Women, Witness, and the Weight of Romans 16:
A Hidden Revolution in the Early Church

When we think of the Book of Romans, many of us recall its theological depth—justification by faith, the power of grace, the mystery of Israel. But what if we told you the final chapter, often skimmed as a list of greetings, is actually one of the most radical parts of the entire book? Open your Bible to Romans 16, and get ready to see a part of the early church that often goes unnoticed.

Meet Phoebe: The Woman Paul Trusted With His Masterpiece

Paul opens the chapter with this powerful introduction:

“I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea.”
—Romans 16:1

Phoebe wasn’t just a casual churchgoer. She was from Cenchrea, the port city of Corinth, a key location for commerce and influence. More importantly, Paul entrusts her—not a man—to deliver one of the most theologically rich letters ever written to the churches in Rome. This wasn’t a mail drop. She likely read it aloud, conveyed Paul’s tone, and answered questions.

Why Phoebe? It wasn’t because there were no men. It was because she was chosen—trusted, respected, capable.

Paul calls her a “servant,” but the Greek word is diakonos—the same word we translate as deacon. Yes, a female deacon, a recognized leader of the church in Cenchrea. That’s not just a passing title. It’s a theological earthquake for those who think early church leadership was exclusively male.

One-Third of the Names: Female

Out of the 29 names in Romans 16, roughly a third are women. That’s not accidental—it’s a statement. For centuries, women’s contributions to the early church were downplayed or ignored. But Paul highlights them, honors them, and urges the Roman church to receive them with respect and assist them in their work.

This isn’t about dismantling the beauty of male leadership. Paul believes in it. But God is not limited to male vessels. He empowers whoever is willing—woman, man, slave, free.

Priscilla and Aquila: A Power Couple with a Twist

Next, Paul greets:

“Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their lives for me.”
—Romans 16:3–4

Aquila was the husband, yet Priscilla is mentioned first—a shocking reversal in a patriarchal culture. Why? Scholars believe it’s because Priscilla was the more prominent spiritual leader. It’s the first-century equivalent of someone saying, “Greet Joyce Meyer and her husband, Dave.”

Priscilla and Aquila hosted a house church, a spiritual hub where Jewish and Gentile believers met. They studied the Torah, broke bread, and explored its fulfillment in Yeshua (Jesus). Saturday evening, after synagogue, their home became holy ground.

Junia: The Forgotten Female Apostle

Verse 7 introduces another shock:

“Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow countrymen and fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles.”

Junia was a woman—and an apostle. That’s not up for debate. The name “Junia” was changed to the male “Junius” in later translations simply because medieval scribes couldn’t imagine a female apostle. But the historical and manuscript evidence is clear: Junia was a woman, and the early church knew it. She wasn’t just present. She was a leader, a pioneer, a prisoner for Christ, and “in Christ before” Paul himself. That’s influence.

Apostles Beyond the Twelve

This challenges the idea that apostles were a closed group of twelve men. Acts 14:14 refers to Barnabas and Paul as apostles—proof that the title extended to others. In the Hebrew sense, shaliach means “a sent one,” someone commissioned to carry the message. In today’s language, we’d call them missionaries or church planters—and Junia was one of them.

Romans 16 also names Amplias, Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, and others—some likely slaves or former slaves. Aristobulus’ household, mentioned in verse 10, could even refer to servants of a man connected to Herod the Great. The early church wasn’t elitist. It was inclusive, multi-ethnic, cross-class, and revolutionary. It was for the broken and the bold, the wealthy and the weary, the woman at the well and the centurion on the hill.

A Call to Reconsider: Are We Limiting God?

Paul’s closing words are more than greetings. They’re affirmations of people who defied the expected. Women led. Slaves preached. Gentiles planted churches. This is the kingdom of God in action.

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”
—Galatians 3:28

God doesn’t wait for a perfect vessel. He uses available ones. When men stay silent, women will speak. When the educated are proud, God lifts up the humble. He once used a donkey to deliver truth. He’ll use anyone He wants.

