33.

Paul’s co-workers to the Gentiles

Romans 16: 1-16

  • Session: 33
  • Week: 5
  • Day: 4
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Introduction

In this session, chapter 16:1-16, Paul gives his personal greeting and appreciation to special people who labored with him; Paul knew them very closely, as shown by the description he gave to each of them. Though Paul had not been to the church in Rome, this list shows that he knew many people whom he had met elsewhere in the ministry. This tells us why Paul would be courageous enough to ask them to support him in his ministry for Spain. Who is your inner circle in the ministry today?

Objectives

By the end of this session, the learner will have:

  • Understood Paul’s perspective about the mission, himself, coworkers, God, the target audience, and those who cause division in fellowship.
  • Appreciated Paul’s strong leadership alignment (vision, pro – vision, super – vision, and avoiding di-vision

Outline

  • Appreciating special people
  • Partnership in the ministry
  • Core value of fellowship of welcome, welfare, witness, worksheet
  • Paul speaks of his friends’ trust and their trustworthiness.

Group Study Time

Romans 16: 1-16

Connecting

  • Gather with two or more people for a community discovery bible study session.
  • Start with a heartfelt prayer, inviting God to guide and bless your understanding.
  • Explore the passage by reading it at least twice, using different Bible versions if available, then retell the story together as a group.
  • Reflect and share the challenges and blessings you experienced from the previous study.

Comprehending

  • What is co-working in the ministry? Who are the ministry partners?
  • Who are the 5 inner circle, or people, (categories) groups in your ministry? Write down their names. What would you say about them? What positive thing do you associate with them?
  • Read Romans 16:1-16. Identify Paul’s friends by the name he sends greetings to and what he says about each of them. Write down their names. How many are there? Tell a short story about each of them among your study community.
  • What does this list in Romans 16:1-16 tell you about Paul?

Committing

  • Engage with the Bible—read, study, memorize, meditate, pray, listen, and live it out.
  • List three lessons you have learnt as an agent of change that you would like to put into practice and teach others about.
  • Take time and worship Jesus with the attributes revealed about Christ.
  • Use the SPACEPETS model, to assist you in putting God’s word into practice. Look for:
    • Sin to confess
    • Promise to claim
    • Attitude to change
    • Command to keep
    • Error to change
    • Prayer to make
    • Example to copy
    • Truth to obey and
    • Something praiseworthy

Communicating

  • Identify one person you can connect with and share the valuable insights and lessons you gained from this session.
  • Reach out to a new believer—either in person or by phone—and pray with them to support them through their challenges, including any concerns about attending church.
  • Create a new group and guide others through this study to help them grow in their understanding.

Post Lesson Teaching Summary

Great job completing the study! Take a moment to listen to this summary to reinforce your group’s understanding of the text and ensure you’re all on the same page. We’re here to support your learning journey!

Paul’s co-workers to the Gentiles

Romans 16: 1-16

Romans 16:1-16

  • Context:
    • Paul’s mercy-driven call to service (Romans 12-15) culminates in greetings to co-workers, linking the Luke 15 brothers to Jews/Gentiles united in mission.
    • Personal ties bolster his appeal for support beyond Rome.
  • Phoebe’s Commendation (Romans 16:1-2):
    • Paul commends Phoebe, a deacon from Cenchrea, urging Rome to aid her as she aided many, including him—likely the letter’s bearer (v. 1-2).
    • Mercy shines through her service, inspiring others.
  • Co-Workers’ Recognition (Romans 16:3-15):
    • Greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, risk-takers hosting a church (v. 3-5), Epenetus, Asia’s first convert (v. 5), Mary, Andronicus, Junia, and more—hard workers, prisoners, kin (v. 6-15).
    • Mercy unites diverse servants—men, women, Jews, Gentiles—for Christ.
  • Fellowship Principles (Romans 16:16):
    • Greet with a holy kiss; all churches join in (v. 16)—Paul models welcoming, witnessing, welfare, and record-keeping (worksheets).
    • Mercy fosters community, fueling mission beyond boundaries.
  • Application:
    • Honor co-workers—men and women—as Paul did, embracing their service to extend God’s mercy globally through shared labor and support.