GREET RUFUS . . .AND HIS MOTHER
GREET RUFUS . . .AND HIS MOTHER
“Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me too.” (Rom. 16:13)
In this brief study we will try to do three things. First, we will try to understand how Paul knew Rufus and how his mother was also Paul’s mother. Second, we will try to correct the erroneous notion that Paul was prejudiced against women. We will show that Paul welcomed their help and worked side by side with many women in the cause of Christ. Finally, we will seek to understand how all believers function like members of a body to accomplish the work of Christ on earth. Yes! The church is the Body of Christ and what Jesus began to do in the body, the body continues to do in Jesus! Like a detective we will search for facts and clues that will help us answer these questions.
First, let us note that Paul’s letter to Rome concluded with a long list of names. Names are significant to God. While man has no idea how many stars there are, God not only knows the number of the stars but also calls each star by name. God’s understanding has no limit (Ps. 147:4-5). “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Heb. 4:13) Obviously, people are more important than stars because God made lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth (Gen. 1:15). This means that you are more important to God than a star. Ultimately the heavens will disappear, but you will last forever (2 Pet. 3:10). The long list of names in Romans chapter 16 is not in the Bible by accident. People are important! You are important!
As you know, Jesus sent his apostles to all the world so that all people might be saved. Consequently, there are converts to Christ come from every nation, tribe, people, and language and every convert had a name (Rev. 7:9). Those who are saved have their names written in heaven (Lk, 10:20). Therefore, those names mentioned in Romans 16 are all precious to God and are just a small sample of the millions whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Remember! God does not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).
HOW DID PAUL MEET RUFUS AND HIS MOTHER?
But now let us focus on Rufus and his mother! We will not be dogmatic on how Paul knew Rufus and his mother, but will present evidence and let you come to your own conclusion. Remember! As Jesus was being led out to be crucified: “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.” (Mark 15:21) Simon was the father of Rufus and is also mentioned in Matthew 27:32 and Luke 23:26. He came from Cyrene, which is a Greek city in Eastern Libya in North Africa.
Simon was obviously famous as the man who carried the cross for Jesus. We can imagine that Paul and Simon would have many important conversations about the crucifixion of Christ. We will present evidence that they met in Antioch. Yet, it is still interesting that Paul chose to send greetings to Simon’s son, and his wife, but not to him.
The following evidence indicates the “possibility” that Paul met Rufus and his mother in Antioch of Syria. Please consider:
•
We “know” that Simon came from Cyrene in North Africa to Jerusalem and carried the cross for Jesus.
•
We “assume” that Simon became a Christian along with his wife, and two sons.
•
We “know” that when the church in Jerusalem was scattered by persecution, “Those that were scattered preached the word wherever they went.” (Acts 8:4)
•
We also “know” this: “Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.” (Acts 11:19-21)
•
We “assume” that Simon of Cyrene and his family were in this group of people who came to Antioch.
•
We “know” that “News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.” (Acts 11:22-24)
•
We “know” “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:25-26)
•
We “know” that the mother of Rufus was in some way also a mother to Paul. We “assume” this happened when Paul and Barnabas spent a year in Antioch and taught much people.
•
It would be logical to “assume” that Paul would spend time with Simon and receive first hand his account of the crucifixion.
•
“If” Paul stayed with Simon and his family it would also explain how the mother of Rufus was also a mother to Paul.
PAUL AND WOMEN
Since we have considered how the mother of Rufus was also a mother to Paul, let us focus on how Paul worked with other women in the cause of Christ. As we have said, some have the mistaken idea that Paul was prejudiced against women and greatly restricted their service to Christ. This is not true. We will begin with Romans 16. The women mentioned here are but one example of Paul working with women in the cause of Christ. In this chapter Paul sent greetings to 26 people whom he knew by name. Note that these people were in Rome but Paul had never been to Rome. Eight of the workers mentioned in this chapter were women. As we have said, Paul had never been to Rome (Rom. 1:11-13). Obviously Paul met these people elsewhere and perhaps sent them to Rome to evangelize and to help him later on journey to Spain (Rom. 15:23-29). Here are the eight women mentioned in Romans chapter 16. All of them were friends of Paul with whom he had worked in the cause of Christ.
