Romans 15:30-16:7
30 I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. 31 Pray that I may be kept safe from the unbelievers in Judea and that the contribution I take to Jerusalem may be favorably received by the Lord’s people there, 32 so that I may come to you with joy, by God’s will, and in your company be refreshed. 33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.
16:1I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon, of the church in Cenchreae. 2 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.
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
5 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.
6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
7 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. [1]
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What struck me in today’s passage is Paul’s appreciation for his partners in ministry. Chapter 16 includes a list of personal greeting for individuals, couples and families of the church in Rome. He mentions Priscilla and Aquila, who worked with him on the founding of the church in Ephesus. He mentions several others, commending their work, and their service which is commended “among the apostles.”
The list begins with his comments about Phoebe, a deacon from the church in Cenchreae. Paul must have thought very highly of her since he entrusted this letter to her. His commendation indicates that she was the one who brought the letter to the Romans. This most likely meant that she also was the one who would read it to the various house churches in Rome, and then field questions from the church regarding its content. Considering that Romans is Paul’s most complete explanation of the Christian faith, his magnum opus, his decision to enlist Phoebe for this task speaks well of his confidence in her.
But even before his mention of Phoebe and the others, Paul invites the Romans to pray for him with these words: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me (15:30.)” Paul invites them to join with him in his struggles. In other words, those who pray for him and his ministry are also his partners in ministry.
So my prayer today is for those who are my partners in ministry. I am praying in thanksgiving for the staff I am privileged to work with, the lay leaders who are work so hard for the Lord’s mission, and the many others who uphold the work of the church with their prayers. I am praying for God’s grace upon us all as we labor together for the gospel.
What is the Word leading you to pray about today?
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[1] The New International Version. (2011). (Ro 15:30–16:7). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
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