NAMES YOU SHOULD KNOW

I’m absolutely horrid at remembering names! Absolutely incredibly terrible! But I’m gifted at remembering faces. So I often know a face but don’t have a name for it! And it’s very embarrassing! Today I have a story about names I’ll remember not because of their faces but because of their faith!

The book of Romans has had a profound effect on my life! If I had to pick a favorite book of the bible Romans might be it, at least for today.

I’ve taught this sweeping doctrinal treatise several times and every time God impresses new things upon my mind and heart!

Chapter 16 for example…

As Roman’s closes Paul mentions a long list of people, 23 I think. Most from home churches in Rome and some he as not even met.

Here’s just a sample…

I commend to you our sister Phoebe who is a servant of the church which is in bla-bla-bla that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you

Greet blah-blah and Junias my kinsmen my fellow prisoners, (SKIP… SKIP… SKIP…)

Greet blah-blah-blah, my beloved in the Lord

Greet blah-blah-blah, our fellow worker in Christ, and blah-blah-blah my beloved. Greet blah-blah-bla, the approved in Christ. Greet those from the household of blah-blah-blah

YAWN…

Greet blah- blah-blah, my kinsman. Greet those from the household of blah-blah-blah, who are in the Lord.

Greet blah-blah-blah and blah-blah-blah workers in the Lord. Greet Persis SKIP…SKIP…SKIP…

YAWN, YAWN…

Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine.

Greet blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah brethren with them.

Greet blah and blah, blah-blah-blah and his sister, and O-blah-blah-blah and all the saints who are with them.

If you read names in the Bible like this raise your hand! Yup! I thought so. I’m not alone!

Many names in the Bible are hard to pronounce and there is little to no other information in the Word of God to make them noteworthy in my mind.

BUT when I studied Roman’s Chapter 16 this time and came to the list of so many odd names I decided to see if I could find out more about the real people behind the names. They must be of worth if God had Paul pen them in his letter.

Oh, a whole ancient word was laid out for me! So interesting!

First I was so impressed that during an age of difficult travel and no modern conveniences like internet and phones Paul was able to know and keep up with the lives of so many people. He knew them. And many he never met face to face.

His letter writing skills really put me to shame! But not only that, Paul in other books of the Bible he was privileged to write, often says how he was praying for the saints. These very people.

I can just imagine him rehearsing these names over and over again as he brought them to the Throne Of Grace. A beautiful example for you and me!

On further ferreting out these names I found many had real and interesting people behind them. Many of them beloved and all noteworthy.

Take Phoebe for example (v1 and 2). First of all, I was impressed she was mentioned. The Bible gives not only mention but accolades to females in a very male-dominated society. Phoebe was a deaconess or servant of the church in Cenchrea, an eastern port in Corinth in Greece.

She was a businesswoman and a devout follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. I call her a covert Christian and love this idea. Yes, she was a businesswoman, probably in textiles, but she was a businesswoman while she was a servant of the Lord. Her primary goal was to serve and glorify God. That is what I want to be!

She knew Paul and it was Paul who commended her to take the letter, that makes up the book of Romans, to the churches in Rome.

Phoebe means bright or pure. How fitting! What a bright spot she must have been in the life of Paul and the Roman churches!

Epaenetus (v 5) may have been Paul’s jailer when Paul was in
Turkey and might have been actually chained to him. He was thought to be one of the early Christians. And Paul mentions that Epaenetus was the first convert to Christ from Asia! His name means trustworthy.

Ampliatus (verse 8) was a known slave. Why is this important? Because the small house churches in Rome were made up of people, Jew and Gentile, and men and women from every station in life. Christ is the level playing field! Who you are or what you have done or where you make no difference. There is no partiality with God, Romans 2:11.

And this is a miracle in itself in so many ways! But let’s move on…

Aristabulus (v10) is thought to be the grandson of Herod the Great, who was ruler of Judea during the life of Christ. And had part in Christ’s passion.

Aristobulus was not a Christian but “Greet those who are in the household of Aristobulus” means many from his family and those serving him in his home were and were involved in the home churches in Rome.

These precious names of people long ago go on and on. And because I dug a little deeper I found out so many things about them and about the Lord I serve!

I know I’m horrid at remembering names. And I have no faces to put to these people mentioned in Roman’s. But their names have spoken throughout the centuries to give me a glimpse of who they are and why their mention was so important! No longer will I blah-blah-blah their names. I want to know them too!

God’s plan of salvation reached out into the Gentile world at that time without internet or television or iPhones. It was ordained to be carried by letter and word of mouth. It was miraculously spread to all the known world!

God’s grace was and still is spread for everyone. No matter who you are! No matter your station in life! No matter your past!

Jesus’ last words were..

Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of this age. Mathew 28:19-20

I think the last words of someone ready to depart from this earth are of the upmost importance, don’t you?

Do you know Jesus? Do you believe in Him as your Lord and Savior? If not please read WHAT IS SAVING FAITH. He wants you to be part of His family!

And in this world that will blame you and shame you and cancel you Jesus opens His nail-pierced hands to welcome you! No matter what you have done you are blameless! He is happy to take on your shame and set you free. And the only thing canceled is your sin!

If you have the ultimate joy of knowing Jesus then I also ask you to be a covert Christian like Phoebe the businesswoman, and a slave like Ampliatus, and a worker for the Lord like Trphnena (dainty) and Tryphosa (delicate).

Be like Appeles who was known for his honesty in the very dishonest profession of money exchanging who was approved of the Lord! Or like Narcissus who was a slave and who was raised up through the ranks to be the personal secretary of Emperor Claudius. All covert Christians!

Our goal, no matter what we do, is to spread the gospel of Jesus to a lost and dying world. To offer hope that spans eternity!

Always with grace and truth and in all gentleness. “Always ready to give an answer to every man who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15)

The names of Roman 16 will be precious to me as long as I live on this earth and one day I will be able to meet them face to face when we are all with the Lord!

Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of this age. Mathew 28:19-20