Why names in Romans 16 are important and what they reveal about faith, ordinary believers, and God’s plan for every life.
Do people in the Bible have strange names? They may sound unusual to modern ears, but when you look closely, their stories become unforgettable.
I am absolutely horrible at remembering names. Really terrible. But I am very good at remembering faces. So I often know someone but can’t remember their name and that can be embarrassing.
Today I want to share a story about names that I will never forget, not because I saw their faces, but because of their faith.
Names from the Bible
The book of Romans has had a profound impact on my life. If I had to pick a favorite book of the Bible, Romans would be near the top, at least today. I have taught this comprehensive doctrinal letter many times, and each time God presses something new on my heart.
Take Romans chapter 16.
As the letter closes, Paul mentions a long list of people, about 23 of them. Most were part of the house church in Rome, and some he never even met. Here’s just a sample…
I ask you that our sister Phoebe who is a servant of the church is in blah-blah-blah that you accept her as a saint in the Lord, and help her in whatever she needs you..
More names
Hello Bla-Blah and Junias my kin my fellow prisoners, (skip…skip…skip…)
Salute to God my dear, blah-blah-blah
Blah-blah-blah, our fellow worker in Christ, and hail my dear blah-blah-blah. Hello blah-blah-blah, approved in Christ. Say hello to the household of blah-blah-blah.
sex…
Hello blah-blah-blah, my kin. Say hello to those in the Lord who are in the house of blah-blah-blah. Salute the blah-blah-blah and blah-blah-blah workers in God. Hail to Persis… Skip… Skip… Skip…
Yawn, yawn…
And more names
Rufus, a chosen man in the Lord, his mother and my greetings.
Say hi to them blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah-blah brothers. Hail Blah and Blah, Blah-Blah-Blah and her sister, and O-Blah-Blah-Blah and all the saints with them.
If you read a list of names like this and your eyes glaze over, raise your hand. I thought so. I am with you.
Many names in the Bible are difficult to pronounce, and often, not much information is given about them. It’s easy to go through.
What’s in a name?
But this time, when I came to Romans 16, I paused. Instead of going any further, I decided to find out more about the people behind those names.
If the Lord Paul wrote them, they must have objected.
And what I found was very interesting.
First, I was amazed at how Paul knew so many people when travel was difficult and communication slow. Some of these people he had never even met in person, yet he knew and cared about them.
I am ashamed to write his letter.
Not only that, but in his letters, Paul repeatedly says that he prays for the saints, these people.
I could picture him calmly going over their names one by one, as he brought them before the throne of grace. That alone is a beautiful example.
As I continued to study, I discovered that many of these names are from real people with meaningful stories. People who were loved, trusted and worth remembering.
Real names, real people, real interesting
Take Phoebe, for example.
She is mentioned in verses 1 and 2, and I was so struck that she is not only named but honored. In a male-dominated culture, that matters. Phoebe was a church servant in Cenchrea, a port city near Corinth. She was probably a clothier, but more importantly, she was devoted to God.
I like to think of her as someone who lives out her faith quietly but faithfully. She did her work, served others and honored God in her daily life. I want to be that kind of woman.
Paul trusted him enough to take the letter to the Roman church. That is no small task.
Her name means bright or pure. It seems appropriate.
More real names
Appenetus is mentioned in Romans 16:5. He was probably one of the earliest believers in Asia and may have been associated with Paul during his imprisonment. Paul calls him the first convert to Christ from that region. His name means trustworthy.
Ampliatus mentioned in verse 8 was a slave. That detail is important. The early church was made up of people of all backgrounds, Jew and Gentile, male and female, free and slave.
Christ is truly the greatest counterpart.
There is no partiality with God (Romans 2:11), which was a very radical idea at the time of Jesus. That truth is still important today.
Then there is Aristobulus in verse 10, who is supposed to be related to Herod the Great. Although he himself was not a believer, many in his household were.
Salutations to those who are in the family of Aristobulus.
Even in the most unlikely places, God was at work.
As I read on, I realized that these are not just names. This was life. Stories. People who loved the Lord and served Him in their own way.
God has a good plan for every name
I still struggle to remember names, and I don’t have faces to go with these people. But their names mean something to me now. I don’t want to go through them anymore.
God’s plan of salvation has spread throughout the world without modern tools. No internet. No phone. Only faithful people share the truth through letters and conversations. And that changed everything.
God’s grace reached people of all backgrounds, and it still does.
No matter who you are. Your past doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter where you come from.
Jesus said,
Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of this age. Matthew 28:19-20
Those words matter.
Do you know Jesus? Do you believe in Him as your Lord and Savior? If not, please read on What does faith save?. He wants you to be part of his family.
And in a world that can be harsh and unforgiving, Jesus opens His arms to welcome you. No matter what you have done, He offers forgiveness and freedom.
Uncover Christians
If you know Him, live faithfully where you are.
Be like Phoebe, serve God in everyday life.
Be like Ampliatus, be faithful to your circumstances.
Be like those early believers who worked quietly and steadily for the Lord.
Be like Apples known for honesty.
Or Narcissus, who suffered from slavery, yet was surrounded by believers.
Loyalty doesn’t have to be loud to be powerful.
Always be ready to give an answer to every man that asketh the reason of the hope that is in thee. 1 Peter 3:15
Meeting the saints in heaven
The names in Romans 16 have become precious to me.
One day, I will meet them in person. I may not recognize them at first, but when I hear their names, I will know exactly who they are, brothers and sisters in Christ.
Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of this age. Matthew 28:19-20
