Ordinary People - Part 2

In Romans, chapter 16, we find a list of people who are with Paul in Corinth and a list of people in Rome he is sending greetings to. His list starts with Phoebe, the woman who will be delivering the important letter to the Christians in Rome.

Then in verses 3-16 he mentions people in Rome he knows and says, "Tell them 'hello' for me!"

Priscilla and Aquila head the list. Then Epenetus and Mary.

4. Now we come to Andronicus and Junias. Paul tells us a few things about these people: (1) he calls them his relatives, (2) he says they had been in prison with him, (3) he says they are 'outstanding among the apostles,' and (4) he says they had become Christians before he did.

We don't know if they were his relatives in his extended family, or if he is referring to his relationship with them in the body of Christ. The phrase 'outstanding among the apostles' could be translated 'respected among the apostles.'

It is also interesting that he says they had become Christians before he. So they were likely part of the very early church days in Jerusalem. They might have known James and other early leaders. Maybe they were there at the Pentecost when Peter spoke -- when the crowd all heard the disciples speaking in their own languages!

Junias could actually be Junia, a feminine name, and so this could be a husband and wife. Several early church fathers thought that this was the case.

Among some people Paul has received the unfounded reputation of belittling women. That is hardly the case when we read his comments with the full context in mind. In fact, outside of Jesus Himself, Paul can be credited with promoting women probably more than any other person. Here in chapter 16 he is acknowledging a number of women, and praising them for their work in the church.

(Recent archeological evidence [tomb inscriptions especially] indicate that women held all the church offices in that first century.)

5. Ampliatus. This man is even more intriguing. Ampliatus was a common slave name (free men usually had more than one name). There is an elaborate tomb in one of the early Christian catacombs with the single name Ampliatus written on it. With the one name we would assume it was a slave's tomb. Because it is so sophisticated and elegant it appears also to be the tomb of someone very important in the early church.

There are other verses in the New Testament, too, showing us that being a slave did not restrict a person's position in the early church. Remember the verses in Joel that Peter repeated at Pentecost? And afterward I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

The Holy Spirit is the great equalizer in the church -- men and women, young and old, slave and free -- all serve equally.

6. Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, and Herodion. We know nothing more about these four men. Urbanus is called a "fellow worker." Stachys is called, like Epenetus, "my dear friend." Apelles is said to be "tested and approved in Christ." And Herodion is called, like Andronicus and Junias, "my relative."

Not much information, but certainly words of high esteem when spoken by the Apostle Paul, and certainly compliments I would treasure.

7. Households of Aristobulus and Narcissus In the Roman world household meant more than one's family--it also meant all servants or slaves as well and any persons living in their home.

Living in Rome at the time Paul was writing this letter was a grandson of Herod the Great, named Aristobulus.

At his death his slaves would have passed on to the emperor and would still be known as the household of Aristobulus. Next Paul refers to Herodion, which is a form of Herod's name, and likely refers to an important slave of Herod's.

Narcissus is the name of a wealthy freedman who had been prominent under Claudius, but was put to death by Nero.

Likely these two households were connected to the emperor's residence in some way.


And Paul is not finished with his list of loved ones he wants to say hello to.
I get the picture that Paul was deeply grateful for his friends and helpers in God's ministry. They were very different from each other -- but they all were in God's family.

This list of people Paul loved and thanked God for encourages me to look around and see how people I come in contact with serve God -- Dan and John and Patrice and Daren in the basketball ministry, Darlyne and Janet and Jerry in the apartment ministry at Bay Breeze, Art Martinez and Roy and Letish Tripp, and Art Hammers at Golden Manor, all the pianists and organists at our church -- Trish, Nina, Virginia, Carolyn, and all the ones who come on Wednesday to help in the Awana program....and the Sunday School teachers, and those who serve as greeters and ushers, and the choir, and the bell ringers, and the office staff, and Cody and Daren and Bro. Mike....and the guys who come to CDC early each morning to help the children, and the teachers and staff there...it just goes on and on.

I want to be more aware of those around me whose service is essential to God's Kingdom -- ordinary people used by God with extraordinary results!

(Continued in Part 3)