<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Romans 16;1-16<div><br></div><div><b>1. &nbsp;I commend to you, our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchre-ae,</b></div><div><b>2. &nbsp;That you may receive her in the Lord as benefits the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a helper of many and of myself as well.</b></div><div><b>3. &nbsp;Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,</b></div><div><b>4. &nbsp;Who risked their necks&nbsp;for my life, to whom not only I but also all the churches of the Gentiles give, thanks;</b></div><div><b>5. &nbsp;Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ.</b></div><div><b>6. &nbsp;Greet Mary, who has worked hard among you.</b></div><div><b>7. &nbsp;Greet Andronicus and Junias, my&nbsp;Kinsman, and my fellow prisoners; they are men of note among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.</b></div><div><b>8. &nbsp;Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.</b></div><div><b>9. &nbsp;Great Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.</b></div><div><b>10. &nbsp;Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus.</b></div><div><b>11. &nbsp;Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus.</b></div><div><b>12. &nbsp;Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena&nbsp;and Tryphosa. &nbsp;Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.<br>13. &nbsp;Greet&nbsp;Rufus, eminent in the Lord, also his mother and mine.</b></div><div><b>14. &nbsp;Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Petrobas, Hermas, and the brethren, who are with them.</b></div><div><b>15. &nbsp;Greet Philolgus, Julia, Nereus&nbsp;and his sister, and Olympuas, and all the saints who are with them.</b></div><div><b>16. &nbsp;Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greeted you.</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>By this listing of fellow Christians, Paul seeks to further the oneness and fellowship of the Church at Rome.</div><div><br></div><div>Many of these may be Gentile Believers who have not been fully received by the Jewish Believers in Rome.</div><div>Some of them are (Jewish)&nbsp;kinsmen of Paul. &nbsp;Most are already in Rome. &nbsp;Some of Paul’s kinsmen may have reported to Paul of these listed as&nbsp;being sort of on the ‘edges’ of the Jewish Christian community in Rome.<br><br>Phoebe, may have carried this letter to the church at Rome.</div><div><br></div><div>The exhortation to <i>“Greet one another with a holy kiss” &nbsp;</i>may indicate that they had not been doing so.</div><div><br></div><div>Paul, (ever the faithful pastor) may have been&nbsp;gently&nbsp;seeking to address a weakness in the church at Rome.</div><div>Our walk does not always match our talk. &nbsp;The living out of the faith is an ongoing struggle against the flesh.</div><div><br></div><div>What aspects of our own lives do not show open-hearted love to fellow Believers who are in some way or another different from us? &nbsp;Should we be giving <i>“holy kisses” </i>one another today? &nbsp;Such a greeting seems to be so time consuming,&nbsp;formal, and burdensome. &nbsp;Would it not force us to look each other in the eye, square-off, and face each other? &nbsp;What would be the benefits? &nbsp;Perhaps that alone should lead us to a God pleasing answer.</div><div><br></div><div>Out of what/Whose heart would such behavior emanate? &nbsp;Could this be a behavior&nbsp;call us to consciously operate out of&nbsp;the ‘new-man’ affirming the work of God in Christ in each of us?</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant us to have the heart of Paul, which is the heart of Christ, which is Your own heart dear Father. &nbsp;Bless us to strive to manifest ever more clearly Your love toward all our fellow Believers. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Romans 16;1-16
1.  I commend to you, our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchre-ae,2.  That you may receive her in the Lord as benefits the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a helper of many and of myself as well.3.  Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,4.  Who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I but also all the churches of the Gentiles give, thanks;5.  Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ.6.  Greet Mary, who has worked hard among you.7.  Greet Andronicus and Junias, my Kinsman, and my fellow prisoners; they are men of note among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.8.  Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.9.  Great Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.10.  Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus.11.  Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus.12.  Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa.  Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.
13.  Greet Rufus, eminent in the Lord, also his mother and mine.14.  Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Petrobas, Hermas, and the brethren, who are with them.15.  Greet Philolgus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympuas, and all the saints who are with them.16.  Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greeted you.
By this listing of fellow Christians, Paul seeks to further the oneness and fellowship of the Church at Rome.
Many of these may be Gentile Believers who have not been fully received by the Jewish Believers in Rome.Some of them are (Jewish) kinsmen of Paul.  Most are already in Rome.  Some of Paul’s kinsmen may have reported to Paul of these listed as being sort of on the ‘edges’ of the Jewish Christian community in Rome.

Phoebe, may have carried this letter to the church at Rome.
The exhortation to “Greet one another with a holy kiss”  may indicate that they had not been doing so.
Paul, (ever the faithful pastor) may have been gently seeking to address a weakness in the church at Rome.Our walk does not always match our talk.  The living out of the faith is an ongoing struggle against the flesh.
What aspects of our own lives do not show open-hearted love to fellow Believers who are in some way or another different from us?  Should we be giving “holy kisses” one another today?  Such a greeting seems to be so time consuming, formal, and burdensome.  Would it not force us to look each other in the eye, square-off, and face each other?  What would be the benefits?  Perhaps that alone should lead us to a God pleasing answer.
Out of what/Whose heart would such behavior emanate?  Could this be a behavior call us to consciously operate out of the ‘new-man’ affirming the work of God in Christ in each of us?
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant us to have the heart of Paul, which is the heart of Christ, which is Your own heart dear Father.  Bless us to strive to manifest ever more clearly Your love toward all our fellow Believers.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/Eric/Grandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”



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