May the Glory of Christ Endure for Ever and Ever

At the close of the letter, the names of the believers in the church at Rome follow one after another: Priscilla and Aquila, Junia and Andronicus, Rufus and his mother. Paul greets each of them by name, calling them helper, fellow worker, and mother.

He names them because they had served alongside him at the risk of their lives. They opened their homes to the church, risked their necks to protect Paul, and took him in when he was alone. At the same time, Paul urges the church in Rome to be on guard against the false teachers who had found their way in. Such people do not teach the truth but serve only their own appetites, and with smooth talk they lead the unsuspecting astray.

Believers are not shaken when they know the Word. Without the Word as their measure, they are taken in by plausible arguments and in the end are robbed of both their faith and their church. As in the closing confession, that glory belongs to God forever through Jesus Christ, God’s people must stand firmly on that gospel alone and offer their praise to God.