Romans 16 - ???

1. Paul has just encouraged unity between stronger and weaker brothers, urging the strong to bear with the weak through patience and exhortation for edification. On the tails of that, he gives his farewells, greetings, commendations, and a final warning.
   1. He encourages those who have served the church well, acknowledging their faithful works and labors for the saints
      1. What is especially acknowledged here are those who have been hospitable to other believers, especially risking themselves to house him in difficult times
      2. As well as those who have been offering up their own homes as meeting places for Christian worship
   2. He then warns all who read this later to watch for and avoid any divisive individual among them
      1. His advice is simple: avoid them. Once it is clear that one intends to be divisive, they are not to be treated with the same love and respect due to a fellow believer.
      2. The church is to be above reproach, and to quickly and clearly reject one who divides is paramount to maintaining a pure witness and for protecting your church brethren
   3. The need for this advice, in the whole context of Romans, should be easy to recognize
      1. For Paul began this book by building up the doctrine of how the church is to be composed of Jew and Gentiles as the whole people of the elect
      2. And now he firmly indicates to them that any who would divide are rejecting this prior teaching, or at least its full implication
   4. His letter ends with a doxology, where he asks that the Spirit strengthen the church through their understanding of this mystery, that all God's people have now been given His word and Christ's gospel, all to the glory of God