Phoebe, Prisca, Aquila, Epaenetus, Mary, Andronicus, Junia, Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, Aristobulus, Herodian, Narcissus, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, Persis, Rufus, Rufus's mother, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, Philologus, Julia, Nereus, Nereus's sister, Olympas.

That's the full list of names Paul greets in Romans 16. Unless you can read ancient Greek, I'd guess it would be hard to tell how many are women.

The answer is ten. That's almost one-third. And of those ten women, seven are described in terms of their ministry, compared to only three of the men. Only two women, Prisca and Junia, are named alongside a male ministry partner.

Do the math, and here's how one scholar put it: Romans 16 greets twice as many men as women, but commends twice as many women as men. What is lost on us, though, is that in Paul's time, commendations were a very big deal. The text has more to it than we've been taught.

We don't see Paul writing about women only in Rome. At least eighteen women are mentioned across Paul's letters, sixteen of them by name.

Why is this so important for us to understand? Because how we think about women in Scripture shapes what we think about ourselves as women now.

In the foreword to his Studies of Famous Women, H.T. Sell writes, "The best Bible women are well worth the most careful study as they are the acknowledged trail-blazers for the larger freedom of thought and action." I've felt that myself and seen it in others over seven years of teaching and studying women in Scripture.

Here is what one woman wrote as something she valued after learning about the Women Who Co-Labored with Paul at a women's retreat last year.

Here's what I've consistently seen when teaching women about women in Scripture.

We know that Jesus loves us. Then we get to Paul, and for a lot of us, that freedom in Christ seems to slip away. Especially if the Paul we grew up with came only from black-and-white verses like 1 Timothy, written to one specific congregation in an ancient context.

What if we looked at Paul's writings from a different perspective? Actions speak louder than words, and I find it far more telling to study how Paul worked alongside women. When you look across his letters and the book of Acts, the picture that emerges is very different from what many of us were taught.

Want to learn about these women, and about yourself?

October 16 and 17, I'm opening The Living Room and the Zoom Room for a half-weekend Illuminate Immersive. We'll learn about women like Phoebe and Junia, and you'll have space to hear what God says about you, as you uncover what's been buried.

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The Living Room will cap at 12 to keep the space engaging and safe, with shared meals (included with registration) on Saturday, and to keep it small enough to stay thoughtful and connected. There are currently 8 spots left. Registration closes October 2nd.

$129.00 Women Who Co-Labored with Paul to Birth the Church October 16 evening & all day Oct 17, 2026. An immersive weekend of learning, reflection, and community. There has been... Read more Register here $129

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The Zoom Room is unlimited. For a full itinerary with times, see below. Registration for this is open until the day before. Recordings will be included with both options.

$29.00 Virtual illuminate Immersion Women Who Co-Labored with Paul to Birth the Church An immersive weekend of learning, reflection, and community. There... Read more Register here $29

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Any questions? Please don't hesitate to let me know.