much so, that I sometimes wonder if it doesn't put some people off. After all, where else can you go to Church in this city and feel like you are almost being rude if you try to slip away a half hour after worship is over? Don't get me wrong I don't want you all to change these habits, but just to realize how rare it is becoming to have what we have together in the Lord. It is nice to know that wherever you go there are people who know the Lord. One person visited here some years back and told me they didn't even feel that they had been away from their home church. Within the last month or so I had an inquiry about our congregation. The people who called knew of us because of someone in Florida who I could not remember ever meeting!
When Paul finally gets to Rome, very many of his friends are already there, so it will be a grand and glorious reunion in Jesus Christ. Church there in Rome was very much like the rural family churches that used to dot the countryside and small towns. Before special buildings were built, congregations once met in homes, barns, schools and even dance halls and bars! The friendly fellowship of believers committed to Jesus Christ was part of the glue that held the Christian community together. We even see that Paul names a few relatives amongst the Roman church. We should also note the unfeigned importance of the women of the faith in this list. In any other half century than this one we could be more relaxed and enjoy each other's company and all of those essential roles of hospitality and service. The other night I had the honor of introducing some of our flock to a visitor. As we went around the table I was able to tell him how each and every person had some vital ministry to perform.
In a few weeks we are going to open ourselves up to increased visitation and there will be many opportunities to be friendly and open and encouraging to those whom God sends our way in our new location. May our visitors continue to tell other people how much we love one another in the Lord, and may the Lord commend people to us who are hoping to grow in grace, knowledge and fellowship.
Resources Used: The Holy Bible, New International Version
Places Preached:Bruce, F.F. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: Romans. Hodge, Charles. Romans. Murray, John. New International Commentary: Epistle to Romans.
Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America) Post Office Box 13926 - Columbus, OH 43213-7926
Rom16a.htm 10 March 96
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