Priscilla, Aquila, Epaenetus, Mary, Andronicus, Junia, Amplias, Urbanus, Stachvs, Apelles, Aristobulus, Herodion, Narcissus, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, Philologus, Julia, Nereus, and Olympas.

These are all the names of people that Paul listed at the end of his epistle to the Romans. You find them in Romans 16: 1-16.

It’s amazing how the body of Christ is so diverse. But it should be of no surprise that the church is diverse because its Head, God the Son is diverse. And on earth He was the representation of the invisible God, Who is also diverse. God is diverse. We, who are apart of the church, are diverse with various unique skills and talents, coming from various ethnicities and nationalities.

Of all these names some were: Jewish, gentiles, slaves, freemen, poor, rich, men, women, high society, and low society in the holy social network of Paul’s day. Paul lists these people because they were a blessing to him and to the 1st century church, often facing persecution themselves.

Priscilla and Aquila, the first two names listed were a married couple from Italy, who had been kicked out of Rome by Claudius (refer to Acts 18: 2-3). They were Jewish converts to Christianity, and tentmakers, having met Paul in Corinth. Because they all had the same trade and were of Jewish origin the 3 hit it off well and shared the Gospel to the lands they traveled to. Paul remembers them in Romans 16 as people who “risked their own necks for my life.”

Tryphena and Tryphosa, are believed to have been twins or very close relatives, who belonged to the same noble Roman family. Their names mean delicate or dainty one. And because Paul listed them by name, they are believed to have been deaconesses in the 1st century church.

Rufus, listed in Romans 16: 13 was the son of Simon of Cyrene, the man that was proposition by Roman guards to help Jesus carry the cross as He [Jesus] neared Golgotha because He [Jesus] was unable to finish carrying the cross Himself. 

We see here the diversity of the church during Paul’s day. These men and women had various skills and talents to serve God, to serve the church and to serve the generation they were alive in.

Me + You = We. We have been put in this generation to serve God, to serve the church of our living God, and to serve our fellow man with our gifts and talents. Some of us are of Jewish descent, some are totally gentile, some are men, some are women, some are rich, some are poor, some are European, some are Asian, some are African, some are from the Americas, some are Middle Eastern- but we are all one. All of us have a place in the body of Christ to uplift the name of Jesus in our secular work and our ministry work.

What a beautiful family of believers we are with diverse races, languages, skills and talents. Let us be a generation that adds value to the legacy of those who have gone before us, and to those who will come and add their value.

Happy Friday!