Romans 16:5b-7 - Paul's Fellow Prisoners

Romans 16:5b-7 - Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. ⁶ Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. ⁷ Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me.

Message: Paul's fellow workers
 
Time: Written in AD 57 from Greece, to the Christians, both Gentile and Jewish in Rome

What the Lord is Saying: 

Here are 4 individuals mentioned by Paul that we know little about.

Epaenetus is shows as the first convert in Asia. At the time of this writing, Rome's empire is divided into provinces and Asia is one of those provinces. Asia's territory included modern day Turkey. Ephesus was Asia's cultural center. Prisca and Aquila had ministered in Ephesus (Acts 18). So Paul was reminded of Ephesus and now Epaenetus, the first convert of Asia. This is all we know.

Mary is to be greeted next. She was a hard worker and well known in the church, to be mentioned.

Andronicus and Junia are the last two mentioned, fellow prisoners. There has been disagreement by commentators throughout history as to whether Junia is male or female. If female, the wife of Andronicus. If male, a fellow prisoner.

What makes people great in the world? I think it is often special talents or things they do or their individual way in which they stand out. What makes people great in the Body of Christ? I think Paul is calling attention to it here and it being "others focused." It is Philippians 2:3 and "Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves." Our focus should be on others and not making ourselves great, but others great. I think that is what Paul is noticing in these people that he is mentioning. They are his fellow workers. He says in verse 7, "They are well known." And then he also says, "They were in Christ before me." Paul makes it clear. They are great not because of Paul, but because of Christ in them. 

Promise: What sets people apart is their focus on making others important and living for others.