Homily 32 — Romans 16, verses 17 to 24

“Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, watch out for those who cause divisions and stumbling blocks contrary to the teaching you have learned, and avoid them. For people like that do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by smooth words and fine speeches they deceive the hearts of the simple.” [a]

Again an exhortation, and a prayer after the exhortation. After telling them to “watch out for those who cause divisions,” and not to listen to them, he goes on: “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly,” and, “The grace of our Lord be with you.” And notice how gently he urges them, too — not in the manner of an adviser, but of a servant, and with great respect. He calls them brothers and sisters, and he pleads with them as well: “I urge you, brothers and sisters,” he says. Then he also puts them on their guard by showing how deceitful those people were who were leading them astray. As though such people could not be recognized at a glance, he says, “I urge you to watch out for” them — that is, to be extremely careful about them, to get to know them, and to search them out thoroughly. Whom, may I ask? Why, “those who cause divisions and stumbling blocks, contrary to the teaching you have learned.”

For if anything overthrows the church, it is this: being divided. This is the devil’s weapon; this turns everything upside down. As long as the body is joined into one, he has no power to get in; it is from division that the stumbling block comes. And where does division come from? From opinions contrary to the teaching of the apostles. And where do opinions like that come from? From people being slaves to the belly and to the other passions. “For such people,” he says, “do not serve the Lord, but their own belly.” So there would be no stumbling block and no division unless some opinion were invented contrary to the teaching of the apostles. He points this out here by saying, “contrary to the teaching.” And he does not say, “which we have taught,” but “which you have learned,” getting in ahead of them and showing that they had been persuaded of it, had heard it, and had received it.

And what are we to do with people who make trouble in this way? He does not say, “Hold a meeting and come to blows,” but “Avoid them.” If they were doing this out of ignorance or error, you ought to set them right. But if they sin willingly, leap away from them. He says this in another place too: “Keep away from every brother who lives in a disorderly way” (Second Thessalonians 3, verse 6). And speaking to Timothy about the coppersmith, he gives him the same advice: “Be on your guard against him yourself” (Second Timothy 4, verse 15).

Then, to hold up to ridicule those who dare to do such things, he also mentions the reason they plotted this division: “For people like that,” he says, “do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own belly.” He said this too when he wrote to the Philippians: “whose god is their belly” (Philippians 3, verse 19). But here he seems to me to be hinting at those from among the Jews, whom he always makes a special point of blaming as gluttons. Writing to Titus, too, he said of them, “Evil beasts, lazy bellies” (Titus 1, verse 12). Christ also blames them on this count: “You devour widows’ houses,” he says (Matthew 23, verse 14). And the prophets accuse them of things of this kind: “My beloved,” he says, “has grown fat and thick, and has kicked” (Deuteronomy 32, verse 15). That is why Moses warned them: “When you have eaten and drunk and are full, remember the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 6, verses 11 and 12). And in the Gospels, those who say to Christ, “What sign do you show us?” (John 6, verse 30), pass over everything else and remember the manna. So everywhere they appear to be in the grip of this passion. How, then, are you not ashamed to have slaves of the belly for your teachers, when you are a brother of Christ?

Now this is the root of the error; but the method of attack is yet another disease, namely flattery. For it is by “fine speeches,” he says, that “they deceive the hearts of the simple.” Their care goes no further than words; their meaning is not like that, for it is full of fraud. And he does not say that they deceive you, but “the hearts of the simple.” Even with this he was not satisfied, but to make what he had said less grating, he adds, in verse 19: “For your obedience has become known to everyone.”

He does this not to leave them free to grow shameless, but to win them over beforehand with praise, and with the number of his witnesses, and so to hold their attention. [g]

“It is not I alone who am the witness, but the whole world.” And he does not say “your understanding,” but “your obedience” — that is, their readiness to comply, which was a sign of great gentleness in them. “I rejoice, therefore, over you.” This too is no small praise. Then, after the praise, a warning. For fear that, by clearing them of every charge, he might make them more careless, as though no one were watching them, he gives them another hint in the words, “I want you to be wise about what is good, and simple about what is evil.”

You see how he gets at them again, and without their suspecting it. For this looks like a hint that some of them were easily led astray.

