Verses 16:1–27

DIGGING DEEPER

This last chapter is very letter-like in its spontaneous arrangement of material. Paul evidently related matters as they occurred to him. He named 36 persons in this chapter. Eight of these people were with Paul, and the rest were in Rome. He identified 27 men and seven women by name, plus two more by their relationship to someone else. In addition he referred to at least two households (vv. 10–11) and three house churches (vv. 5, 14, 15) plus some other unnamed brethren (v. 14) and two other women (vv. 13, 15). The households might also be house churches. Most of the names are Gentile, reflecting the mainly Gentile population of the church in Rome, and most are those of slaves and freedmen and freedwomen.

Several commentators have believed that chapter 16 was originally a separate letter that Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus. The hypothesis behind this view is that since Paul had not visited Rome he could not have known so many people, whom he greeted. He had ministered for three years in Ephesus and undoubtedly knew many people there.

“This sixteenth chapter is neglected by many to their own loss. It is by far the most extensive, intimate and particular of all the words of loving greeting in Paul’s marvelous letters. No one can afford to miss this wonderful outpouring of the heart of our apostle toward the saints whom he so loved — which means all the real Church of God!”

It may seem unusual that Paul knew so many people by name in the church in Rome, since he had never visited it. However, travel in the Roman Empire was fairly easy during Paul’s lifetime. Probably he had met some of these people elsewhere, and knew others of them by reputation. Most of the names are Latin or Greek, but some of these people were evidently Jews who, like Paul, also had Greek or Latin names (e.g., vv. 7, 11). In his epistles, Paul greeted more individuals by name in the churches he had not visited, than in those that he had (cf. Col.). He may have wanted to establish a more personal contact with the congregations that had not seen his face. Romans was a letter which Paul found very difficult to bring to an end. He has sent his greetings; but before he closes he makes one last appeal to the Christians in Rome to keep themselves from every evil influence. Again Paul introduced his comments with a strong exhortation (cf. 12:1; 15:30). He warned the Roman Christians about false teachers who might enter the fold. The brevity of Paul’s warning argues against concluding that false teachers were at that time active in the church. “Paul at this point probably took the pen from his amanuensis (Tertius) and added a final personal note. This was certainly his regular style, and though he does not draw attention to the fact as he did when writing to the churches of his own mission, it would be evident enough from the change of writing style on the papyrus” (Constable 200–201, 204, Newell 548, Ibid 906, Barclay).

SOME KEY IDEAS FROM THIS WEEK’S PASSAGE

A letter of commendation- When a person is applying for a new job, he usually gets a testimonial from someone who knows him well and who can pay tribute to his character and ability. When a person is going to live in some strange town, he often takes with him a letter of introduction from someone who knows people in that town. In the ancient world such letters were very common. They were known as sustatikai epistolai, letters of commendation or introduction. We still possess many of these letters, written on papyrus and recovered from the rubbish heaps buried in the desert sands of Egypt. So Paul writes to introduce Phoebe to the Church at Rome.

The Ministry of Women in Paul’s Time- Paul’s acknowledgement of his co-workers (vv. 3, 9; cf. v. 7) shows that he was not a “lone ranger” minister. He had strong personal connections with several of the people whom he named. The significant number of women mentioned in these verses argues against the view, of some, that Paul was a “woman-hater.” Obviously women played important roles in the ministry of the early church, and Paul appreciated them. Notice that the ministry of women in the Roman church is quite evident in this chapter. Paul referred to nine prominent women: Phoebe, Prisca, Mary, Tryphena, Thyphosa, Persis, Rufus’ mother, Julia, and Nereus’ sister.

“Phoebe” (lit. “Bright” or “Radiant”) was evidently the woman who carried this epistle from Corinth to Rome. “The name itself was one of the names of the goddess, Diana, and this would suggest that she was a convert from heathenism, not a Jewess.”

She was a “servant” (Gr. diakonon) of the church in her hometown, “Cenchrea,” the port of Corinth (Acts 18:18; 2 Cor. 1:1). It is unclear whether Phoebe held office as a deaconess or whether she was simply an informal servant of the church. Paul stressed her service, not her office.

Phoebe came from Cenchreae which was the port of Corinth. Sometimes she is called a deaconess, but it is not likely that she held what might be called an official position in the Church. There can have been no time in the Christian Church when the work of women was not of infinite value. It must have been specially so in the days of the early Church. In the case of baptism by total immersion, as it then was, in the visitation of the sick, in the distribution of food to the poor, women must have played a big part in the life and work of the Church, but they did not at that time hold any official position.

Paul bespeaks a welcome for Phoebe. He asks the people at Rome to welcome her as God’s dedicated people ought to welcome each other. There should be no strangers in the family of Christ; there should be no need for formal introductions between Christian people, for they are sons and daughters of the one father and therefore brothers and sisters of each other. And yet a church is not always the welcoming institution that it ought to be. It is possible for churches, and still more possible for church organizations, to become almost little closed societies which are not really interested in welcoming the stranger. When a stranger comes amongst us, Paul’s advice still holds good — welcome such a one as God’s dedicated people ought to welcome each other (Constable 201, Barclay, Griffith Thomas 417).

MISSIONAL QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

• How does this text challenge your preconceived notions about the life of a follower of Jesus?
• How does this passage further improve the way you’d share the Gospel with someone?
• What do you feel the Spirit calling you to do based on the truths of this text?
• What might you need to confess and repent of based on this passage?
• How does this passage challenge the way you lead or participate in your microchurch?
• In what ways does this text call you to align your heart with God’s?