The Battle Roster of the Kingdom Text: Romans 16:3-16
Introduction: The Gospel Embodied
It is a temptation for the modern reader, particularly the modern evangelical reader, to treat the first fifteen chapters of Romans as the theological meat, and this last chapter as a sort of personal appendix, a list of thank-yous that can be safely skimmed. We want the doctrine, the grand architecture of justification by faith, and we tend to view these personal greetings as little more than the scaffolding. But this is a profound mistake. This is to misunderstand the very nature of the gospel Paul has been preaching. The gospel is not an abstract system of thought. It is a world-altering power that creates a new kind of humanity, a new kind of society. What we have in Romans 16 is not an appendix; it is the evidence. It is Exhibit A. This long list of names is what the gospel does. It forges a network of real people in real places, bound together in love, labor, and loyalty to Jesus Christ.
Our age is pathologically individualistic. We think of salvation as a private transaction between "me and Jesus." We think of the church as a collection of these atomized individuals who gather once a week for an inspirational talk and some music before dispersing back into their "real lives." Paul would not recognize such a faith. For him, the gospel creates a body, a household, a platoon. This list of names is a battle roster. These are not isolated believers; they are fellow workers, fellow prisoners, beloved kinsmen, and hosts of house churches. They are a functioning, interconnected, and robust Christian community embedded in the heart of the pagan empire.
Paul is not just saying hello. He is mapping the relational geography of the kingdom of God in Rome. He is showing us that the abstract doctrines of sin, grace, and redemption have a concrete, tangible result: a people. A people who work together, risk their lives for one another, and show deep affection. This is the Christian counter-culture. This is the society that was destined to inherit the earth. If we want to understand what a healthy church looks like, we must pay close attention to these names, because in them we see the gospel made flesh.
The Text
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles;
also greet the church that is in their house.
Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia.
Greet Mary, who has labored much for you.
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding to the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord.
Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus.
Greet Herodion, my kinsman.
Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.
Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, laborers in the Lord.
Greet Persis the beloved, who labored much in the Lord.
Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine.
Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brothers with them.
Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the churches of Christ greet you.
(Romans 16:3-16 LSB)
The Household at War (v. 3-5a)
The first greeting sets the tone for everything that follows.
"Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles; also greet the church that is in their house." (Romans 16:3-5a)
Here we have a husband and wife team, Prisca (or Priscilla) and Aquila. Paul calls them "my fellow workers." The Christian life is a life of labor. It is not passive contemplation; it is active, productive work for the kingdom. And they do this work together. This is a picture of a godly marriage on a mission. They are not pursuing separate careers or separate spiritual lives. They are a unified force for the gospel.
This work was not safe. They "risked their own necks" for Paul. The Christian faith is not a comfortable hobby; it is a declaration of war against the kingdom of darkness, and war has casualties. These were not armchair theologians. They were soldiers who put their lives on the line for their commanding officer in Christ. This kind of courage and loyalty is what builds a resilient church. Because of this, Paul is not the only one who thanks them; "all the churches of the Gentiles" owe them a debt. Their personal act of sacrifice had wide-ranging, corporate effects.
And where is the center of their operations? "The church that is in their house." Before there were cathedrals, the gospel advanced from household to household. The Christian home was the basic unit of the church, the ministry center, the hub of hospitality and discipleship. The health of the church universal depends on the health of these little churches, these Christian households. When a family opens their home, they are not just being nice; they are deploying a strategic weapon for the kingdom of God.
A Roster of Laborers (v. 5b-12)
Paul continues with a series of greetings that highlight the diverse and hardworking nature of the Roman church.
"Greet Epaenetus, my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. Greet Mary, who has labored much for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding to the apostles, who also were in Christ before me... Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, laborers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who labored much in the Lord." (Romans 16:5b-7, 12)
Notice the language. Epaenetus is "beloved." Ampliatus is "beloved in the Lord." Stachys is "my beloved." This is not the sterile language of a corporate memo. This is the language of deep, personal, brotherly affection. The gospel creates a family with real love.