Verse 20: “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.”

Since he had spoken of those who “caused divisions and stumbling blocks” among them, he has mentioned “the God of peace” too, so that they might be hopeful of being rid of these evils. For he who delights in peace will put an end to whatever wrecks it. And he does not say “will subject,” but “will crush” (Genesis 3, verse 15), which is a stronger word. And not those people only, but also the one who was their general in all this, Satan. And not simply “will crush,” but “under your feet,” so that they themselves may win the victory and be made glorious by the trophy. The timing, again, is made a ground of comfort, for he adds, “shortly.” This was a prayer and a prophecy at the same time. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

That greatest weapon! That wall no one can storm! That tower that cannot be shaken! He reminds them of grace to give them more eagerness. For if you were freed from far worse evils, and freed by grace alone, much more will you be freed from the lesser ones, now that you have become friends as well and contribute your own share too. You see how he never puts prayer without works, nor works without prayer. After giving them credit for their obedience, then he prays, to show that we need both, our own part as well as God’s part, if we are to be saved as we should be. For it is not only in the beginning but now too, even if we are great and highly esteemed, that we need grace from him. [h]

Verse 21: “Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you.”

Notice the usual words of praise again. “And Lucius, and Jason, and Sosipater, my relatives.”

Luke also mentions this Jason, and shows us his courage too, when he says that they “dragged” him “before the rulers of the city, shouting, ‘These men who have turned the world upside down have come here too’” (Acts 17, verses 5 and 6). And it is likely that the others too were distinguished men. For he does not mention people merely for being his relatives, unless they were also like him in devotion to God.

Verse 22: “I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you.” [i]

This too is no small praise: to be Paul’s secretary. Yet he does not say this to praise himself, but to win their warm love for himself in return for this service.

Verse 23: “Gaius, my host, and host of the whole church, greets you.”

See what a crown he has woven for him, by bearing witness to such great hospitality in him, and bringing the whole church into this man’s house! By the word xenos used here he means a host, not a guest. But when you hear that he was Paul’s host, do not admire him only for his generosity, but also for the strictness of his life. For unless he had been worthy of Paul’s excellence, Paul would never have lodged there. The apostle, who took pains to go beyond many of Christ’s commands, would never have broken that law which tells us to be very particular about who receives us, and to lodge with people who are “worthy” (Matthew 10, verse 11).

“Erastus, the city treasurer, greets you, and Quartus, a brother.” There is a purpose in his adding “the city treasurer.” When he wrote to the Philippians, “Those of Caesar’s household greet you” (Philippians 4, verse 22), it was to show that the good news had taken hold of people of rank. So here too he mentions the title with the same aim, and to show that for the one who pays attention, neither wealth is a hindrance, nor the cares of government, nor anything else of the kind.

Verse 24: “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” See what we ought to begin and end with everywhere! With this he laid the foundation of the letter, and with this he puts on the roof: at once praying for the mother of all good things for them, and calling to their minds the whole of his love for humankind. For this is the best proof of a noble teacher: to benefit his pupils not by word only, but by prayer as well. That is why someone said, “But we will devote ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6, verse 4). [k]

Who is there, then, to pray over us, now that Paul has departed? Those who imitate Paul. Only let us make ourselves worthy of such pleading on our behalf, so that we may not only hear Paul’s voice here, but hereafter, when we have departed, may be counted worthy to see Christ’s wrestler. Or rather, if we listen to him here, we will certainly see him hereafter — if not standing near him, still we will certainly see him, shining near the throne of the King. Where the cherubim sing the glory, where the seraphim fly, there we will see Paul, with Peter, as chief and leader of the choir of the saints, and we will enjoy his noble love. For if while he was here he loved people so much that, when he had the choice of departing and being with Christ, he chose to stay here, much more will he show a warmer affection there.

I love Rome for this reason too — though indeed one has other grounds for praising it: its greatness, its age, its beauty, its crowds of people, its power, its wealth, and its victories in war. But I let all that pass, and count it blessed on this account: that Paul wrote to them in his lifetime, and loved them so, and talked with them while he was still among us, and ended his life there. That is why the city is more famous for this than for all its other claims together. Like a great and strong body, it has as two shining eyes the bodies of these holy men. The sky is not so bright when the sun sends out its rays as the city of Rome is, sending out these two lights into every part of the world. From there Paul will be caught up, and from there Peter.

