26 Ordinary People

Romans 16:3–16 ESV

Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

26 individuals were greeted by Paul. If you were to go through the names of all the people listed you will find no Roman governors. You will see no political giants. We see no evidence of any great community leaders. In fact of the 26, we do find evidence that many of them were probably of the lower class in Rome.

And yet God was doing something through these people. So much so, that Paul in writing to the church praised these people who he had never met and yet who had made an impact for the Kingdom.

God Takes The Ordinary and Uses them for the Extraordinary

In God’s economy the church is filled with no one extraordinary. We are all just ordinary sinners saved by grace.

An yet, God does Extraordinary things with Ordinary People

Extraordinary Diversity

Of those 26 listed 9 were women. In Roman society, though women weren’t looked down upon, they were also not considered as equals with men.

We also find foreigners. Some were Jews. Aquila and Priscilla, Andronicus and Junia, and Herodion are all identified as Jews. This would have made them outsiders. Not native Romans and thus though they were accepted if you’ve ever move to another town you know you’re almost always an outsider. Most were Gentiles and Romans, but even among them, there were several that were probably slaves. The names of Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys, Hermes, Patrobas, Philologus and Nereus were most often found among slaves of the day because they were given new names by their owners.

So of the 26 individuals, 9 were women, five were Jews, at least 7 were slaves, and all of them were ordinary.

Let's take one of the people mentioned to show this unity. In Paul's list of names he mentions the story of Ampliatus.

William Barclay relates to us this story:

"Behind the name of Ampliatus may well lie an interesting story. It is a quite common slave name. Now, in the cemetery of Domatilla, which is the earliest of the Christian catacombs, there is a decorated tomb with the single name Ampliatus carved on it in bold and decorative lettering. The fact that the single name Ampliatus alone is carved on the tomb (Romans who were citizens would have three names—a nomen, a praenomen and a cognomen) would indicate that this Ampliatus was a slave; but the elaborate tomb and the bold lettering would indicate that he was a man of high rank in the Church. From this, it is plain to see that, in the early days of the Church, the distinctions of rank were so completely wiped out that it was possible for someone at one and the same time to be a slave and to hold a position of responsibility in the Church. Social distinctions did not exist. We have no means of knowing that Paul’s Ampliatus is the Ampliatus in the cemetery of Domatilla; but it is not impossible that he is."

Regardless of whether or not this was the Ampliatus, it still shows the power of the cross to take people who were slaves and make them leaders in the early church. In the church you don't have to be a lawyer or a doctor, you don't have to be a politician or a business man, you don’t have to be male or female, you don't even have to be free to be used in God’s Kingdom

Galatians 3:28 ESV

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

You see despite their diversity, there was also something else that was extraordinary about the church

Extraordinary Unity

Of all the names in this passage, there are only a few that we have any record of outside of this list. One of those is Aquila and Priscilla. Aquila and Prisca (Priscilla is a diminutive of Prisca. It’s like calling a woman named Lilith, Lily, or a woman named Amanda, Mandy. It means Little Prisca) held the church in their home. They were the hosts of this home church. These two Jews, who had traveled to Rome now hosted the first church of Rome in their house. In this house are people of all different Nationalities. If you were a slave in Roman times there were two ways to become a slave. One was to sell yourself into slavery to pay off a debt. Another was for your people to be conquered in battle by the Romans and to be indentured into slavery for a season.

Two of the people named are the Household of Aristobulus and the Household of Nereus. Aristobulus was a descendant of Herod the Great. He was a close friend to Caesar, and when he died his slaves, who were numbered among his household, were given to Caesar. Therefore, it’s likely that the descendants of the Jewish king Herod’s slaves were among the church at Rome. These were a diverse group.

Despite their diverse background, they were united around the gospel.

Philippians 2:1–2 ESV

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

The Gospel is what united these people of different backgrounds, different nationalities, different classes, together.

And it’s what unites us!

We are to be bound together by the love of Christ.

Colossians 3:14 ESV

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

I told you we know almost nothing about any of these people except for a few. Now you probably recognized the names Priscilla and Aquila, but there’s another name that is found elsewhere in scripture mentioned here.

It’s the name Rufus. How many of you remember ole Rufus in the Bible?

I’ll be surprised if any of you remember him. But you probably remember his father.

Perhaps no other member of the early church expresses the unity of the body as well as Rufus and his mother. The name Rufus is only mentioned two times in Scripture. The first is here.

The second is found in Mark.

Turn with me To Mark 15.

Mark 15:21 ESV

And they compelled a passerby, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry his cross.

The first mention of Rufus is in the context of events on the day Jesus was crucified. Due to the horrific abuse Jesus had already undergone, He was unable to carry the heavy wooden cross the Roman soldiers laid upon His back. So the soldiers grabbed a passing man and made him carry the cross for Jesus. Mark 15:21 says, “A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.”

Now how do we know this is the same Rufus? Well, in order to understand why, you first need to ask yourself why Simon of Cyrene was identified as being the father of Rufus. Why do we need to know who Simon’s sons were? The reason why people would have put the names of the sons of Simon is that they might not have known who Simon was, but they knew his sons.

