Salute Urbane, our helper in Christ, and Stachys my beloved.
Romans 16:9 is one of Paul's personal greetings by name to individual members of the church in Rome, saluting Urbane, or Urbanus, as his helper and fellow worker in Christ and Stachys as his beloved and my beloved. Those named were Paul's acquaintances and fellow laborers, showing that faithful helpers served alongside him in the work of Christ. The title helper in Christ means one who served and labored with the apostles in the gospel by ministering to their temporal needs rather than by preaching the word.
The greetings were given impartially to men and women alike and single each believer out by name, showing Paul's large and hearty sympathy and the Holy Spirit's special care for each individual member of the household of faith, which is why such greetings were written. The numerous personal salutations show how the church at Rome began and grew, and it was largely the fruit of Paul's work. It was probably founded by Jews and proselytes from Jerusalem who were converted on the Day of Pentecost, with others added to them afterward, and many of those greeted may have met Paul on his travels.
The list is so complete that Paul would not have omitted the chief person in the church, especially Peter, with whom Paul had once stayed fifteen days in Jerusalem. The absence of Peter's name proves Peter was not in Rome at all when Paul wrote, was not the first bishop of Rome, and if he ever came to Rome it was after this letter was written and long after the church there was established and flourishing. It proves that neither the church of Christ nor the church of Rome was founded upon Peter.
The wider list in Romans 16:1-12 and 16:1-15, including this verse, names many women and godly women who helped, showing that Paul recognized women among those connected with the gospel. It is used as evidence that women served and labored in the church and in Christian ministry and bore testimony to Christ. The greeting belongs with the naming of Priscilla and Mary and Tryphena and Tryphosa and the beloved Persis and the mother of Rufus and Julia and the sister of Nereus and Phebe as those who labored with Paul in the gospel, proving that he believed in the labor of women and in women speaking. Cited among verses identifying people who assisted Paul in gospel work, the verse is used to support the claim that Christian women, as well as men, labored in the ministry of the word.
Romans 16:9 is one of Paul's personal greetings by name to individual members of the church in Rome, saluting Urbane, or Urbanus, as his helper and fellow worker in Christ and Stachys as his beloved and my beloved. Those named were Paul's acquaintances and fellow laborers, showing that faithful helpers served alongside him in the work of Christ. The title helper in Christ means one who served and labored with the apostles in the gospel by ministering to their temporal needs rather than by preaching the word.
The greetings were given impartially to men and women alike and single each believer out by name, showing Paul's large and hearty sympathy and the Holy Spirit's special care for each individual member of the household of faith, which is why such greetings were written. The numerous personal salutations show how the church at Rome began and grew, and it was largely the fruit of Paul's work. It was probably founded by Jews and proselytes from Jerusalem who were converted on the Day of Pentecost, with others added to them afterward, and many of those greeted may have met Paul on his travels.
The list is so complete that Paul would not have omitted the chief person in the church, especially Peter, with whom Paul had once stayed fifteen days in Jerusalem. The absence of Peter's name proves Peter was not in Rome at all when Paul wrote, was not the first bishop of Rome, and if he ever came to Rome it was after this letter was written and long after the church there was established and flourishing. It proves that neither the church of Christ nor the church of Rome was founded upon Peter.
The wider list in Romans 16:1-12 and 16:1-15, including this verse, names many women and godly women who helped, showing that Paul recognized women among those connected with the gospel. It is used as evidence that women served and labored in the church and in Christian ministry and bore testimony to Christ. The greeting belongs with the naming of Priscilla and Mary and Tryphena and Tryphosa and the beloved Persis and the mother of Rufus and Julia and the sister of Nereus and Phebe as those who labored with Paul in the gospel, proving that he believed in the labor of women and in women speaking. Cited among verses identifying people who assisted Paul in gospel work, the verse is used to support the claim that Christian women, as well as men, labored in the ministry of the word.