Romans 16:1-16 – Women in Ministry

Topic: Women in Ministry

Reading: Romans 16:1-16

1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cen’chre-ae, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord as befits the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a helper of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aq’uila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I but also all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks; 5 greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epae’netus, who was the first convert in Asia for Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard among you. 7 Greet Androni’cus and Ju’nias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners; they are men of note among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Amplia’tus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urba’nus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apel’les, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobu’lus. 11 Greet my kinsman Hero’dion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcis’sus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphae’na and Trypho’sa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, eminent in the Lord, also his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyn’critus, Phlegon, Hermes, Pat’robas, Hermas, and the brethren who are with them. 15 Greet Philol’ogus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olym’pas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Introduction and Overview

One of the great controversies that has plagued the broad church is the subject of women in ministry. It has been a particular bone of contention in a number of the long established denominations. But it has also presented problems in some of the more modern evangelical and Pentecostal churches.

It tends not to be such an issue in house churches, but even some of those have struggled with this question.

However, we get an inkling into this issue in these verses today. While on the surface they look like a bunch of greetings and salutations, there are a few nuggets of insight amongst them. There is even one serious error in translation that opposes the idea of women in ministry. And we find that other scriptures that oppose the idea of women in ministry, particularly 1 Timothy 2:11-15, and 1 Corinthians 14:33-36, that also have errors of translation. I will not look at those today, but in due course I will address those scriptures in a separate document.

This is not intended to be an exhaustive discussion of the issue of women in ministry, but it will point to a few things that can be seen in these verses today that shed some light on this matter. It is evident that women did do ministry in the early church, and they held positions of authority as well.

Key points from reading:

1. Women were strong contributors to the ministry of the early church
2. Women should not be excluded from carrying out ministry in the church as they have a valuable insight from the Lord
3. The need for women in ministry is especially important in the house church

Discussion:

1. Scripture: Romans 16:1-2
   • The first of the greetings and commendations Paul makes is concerning a woman named Phoebe. She is described as a Deaconess of one of the churches. It is evident from the regard and praise Paul has for this woman that she was to be well regarded by all. Her work as a deacon evidently was well done and she deserved the praise and respect for her work.
   • A deacon in a church is basically one who helps. In the book of Acts chapter 6, verses 1-6, there were seven men appointed to help with the daily distribution of food and other goods and services among the members of the early church in Jerusalem. These were basically the first of the deacons. They were men of high regard in the early church, and they had powerful ministries apart from the work of service they performed. We know of Stephen and the power of his testimony, for which he was stoned. We also know of Philip who was also an evangelist and spread the gospel far and wide. Deacons also often held roles as helpers and administrators, and their basic function was to assist and help the apostles and elders of the church in their work. We note from Paul’s words that these last functions were clearly part of the role that Phoebe played as a deaconess in the church.
   • So, when it comes to women in ministry, we see that women certainly held positions of authority in the early church. Phoebe, as a deaconess of the church would have been charged with authority in order to carry out her service to the church. So, there is no reason why a woman cannot hold positions of authority in the church. And there is more to come from this section of Romans 16 showing the ministries of women in the early church.
2. Scripture: Romans 16:3-5
   • In this next section we see Paul greeting Prisca (or Priscilla) and Aquila who worked side by side with Paul in his ministry. We know from reading Acts 18:1-5 that Paul worked as a tent maker with Aquila. But they were more than just tradesmen working together. Prisca and Aquila had a great understanding of the gospel and were teachers of the truth of the gospel.
   • It is also evident that Prisca did not just teach the truth of the gospel to women. Today we sometimes see women teachers in the churches, but they are only permitted to teach other women. They are often not permitted to teach men. But that was not the case with Prisca who, with her husband Aquila, taught the fullness of the gospel to one of the most powerful teachers and ministers in the early church. In Acts 18 we read these words:
     
