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When first meeting someone, often we ask, “Well, you live in Springfield, Ohio. Do you know this person?” or “I know some people who live in Springfield, Ohio.” This is what the Apostle Paul was doing in Romans 16 — writing about people that he knew, who now lived in Rome.
When Paul wrote and sent the Book of Romans, he had not visited Rome. He was introducing himself to the Roman Christians through those known to both Paul and the church of Rome.
There are 29 people mentioned in Romans 16; some are mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament, and others are named only here. Of the 29, 18 were men, and 10 were women. I enjoy reading this chapter because it provides background information that helps me better understand the Book of Romans and life in the first century.
Some Names Mentioned Elsewhere in the New Testament
Timothy: Paul’s disciple, a traveling companion, and the recipient of 1 and 2 Timothy.
Prisca and Aquila: This dynamic duo is mentioned six times in the New Testament. Of these six times, in four instances, Prisca (the wife) is mentioned before her husband (Aquila). It was extremely rare in first-century writings to list the wife first when talking about a couple. Prisca must have been a force for the gospel.
Rufus: Also mentioned in Mark 15:21 as the son of Simon of Cyrene (who carried Jesus’ cross).
A Few Names Mentioned Only in Romans 16
Phoebe: A wealthy woman from Corinth who carried the Book of Romans to Rome. Traditionally, the one who brought the letter was the one who read it. Phoebe was the first person to read the Book of Romans in a church meeting.
Junia: A controversy about this person as the best translation of their introduction in Romans 16:7 is “Greet Andronicus [husband] and Junia [wife] … They are outstanding among the apostles.” The consensus of translators throughout church history is that Junia (a woman) is called an apostle. What does this mean? Paul isn’t referring to Andronicus and Junia as among the original twelve apostles, but was there a gift of “apostle” given to them by the Spirit?
Tertius: Mentions himself in Romans 16 as the one who wrote this letter. Paul was known to use others to write his letters. Imagine if one of God’s assignments for you on this earth was to pen Paul’s thoughts into the greatest theological and philosophical book in history.
Encouragement From the Names
Let me list some of the names in Romans 16 and what the names meant: Aristobulus (best counsel), Herodian (heroic), Asyncritus (incomparable), Phelon (on fire), Olympus (sent from heaven), and Hermes (messenger). If those mentioned lived up to their names, what a powerful group of companions and known associates of the Apostle Paul.
Timothy Keller, in his commentary on Romans, writes of the 29 individuals mentioned in Romans 16…
It is clear that the Roman church was a diverse body. Notice: Race. We have both Jewish and Gentile Christians. Class. Some of the names in this list were probably of royal or high rank: Aristobulus (v. 10) and Narcissus (v. 11) are said to have been the head of a “household” or estate. Gender. Ten of the twenty-nine people named are women. Paul singles out many of them as having “worked very hard” (v. 12).
Paul eventually visited Rome as a prisoner and was held captive in a house that he rented (a Roman soldier attached to him by chain). While in Rome, he wrote letters now known as the Prison Epistles — Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Paul was then released from Rome for a season of travel, during which some believe he traveled to Spain, but was arrested yet again after Spain and then held in a dungeon in Rome until his execution.
By the way, the name Paul means humble!