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by Howard
Watson
In this final chapter of Paul's epistle to the
Romans, he names about twenty-seven persons/saints ( "hagion"
from "hagios" Gk. meaning the dedicated, pure, righteous,
holy, or separate from common condition and use). He also mentions
the churches ("ecclesiai" and church "ecclesia"
meaning to summon forth, an assembly or congregation of Saints).
All these, men and women, are beloved of the Apostle Paul and have
helped him in ministering to the Jews and the Gentiles. In verses
three and four he names Priscilla and Aquila, also tentmakers, like
the Apostle, by trade. They had risked their own lives to help Paul.
In verses seventeen and following, Paul points out the division
makers who are not faithful to the doctrines of Jesus Christ. These
are most likely Judaizers, who came telling the Gentile believers
that they must be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses in order
to be saved, and the Hellenists who taught falsely about so-called
mystical knowledge and practiced immoral living of fornications,
adulteries, drunkenness, lewdness etc.
To the faithful and obedient believers, the God of peace will crush,
("suntripsi" Gk. from suntribo" meaning to rub together,
to crush), Satan under their feet, shortly. See verses nineteen
and twenty. Peace will be found in the total defeat of Satan. He
(Satan) will not be around to entice, deceive and attack the Christian
after going to his defeated place in Hell.
It is God's grace which goes with the saints to battle against Satan
and evil. This grace sets the Saints in the strength ("dunameno"
Gk. meaning power, strenght and ability), and firmness ("sterizai"
Gk. meaning to make firm, to make stable, to establish) of standing
in the Gospel of faith in Christ Jesus and is working to bring the
full glory of God through the church of Jesus Christ through the
ages, forever and ever. See verses twenty through twenty-seven.
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