Romans chapter 16 provides us with a portrait of men and women serving in the church that differs from what we find in other parts of the New Testament. The difference isn’t that it contradicts other passages, the contrast is one of style. Romans 16 isn’t didactic, outlining a theology of men and women, like we find in 1 Corinthians 11, Ephesians 5 or 1 Timothy 2. It is not narrative, like John retelling Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4. Romans 16 is a series of greetings that form the closing part of Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. This isn’t the only occasion where Paul’s letters contain such lists, it is, however, the longest.
This chapter isn’t about men and women, but is the apostle Paul commending, greeting and passing on greetings. It encompasses people from all walks of life. The inclusion of women is a beautiful natural spilling out of affection for his coworkers and connections, revealing the internal workings of the apostle’s ministry network dynamics as well his theological framework.
Romans 16 does a stunning job in describing the rich layers of contributors to gospel work. It is a snapshot taken in time that depicts the dynamic advance of the gospel across the Mediterranean.
Apostolic Appreciation
The chapter begins with Phoebe,
a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. (Rom 16:1–2)
Then comes Priscilla and Aquila, a married couple who’ve partnered with Paul for years and in various places (vv. 3–5a). There is Epenetus, a close friend of Paul’s and the first Christian convert in the Roman province of Asia (v. 5b). Some people are named without any mention of what their ministry role is, but they are known to Paul with affection.
One of the lessons this passage presses home is the apostolic appreciation of the breadth of Christian service. It is a great tool for reflecting on how churches and parachurch groups are encouraging and celebrating God’s gift of human diversity. But of course, as with any descriptive passage of Scripture, we can misinterpret or misapply.
Romans 16 and the Wider New Testament
One of the unnecessary mistakes people sometimes make with this chapter is to conclude that there is no delineation at all in the New Testament church between how men and women serve. To be sure, there is much overlap, but there is also some distinction. Far from contravening biblical instructions regarding pastor/elders and the task of preaching/teaching to the Sunday assembly, Romans 16 fits perfectly within those boundaries.
For example, Phoebe the deacon. In the New Testament, deacons are faithful servants set aside by the local church to oversee the practical administration of needs. Deacons are distinct from elders/pastors (see Php 1:1; 1 Tim 3), the latter are set aside to oversee the local church, primarily through the task of preaching and teaching.
Priscilla and Aquila are a couple renowned for their hospitality. They opened their home to Paul when he visited Corinth (Acts 18:1–3). They later accompanied Paul on his missionary journey to Ephesus (vv. 18–19). While living in Ephesus they welcomed Apollos to stay with them and they “explained to him the way of God more adequately” (vv. 24–26). In Romans 16 they are again mentioned for their hospitality, now hosting a church in their home in yet another city, the capital of the Empire. But nothing in what we know Priscilla’s ministry requires that she been seen as a pastor/elder.
Junia and the Apostles
There is some debate as to whether the name Junia (who is coupled with Andronicus in v. 7) refers to a man or a woman. Most scholars lean toward the view that Junia is a woman (for various reasons that I won’t delve into), and I concur. There is also debate as to whether Paul says of Junia that she is “known by the apostles” or “known among the apostles”. The Greek grammar works both ways. Are Andronicus and Junia two people with a good reputation among the apostles or are they two apostles in good standing? Where scholars land often depends on what prior commitment they hold regarding gender roles in the church.
There is one further piece of information important to Junia’s profile: the word apostle has more than one meaning in the New Testament. There are the twelve apostles (plus Paul), who hold a unique office in the early church. Their authority is distinct and non-replicable, and so it is correct to discount Junia from that group. There are, however, some occasions where apostle is used to denote someone who is a messenger (for e.g. 2 Cor 8:23; Php 2:25). It is plausible that Andronicus and Junia were messengers who played a critical role in advancing the gospel. Any conclusion that asserts this verse must mean that Junia held the limited office of apostle or that of church eldership goes further than the text and cuts against what we are taught elsewhere in Scripture.
Romans 16 is a tapestry that sits comfortably within a classical understanding of men and women in the church. One might even say, Romans 16 is precisely what an authentic complementarian should expect to find: men and women serving alongside each other in a variety of ways, without overturning divinely given patterns of leadership and gender roles in church and family life.
Takeaways from Romans 16
Paul is appreciative of his fellow ministry workers. How can we express appreciation for the many people who serve in the multitude of ways that together glorify God and see the gospel advancing?
Paul’s gospel coworkers are doing many different works. Let’s honour not only public and formal ministry, but also the informal and personal ministry that occurs in homes and lives every day.
Solo leadership is a disaster area. If the gospel mission around the apostle Paul needed a big team, so do we all. We are working together and every member of the church is an essential worker.
Paul’s ministry networks consist of many men and women. A challenge for complementarian churches is to see both women and men encouraged and equipped for ministry. We should invite men and women into training programs and make space for women to meaningfully serve in a wide range of ways.
While women are not to be appointed to the role of pastor/elder and or to fulfill the ministry of Sunday preaching, we should ensure men and women are fully immersed in other areas of church life, and are rightly visible and honoured in the Sunday gathering.
Pastors need to find ways to listen to and engage with ideas and concerns among those who are not part of the eldership. That doesn’t necessarily mean establishing representative voices for subgroups or having quotas for roles. We can be active listeners, know our church members and commit to learning from and gaining from the body of Christ.
Romans 16 gives us an exciting and attractive panorama of Paul’s ministry networks, and our churches gain from learning from this example.
This article was original posted on Murray’s Substack.
