On Sunday, May 3, 2026, Cole Tuck led our morning Bible class through Romans 16. This final chapter is rich with personal greetings, practical theology on service and leadership, and strong warnings against division. Cole emphasized that deacons are servants, not junior elders, highlighted the vital supporting roles of women like Phoebe, Prisca, and others in the early church, and showed Paul’s deep appreciation for everyday believers—slaves, women, and house churches alike. The lesson closed with a call to wisdom in what is good, innocence in what is evil, and confidence that God will crush Satan under our feet.
Key Talking Points
- Phoebe: A commended servant (deaconess) of the church at Cenchrea — service, not authority
- Elders vs. Deacons: Elders shepherd and teach; deacons serve — important distinction to avoid misunderstanding
- Women in ministry: Honored for hard work and sacrificial service (Phoebe, Prisca, Mary, Junia, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Rufus’s mother)
- House churches and everyday saints: The gospel reached slaves, women, and Gentiles — the church met in homes
- Junia: Outstanding among the apostles (messengers), not one of the Twelve
- Warning against false teachers: Watch out for those who cause divisions with smooth speech and serve their own appetites
- Be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil
- The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet (Genesis 3:15 fulfillment)
- Doxology: Glory to the only wise God through Jesus Christ forever