Or, The Strength of Our Withs
Scripture: Romans 16:1-16
Date: March 3, 2024
Speaker: Sean Higgins
This passage is by far the most extensive and detailed and intimate expression of love and appreciation in Paul’s corpus. In 15:14-33 he focused on his mission of the gospel and ministry to the saints. In chapter 16 he focuses on his relationship to other saints with him in his ministry. He reveals his deep affection for those whom he had served, for those who had served him, and for those who served with him.
How does reading/studying a list of greetings compare to reading/studying a long genealogy? Both require some patience, both have some profit. Genealogies are who we’re from. Salutations are who we’re with.
Paul makes a personal recommendation.
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant 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. (Romans 16:1–2 ESV)
Cenchreae was the neighboring port city of Corinth, from where Paul wrote this letter. This is the first time the word church is used in Romans, but it appears five times in this final chapter. We remember that the church is identified as where the people are, not necessarily a building with a sign (I suppose we could refer to a “church’s” building if we wanted to be precise, and yet churches as places were mentioned first sometime in the third century).
To commend was to endorse or give a favorable reference. Paul’s reference for this sister as being a servant has caused quite a stir in theological circles. The Greek word for servant is diakanon, the term from which we get deacon. KJV/NASB/ESV all translate the word here as “servant” (NIV uses “deacon” and notes that it’s referring to the office). Paul doesn’t just doesn’t use the feminine form of “deaconess” (διακόνισσα), a form not found in the NT.
Whether or not Pheobe held some official title or not, Paul commended her as a highly-proven servant of Christ and urged the church at Rome to receive her in the Lord.
Why is so much attention given to Phoebe? It is almost certain that Phoebe was the one who delivered this letter to the church at Rome, a significant responsibility. Since the letter was hand-written (by Tertius, verse 22) there probably was no second copy.
She was to be received into fellowship in a way worthy of the saints. There is unreasonable hospitality, and then there is saints hospitality. “Welcome one another as Christ as welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Romans 15:7).
Part of the reason for receiving her was that she had been a helper or patron . A “patron” was one who came to the aid of others, especially foreigners, by providing housing and financial aid and sometimes by representing their interests before local authorities when necessary. Phoebe was probably a woman of high social standing and some wealth, who put her status, resources, and time at the services of traveling Christians, like Paul himself, who needed help and support.
Paul offers multiple personal greetings. Greet or “salute” is used 13 times in verses 3-16, then 2 more times in verses 22-23.
Although he had not yet visited Rome, Paul names twenty-four individuals, seventeen men and seven women, along with many who are unnamed, such as those in the households of Aristobulus and Narcissus. There are Jewish names, Latin names, and Greek names. His greeting of so many specific people also confirms that Paul was aware of the circumstances in the Roman assemblies.
The first to be greeted are Prisca and Aquila , a husband and wife who were my fellow workers in Christ Jesus . This couple is actually mentioned six times in the NT. Paul first met them on his first visit to Corinth, where Prisca (with the diminutive form, Priscilla) and Aquila had fled from Rome when all Jews were driven out by the Emperor Claudius (Acts 18:2). They were tentmakers like Paul, and Paul stayed in their house while he began his ministry in Corinth (Acts 18:1-3). After working together in Corinth Paul dropped them off in Ephesus for a lengthy ministry (1 Corinthians 16:19).
They were more than fellow workers with Paul, he says they had risked their necks for my life . Then apparently sometime after Claudius died (AD 54) they returned to Rome, where they lived and ministered when Paul wrote this letter. By that time one of the congregations was meeting in their house .
Paul’s next greeting is to my beloved Epaenetus , who was the first convert to Christ in Asia , or “firstfruits” (KJV). He is mentioned nowhere else in the NT. Paul had kept track of him through the years and was pleased that he was now a part of church at Rome.
Then, Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Mary was a common name among Jews and Gentiles, so we do not know where this Mary came from, how or when she was converted, or anything else except that she had worked hard for the church in Rome.
Paul calls Andronicus and Junia , my kinsmen , which indicates that they were not only fellow Jews (there were many other Jews in the list who didn’t receive this title), but they were probably Paul’s relatives, along with Herodian (verse 11) and Jason and Sosipater (verse 21). They apparently were at one point my fellow prisoners , which could have been anywhere since Paul was often in prison (or it could simply be saying that they had been imprisoned for the sake of the gospel like Paul).
In verse 8 Paul greets Ampliatus who was my beloved in the Lord. The next two saints were Urbanus and Stachys .
Apelles was a relatively rare name. Here Paul says he was the approved in Christ . The word “approved” carries the idea of being tried and tested and was used of precious metals that had passed tests for purity.
Paul’s next greeting was to a group of believers whose names and number we do not know. They are simply identified as those who belong to the family of Aristobulus , who himself is not identified. Because he is not greeted, it seems he was probably not a Christian himself. At least one commentator has suggested that Aristobulus may have been the brother of Herod Agrippa I and the grandson of Herod the Great. So maybe this household was a group of believers within the imperial household.
As with Andronicus and Junias (verse 7) Paul greets Herodian as my kinsman , so a relative to Paul. Like Aristobulus, Narcissus was probably not a believer, but some of his household were in the Lord.
In verse 12 Paul greets and commends three women. The first two, Tryphaena and Tryphosa were possibly twin sisters (since it was common to give children names form the same Greek root). Persis was the beloved , suggesting (from the definite article) that she was loved by everyone who knew her and who had been a beneficiary of her hard work in the Lord.
Rufus was chosen in the Lord . This doesn’t refer to every Christian’s election, but more like we might say an extraordinary Christian – a choice man.
The specific greeting to (Rufus’) mother, who has been a mother to me as well does not mean that Rufus was Paul’s natural brother, but that Rufus’ mother had somewhere and in some way during Paul’s travel and ministry, cared for him as if he were her own son.
Paul makes no comment about Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, and Hermas . The mention of the brethren with them indicates that the five names here were leaders of one of the many assemblies of believers in Rome. In verse 15 Paul greets another assembly of saints, which included Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympia .
Finally, verse 16: Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. The kiss gesture of greeting seems more cultural, so not required for us, though a gesture of welcome is certainly appropriate.
Who doesn’t like to hear their name mentioned aloud from up front (only some, ha)? There’s nothing wrong with names; God included these in His Word. Nothing wrong with expressing thanks for specific people.
There were many in the network of saints (“in the Lord” - ἐν κυρίῳ - used in verses 8, 11, 12 (x2), 13, and 22; and see “in Christ” - ἐν Χριστῷ - in verses 3, 7, 9, 10). Men and women. Working, suffering, supporting, the kind of people worth standing with.
From the end of Romans 15 and into chapter 16, Paul uses 6 different words beginning with the preposition meaning “with.”
We are IN so we recognize our WITHS. I urge you to be, or to excel still more at being, anti-isolatist. We want to be with you, not without. Saints love the saints they’re WITH. Saints are stronger because of their WITHS.
One of the saints in our body has fought the good fight, finished her race, kept the faith. She has endured and her faith has been an encouragement to all those who have loved the Lord’s appearing. Beloved, work with and suffer with and stand with and sing with each other. Our WITHS are our strength.
May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5–6 ESV)