Prepare: No Christian can afford to live in isolation.
Read: Romans 16:1-16
Fellow labourers in Christ: In this section Paul greets twenty-six people by name as well as two unnamed saints. He also mentions several churches that were meeting in homes. This list shows that Paul was a friend as well as a soul winner. He developed friendships wherever he went and appreciated them and their service to him and to God.
Phoebe might have been a deaconess in the church at Cenchrea. In the early churches there were women who served in different capacities. Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned in the book of Acts (18:1-3;18, 19, 26) but there is no record where and when they risked their lives for Paul. At the time of this writing they were in Rome and they still opened their home for the believers to meet and have fellowship.
Paul calls four persons 'beloved in the Lord'. Epenetus, Ampliatus, Stachys and Persis. Paul remembers Epenetus in particular for he was the first convert in Asia (1 Cor.16:15). Andronicus and Junias were the blood relatives of Paul and they were outstanding apostles. It is very interesting to discover that all those who are mentioned in this section have been in one way or the other involved in God's service and were helpful to Paul in his ministry. They fulfilled their ministries for the glory of God. May we follow their example?
Respond: Dear Father, enable me to discover my gift and use it effectively for the benefit of saints around me. Amen.
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