•
“I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.” (Rom. `16:1-2) Phoebe apparently carried Paul’s letter to Rome and the brethren in Rome were
instructed to “give her any help she needed.” Phoebe was just one of many dedicated women who help Paul. Paul gave her a blanket endorsement by instructing the brethren in Rome to “give her any help she may need.”
•
“Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house.” (Rom. 16:3-5) Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned six times in the Bible (Acts 18:2, 18, 26; Rom. 16:3; 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Tim. 4:19). The fact that Priscilla’s name is mentioned first in four of these references may indicate that she was the principle teacher. •
“Greet Mary who worked very hard for you.” (Rom. 16:6) The word translated as “worked” is the Greek word “kopos” which means to labor to the point of complete exhaustion. Mary was obviously a hard worker for the Lord!
•
“Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.” Junia was a relative of Paul who was in Christ before he was. She was also well known and outstanding among the apostles.
•
“Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.” (Rom. 16:12) The name “Tryphena” means “delicate”, and the name “Tryphosa” means “luxuriating”. They were apparently prominent women and possibly were twins. Like Mary, they also labored to the point of complete exhaustion for Christ.
•
“Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.” (Rom. 16:12) The same word “kopos” used to describe the labors of Mary, Tryphena, and Tryphosa is also used to Paul’s “dear friend Persis.” Throughout all of history some of the hardest working Christians have been women.
•
“Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people who are with them.” (Rom. 16:15) Priscilla and Aquila had a church meeting in their house. Apparently Julia and the sister of Nereus also met in a house church and Paul send greetings to all of the Lord’s people who were with them.
OTHER REFERENCES TO PAUL WORKING WITH WOMEN
•
The church at Philippi began with a group of women (Acts 16:13-15).
•
A woman named Lydia became a Christian and invited Paul and Silas into her home. •
In Thessalonica Paul made disciples among “not a few prominent women” (Acts 17:4). •
In Berea “a number of prominent Greek women” also became believers (Acts 17:12). •
In Athens Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, became a follower of Paul, and so did a woman named Damaris, and a number of others (Acts 17:34).
•
To the Philippians Paul wrote: “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you, my true companion, help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Phil. 4:2-3)
•
The early church church apparently had elderly widows on staff. Here are their qualifications as listed by Paul: “No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.” (1 Tim. 5:9-10)
•
Here are Paul’s instructions to Titus regarding older women: “You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine. Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.” (Titus 2:1-5) •
NO! PAUL WAS NOT PREJUDICED AGAINST WOMEN!
•
If God chose to have you born a woman He had a reason for doing so. Please do not resent the way God made you!
THE IMPORTANCE OF MOTHERS
•
Please don’t ever resent being a mother! Being a mother is indeed a high calling!
•
No woman can become pregnant unless God is involved. Hannah was childless for many years until God intervened and gave her a son named Samuel in answer to her prayers. Hannah correctly acknowledged: “The Lord brings death and makes alive.” (1 Sam. 2:6).
•
A number of other women were also barren until God opened their womb - (Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, the mother of Samson, the wife of Manoah, Elizabeth, etc.)
•
We know that godly women served as mothers to the followers of Jesus: “Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life.” (Mark 10:28-30)
•
Yes! It seems that when the mother of Paul was not present to minister to him, the mother of Rufus received Paul into her home and treated him like her own son. Paul never forgot her. Yes! Her husband, Simon was famous for carrying the cross for Christ, but while he was busy doing other things, the mother of Rufus was busy being a mother to Paul.
•
Please consider that in many respects mothers are more popular than fathers!
•
In the United States Mother’s Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1914.
•
Father’s Day, however, did not become a permanent national holiday until 58 years later in 1972.
•
In many countries of the world Mother’s Day is far more popular than Father’s Day.
•
In the United States, for example, the National Retail Federation concludes that far more money is spent spend on Mother’s Day, than on Father’s Day.
America, as you know, is not the only country that celebrates Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. These are popular holidays all around the world. Typically however, according to Dr Lars Perner, a consumer psychologist at the University of Southern California, most of us simply think our mothers deserve better or bigger presents than our fathers do.
Being a mother does have it’s advantages.
Please consider this beautiful tribute to mothers by an unknown author.
