Romans 16 - Women Leaders in the Early Church

Romans 16 - NIV

Enduring Word Commentary

16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon[a][b] of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. 3 Greet Priscilla[c] and Aquila, my co-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 Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among[d] the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ, and my dear friend Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test. Greet those who belong to the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew. 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 other brothers and sisters with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.

Paul closes his letter to the Romans by commending his sister, Phoebe, a deacon of the Church in Cenchrae who delivered his letter . We know Stephen was a deacon and preached and did many signs and wonders. Clearly Phoebe is a leader in the church, and clearly a woman. For churches that don't allow women in any type of leadership position in the church, this passage is pretty hard to get around. 

Note the other women he mentions as well. Phoebe, Priscilla, Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, the mother of Rufus, and Julia. These are women who worked for the Lord.

He also mentions Priscilla and Aquilla, a couple who had a church that met in their house. Note that house churches were very normative for how the early church met for teaching, worship, the breaking of bread, and fellowship. There were obviously no church buildings at that point. The church was very organic, nimble, and not burdened by structures and the debt payments that accompany them. 

I counted 30 names of people, and you can add to this number all the other "brothers and sisters". So you can see yet another reason why Paul was such a good leader. He didn't try to do all the work himself. The church spread like wildfire in the 1st century, despite heavy persecution, meager resources, church leaders with no formal education. 

How did it not just survive but thrive? Most importantly because of the Holy Spirit, but it was also because Paul himself had trained leaders by allowing them to do the work of ministry. You might call it "on the job training". The most I learned in my years at seminary were not just in the books I read but also in the internships I did.  You only learn how to give a sermon, by giving a sermon and getting feedback on it. Paul closes his "magnum opus" the book of Romans with this very long sentence, 

25 Now to him who is able to establish you in accordance with my gospel, the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from[f] faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.

Paul means this as the whole plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. Though God announced much of the plan previously through prophecy, its final outworking wasn’t evident until revealed by God through Jesus. Now that the mystery has been revealed through the preaching of the gospel, God calls all nations to obedience to the faith. - Guzik

As we conclude Paul's letter to the Romans, how do you think God is calling you to help the church to continue to reveal the mystery which has been revealed in the person of Jesus Christ? 

It is clear by naming the 30 individuals, in additon to their families and the churches that met in their homes, that Paul knew the body of Christ worked best as each part worked together in unity to the glory of God! 

I pray all of our churches would resemble the church in Rome and have the same passion as the apostle Paul for the gospel of Jesus! To God be the glory, forever and ever, Amen. 

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