Romans Chapter 16 Breakdown

1 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.

Paul is sending Phoebe, a servant of YHWH form Cenchrea, which is in Corinth, to the Romans. He requests they take her in like they would any other of the saints. He also requests the Romans help her with anything she needs.

3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

A husband and wife who were companions of Paul in the work of spreading the scripture and word of Yeshua. These two risked their lives for Paul.

5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ.

Paul wants the Romans to draw themselves close to the church at the home of Priscilla and Aquila. He also suggest they draw closer to Epaenetus, who is of Corinth and one of Paul’s good friends.

6 Greet Mary, who labored much for us.

Also, draw close to Mary, she was also someone who worked hard in spreading the word of Christ along with Paul and the disciples.

7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.

Draw yourselves close to these two apostles, who were believers before Christ before Paul, and were prisoners with Paul.

8 Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. 10 Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

Paul goes on to list a bunch of others who the Romans show become close with in order to learn from.

16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.

Draw close to one another and kiss each other to show your affection among fellow believers.

17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.

Paul specifically states that believers should avoid men who cause division among the believers who teach things contrary to the Torah. He says you should know who is saying these things and stay away from them. He says the same thing in his letter to Titus.

Titus 3:8-11

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men. But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

Throughout this letter to the Romans, Paul has continually argued against keeping the law for the purpose of salvation. He is saying here that believers should avoid these arguments. What Paul teaches is keeping the law out of love for YHWH, not to gain salvation. It is not a box check list of deeds to get into the kingdom of YHWH. What others were teaching was just that, “do these things, along with the Jewish oral traditions in order to be saved.”

18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.

Those who teach anything contrary to keeping the Torah out of love “do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ”.

Galatians 6:13

For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

Paul is referring to the Circumcision Sect of the Jews here. They use smooth and flattering words to deceive men because they wish to boast about how many converts they have, which is serving themselves. The more converts they have, the more money they will receive as the leaders of the Jewish Synagogues, therefore, they are serving their own bellies. They are deceiving those who do not know any better, those who do not study the entire Word for themselves. Also notice, Paul says right here that these people, who are teaching against Paul, do not keep the law themselves. They may be preaching it in order to be saved, but they are not keeping it.

19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil.

Paul says the obedience to YHWH of the believers in Rome has become public knowledge. Paul is happy about this, but cautions them.  

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

Satan will be broken before the believers.

21 Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.

22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.

Tertius of Iconium acted as scribe for Paul the Apostle.

23 Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother.

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 preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.

What is the mystery from the beginning of the world Paul is referring to? The only way to know is to go back to the Torah to find out.

1 Peter 1:1-2

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

1 Peter 1:10-12

Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

We can see who Paul is speaking to, which are the elect from the gentile nations. These are the lost sheep of the House of Israel. Then, we can see the prophets and angels desired to look into this particular issue. How were these people supposed to be brought back to YHWH? This is a huge mystery that Paul refers to often.

Deuteronomy 24:4

then her former husband who divorced her must not take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled;…

Jeremiah 3:1, 7-8

“They say, ‘If a man divorces his wife, And she goes from him And becomes another man’s, May he return to her again?’ Would not that land be greatly polluted? But you have played the harlot with many lovers; Yet return to Me,” says the Lord.

And I said, after she had done all these things, ‘Return to Me.’ But she did not return. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.

Jeremiah 32:37

Behold, I will gather them out of all countries where I have driven them in My anger, in My fury, and in great wrath; I will bring them back to this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.

Hosea 2:23

Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they shall say, ‘You are my God!’”

If YHWH’s rule is a divorced wife can never return to the divorced husband, and the House of Israel was the divorced wife of YWHH, how can He take her back without breaking His own law? If YHWH breaks His own law, would that make His unjust? Would that not make Him a sinner? If He cannot be a sinner, as I believe, there is only one way for this to happen and Paul revealed it to us in chapter seven, and that is the husband has to die to release her from the original marriage covenant. Paul is simply reiterating what he has already told the Romans to finish up his letter.

Deuteronomy 4:27-31

And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the Lord will drive you. And there you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers which He swore to them.

Deuteronomy 30:1-6

“Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God drives you, and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

Nehemiah 1:5-9

And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments, please let Your ear be attentive and Your eyes open, that You may hear the prayer of Your servant which I pray before You now, day and night, for the children of Israel Your servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against You. Both my father’s house and I have sinned. We have acted very corruptly against You, and have not kept the commandments, the statutes, nor the ordinances which You commanded Your servant Moses. Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’

As you can conclude from this entire letter Paul wrote, taking into consideration how much of the Old Testament Paul references, all these things work together and make the point that the “gentile” believers are to turn back to YHWH’s law, but not with the intention to use it for salvation, but rather with the intent to show our love and faith in YHWH.