I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the other brothers and sisters with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Timothy, my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my fellow Jews. I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord. Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my Gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith— to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

The final chapter of Romans may at first glance, seem like a bit of a sign-off or P.S. from Paul at the end of his 7,000-word letter. But if we look closer, there are some great nuggets of value in the chapter. Here are four key observations from this chapter.

1. Of the 24 names listed here in the final chapter of Romans, 13 also appear in inscriptions and historical documents connected with the Emperor’s palace in Rome. We also know there were Christians in Caesar’s household, as stated in Paul's other letters (Philippians 4:22). In today's passage, Paul may be writing the names of many palace servants who worked under Caesar who had become Christians. And they wouldn't be the last! Think about that: These were people who lived in the center of a very pagan setting and would have had great difficulty hearing the Gospel if not for the bold work of early Christians in Rome. Many others of the thousands working in the palace may not have been able to hear the Gospel plainly if not for Paul's later imprisonment, which gave him access he normally would not have. Not only that, but being a servant in the royal palace was known to be a position of great influence, and no doubt, these new converts had an incredible ripple effect that greatly impacted the explosive growth of the Christian community in Rome.

2. Another key point in this simple observation is the value of the entire body of Christ. When people picture Paul, sometimes they may think of a man alone or with a single sidekick who is out there casting out demons, healing sickness, and preaching before emperors. But Paul was not a one-man show. He understood the power of the body of the church and all the roles, gifts, and talents needed. Paul knew his strengths, but he also knew he had weaknesses and how others could fill the needed void. Paul mentioned two names who played a role in this: Priscilla and Aquila. This couple is mentioned in Acts 18:2, 18:18, and 18:26 as associates of Paul and helpers to the great teacher Apollos. They were a couple devoted to God, each other, and the work of the Gospel. Paul also knew the value of what women could do to serve and strengthen the church. Phoebe was on her way to Rome (probably entrusted with this precious letter) and Paul sent an advance recommendation of this sister in Christ so the Romans would receive her and support her during her stay in their city. Such recommendations were important because there was a great and legitimate need for this kind of assistance, and there were many deceivers who wanted to take advantage of the generosity of Christians. The Greek name Phoebe is the feminine form of a title given to the pagan God Apollo, the title meaning “the bright one." It's interesting to see how converted Christians felt no need to change their names, even if there was some pagan significance to it. They knew they were made new on the inside, and that was what mattered.

3. Another key observation from this chapter is the multiple women mentioned: Phoebe, Priscilla, Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, the mother of Rufus, and Julia. These are women who worked for the Lord, who labored to help build the church and spread its influence to the ends of the earth. This would have been a very counter-culture idea within a greater Roman Empire that looked down on any women outside of the palace as second class and treated them as common servants and slaves without the ability to lead or use their gifts and talents. But once again, the Gospel lifts the head and extends the offer to use what gifts God has entrusted you with, whether man or woman. In the early church, all ministry gifts were seen and used by both men and women and because of the boldness of women, many would be martyred in the coming years.

4. And finally, this chapter contains a strong warning and has in mind both those who would cause divisions among God’s people and those who would deceive God’s people with ideas contrary to the doctrine they had learned. Once these people have been noted or marked as divisive or deceptive, they are to be called out, cast out, and avoided. This guarding was essential to God’s purpose for the church because truth without humble unity always leads to pride, and unity without truth leads to a departure from the true Gospel itself. Each of these dangerous paths had to be guarded against with ferocity. Paul's warning was necessary because these dividers and deceivers did not announce themselves or their malicious intentions. They used smooth words and flattering speech and targeted the simple – usually those who are young in the faith. The same is true today as well. There are also dividers and deceivers in the modern church as well. We should not wait until everyone is scattered or deceived until we are concerned. Dividers and deceivers never want to appear selfish and typically perceive themselves as noble crusaders for a good cause, yet their true intentions are selfish and not in line with building and strengthening the church. The best defense against these people is knowing God's word, using Godly wisdom given by the Spirit of Truth, and daily fixing our eyes on the only one who establishes you, guides you, protects you, and leads you in the ways of truth instead of falling for a counterfeit.