As the Apostle Paul brings his letter to the Romans to a close, the names he lists may seem like a simple farewell—but they represent something profound. In Romans 16:14–16, we meet believers like Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and others. These weren’t just names on a scroll; they were real people, part of a growing, diverse, spirit-filled community.

Paul commands them to “greet one another with a holy kiss.” This cultural expression of love and unity reminds us that even today, believers are called to approach each other with sincerity, humility, and brotherly affection.

A Warning Against Division

But then Paul’s tone changes. In verse 17, he issues a serious charge:

“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.”

This isn’t a gentle suggestion—it’s a command. Paul knows how easily the enemy sneaks in not through blatant heresy, but through smooth talk and flattery, cloaked in partial truth. He continues:

“Such people do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly.”
“They deceive the hearts of the simple.” (v. 18)

In other words: beware of people who divide congregations, stir controversy, and manipulate others for their own agendas. Even if they quote Scripture, their motives betray them. Paul says avoid them—not argue with them, not try to fix them. Avoid them.

The God Who Crushes the Divider

In verse 20, Paul writes:

“And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.”

This is both a promise and a warning. God will deal with those who fracture His Body. Division in the Body of Messiah is treason. It’s rebellion against God’s authority and the unity of the Spirit. I’ve seen it myself during my time pastoring. I’ve seen people come in with “righteous intentions” but leave spiritual wreckage behind. And God did not let it go unpunished. Don’t touch what God has anointed. Stay out of His way. Let Him be the Judge.

As the chapter continues, we find Paul mentioning several individuals again—including Gaius, Tertius (Paul’s scribe), and Erastus, “the treasurer of the city.” This isn’t just filler—these names matter.

• Erastus was the city manager of Corinth, one of the most pagan cities in the Roman Empire.
• Priscilla, Aquila, and Phoebe also had deep connections to Corinth.
• Corinth was a dark place. It housed the Temple of Aphrodite, home to hundreds of temple prostitutes.

And yet—in that darkness, the light of the Gospel exploded. Paul’s letter to the Romans, one of the most transformative letters in all of Scripture, was written from this city of corruption. Why does that matter? Because your place of deepest darkness might just be where your brightest light will shine.

My Own Corinth: A Testimony from Prison

I’ve lived that truth.
I spent 55 months in federal prison, including 84 days in a dungeon-like cell underground, locked up with a man who had nothing to lose and every reason to harm me. But it was in that darkest of places that the brightest light of God showed up.

• That’s where I wrote our 27-page Passover Haggadah, now used around the world.
• That’s where I saw God save the head transsexual of the prison.
• That’s where Jim Staley died, and God brought forth something new.

Jesus said in John 12:24:

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone. But if it dies, it produces much grain.”

I had to die. The flesh, the pride, the ministry comparisons—all had to rot in the soil so that what God planted could finally grow. He told me clearly: “You’re not giving Me the return on the investment I placed in you. So He buried me—in a prison cell. And that’s where the seed broke.

Let the Breaking Begin

Some of you are in your own breaking season. You feel buried. Forgotten. Isolated. But you’re not being buried—you’re being planted. And when you let the soil do its work, and the water of the Word seep into the cracks, that shell of pride, fear, and self-sufficiency will break. What emerges? The true calling. The Spirit-anointed version of you.

That’s the message of Romans. That’s the message Paul was leaving with both Jews and Gentiles in Rome: Stop focusing on everyone else. Start focusing on what God wants to birth in you.

Paul ends with this powerful praise:

“Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ… to God, alone wise, be glory through Yeshua the Messiah forever. Amen.”
(Romans 16:25–27)

It’s not just the end of a letter—it’s the beginning of their transformation. The close of one chapter is the unveiling of a new scroll.

A Challenge to You

So let me ask you plainly:

• Is Yeshua your Messiah?
• What are you leaning on when life shakes you?
• Is your frustration rooted in a lack of trust in your King?

Lay everything down. Your business. Your plans. Your family. Your future. Place it all at His feet. Watch what He can do with just a few loaves and a couple fish.

There’s a seed of power in you—the power of the living God. What will you do with it?

Watch “All About Shavuot” here: https://youtu.be/devjedq3IQE

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