Journey through the Book of Romans

Paul sends Greetings from Fellow believers with him and Exalts our God in closing Prayer

Romans 16:21-27 Timotheus my workfellow, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord. Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. Written to the Romans from Corinthus, and sent by Phebe servant of the church at Cenchrea. KJV

Paul now completely concludes his epistle or letter to these beloved believers in Rome of whom he has never yet met personally face to face by sending them greetings and well wishes from those brothers and sisters in our Lord Jesus that he did know very well, having spent much time with most of them, if not all of them. First, Paul mentions brother Timothy who Paul had referred to in this manner, 1 Timothy 1:2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. KJV when he wrote two epistles or letters directly to Timothy. Paul then list three people by name Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater who he refers to as his kinsmen, either in earthly family flesh or fellow Jewish converts to Christ Jesus our Lord as was Paul himself. Paul did not write this epistle or letter by his own hands but instead dictated it to Tertius who sends his greetings also to these fellow believers in Rome.

Paul sends greetings by Gaius who apparently Paul lived with for a period of time. This no doubt is the same Gaius that the Apostle John so warmly writes to in his letter 3 John when he said this in greetings to this man, 3 John 1:1-8 The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I was very glad when brethren came and testified to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth. Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, so that we may be fellow workers with the truth. NKJV Paul affirms everything we read above about this beloved brother of all the true saints of God when Paul says of him, “mine host, and of the whole church.”

Paul sends greetings from brother Erastus “the city treasurer” and brother Quartus. Paul begins his prayer for them by petitioning our Father in Heaven for His Grace that only flows in and by and through our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of them in Rome to keep them, strengthen them, and sustain them. Paul lifts up his whole heart to heaven an prays these words “to Him that is of power” “to establish” you and the English phrase “to Him that is of power” is translated by the Greek word dunamai which means able, mighty, strong, and powerful and the English phrase “to establish” is translated by the Greek word sterizo which means to set fast or literally to turn resolutely in a certain direction, and to make stable, place firmly, fix to strengthen, make firm to render constant, confirm, one’s mind.

Paul prays for our Lord Jesus Christ (after he warned them thoroughly of the false teachers or brethren that would rise up in their midst) to so ground them in Himself and His Truth by the power of His Gospel of Grace that no principality or power from satan or any human instrument that he might work through would ever be capable of steering them away from their steadfastness in the truth of the gospel. Paul declares to them that this revelation or manifestation or disclosure of God’s Secret or Mystery has now been fully made known to them through the death, burial, and resurrection from the dead of our Lord Jesus Christ and He has declared it now to the whole world bound, living, and under sins dominion and those who Paul writes to now in Rome have heard and repented and believed being obedient and complying with God the Father’s only way of salvation or deliverance from sin and its bondage over all humanity. Paul closes by lifting  his heart to God the Father in humble obedience to Him which is the reason and purpose he wrote this epistle or letter in the first place and declares God alone to be wise and alone deserving of Glory and alone to receive Glory through our Lord Jesus Christ forever Amen and so let it be.

“Our redemption and salvation by Jesus Christ, in the foundation, method, and fruits of it, are, without controversy, a great mystery of godliness, 1 Timothy 3:16. This bespeaks the honour of the gospel; it is no vulgar common thing, hammered out by any human wit, but it is the admirable product of the eternal wisdom and counsel of God, and has in it such an inconceivable height, such an unfathomable depth, as surpass knowledge. It is a mystery which the angels desire to look into, and cannot find the bottom of. And yet, blessed be God, there is as much of this mystery made plain as will suffice to bring us to heaven, if we do not willfully neglect so great salvation.” Matthew Henry

“Christian souls ought to desire to live chiefly in the remembrance of those to whom they have been known as having done some little bit of work for Jesus Christ. We may well ask ourselves whether there is anything in our lives by which we should thus wish to be remembered. All our many activities will sink into silence; but if the stream of our life, which has borne along down its course so much mud and sand, has brought some grains of gold in the form of faithful and loving service to Christ and men-these will not be lost in the ocean, but treasured by Him. What we do for Jesus and to spread the knowledge of His name is the immortal part of our mortal lives, and abides in His memory and in blessed results in our own characters, when all the rest that made our busy and often stormy days has passed into oblivion. All that we know of Tertius who wrote this Epistle is that he wrote it. Well will it be for us if the summary of our lives be something like that of his!” Alexander MacLaren

“It is God alone who has power to transform sinful souls into obedient souls that give Him Alone all the Glory and Honor and Praise for everything good, noble, lovely, and true.” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…