It would be nice if we had more details about the people Paul names in this final chapter of Romans. The two groups include those in Rome to whom Paul sends greetings, and those near Paul in Corinth, from which the letter is written, who send their greetings to Rome. Some are known to us, some we can guess, and some remain unknown.
Phoebe is a deaconess from Cenchrae, the port city on the eastern coast below Corinth, which itself faces the western sea. She is the courier who carries this message, and we gather she is quite the matron, probably an organizational leader in the church. Thus, Paul invites the Romans to assist her in the business matters she bears.
Priscilla and Acquila we know from Acts 18. They were originally from Rome, driven out when Emperor Claudius banned Jews from the city. They met Paul in Corinth on his first visit and allowed him to earn his keep because they shared his trade, tentmaking -- leather, heavy fabrics, and articles made from them. They followed Paul as far as Ephesus, where they were able to receive Apollos who came over from Alexandria with only the message of John the Baptist. They filled him in on the gospel of Christ, and he went off to Corinth with letters of recommendation to the church there. Paul notes they had risked their lives for him at some point, but they were back in Rome when he wrote this. Paul mentions they host a home church, which was altogether common in Rome, and other parts of the Mediterranean.
Andronicus and Junia were Judeans, Christians before Paul was, known to the other Apostles. They had shared a jail cell with Paul at some point. The names Aristobulus and Herodion suggest members of royal households from Syria and Palestine. Rufus is likely the son of Simon of Cyrene who carried Jesus' cross.
Paul takes a moment to warn of those who carry the typical Roman political methods into the church. His choice of words seem to indicate folks who try to make a name for themselves by defaming church leaders. It's not as if we are required to revere mere humans, but no one is sinless. Discussing the human failures of another with them in private isn't harmful, but ambushing them in public is not right. It can only come from a desire for unjust gain, which Paul characterizes by the image common in those days of "serving one's belly." Being a talented talker only makes them all the more dangerous. Paul wants them to study all about doing good, and not waste time trying to understand the many ways people can do evil. This is how Satan is crushed.
Then we have the greetings to those in Rome from Corinth. Timothy we know as one of Paul's closest friends, like his own son. Jason seems to be the fellow in Thessalonica who had been Paul's host, and had to pay a bond as the result of a riot when the unbelieving Jews of the synagogue grew envious of Paul's success in siphoning off Gentiles who had been attending worship there. Sosipater appears to be an alternate spelling of Sopater, whom Paul met at Berea. Gaius is the man who hosted Paul and the entire church during this second visit to Corinth. We find the name Erastus inscribed on a stone from that period, and Paul calls him the City Treasurer.
The final words are a delightful formality. Paul manages to write them freshly in each place we see such language, which gives them more meaning. In this case, it seems almost a summary of what he covered throughout the rest of the letter. The whole point is Jesus is the only way anyone can really know God.
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By Ed Hurst
27 February 2010
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