1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.
3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
— Romans 16:1-16, ESV

Romans is the most comprehensive book in the Bible because it fully explains the doctrinal truths (chapters 1-11) and practical aspects (chapters 12-15) of Christianity.  And, it does more.  It makes Christianity personal (chapter 16).

The Holy Spirit is a person, who inspired the Apostle Paul, also a real, historic, person, to address the epistle of Romans to real Christian people.  Some of them he knew by name, meaning he had some kind of personal relationship with them, or was quite familiar with their personal testimonies.  Twenty-six names are named in the first half of chapter sixteen.  

Far from being a boring list of long-departed saints, the late, great, saint himself, Rev. Dr. James Montgomery Boice, called it “one of the most fascinating texts of the New Testament.”  To me, it reenforces a truth I often teach to the church; and, it reverses on old axiom I often repeat.  

The truth reenforced is this: Christianity is not merely a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  It is personal relationships with other persons, other Christians, a corporate relationship with Christ and His church.  We worship the Lord best when we worship together.  We serve the Lord by serving one another.  Our Lord died for the church because He loves the church, so some assembly on our part is required.  

The reversed maxim comes from a short, simple, Seinfeld quote I like to throw out every now and then: “People, they’re the worst.”  Take a drive down Central Avenue and you’ll see what I mean.  People are bad drivers and depraved sinners.  But, redeemed saints in the church are not the worst, they are the best.  They don’t make rolling right stops in front of other drivers.  Most of all, they are chosen, beloved, and appreciated by God.  Therefore, we should choose to love and appreciate one another as well.  

This list of names shows the church at her best.  Three things are crystal clear.  The church demonstrates diversity, majors on activity, and is covered by charity.  All three characteristics should be shown in “all the churches of Christ.”  

Diversity

The church at Rome was certainly diverse.  This reflects the New Covenant promise and the Great Commission commandment to take the gospel to the whole world.  As we do, the church must accept all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, regardless of their race, gender, or class in society.  

The names of the members of the church at Rome reflect diversity in race.  

Of course, race classification was a relatively simple thing in the early days of the church.  One was either a Jew or a Gentile.  The Roman Empire and the church did not give a rip about color, but there was ongoing tension between Jews and Gentiles.  

Like most first century churches, the first members of the church at Rome were Jews.  Gradually, Jews largely rejected Jesus and many Gentiles began to believe in Him, making churches majority Gentile.  To complicate matters in Rome, Emperor Claudius was an anti-semite who expelled all the Jews from the country for a period of time (ref. Acts 18:2).  But when the Christian Jews returned to the Christian church, the Christian Gentiles gladly welcomed them back.  Though their race differed, they all shared a common faith, hope, and love.

There is a parallel with the Jew/Gentile divide of the first century in our experience as twentieth and twenty-first century Americans.  It is the divide between black and white.  Slavery ended 155 years ago, but the curse and the controversies remain.  The American church, particularly in our beloved South, has lagged far behind in reconciling the races.  

We can only speak for our own church in our own time.  I think I speak for us all when I say that any black person who desires to worship with or or become a member of our church is absolutely, unequivocally welcome; and, any white person who does not like it can leave.  That was the spirit of racial equality in the early church in Rome.

The names of the members of the church at Rome reflect diversity in gender.  

History is highly patriarchal, and no era other than our own has ever moved to any semblance of equality for women.  The one exception is New Testament Christianity, which broke the mold and paved the way for change.  Jesus led the way by making many women part of His entourage of supporters and ministers.  Two of them, Martha and Mary, were some of His best friends on earth.  

With a background of pure patriarchy, and given He did appoint only males to be Apostles, Jesus Christ was the first major leader of any kind to give women the opportunity to worship and serve alongside men.  In synagogues women had to sit in the back.  In the ministry of Jesus, they were allowed to sit in the front at His feet.  As churches blossomed, men and women worshipped side by side.

Of the 26 names Paul mentions in our text, 9, just over a third, are women.  The first person mentioned is Phoebe, a woman, a deacon (more on this to come), and the messenger and minister who delivered this epistle from Corinth to Rome.  You would never see something like this in any other segment of first century society.  The early church set women free. 

I do think the Roman Catholic Church has stifled equality and opportunity for women, but Protestants have largely restored it.  You can find plenty of denominations and churches, liberal and conservative, who are egalitarian in the laity and the clergy.  Even in complimentarian churches like ours, women can do anything other than hold the office of Pastor or Elder.  This bears some explaining, so let’s go back to the list.

The names of the members of the church at Rome reflect diversity in leadership.  

As I have already pointed out, Phoebe was as Deacon in the church at Corinth.  Prisca, Paul’s affectional nickname for Priscilla, was a missionary and church planter alongside her husband, Aquilla.  So was Junia, alongside her husband, Andronicas.  Some claim she was an actual Apostle, but this is not the best rendering of the text.  

