Tag: labored

Romans 16:12 – Hard Working Women

Posted on by Will

Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who are laboring in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord.

Truth to Learn

There are many hard working women in the church!

Behind the Words

The names “Tryphena and Tryphosa” are Greek and are both derived from the verb truphaō, meaning “to live luxuriously.”

“Labored” is translated from the Greek word kopiaō, which we saw back in verse six means “to work hard to the point of feeling fatigued.” There is another Greek word, ergadzomai, which is usually translated “work.” Kopiaō, however, implies long, hard labor, much greater than simply ergadzomai.

The name “Persis” means “a Persian woman.”

Meaning Explained

The next three people to be greeted by the Apostle Paul are all women who worked for God in some capacity. The first two, Tryphena and Tryphosa are believed to be sisters and may, in fact, have been twins. They are said to have been noble women of Iconium and may likely have been converted under Paul’s ministery there. Paul tells us that these two women were not simply workers in the ministry with him, they were laborers, that is, they worked hard. The other woman mentioned in this verse is Persis who, he says, labored much in her service to God. She apparently worked hard for many hours.

Some commentators have gone to great lengths to assert that these women did not preach. Such a waste of time and effort! Nowhere in the Scriptures are we told that women can’t preach. Paul does give specific instruction regarding elders (probably pastors) and bishops (senior pastors) in his letters to Timothy and Titus:

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I ordered you—if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of loose behavior or disobedient. (Titus 1:5-6)

This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone reaches for the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; (1 Timothy 3:1-2)

The word translated “husband” is specifically male and the word for “wife” is specifically female. So a woman is not to be an elder or a bishop. Paul is also very specific about women not teaching men or having authority over a man in the church:

And I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. (1 Timothy 2:12)

But, the Bible does not tell us that women are not to preach the Gospel message. And, Paul tells Titus very specifically that the older women are to be teachers of other women (Titus 2:3, 4).

 

Application

God knew that Paul would need help from some very hard working people. We see here that a number of those hard workers were women. The church today would not be nearly as effective as it is except for the many hard working women who commit their time and effort to God in the local church. Thank you ladies for your hard work!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved

Romans 16:12 – Hard Working Women

Posted on by Will

Romans 16:12 – Hard Working Women

Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord.

Truth to Learn

There are many hard working women in the church!

Behind the Words

The names “Tryphena and Tryphosa” are Greek and are both derived from the verb truphaō, meaning “to live luxuriously.”

“Labored” is translated from the Greek word kopiaō, which we saw back in verse six means “to work hard to the point of feeling fatigued.” There is another Greek word, ergadzomai, which is usually translated “work.” Kopiaō, however, implies long, hard labor, much greater than simply ergadzomai.

The name “Persis” means “a Persian woman.”

Meaning Explained

The next three people to be greeted by the Apostle Paul are all women who worked for God in some capacity. The first two, Tryphena and Tryphosa are believed to be sisters and may, in fact, have been twins. They are said to have been noble women of Iconium and may likely have been converted under Paul’s ministery there. Paul tells us that these two women were not simply workers in the ministry with him, they were laborers, that is, they worked hard. The other woman mentioned in this verse is Persis who, he says, labored much in her service to God. She apparently worked hard for many hours.

Some commentators have gone to great lengths to assert that these women did not preach. Such a waste of time and effort! Nowhere in the Scriptures are we told that women can’t preach. Paul does give specific instruction regarding elders (probably pastors) and bishops (senior pastors) in his letters to Timothy and Titus:

For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. (Titus 1:5-6)

This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; (1Timothy 3:1-2)

The word translated “husband” is specifically male and the word for “wife” is specifically female. So a woman is not to be an elder or a bishop. Paul is also very specific about women not teaching men or having authority over a man in the church:

And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. (1Titus 2:12)

But, the Bible does not tell us that women are not to preach the Gospel message. And, Paul tells Titus very specifically that the older women are to be teachers of other women (Titus 2:3, 4).

Application

God knew that Paul would need help from some very hard working people. We see here that a number of those hard workers were women. The church today would not be nearly as effective as it is except for the many hard working women who commit their time and effort to God in the local church. Thank you ladies for your hard work!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 16:6 – Hard Working Mary

Posted on by Will

Romans 16:6 – Hard Working Mary

Greet Mary, who labored much for us.

Truth to Learn

Some people in the church work extremely hard and get little or no recognition.

Behind the Words

“Mary” is translated from the Greek name Miriam, which is transliterated from the Hebrew name Miryam, meaning “rebelliously.” Some texts have the name as mirian. So this could variously be translated as Mary, Maria, Miriam, or Marian.

The word “labored” is translated from the Greek verb kopiaō, which is derived from the noun kopos, which literally means “a cut” but figuratively refers to “heavy labor which reduces one’s strength.” Thus, kopiaō means “to work hard to the point of feeling fatigued.”

The word “us” is from hēmas, however some Greek manuscripts have the word humas, meaning “you (plural).”

Meaning Explained

Very little is known for certain about this woman, Mary. The only thing which Paul says about her is that she was an extremely hard worker. It is possible that this woman was a tireless worker in Paul’s church planting, evangelistic ministry, and that she offered her services in multiple cities where Paul preached. On the other hand, based on the textual variation of “you” versus “us,” it could be that she was a resident of Rome who dedicated her hard work in the service of the church there.

The fact that Paul sends her greetings in his letter to the Roman church would seem to indicate that he was quite familiar with her and was quite familiar with how hard she worked. If this is the case, then it makes sense that she expended her hard work in assisting Paul in his ministry. It is possible that she, like Aquila and Priscilla, had assisted Paul in Greece and Asia Minor and had since moved to Rome. Whoever this woman was and whatever her specific task was, we know that she was a tireless worker who labored hard and long.

This type of hard work on behalf of our Lord is recognized in several places in the New Testament. In His message to the seven churches in the opening chapters of Revelation, Christ says this to the church at Ephesus:

I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars; and you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary. (Revelation 2:2-3)

In this passage, both “labor” and “labored” are translated from the same word used to describe Mary in today’s verse. Also, this same word is used in one of the more easily recognized quotes from the Bible where our Lord said:

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Application

Many people attend church each Sunday to get a spiritual recharge and to find some peace and rest. Such would not be possible, however, were it not for those who work tirelessly with little or no recognition, such as janitors, nursery workers, or office assistants. Let’s all make it a point this week to find someone like Mary and thank them for the hard word they give week after week to the service of our Lord.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to: