The gospel demands demolishing walls to build a unified church

By Dean Collins

‬‬Romans 16 gives us both instruction and hope. There are so many hints about the ingredients in a healthy church in this final chapter of Paul’s rich teaching on the power of the gospel. It is fitting that after having explained the fullness of the gospel, Paul now gives us a snapshot of what a church can and should look like as it lives out the gospel in its community.

Paul names, thanks, and celebrates 27 people in these final verses. The list is filled with some who are rich and some who are poor. Both women and men are recognized for their leadership. Slaves and their owners are mentioned as coworkers in the gospel, along with Gentiles and Jews also serving side by side. And it is very likely that Phoebe, a woman, delivered and read the letter out loud to its first recipients. N.T. Wright has suggested that Phoebe was with Paul at the dictation of Romans and would have traveled with the letter both reading it and explaining it to the numerous house churches she visited.

Breaking down the walls

John Stott, reflecting on this passage, gives us something to think about and more importantly to strive for in the church.

“It is of course a fact that people like to worship with their own kith and kin, and with their own kind, as experts in church growth remind us; and it may be necessary to acquiesce in different congregations according to language, which is the most formidable barrier of all. But heterogeneity is of the essence of the church, since it is the one and only community in the world in which Christ has broken down all dividing walls. The vision we have been given of the church triumphant is of a company drawn from ‘every nation, tribe, people and language,’ who are all singing God’s praises in unison…. So we must declare that a homogeneous church is a defective church, which must work penitently and perseveringly towards heterogeneity.”

We know that we gravitate to friendships with those like us. We often do business, socialize, and worship with those we know, and with whom we are familiar and comfortable. But the gospel should take us beyond our comfort zone. The work of Christ on the cross of Calvary reconciles not just God and man but also man and man, men and women, and all people of every race and ethnicity. The work of Christ can and must heal our divisions. Stott points out that a “homogeneous church is a defective church.” He concludes that we must work “penitently and perseveringly towards heterogeneity.”

This will likely not feel natural at first. But as Christ is glorified, the church will be unified. To bring glory to God we must reach out beyond our comfort zone and engage with people who may appear not like us. Romans 16 gives great hope that the church can and must allow the gospel to break down every barrier and division in order for us to see the great prayer of Jesus in John 17 answered. Jesus died not only to save us from our sins but to unite us into his body. To live, work, play, and worship separately suggests we have a long way to go to be the whole and mature body of Christ in the world today.

Achieving unity

Paul’s appeal in verses 17-20 certainly includes watching out for those who divide by teaching false doctrine. But when we step back and consider all 16 chapters with the names listed here at the end, we see that divisions based on race, wealth, social status, and ethnicity must also be corrected. The unity Paul modeled and wrote about is possible to achieve through the grace and love of Jesus and by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us. Paul goes as far as saying that the God of peace will soon crush Satan under our feet. Every time we work in unity in the church we strike another blow to Satan’s head and his influence in the world.

Paul assures us that as we unify in Christ the grace of Jesus will be with us, will strengthen us, and will result in a great expansion of the gospel throughout the world. We have adequate instruction in Scripture that teaches us who we are, and how we are to behave. We can reach the whole world with the love of Jesus if we will simply obey. Our obedience will bring unity and glory to God, now and forevermore.

Your time with God’s Word
Romans‬ ‭16:17-20, 25-27‬ ‭ESV

Photo by Alejander Coelho at Unsplash 

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