Wenstrom Bible Ministries Marion, Iowa Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom wenstrom

1. Wenstrom Bible MinistriesMarion, IowaPastor-Teacher Bill Wenstromwww.wenstrom.org

2. Tuesday August 17, 2010Romans: Romans 16:16-Paul Requests That Romans Greet One Another With A Holy Kiss And Passes Along Greetings From Churches He PlantedLesson # 546

3. Please turn in your Bibles to Romans 16:1.

4. This evening we will study Romans 16:16 and in this passage Paul commands the Roman believers to greet on one another with a holy kiss and also tells them that all the churches sends their greetings.

5. Romans 16:1, “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea;

6. 2 that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.

7. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila (AK wih luh), my fellow workers in Christ Jesus 4 who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

8. 5 Also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus (ih PEE neh tus), my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you.

9. 7 Greet Andronicus (an DRAHN ih kuhs) and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

10. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus (uhr-BAY-nuhs), our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.

11. 10 Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.

12. 11 Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.

13. 12 Greet Tryphaena (trigh FEE nuh) and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord.

14. 13 Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon (flee-gahn), Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brethren with them.

15. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus (nee roos) and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.”

16. “Greet” is the second person plural aorist middle imperative form of the verb aspazomai (ἀσπάζομαι) (ah-spaz-owe-meh), which does not mean “to give my regards” since Paul is not using the word here as he did in verses 3-15 with respect to himself greeting individuals he knew in Rome.

17. Rather it means “to greet” since he is commanding the Romans and those whom he sends his regards to in verses 3-15 to greet one another with a holy kiss.

18. “One another” is the accusative masculine plural form of the reciprocal pronoun allelon (ἀλλήλων), which is used with reference to the relationship between the Roman believers and those whom Paul sends greetings to in verses 3-15.

19. It denotes a mutual exchange between these two groups in that they were to greet each other with a holy kiss.

20. It denotes that they were to welcome each other into their fellowship.

21. This exchange between each other is the proper, appropriate and obligatory response by them to each other since both groups were created by God, according to His image, redeemed at the Cross, justified through faith alone and Christ alone and fellow members of the body of Christ.

22. This mutual exchange is the result of experiencing fellowship with God by operating in God’s love and is an expression of that love.

23. “With a holy kiss” was reserved exclusively for Christians in the first century as an expression of greeting, affection, appreciation, intimate fellowship between them and unity.

24. In western civilization in the twenty first century, this kiss would be equivalent to a hug or handshake.

25. The adjective hagios, “holy” indicates that this kiss is reserved exclusively for fellow Christians.

26. This request was standard at the end of Paul’s letters and appears in Peter’s letters as well.

27. 1 Corinthians 16:20, “All the brothers and sisters send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (NET Bible)

28. 2 Corinthians 13:12, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints greet you.” (NET Bible)

29. 1 Thessalonians 5:26, “Greet all the brothers and sisters with a holy kiss.” (NET Bible)

30. 1 Peter 5:14, “Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” (NET Bible)

31. This “holy kiss” was an expression of affection between believers.

32. In Romans 12:10, Paul commands the Romans believers to continue to make it their habit to be affectionate with one another.

33. Romans 12:10, “Concerning affection among spiritual brothers and sisters, all of you must continue to make it your habit to be affectionate with one another. Concerning honor, all of you continue to make it your habit to regard one another more highly than yourselves.”

34. This affection is produced by the Holy Spirit in the believer who obeys the command to love his fellow believer as Christ loved Him (John 13:34).

35. Romans 16:16, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.”

36. “All the churches of Christ” refers to each and every one of the local Christian assemblies which Paul established among the Gentiles in the Roman Empire and were owned by the Lord Jesus Christ.

37. “Greet” is the third person plural present middle indicative form of the verb aspazomai (ἀσπάζομαι) (ah-spaz-owe-meh), which means “to give their regards” and is used this time with each and every one of the churches that Paul planted among the Gentiles from Jerusalem to Illyricum as its subject.

38. “You” is the accusative second person plural personal pronoun su (σύ) (see), which is used in a distributive sense meaning “each and every one of you” and refers to “each and every” member of the body of Christ in Rome without exception regardless of race, gender or social status.

39. Paul passes along this greeting to the Romans from the churches he planted because he wants the Roman believers to understand that they are not alone and that the churches that he planted were identifying with them and regarded them as worthy of great respect.

40. It emphasizes with his readers in Rome that the churches that he planted from Jerusalem to Illyricum regarded them as extremely important.

41. Also, Paul wants to build unity between the Roman church and the ones he planted.