-When I am in this world, the feeling that I have is gratitude.

-Before I leave in this world, I will say, “Thank you”

-The topic for mutual exhortation is Please send me greetings to them.

-Our lives have love and friendship and relationship in our lives is important.

-In the letters of Paul has one longest greetings. In every letter of Paul always start with greetings. And he wrote in his epistles, he will state that when you meet them, please send my greetings.

-Rom 16:1-16. This is the longest personal greetings in the bible.

-Rom 16:3-4 Greet Priscilla and Aquila my fellow workers in Christ. They were good co-workers with Paul. Paul is often persecuted and is a worker with chains as he always met with sufferings. As co-workers of Paul it is not easy as they too will meet the same sufferings faced by Paul.

-Paul has a strong character too and if he finds that something is wrong, he will rebuke and encourage. We can see this character in the conflict of Barnabas and Paul on the concerning Mark.

-This couple Priscilla and Aquila were patient and willingly serve together Paul.

-Paul said that this couple is willing to sacrifice their lives for for him. Rom 16:4 who risked their necks for my life.

-This is a couple who loves the Lord, loves the church and loves the workers of God.

-This couple is worthy of respect to give greetings. In some circumstances, we can observe:-

-one of the spouse is weak in faith.

-both of the spouse is weak.

-Both are equally zealous similar to Priscilla and Aquila.

4) Even in the churches of the gentile will thank them. They did not only love the church of Jerusalem, but they also love the gentiles of different cultures, race and locations.

-Rom 16:4 not only give thanks but also the churches of the gentiles. So they extend their love to the rest of the churches and not limited to only one church.

-So our love should be like our love towards our children in our own family and to extend this to own church and to all churches.

5) Rom 16:5 Greet also the church in their house. Priscilla and Aquila offer their house as a church. The brothers and sisters gather in their house to be the church. They also follow Paul to preach the gospel.

-We can emulate them to offer our house for home fellowship

Paul said if there is such couple please send greetings. We have to learn from this couple who is able to shine light for Jesus Christ. We should bless them, care them. Who next Paul send greetings.

-Rom 16: 5 the second person is Epaenetus which means praise. Everyone hopes to be praised. Praise that is the most important is to receive the praise of the lord Jesus. Jesus did give praises and also churches that is worthy of praise.

-We spent so much time getting acknowledgment and praise from other people but neglected the more important is to get the acknowledgement and praise from God.

-This Epaenetus was praised by Paul. What is His characteristics ?

-He was the first convert and first fruit when the gospel was preached to Asia. He truly gave himself to Christ and was able to bear fruits for Christ.

-When we baptized and follow Christ, we need to be truly followers of Christ right to the end. Some is lost even after baptism.

-Being pioneer in Christ is not easy. There is no churches and no members yet. So everything will depend on this pioneer in terms of church work, offer their homes, co-work etc and also face many temptations and trials.

-Some first convert fell because of pride thinking as pioneer that they should be respected and be elected as leader.

-But for Epaenetus, not only he was the first convert and first fruit but he kept continue to preserve this faith even during Paul’s time of writing.

-If we see such members who sacrificed so much, please send their greetings.

-The next is Mary. Rom 16:6. What is her merit? She has worked hard for the church. There are many Marys in the church.

-Mary in the original interpretation meaning is suffering.

-Mary indeed labored and sacrificed much for the church.

-When a visiting members group came to church, many people give all excuses eg boil desert etc to welcome them.

-We are willing to labour for our family, our children but not willing to labour for church.

-For the case of Mary, she was willing labour for the church.

-The last person is anonymous. This person is an anonymous hero. Rom 16: 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister and Olympas and all the saints who are with them.

-“All the saints who are with them” and it is impossible for Paul to name them one by one. So Paul named them the saints.

-These are anonymous who worked silently who sacrificed for church. These anonymous members you will not find their names in the duty roster.

-These members are so beautiful in their character as they silently work for Christ, silently care for the outstation students, visit them, some members have financial difficulty and members silently helping them.

-Paul callthese members as anonymous saints. In every church we have these members. They come and do it because they are not scheduled.

-Paul said to send his greetings to them.