16:1,2
Romans finishes with a long list of greetings and thanks to various people, twenty six people and two households in all. This is a much longer list than appears in any of Paul’s other letters. The reason for the long list is probably that Paul did not found the church in Rome, nor had he been there beforehand. There are a significant number of women in the list, and the list starts with Phoebe. She was a servant of the church in Cenchrea, and had supported Paul and many others. It is likely that she held some official position in the church. Gardener says it is likely that she held some leadership position. I am always wary of attaching too much weight to these sort of statements as they sometimes tend to be guided by our position on women in leadership, whether for or against. Cenchrea was the eastern port of Corinth, and, as she was mentioned first, it is likely that she was the courier for the letter, combining this with a business trip. The letter that were sent were read out to the congregations.
16:3-5a
Next up are Prisca and Aquila. Paul joined up with them in Corinth (Acts 18:1-3). They were co-workers with Paul, and had even risked their lives. They were highly regarded among the Gentile churches. It is possibly significant that Prisca, the woman, is mentioned first. A church did meet in their house (1 Cor 16:19).
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