Just think of it, and tremble at the thought of what a sight Rome will see, when Paul rises suddenly from that place where he was laid in trust, together with Peter, and is lifted up to meet the Lord (First Thessalonians 4, verse 17). What a rose Rome will send up to Christ (Isaiah 35, verse 1)! What two crowns the city will wear! What golden chains she will be wrapped in! What fountains she will have! That is why I admire the city — not for its great store of gold, not for its columns, not for its other splendor, but for these pillars of the church (First Corinthians 15, verse 38).

I wish it were given to me now to throw my arms around the body of Paul, to be fastened to the tomb, and to see the dust of that body which “filled up what was lacking” of the sufferings of “Christ” (Colossians 1, verse 24), which bore “the marks” (Galatians 6, verse 17), which sowed the good news everywhere; yes, the dust of that body in which he ran to and fro everywhere! The dust of that body through which Christ spoke, and the light shone out more brilliant than any lightning, and the voice burst forth, more terrible to the demons than any thunder! Through which he uttered that blessed saying, “I could wish that I myself were accursed, for my brothers” (Romans 9, verse 3); through which he spoke “before kings, and was not ashamed” (Psalm 119, verse 46); through which we come to know Paul, and through which Paul’s Master as well!

Thunder is not so terrible to us as that voice was to the demons! For if they shuddered at his clothes (Acts 19, verse 12), much more did they shudder at his voice. This voice led them away captive, cleansed the world, put a stop to diseases, drove out vice, and lifted the truth on high. It had Christ riding upon it, and went about everywhere with him. What the cherubim were, Paul’s voice was; for as he was seated upon those powers, so was he seated upon Paul’s tongue. It had become worthy to receive Christ by speaking only what was pleasing to Christ, and by flying like the seraphim to heights beyond telling. For what is loftier than that voice which says, “For I am persuaded that neither angels, nor rulers, nor authorities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8, verses 38 and 39)? What wings does this speech not seem to you to have? What eyes (Ezekiel 10, verse 12)? It was because of this that he said, “For we are not unaware of his schemes” (Second Corinthians 2, verse 11). Because of this the demons fled not only when they heard him speak, but even when they saw his garments.

This is the mouth whose dust I long to see, through which Christ spoke the great and secret things — greater even than in his own person, for as he did greater works through the disciples, so he also spoke greater things through them — through which the Spirit gave the world those wonderful sayings! What good thing did that mouth not accomplish? It drove out demons, it set sins loose, it muzzled tyrants, it stopped the mouths of philosophers, it brought the world over to God, it persuaded savage peoples to learn wisdom, it changed the whole order of the earth. Things in heaven too it arranged as it chose (First Corinthians 5, verses 3 and 4), binding whom it would and setting them loose in the other world, “according to the power given to it” (Second Corinthians 13, verse 10).

And not that mouth only, but the heart too I long to see the dust of — a heart one would not be wrong to call the heart of the world, a fountain of countless blessings, a beginning and first element of our life. For the spirit of life was supplied from it to all, and was distributed through the members of Christ — not sent out through arteries, but by a free choice of good deeds. This heart was so large that it took in whole cities, peoples and nations.

“For my heart,” he says, “is enlarged” (Second Corinthians 6, verse 11). Yet this heart, large as it was, was often cramped and oppressed by the very love that enlarged it. For he says, “Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you” (Second Corinthians 2, verse 4). [q]

I long to see that heart even after its dissolution: the heart that burned for each one who was lost; that went into labor a second time with the children it had lost by miscarriage (Galatians 4, verse 19); that saw God, for “the pure in heart,” he says, “will see God” (Matthew 5, verse 8); that became a sacrifice, for “a sacrifice to God is a crushed heart” (Psalm 51, verse 17); that was loftier than the heavens, wider than the world, brighter than the sunbeam, warmer than fire, stronger than diamond; that sent out rivers, for “rivers of living water,” it says, “will flow out of his belly” (John 7, verse 38); in which was a fountain springing up and watering not the face of the earth but the souls of people; from which not rivers only but fountains of tears poured out day and night; that lived the new life, not this one of ours — for “I live,” he says, “yet not I, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2, verse 20), so that Paul’s heart was Christ’s heart, and a tablet of the Holy Spirit, and a book of grace.