We see the importance of every individual. Epaenetus is honored as the "first convert... from Asia." His standing as the firstfruits is remembered and celebrated. Then we see a number of women commended for their hard work. Mary "has labored much." Tryphaena and Tryphosa are "laborers in the Lord." Persis "labored much in the Lord." The modern egalitarians want to seize on these verses as proof of female leadership in the church, but in their haste, they miss the point entirely. Paul is commending these women for their diligent labor, not for holding an office that Scripture reserves for men. The Bible has a high view of women, a far higher view than the feminists do. These are not women demanding their rights; these are women rolling up their sleeves and working tirelessly for the sake of the gospel in the various ways appropriate to them. This is the glory of godly womanhood: fruitful, diligent, and indispensable labor for the kingdom.
Then we have Andronicus and Junia. Much ink has been spilled here. Junia is a woman's name, and they are described as "outstanding to the apostles." This does not mean they were apostles in the class of the Twelve. It means they were well-known and highly regarded by the apostles. They were not just converts; they were trusted and respected figures. They were also Paul's "kinsmen" and "fellow prisoners." Again, the Christian life involves shared suffering. And they have seniority: they "were in Christ before me." Paul, the great apostle, humbly acknowledges those who came to faith before he did. There is no room for pride here, only mutual respect.
Households and Families (v. 10-11, 13-15)
The greetings continue, and the focus on households and familial bonds becomes even more explicit.
"Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord... Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine... Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them." (Romans 16:10-11, 13, 15)
Twice Paul greets not an individual, but the believers within a larger household. It is likely that Aristobulus and Narcissus were wealthy, unbelieving patrons, but the gospel had infiltrated their staff. The kingdom of God advances not just by converting individuals, but by capturing households. This is covenantal succession in action.
The greeting to Rufus is particularly poignant. He is "a choice man in the Lord." Many believe this is the same Rufus mentioned in Mark's gospel, the son of Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Christ's cross (Mark 15:21). If so, what a glorious picture. The man who was compelled to carry the instrument of Christ's death now has a son who is a choice man in the church, and a wife who is a spiritual mother to the apostle Paul. God's grace takes an event of shame and compulsion and turns it into a legacy of faith. Paul's phrase, "his mother and mine," is a beautiful expression of the new family that Christ creates. In the church, we gain mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters.
The final greetings are to clusters of believers. Paul doesn't just greet Philologus, but also Julia (likely his wife). He greets Nereus, and also "his sister." He greets a whole group of "brothers with them" and "all the saints who are with them." This is a picture of a networked community, not a collection of disconnected individuals. They lived and worshiped in groups, as spiritual families.
The Sanctified Greeting (v. 16)
Paul concludes this section with a command that summarizes the spirit of all that has come before.
"Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you." (Romans 16:16 LSB)
After listing all these specific greetings, he issues a general command: "Greet one another." The word is the same. The personal affection he has shown is to be the norm for everyone. And the manner of this greeting is to be "with a holy kiss." Some get tangled up in the cultural specifics of this, but to do so is to miss the forest for the trees. The principle is that our ordinary, everyday interactions are to be sanctified. A kiss was a common form of greeting in that culture, like a handshake or a hug might be in ours. Paul's command is to ensure that this common custom is made holy. It must be free from hypocrisy, pretense, and any hint of impurity. It is to be a genuine sign of familial love and fellowship in Christ.
Finally, he extends a greeting from "all the churches of Christ." The believers in Rome were not alone. They were part of a vast, international body of believers. This greeting connects them to the wider church, reminding them that their local struggles and labors are part of a global, cosmic war that Christ is winning. They are one regiment in a great army, and the other regiments send their salutes.
Conclusion: Building the New World
So what do we take from this long list of names? We take this: the Christian faith builds a new social order. It begins in the heart, is nurtured in the household, and spreads through networks of love, labor, and hospitality.
This is the gospel at ground level. It is men and women working hard. It is families opening their homes. It is believers risking their necks for each other. It is deep affection and mutual respect. It is shared suffering and shared joy. It is a community so robust and so real that it can withstand the pressures of a hostile empire and, in time, conquer it.
We are not called to a private, sentimental faith. We are called into this same kind of body. We are called to be fellow workers, to labor much, to open our homes, to show holy affection, and to be a tangible manifestation of the kingdom of God. This is not the appendix to the Christian life. This is the point.