It’s easy for Christians to be divided, falling prey either to resentment or envy or fear. It’s easy for us to keep our distance from Christians who are poor because we are afraid they’ll take advantage of us. It’s easy for us to keep our distance from Christians who are rich because we think they’ll look down on us. And we all know how easy it is for us to be satisfied with reaching out only to those who are most similar to us, neglecting the need for the Church to present a united witness to the world. Reaching across racial, cultural, and socioeconomic boundaries to create Christian community has never been easy.

But that’s why chapter 16 should be such a tremendous encouragement to us. For this isn’t just another list of unpronounceable names in the Bible. This is an example of a real-life congregation made up of all sorts of people from different cultures and different walks of life who nevertheless loved each other, people who had the habit of greeting one another with a holy kiss (v. 16). If Jews and Gentiles, if slaves and slaveowners in Ancient Rome could come together in one congregation, why couldn’t we create the same sort of community where each of us live?

But how did these Romans find the strength and the desire to follow Paul’s teaching? How did they have the ability to turn away from those who encouraged division among them? How could they create community across such significant cultural differences? Paul tells us over and over again from verses 7 through 13. He says that Andronicus and Junia are in Christ. Ampliatus is beloved in the Lord. Urbanus is a helper in Christ. Apelles is approved in Christ. Those of the household of Narcissus are in the Lord. Tryphena and Tryphosa and Persis have labored in the Lord. Rufus is chosen in the Lord. All these, Jews and Gentiles, apostles and new believers, slaves and citizens are one in Christ. No matter their worldly differences, they are one in the Lord.

And the same thing is true for all Christians today, no matter where we live, no matter what we eat, no matter what spiritual gifts we have, no matter what ceremonies we observe. If we are trusting in Jesus as Savior, if we bow the knee to Him as Lord, we are subjects of the same Kingdom, brothers and sisters in the same family, parts of the same body, partakers in the same Spirit. And no matter how this world may seek to provoke divisions or offences among us, we can trust the God of peace not only to destroy Satan and all the powers of evil on the day of Christ’s return. No, by the power of the Holy Spirit abiding in those who trust in Him, we can trust the God of Peace to make peace within His Church, to make peace between all those who are in the Lord today.

Romans 16:1-27 (ESV)

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae,
2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.
5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.
6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you.
7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.
8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.
10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus.
11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus.
12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord.
13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them.
15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.
18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
19 For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen.
22 I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.
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25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages
26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith–
27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.