Perhaps one of the more overlooked sections of scripture in the New Testament are the ‘greetings’ at the end of epistles. Much like the genealogies of the OT, the salutations are just generally boring, aren’t they? At the very least, they aren’t really instructing us, so why not skip to the good stuff?

Romans 16 is FILLED with some pretty awesome stuff, though. Look with me at just a few verses from the apostle Paul:

“I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles…..Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord.”

So ok, yeah, it’s wordy. And yes, it’s not exactly telling me things not to do or that I need to do better. But, it is filled with some great examples.

Take Phoebe, for instance. She “has been a helper of many”. Priscilla and Aquila? They “risked their necks” for Paul. Tryphena, Tryphosa & Persis, they “labored much in the Lord.”

These people weren’t apostles. They weren’t directly chosen by the Lord. They were, instead, regular church members if you will. They were just Christians trying to do the best and most they could for the Lord. And those are the examples we should be looking at in the Bible…examples of people who were just like us, just trying to fight the good fight…..even if they only get a two-word shoutout in the inspired Word.

So today I just want to ask you, what would Paul say to you? If he were still writing letters, would your name be mentioned? Are you ‘laboring much?” Have you “risked your neck” for the cause? Are you always “helping many?” These people weren’t necessarily elders and deacons and ministers. Some were even women! But they were Christians, which meant they were working. And if working, then important; worthy of mentioning.

While Paul isn’t still writing letters, and the revelation of Christ is completed, our names can still be in the Book–the most important book–the Book of Life. It’s conditional, though. We have to be working; useful in the service of the Lord. Lukewarm, lazy Christians’ names won’t be there (Rev. 3:15-16). Those who are working but aren’t doing so out of love won’t be mentioned there (1 Cor. 13:1-3). And those who are working and loving and seemingly doing everything right–but aren’t IN Christ, won’t be mentioned either (Matt.7:21-23, Gal.3:27).

But if we’re faithful, working, loving people, we’ll be mentioned in the book of Life. We’ll be welcomed by the Son of God, and we’ll live with Him forever in heaven. Because after all, it’s not about being recognized here, it’s about being counted faithful in the end (1 Cor. 4:1-5).