Romans Series 2
12 - Paul's Fellow Workers
Remember that Paul’s letters are written by a friend to his friends and when writing to churches he had never visited, for example Rome or Colosse, he liked to establish as many personal links as possible. So here he is in Romans chapter 16 in a room in Gaius’s house in Corinth, Greece around 58 A.D. closing his communication with a great deal of affection. Twenty-six individual names are mentioned including nine women. In fact it is a woman called Phoebe who is entrusted with this remarkable letter to carry it to Rome. Perhaps she had business which called her to the imperial city. She was a ‘servant of the church in Cenchrea’, a small seaport town adjoining Corinth. Perhaps we’d call her a deaconess. Paul commends her to their safekeeping. He says ‘she’s been a great help to many people, including me.’ As a stranger in the big city, he asks that they take good care of her.
Paul has often received a bad press as a misogynist or male chauvinist. Nothing could be further from the truth. His appreciation of the work done by women in the church shines through chapter 16.
Paul comes across as a man who kept in touch with people and wants them to know he remembers them. He mentions Priscilla and Aquila who ‘risked their lives’ for him. He’d been in much danger in Corinth during his second missionary journey and these fellow tent makers sheltered him. Now they are back in Rome. Priscilla precedes her husband four out of six times they are mentioned, due to social rank or uncommon influence. She may have been connected with some noble Roman family. The church gathered in their house.
Paul mentions his relatives who have been in prison with him, Andronicus – the name means ‘Conqueror’ and Junias, who are respected by the apostles. They must have been Christians at the time of Stephen the martyr for Paul writes ‘they were in Christ before I was’.
Verse 8 is interesting. It says, “Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord.” It was quite a common slave name. The single name would indicate a slave, whereas Romans had three names. However, in the cemetery of Domatilla, the earliest of the Christian catacombs, there is a decorated tomb with the single name ‘Ampliatus’ carved on it in bold and decorative lettering. An elaborate tomb would suggest a man of high rank in the church. Certainly the early church was largely the worshipful company of slaves. Social distinctions were wiped out in Christ.
Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham, points out that two celebrities named in this list may not have been believers themselves. He cites ‘those who belong to the household of Aristobulus’ (grandson of Herod the Great) and ‘those in the household of Narcissus’ who was a favourite of the Emperor Claudius. Aristobulus and Narcissus were heads of great houses in Rome and the slaves in their households had come to faith in Christ.
In verse 12 he mentions Tryphena and Tryphosa. They may have been twins. Their names mean “Dainty” and “Delicate”. They had been working like Trojans for the sake of Christ. He also asks to be remembered to a Persian woman ‘who has worked very hard in the Lord’. Every one Paul mentions in this prayer list was a trophy of grace.