     24 Now a Jew named Apol’los, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, well versed in the scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aq’uila heard him, they took him and expounded to him the way of God more accurately. (Acts 18:24-26)
     
   • Prisca (or Priscilla) took aside this powerful minister in the early church and together they explained the fullness of the Gospel of salvation under Jesus Christ. They explained to him the working of the New Covenant, which changed and further strengthened the ministry and work of Apollos. So, when it comes to women in ministry, there is no reason why a woman cannot teach men as well as women. But there is still more fascinating insights into the authority that a woman can hold in the church that is often rejected today.
   • I should add here also that in these verses we see that the church run by Prisca and Aquila was a house church. Many of the early churches were house churches, and that was certainly the case with them.
3. Scripture: Romans 16:6-7
   • Verse 6 refers to a woman by the name of Mary and she is noted to be a hard worker among the churches. Who this Mary is, we do not know. But it is evident that she was well known in the early church and was a woman in ministry who was a hard worker and to be well regarded.
   • When we get to verse 7 we find one of the greatest debates in the church today and over many centuries. Here we see Paul greeting Andronicus and Junias, and stating that they were “men of note among the Apostles.” There has been a great controversy over this verse because in the original Greek text, the name “Junias” should read as “Junia,” which is the feminine version of the name. In the original Greek it is evident that this person was a woman. The name was later changed using the Latin convention of adding the “s” to the end. As an example think of the Caesar Julius. “Julius” is the male name, and the feminine version of the name is “Julia.”
   • So, it seems evident that Junias in this verse should be Junia, and that is a woman’s name. Now you might say, “Well the verse goes on to say they were “men of note.” But again when we go back into the original Greek manuscripts, the word “men” is not in the original words. Furthermore, where it says they were “kinsmen” of Paul, that word in the original Greek should just state that they were “kin” or “kinfolk.” Again, it appears in both instances, that the word “men” was added to try to bolster the idea that this person “Junia” was male and not female.
   • The reason why this occurred was that these two were notable “among the apostles.” It suggests that they were both apostles of the Lord, and the church for many years could not accept that a woman could be an apostle. But why not? Both men and women receive the same Holy Spirit who is the one that guides people in the ministries they receive from the Lord. Look at the five ministry gifts given to the church, as defined in Ephesians 4:11 that says, “And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers.” There is evidence of women in ministry in the Bible who were prophetesses, (see Acts 21:9 and the four daughters of Philip). There were women evangelists (as an example, the woman at the well in John 4 went and evangelised to those in her village, and they believed). It is evident that women operated in pastoral works and were teachers, as we saw in the example of Prisca who both taught and pastored the church in her house with her husband Aquila. So, why not women in ministry as apostles? It seems from this verse 7 in Romans 16 that this woman, Junia, may have operated as an apostle, but the broad church has not been able to accept that and has manipulated the truth of the Bible to reject that possibility.
   • God sees man and women as equals in Christ Jesus. Yes, there are scriptures about the man being the head of the house and so on, but in Christ, that is, in the operation and ministry of the word, both man and woman are equal. As the scripture says:
     
     “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28)
     
     And if we are all one in Christ, and all are equal in the ministry of Jesus Christ, then there is no reason why a woman cannot hold any of the same positions and ministries as a man.
4. Scripture: Romans 16:8-16
   • Most of the rest of this section are greetings and salutations to different people and churches. However, there is just one other point worth mentioning.
   • The last verse says to greet one another with a “holy kiss.” That word “kiss” is derived from the Greek word “phileo” which is often also translated as “love.” But it is the love between close friends and the love of friendship. So when it says to greet one another with a holy kiss, it is the greeting that friends might have towards each other. It is a show of friendship and affection.

Prayer Points

1. Pray and ask the Father to provide you a deep understanding of these truths. It is clear that women in ministry has been an issue in the modern church, and from the scriptures here and in other places, it should not be so. So, ask the Lord God to open these things up for your own understanding, because in Christ, men and women are equal.