Romans 16:1-16

                                                                 Romans 16:1-16

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant[a] of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well.Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia.Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

There are about twenty-seven individuals mentioned by name in this passage and many others who are referred to as a member of a family or local church.  Paul wants to greet these individuals in a special way and recognize their contribution to the kingdom.  These are a few observations about this extensive list that are interesting to note.

 

PAUL WAS INVOLVED WITH MANY PEOPLE: Paul had never been in Rome and yet he has significant spiritual relationships with dozens of people.  The ministry is all about people.  We are called to invest our lives in the lives of others.  The reason for Paul’s wild success as a church planter was his commitment to invest in the lives of others.  Wherever he went he forged profound relationships with people.  He knew them by name, cared for them and their families and because of this, he was instrumental in revolutionizing the world.  People are eternal and the only way we can have eternal impact is by investing in people.  

 

THERE ARE MANY UNKNOWN MINISTERS: Most of the people mentioned in the passage are completely unknown to us.  We don’t know how, when, or where Paul met most of them.  What we do know is that Paul viewed them as essential to the advancement of the Gospel.  The same is true today.  There are a handful of pastors and ministers that most people have heard of or read their books.  Throughout history there have been ministers who continue to be well known generations after their death.  However, most ministers and the vast majority ministry is accomplished by people that are anonymous on earth.  The Lord knows about and will eternally reward every one of them.

 

BOTH MEN AND WOMEN HAD ROLES: It is amazing, considering the culture in which Paul ministered, to see the number of women who were mentioned by name.  These ladies played a crucial role in the ministry of Paul and had their own ministries as well.  Paul clearly taught about limitations to some roles of leadership but that did not mean that all ministry was limited to men.  This is an area where it seems there is a great imbalance in the church today.  Some groups fail to make any distinctions between the role of men and women in church or family.  Other groups relegate women to only exercise domestic roles in the home and have no place for any sort of ministry in the church.  Paul’s example seems to confront both these extremes.  We must strive to find balance and help one another as a body to deal with these issues in a way that will permit the most effective advance of the Gospel and glorify our Lord as we reflect the beauty of the Trinity.

 

APPLICATION:  Be intentional about developing deep and loving relationships with people.  Don’t worry about your own anonymity or be overly impressed with celebrity ministers.  There is only one Celebrity in the universe, and He knows all about every one of us.  None of us are anonymous.  Strive to form a balanced approach to the ministry of women that illustrates both the diversity and the equality of the Trinity.

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