My Mother -
She carried me under her heart and loved me before I was born;
She took God’s hand in hers and walked through the valley of shadows that I might live. She bathed me when I was helpless; clothed me when I was naked, and sang to me with the voice of an angel.
She held my hand when I learned to walk; suffered with my sorrow, and laughed with my joy. She glowed with my triumph, and while I knelt by her side she taught my lips to pray. Through all the days of my youth she gave me strength for my weakness, courage for my despair, and hope to fill my hopeless heart.
She was loyal when others failed; She was true when tried by fire. She was my friend when my others friends were gone.
She prayed for me through all the days, whether flooded with sunshine or saddened by shadows.
Though we lay down our lives for her, we can never repay the debt we owe to a mother.
WE ARE MEMBERS OF HIS BODY
Now that we have considered how the mother of Rufus was also a mother to Paul, and also considered how Paul worked with many other women, let us now consider how every believer is a member of the Body of Christ. What Jesus began to do in his earthly body, he continues to do through the church which is also his body!
As we have said, when you become a Christian you become a part of the Body of Christ: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” (1 Cor. 12:12-13)
There are, however, no vestigial organs in the Body of Christ. A vestigial organ is one that seems to perform no useful service. Every member of the body of Christ, however, has a function to perform. When you became a part of the Body of Christ the Holy Spirit gave you your assignment. The Scriptures are clear, our spiritual gifts are not chosen by us but assigned by the Holy Spirit for “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Cor. 12:11). “The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,” (1 Cor. 12:21-23)
While we can “eagerly desire the greater gifts” (1 Cor. 12:31) it is the Holy Spirit Himself who distributes spiritual gifts as He determines (1 Cor. 12:11). The clay has no right to say to the Potter, “Why did you make me like this?” (Rom. 9:20) and the Christian has no right to say to the Holy Spirit why did you make me an ear, when I wanted to be an eye? It is a fact that “God has arranged the parts in the body, everyone of them, just as he wanted them to be.” (1 Cor. 12:18)
WE DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE!
Gloria Steinem was a leader in the feminist movement many years ago and helped make popular the slogan: “A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle.” Many women resent not being a man. Some even dress like men and claim to be a man. Interestingly, on September 3, 2000, Steinem apparently accepted her role as a woman and got married. Her husband is David Bale, the father of actor Christian Bale. Their wedding, of all things, was performed by a Cherokee Indian woman named Wilma Mankiller. Wilma was the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. Steinem has no children of her own but became stepmother to Bale's four adult children. Let us hope and pray that she came to accept the way that God made her. As we have said, being a mother is a great honor.
Don’t forget, we are trying to discover the relationship Paul had with Rufus and his mother. In conducting this investigation, however we can also gain wisdom that will help us in other areas of Christian service.
One lesson we can learn is that it is ungodly and wrong to question God. Job was correct in his submission to God when he said: “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him.” (Job 13:15) God made us the way he wanted us to be and gave us the spiritual gift that he wanted us to have. Before we were born, God did not ask us whether we wanted to be a man or a woman. When we were baptized into the Body of Christ God did not ask us what spiritual gift we wanted! If we are truly submitted to God we will be content with the way God made us and we will glorify God for the spiritual gift he has given to us.
B. B. McKinney captured the beauty of true submission when wrote the hymn I Am Satisfied With Jesus!
1. I am satisfied with Jesus, He has done so much for me: He has suffered to redeem me, He has died to set me free.
Refrain:
I am satisfied, I am satisfied, I am satisfied with Jesus,
But the question comes to me, As I think of Calvary,
Is my Savior satisfied with me?
2. He is with me in my trials,
Best of friends of all is He;
I can always count on Jesus,
Can He always count on me? [Refrain]
3. I can hear the voice of Jesus, Calling out so pleadingly,
"Go and win the lost and straying"; Is He satisfied with me? [Refrain]
4. When my work on earth is ended, And I cross the mystic sea,
Oh, that I could hear Him saying, "I am satisfied with thee." [Refrain]
GOD BLESS CHRISTIAN WOMEN WHO ARE MOTHERS TO CHRISTIAN WORKERS!
GOD BLESS THOSE WOMEN WHO SERVE CHRIST IN OTHER WAYS!
GOD BLESS EVERY MEMBER OF THE BODY OF CHRIST!