That heart trembled for the sins of others, for “I am afraid,” he says, “that I may have labored over you in vain” (Galatians 4, verse 11); “that, as the serpent deceived Eve” (Second Corinthians 11, verse 3); “that when I come I may find you not as I would wish” (Second Corinthians 12, verse 20). It was afraid for itself, and yet was confident too, for “I am afraid,” he says, “that after preaching to others I myself might somehow be disqualified” (First Corinthians 9, verse 27), and, “I am persuaded that neither angels nor powers will be able to separate us.” It was counted worthy to love Christ as no other man loved him (alluding to Romans 9, verse 3). It despised death and hell, yet was broken by the tears of its brothers, for he says, “What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart?” (Acts 21, verse 13). It was most enduring, and yet could not bear to be separated from the Thessalonians for the space of an hour (First Thessalonians 2, verse 17, and 3, verse 10)!

I long to see the dust of the hands that were in chains; through whose laying on the Spirit was given; through which the divine writings were written — for “See how large a letter I have written to you with my own hand” (Galatians 6, verse 11), and again, “The greeting of me, Paul, with my own hand” (First Corinthians 16, verse 21) — the hands at the sight of which the serpent “fell off into the fire” (Acts 28, verse 5). I long to see the dust of those eyes which were gloriously blinded, and which recovered their sight for the salvation of the world; which even in the body were counted worthy to see Christ; which saw earthly things and yet did not see them; which saw the things that are not seen; which knew no sleep; which kept watch at midnight; which were not affected as other eyes are. I would see, too, the dust of those feet which ran through the world and did not grow weary; which were fastened in the stocks when the prison shook; which went through lands inhabited and uninhabited; which walked on so many journeys.

But why should I speak of single parts? I long to see the tomb where the armor of righteousness is laid up, the armor of light: the limbs which now live, but which in life were put to death; the limbs in all of which Christ lived, which were crucified to the world, which were Christ’s members, which were clothed in Christ, which were a temple of the Spirit, a holy building, “bound in the Spirit” (Acts 20, verse 22), fastened to the fear of God, which carried the marks of Christ. This body is a wall to that city, safer than all towers and than thousands of battlements. And with it lies the body of Peter. For Paul honored him while he was alive — he “went up to see Peter” (Galatians 1, verse 18) — and so, even after his death, grace saw fit to give him the same resting place with him.

I long to see the spiritual lion. For like a lion breathing fire on herds of foxes (Song of Songs 2, verse 15), so he rushed upon the tribe of demons and philosophers, and like the burst of a thunderbolt he came down upon the army of the devil (Luke 13, verse 32). The devil did not even come out to draw up his battle line against him, for he feared him so and trembled at him that if he saw his shadow or heard his voice, he fled even from a distance. And so Paul handed the sexually immoral man over to him, though he himself was far away, and again snatched him out of his hands (First Corinthians 5, verse 5, and Second Corinthians 2, verses 7 and 11); and others too, so that they might be taught “not to blaspheme” (First Timothy 1, verse 20).

And consider how he sent out his own soldiers against the devil, rousing them and limbering them up for the fight. At one time he says to the Ephesians, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against rulers and authorities” (Ephesians 6, verse 12). Then too he places our prize in the heavenly places: for we do not struggle for things of the earth, he says, but for heaven and the things in the heavens. And to others he says, “Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life?” (First Corinthians 6, verse 3).

Let us, then, take all this to heart and stand nobly. For Paul was a man, sharing the same nature with us and having everything else in common with us. But because he showed such great love for Christ, he went up above the heavens and stood with the angels. So if we too would rouse ourselves a little and kindle that fire in ourselves, we will be able to rival that holy man. If this were impossible, he would never have cried out, “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (First Corinthians 11, verse 1). So let us not only admire him or be amazed at him, but imitate him, so that we too, when we depart from here, may be counted worthy to see him and to share the glory beyond words. May God grant that we all attain it, by the grace and love for humankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.