Romans 16
Friends and Family
What unites us?
Who are you connected with that is in ministry?
Who is connected with you in ministry?
How strong is your connection with ministry?
We have heard of the Book called, The Lamb’s Book of Life
Every person who has been committed to the Ministry of Christ
Will be listed in that Book
It will be a boring read and I hope it is in digital form
Because flipping the pages to find your name, could take a long time
But after you find your name, what names will you be looking for?
Who will be the friends and family you stood with in serving the Lord?
We don’t know all the different ways Paul’s friends and family served
Some opened their house for people to gather and talk about Jesus
Some helped to support Paul with prayers, finances, connections, and love
Maybe some of them worked with children
Or, greeted those coming to the meetings
We don’t know
But we do know Paul’s friends and family, were involved with ministry
So, who are your connections?
And what is connecting you?
Friends and Family
There are chapters in the Bible
we all like to read over quickly.
Like Genesis 5…
The account of Adam’s family tree.
Genesis 10…
Noah’s family tree.
Genesis 36…
The account of Esau’s family.
Genesis 46…
The sons of Israel.
Matthew 1..
The genealogy of Jesus.
And Romans 16.
Besides the difficulty of pronouncing
the names right, it does get confusing…
Like going to a large family reunion, on
your spouse’s side, the first year of marriage.
It is overwhelming to connect the names and faces.
Now there are some people who
get into the names and numbers.
Like the guy who says there are 3,237
different people mentioned in the Bible.
Or, the one who says there are 1770 men and
176 women named in the Bible, totaling 1,946.
Then there is the confusion of names shared like
five different Johns, 13 Josephs and 31 Zechariahs.
Now before I lose you with all these names of dead people…
Let me get to the point.
Romans 16 is another list of names of dead people.
But these people were special…
Even though they got very little recognition…
They were special to Paul…
These names in Romans 16
were friends and family of Paul.
Paul listed some of His relatives.
In the greeting portion,
verses 1-16 he lists…
29 people, 10 are women.
What is interesting is…
Seven out of the ten women are
described in terms of their ministry…
(Phoebe, Prisca, Mary, Junia,
Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis)
By comparison, only three men are
described in terms of their ministry…
(Aquila, Andronicus, Urbanus)
And two of these men are ministering
along side a female partner…
(Aquila with Prisca, Andronicus with Junia)
Because Paul had not yet been to Rome…
Some of the people listed,
he had just heard about.
As I read Romans 16…
I see Paul’s ability to go to different places with the
Gospel, does not seem to be random, but relational.
People, friends and family opened
the doors to Rome and other places.
On one hand these people
who had their names written in the Bible
(how cool is that?) were common people…
Friends and family.
All of us have friends and family…
People who are not common to you
but in another place, unknown.
I have been blessed to have been at the grass roots
of the birth of a church in the early 70’s.
As I watched the church grow…
It grew by friends and families.
There were some strangers who
heard about the church and came…
But for the most part it was friends and family.
From a handful of people in a small house
to hundreds meeting in four larger buildings.
We grew by relationships.
Paul is naming some of his relationships
that were a part of His ministry…
Common people, but very special.
You and I, with our friends and family,
are just common or unknown…
But are the power of building
the Church of Jesus Christ.
If you made a list of all your friends and family
you would have a congregation.
So, let’s ask ourselves a question
about our friends and family…
What unites us?
It is clear to see what united Paul
with his friends and family,
was the Ministry of Christ.
Who are you connected with that is in ministry?
Who is connected with you in ministry?
How strong is your connection with ministry?
We have of a Book called…
The Lamb’s Book of Life.
Every person who has been committed to the
Ministry of Christ will be listed in that Book.
It will be a boring read.
I hope it is in digital form…
Because flipping the pages to find
your name, could take a long time.
But after you find your name…
What names will you be looking for?
Who will be the friends and family
you stood with in serving the Lord?
We don’t know all the different ways
Paul’s friends and family served...
Some opened their house for people
to gather and talk about Jesus.
Some helped to support Paul with
prayers, finances, connections, and love.
Maybe some of them worked with children
or greeted those coming to the meetings.
We don’t know.
But we do know Paul’s friends and family
were involved with ministry.
So, who are your connections?
And what is connecting you?
Scripture Reading
Romans 16:1-23 NIV
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me. 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus. 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. 5 Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. 8 Greet Ampliatus, whom I love in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, tested and approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my relative. Greet those in the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. 12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the saints with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.
Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.
