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Priscilla: Romans 16:17-27
Final Instructions and Greetings

17 And brothers I exhort you to watch those making divisions and causes of stumbling contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and turn away from them.

18 For such ones do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth speaking and flattering they deceive the hearts of those without guile.

19 For your obedience reached to all; therefore, I rejoice over you. But I desire you to be truly wise as to good, but simple toward evil.

20 And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

21 Timothy, my fellowworker, and Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my kinsmen, greet you.

22 I, Tertius, the one writing the epistle, greet you in the Lord.

23 Gaius, the host of all the assembly and me, greets you. Erastus, the steward of the city, and Quartus the brother, greet you.

24 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

25 Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel, and the proclaiming of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery having been kept unvoiced during eternal times,

26 but now has been made plain, and by prophetic Scriptures, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known for obedience of faith to all the nations;

27 to the only wise God through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever. Amen.

[Literal Translation of the Holy Bible]

Dear God, my Beloved Father, today I offer you my reflection on the Word of God in Romans 16:17-27 about Paul’s final instructions and greetings to the Church in Rome.

Dear God, I understand that verses 17 and 18 mean that Apostle Paul warned the people of God to beware of false prophets and false teachers who teach wrong doctrines contrary to the Bible, causing the people of God to stumble and creating divisions in the Church. These people do not serve You, but their own desires, and they deceive and cause harm to those who are sincere in believing in the salvation of Jesus Christ. I realize that even today, most of those who cause divisions and stumbling among the people of God in the Church are those who teach false doctrines of speaking in tongues. They preach contrary to what the Bible has taught, claiming that the people of God must ask for the Holy Spirit to give them the ability to speak in tongues, and that those who do not know how to speak in tongues are not filled with the holy spirit [1]. Therefore, many people imitate others who utter meaningless sounds that are not foreign languages spoken by the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Dear God, I understand verse 19 to mean that Apostle Paul was delighted that the obedience of the people of God in the Church at Rome had spread throughout the empire. He hoped that they would be wise in doing good deeds without causing offense to others, and that they would be innocent of evil deeds, avoiding doing or getting involved in them.

Dear God, I understand verse 20 to mean that You are called “the God of Peace” because You give peace to those who believe in Your salvation. Your true people, who do not live in sin, always have peace in their physical and spiritual lives, and You are always with them, guarding them, and helping them to overcome Satan’s schemes.

Dear God, I understand from verses 21 to 24 that Apostle Paul mentioned Timothy and three other people, Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, who were all related to him. They all worked together in preaching the Gospel and teaching the Word of God. Tertius helped Apostle Paul write a letter to the Church in Rome and also conveyed his greetings to them. Paul also sent greetings from the believers who were with him. Finally, Paul prayed for the grace of Christ to be with the Church in Rome.

Dear God, I understand the following verses, 25 to 27, to mean that You are the One who strengthens the faith of those who sincerely believe in the Gospel. The Gospel is the mystery that has been hidden for ages and has been prophesied in the Scriptures, which has now been revealed by the Lord Jesus Christ, all according to Your will and command. Therefore, You are glorified through Christ forever and ever.

May the love, grace, and holiness of the Triune God always cover me. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Priscilla Christian Huynh
04/16/2023

[1] Please note that when the term “holy spirit” is used without a definite article in Greek, it refers to the power and life coming from God and should not be capitalized.