"Timotheus my work fellow, and Lucius, and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you. I Tertius, who wrote this epistle, salute you in the Lord. Gaius my host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus, the chamberlain of the city saluteth you and Quartus a brother."
Romans 16v21-23
Paul now sends the greetings and salutations from the believers at Corinth to those in Rome. In this he is promoting the communion of the saints. This pattern of things has already been established in chapter 16v16 "Salute one another with an holy kiss; the churches of Christ salute you." What Paul is saying is that you are to show fellowship within your own community, but also to be mindful of the greater global Christian community of which you are part through the gospel.
We live in days when much is said about local church autonomy, We also hear much of "independent churches." It is true that there is no global or national or even local authority to determine the doctrine and practice of individual churches. The New Testament pattern appears to be that local elders and leaders are to regulate matters in each church as before the Lord. There is no doubt that this is sound biblical teaching, but we must not forget there is a universal rule over all churches in the apostolic traditions laid down in New Testament. Thus, although each church is independent of external authority, each church is under apostolic control, and therefore Divine control. We must not forget the global aspect of the communion of saints in which all churches will follow the same doctrine and practice.
This is not to deny diversity, it is rather to promote unity and the expression "the churches of Christ salute you," together with the greetings from Corinth to Rome demonstrate this principle. We are in danger today of becoming "parochial" as churches. We need to remember our links with all believers worldwide. Paul underlines the same principal writing to the Corinthians where he says in 1st Corinthians 1v9 "God is faithful by whom ye were called into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ our Lord." At the end of his second letter to the same church he says in chapter 13v13 "All the saints salute you. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen" What is it that binds the saints of God worldwide together? What is it that regulates our doctrine and practice worldwide? It is the Divine instruction given by the Lord to His apostles and in turn to the churches; this coupled with the real presence of Divine Beings in our midst. This pattern is established throughout Paul's first letter to the Corinthians.
- 1st Corinthians 1v2 "Called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours."
- 1st Corinthians 4v17 "As I teach everywhere in every church.
- 1st Corinthians 7v17 "And so ordain I in all churches."
- 1st Corinthians 11v16 "But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God."
- 1st Corinthians 14v33 "God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints."
- 1st Corinthians 14v34 "Let your women keep silent in the churches."
- 1st Corinthians 16v1 "As I have given order t the churches of Galatia even so do ye."
Here then is a seven fold assertion by the apostle Paul that, although each church is responsible for its own communion, we are part of a much wider global communion under the authority of Christ through his apostles.
It is good then to know that the Lord is doing the same work in other places and we can know the fellowship of our brethren in Christ worldwide We shall see in the closing doxology of this great epistle, the universal nature of the gospel which will result in everlasting glory to our God. We are by the grace of God part of the largest family group on earth, by spiritual birth. This is indeed the fruit of the gospel.
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