Thursday, August 18, Romans 16:17-23

There is never diversity without conflict. Paul is warning now about those who cause dissensions and offences. It is always easier to preach a sectarian gospel of ‘us against them’, and Romans so far has tried to present a different vision. Whose are you, and what god do you serve? Leave winning up to God.

The next flurry of names is about the company Paul is keeping, rather than those who are in Rome. These are presumably models of leadership that does not cause dissent. Tertius writes the letter – as a copyist, amanuensis, editor, or what? Erastus and Quartus appear to be high status imperial officers, perhaps to balance Roman fears of rabble-rousing sectarian Jesus people.

Could we list as reassuring a list of the company we keep, representing an ethos of spiritual maturity – or just factional sectarian demagogues of left or right wing religion?