25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen. (Romans 16:25-27)
Through the Bible: Romans 14-16
It is hard to imagine a more recognizable symbol in the modern world than McDonald’s golden arches. You can find them off rural interstates and in dense urban centers, in American suburbs and in cities thousands of miles from Chicago. Long before most of us talked about “globalization,” McDonald’s had already figured out how to build a presence in almost every nation on earth. That kind of reach didn’t happen by accident. It required a vision big enough to cross cultures—and a conviction that no single person can carry the mission alone. Ray Kroc, the founder of McDonald’s had a mantra: “None of us is as good as all of us.” I’m convinced much of McDonald’s worldwide success is due to that conviction.
The Apostle Paul also had a vision big enough to cross cultures. His stated ambition in Romans 15:20 was to preach Christ where Christ had not been named. And his list of personal greetings in Romans 16—the longest such list of any of Paul’s epistles— reflects that “none of us is as good as all of us” mindset.
Paul ends Romans where he began—with the obedience of faith. In Romans 1:5, he wrote that he received grace and apostleship “to bring about the obedience of faith among all the nations.” Here, in the final lines of the letter, he returns to that same phrase. The mystery hidden for ages has now been revealed. God’s saving purpose is no longer confined to one people or one place. It has been made known to all nations.
Paul wanted to bring about the obedience of faith. For the sake of Christ’s name. Among all the nations.
And he knew it would take a team effort.
That’s what makes the conclusion of Romans so stunning.
Paul doesn’t summarize his theology.
He doesn’t restate his arguments.
He doesn’t tighten the screws on doctrine.
He names people.
Romans 16 is the concrete evidence that the mystery has done its work. Jews and Gentiles. Old friends and new converts. Wealthy patrons and hard-working laborers. House churches scattered across the city. The obedience of faith doesn’t terminate in ideas—it creates a community.
And that’s where the glory comes in.
Because when you read the names carefully, you realize that God didn’t just make his salvation known to all nations—he made it known through all kinds of people.
- Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, trusted to carry Paul’s most important letter.
- Priscilla, named alongside her husband as a teacher of the faith.
- Junia, remembered as outstanding among the apostles.
- Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis—women Paul says “worked very hard in the Lord,” a phrase he uses for costly, exhausting labor.
The obedience of faith is too big to be reduced to debates about who gets to participate. When the gospel is doing what it’s supposed to do, people step forward—called, gifted, sent—and the church gives glory to God for it.
Romans ends not with a rulebook, but with a roll call.
And that contrast matters. The modern church often spends an enormous amount of energy drawing lines—deciding who is excluded from certain roles because of gender, culture, education, or background. But Paul’s roll sheet is expansive, not exclusionary.
A quick survey of the personal greetings tacked onto the ends of his letters reveals the same pattern over and over again: Jews and Greeks, slaves and free people, men and women—just as Galatians 3:28 said it should be. Paul doesn’t stop to explain or defend this reality. He simply names people and gives thanks for the work God has done through them.
Which may be the most instructive part of all. If the mission is to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of Christ’s name among all the nations, then it is going to take all of us. And when its time for the curtain call, the cast stretches from one end of the stage to the other.
“To the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ. Amen.”
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