This may not be the best rendering, either, but I see two lists of names within this text as informative and instructive.  Verse 14 seems to be to be the list of Elders, all “brothers,” while verse 15 seems to be the list of Deacons, male and female.  This confirms my conviction that women in the church can be and should be allowed to serve as Deacons, missionaries, church planters, and other positions of leadership, except the office of Pastor or Elder.  This still supports diversity and makes women free and equal members of Christ’s church.

Let me add a couple of caveats for those who may disagree with my position on male only Pastors and Elders.  Though it is an important doctrine, it is a secondary one.  I would never withhold fellowship or cooperation from an evangelical Christian or church who ordains women pastors.  If one of my four daughters (I have no sons) wanted to be a Pastor, I would love them and support them and will to them my extensive library for their ministry.  There are exceptions to rules and differences of interpretation of Scripture that I am bound as a Christian to respect.  But at the end of the day, this chapter, and especially texts like 1 Timothy 3, side with the complementarian view.

Next to biblical exegesis, let historical precedent also help set your hermeneutic.  This is why we serve wine for communion instead of grape juice (although we make the latter available for those who insist).  That’s the way it was done in the church for almost two thousand years, only lately was it changed by some.  This is why I believe the second coming of Christ will be the end to the world as we know it.  That’s what the church preached for almost two thousand years, only lately have some insisted on some secret rapture of the church while God goes back to work with Israel.  And, that’s why I don’t ordain women to be Pastors and Elders, because for almost two thousand years that’s the way the church interpreted Scripture, only in our lifetimes has it changed.  

But don’t lose sight of the big picture.  God wants His church to be a church of diversity, in race, gender, and position.  And, God wants a church of activity.  

Activity

It is obvious from the text that Phoebe was an active member and officer of the church at Corinth.  It is equally obvious that all the other names mentioned in the text were active members of the church at Rome.  In the early days of Christianity, active church membership was synonymous with Christianity. 

Church members should be active members.

You have often heard it boasted that the Southern Baptist Convention is the largest Protestant denomination in the world, with some sixteen million members.  But do you know how we became the largest, surpassing the Methodists and others in the 20th century?  We invented inactive membership.  We bloated our rolls with bad baptisms of coerced or false professions of faith, then when these people soon quit showing up for worship or discipleship, we kept them on the rolls as inactive members.  Shame, shame, shame.  

At our church, you’d have to be in a coma to be considered an inactive member.  We equate Christianity with active church membership.  That’s the way it was for the first century church at Rome, that’s the way it is for us, that’s the way it should be for all churches, and active membership of working and worshipping Christians.

Church members should be working members.

Now back to the list.  A lot of names, other nouns, and adjectives describe them.  The most common one is some form of the word for “work.”  The gospel offers salvation without works, by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.  Read Ephesians 2:8-9.  Then, read vs. 10.  

We are not saved by works, but we are saved for works.  Worshipping correctly is important work.  Making disciples is hard work.  Putting together a fellowship requires energy and effort.  Ministering to the sick and needy is painstaking.  Going on a mission project or trip is exhausting.  But such work proves our faith and paves the way for others to come to faith in Christ.

Church members should be worshipping members.  

Let me emphasis that our most basic and necessary work is public worship.  What you do on the morning of the first day of the week for Christ will set the tone for your Christianity every other day of the week.  Energy is required to get up and go, attention is necessary to get something out of the service, and participation in singing, reading, giving, communing, is required.  

I do not know how many people were gathered at the church in Rome when this Epistle was first read by Phoebe to the congregation.  But I’d bet that these 26 people were there.  Because of their diversity and activity, this church changed the world.  But the secret of their success was also owed to something else, charity.

Charity

Charity is the old KJV word for agapē, love.  Christianity, and therefore the personality of the Christian church, begins and ends with love.  No book of the Bible shows this better than Romans.

Love is foundational in the doctrinal chapters, 1-11.  

The centerpiece is perhaps Romans 5:8, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Love led to the incarnation, the crucifixion, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Love led to justification, sanctification, and glorification.  Love saves, and love serves.

Love is foundational in the practical chapters, l2-15.  

Overall, the admonish us to prove our faith by loving one another.  “Let love be genuine” (ref. Romans 12:9), Paul began the section in earnest, “Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law” (ref. Romans 13:8), he continued, and closed the section by appealing to “the love of the Spirit” (ref. Romans 15:30).  

Love is foundational in this personal Chapter 16.

Paul admonishes the church to “help … give thanks … greet one another with a holy kiss,” all expressions of love.  He refers to the members as “beloved … approved … chosen … brothers … sisters … saints,” all terms of love.  Love was overflowing between the Apostle, the Elders, the Deacons, and the members of this church.  

Love will bind our church together, or the lack of love will break it apart.  So let us be the kind of Christians we meet here in Romans 16:1-16.  Let us welcome diversity.  Let us major on activity.  And, let us be known by our charity.