John Mark, who wrote these words, most likely wrote his account of Jesus’ life while in Rome, for Roman Christians. He would have used names that were familiar to the early church, particularly the church in Rome. They didn’t know Simon of Cyrene, but they knew his son Rufus. Why? Because he and his mother were prominent members of the church at Rome. And to Paul, this little boy who had gone to Jerusalem to sacrifice a Lamb with his daddy, and one day chose to follow the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world was special to Him.

When Paul had converted, his own family probably rejected him, but Paul states that Rufus' mother had been like a mother to him. Where Paul's own mother had probably rejected him, Rufus and his mother showed him the love of Christ, and the unity of the body that can only be found in Christ.

We as a church are united by the Love of Christ. Love for one another

1 Thessalonians 5:14–15 ESV

And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

Extraordinary Influence

Now you might say, “what influence did these people have?

Christ uses simple people to accomplish fantastic realities.

One of the early church fathers, Augustine of Hippo once said,

“God does not choose a person who is worthy, but by the act of choosing him, He makes him worthy."

This quote reflects Augustine's understanding that it is not inherent human qualities that make someone worthy or capable, but rather God's calling and grace that enable ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things.

God used the Christians in this church to transform the world. How?

Influenced by Their Love

The early Christians in Rome were known for their acts of kindness and charity. They cared for the poor, fed the hungry, and tended to the sick and marginalized.

The early Christians responded to the widespread practice of infant exposure in ancient Rome. In Rome it was common to leave unwanted children, especially boys, as a means of population control . The church rescued and cared for these abandoned babies through

Adoption and Care: Early Christians would often seek out abandoned infants, especially those left in public places like trash heaps or exposed to the elements, and take them into their own homes. They adopted these children, providing them with care, nourishment, and a family. This act of compassion was a direct reflection of their faith and the teachings of Jesus on the sanctity of life and caring for the vulnerable.

Community Support: The early Christian community collectively supported the care of abandoned infants. When individuals or families took in these children, the broader Christian community would often assist with resources, such as food, clothing, and financial support. This communal approach ensured that the burden of care did not fall solely on one person or family and demonstrated the Christian principle of mutual aid and support.

Advocacy and Influence: Early Christians also advocated for the intrinsic value of all human life, including infants, through their teachings and example. They spoke out against the practice of exposure and promoted a culture that valued and protected the vulnerable. Over time, the influence of Christian teachings contributed to a broader societal shift in attitudes toward infants and children, leading to increased protection and care for them.

The actions of early Christians in rescuing and caring for exposed infants were a powerful testimony to their commitment to the teachings of Jesus and the value they placed on every human life.

Influenced by their Perseverance

The courage and resilience of martyrs and those who suffered for their beliefs served as a powerful testimony to the authenticity and strength of the Christian faith. Stories of martyrdom and the unwavering commitment of believers inspired others to explore Christianity and join the movement. The persecution, rather than extinguishing the church, often led to its growth as more people were moved by the profound witness of the early Christians' sacrifice and devotion.

One such martyr was Domatilla and Flavius. We mentioned her because of her catacombs in or first story. Flavius and Domatilla were individuals associated with early Christianity in ancient Rome:

Flavius Clemens: Flavius Clemens was a Roman senator and cousin of the Roman Emperor Domitian. He, along with his wife Domitilla, were early converts to Christianity. Flavius Clemens served as a consul in Rome in 95 AD. However, he faced persecution for his Christian faith and was eventually executed under orders from Emperor Domitian. Flavius Clemens is regarded as one of the earliest Roman aristocrats to convert to Christianity and suffer martyrdom for his beliefs. His wife Domitilla wasa member of the Flavian imperial family, which included the ruling dynasty of Emperors Vespasian, Titus, and Domitian. After Flavius Clemens's execution, Domitilla faced exile for her Christian beliefs.

Flavius Clemens and Domitilla are significant figures in early Christian history, representing the spread of Christianity among the Roman elite and the persecution faced by early Christians in the Roman Empire. Their conversion to Christianity and subsequent martyrdom highlight the challenges faced by believers in the early centuries of the Christian faith.

These acts of courage, compassion and mercy helped to distinguish the Christian community and contributed to its growth and influence in the Roman Empire. The church's commitment to the sanctity of life and support for the vulnerable show the transformative power of the gospel and attracted many new converts.

So much so that in just 300 years, Christianity would go from being a marginalized religion that often suffered persecution to seeing the Emperor convert in 312 B.C.

Constantine the Great 's conversion marked a significant turning point in the history of Christianity, as he subsequently played a crucial role in its spread and in establishing it as a dominant religion within the Roman Empire. At the Edict of Milan in 313 AD that he proclaimed religious tolerance for Christianity and other religions throughout the empire.

That dramatic transformation began with the names listed here. These simple, faithful Christians faced persecution from men like Nero and Diocletian. They faced the loss of property and livelihoods. They stood up to the largest empire on earth, and by the grace of God and the message of the Gospel they did what no army had ever done in over 1000 years: They conquered Rome with the gospel.

So you see how 26 Ordinary People Transformed the World. What can God do with you?