Phoebe Carry di Letter

One woman climb enter ship for one busy Greek harbour. Somewhere inside her load, wey she wrap well, one scroll dey. E go become one of di most important letters wey anybody ever write. And she wan carry am cross di sea go Rome.

Paul dey stay for Corinth, for southern Greece, as di guest of one man wey im name na Gaius. E never go Rome before, but e dey long to go, and from there go reach Spain. So e don write to di believers for di capital, one long letter wey explain di good news of Jesus from beginning to end. One helper wey dem call Tertius dey write am down as Paul dey talk. And for di very end, after all di deep teaching about sin and grace and faith and hope, Paul do something wey show im human heart. E begin call people by name. No be only famous leaders, but people wey host, helpers, relatives and people wey dem lock up together with am, hard workers wey dem for forget dem names. Paul want make dem remember every one of dem.

Di first name na Phoebe. I dey recommend to una Phoebe our sister, wey be servant of di church for Cenchreae. Cenchreae na one port just outside Corinth, and Phoebe dey serve di church there. Paul ask di Romans make dem welcome her for di Lord, as God people suppose do, and make dem help her with anything wey she need. Why? Because, e talk, she don help plenty people, and me too. Helper. Supporter. Somebody wey don stand behind plenty people, including Paul. Phoebe dey travel go Rome, and most people wey study dis letter believe say na she carry am go there.

Then di greetings come. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers, wey put dem own neck for danger for my life. No be only me dey thank dem, but all di churches of di Gentiles. Greet di church wey dey meet for dem house. Greet Epaenetus, di first person for Asia wey believe for Christ. Greet Mary, wey work hard well well for una. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives, wey dey prison with me, wey get big name among di apostles, and wey dey for Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, wey I love. And e continue. Urbanus. Stachys. Apelles, wey dem don test and e stand. Di households of Aristobulus and Narcissus. Herodion, another relative.

Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, wey dey work hard for di Lord. Greet my dear Persis, wey don work very hard. Greet Rufus, wey di Lord choose, and im mother, wey don be mother to me too. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas. Philologus and Julia. Nereus and im sister. Olympas. And all di believers wey dey with dem. Di list long, men and women, slaves and free people, Jewish names and Greek and Latin ones. Every one of dem matter to Paul. Then e end: Make una greet one another with holy kiss. All di churches of Christ greet una.

Corinth dey on top one narrow piece of land between two seas, and e get two harbours. Lechaeum face west, toward Italy. Cenchreae face east, toward di Saronic Gulf, toward Asia. Di geographer Strabo describe both. Ships and goods dey pass there every time, and dat one make Corinth correct place to send letter from. Some verses after, Paul even pass greetings from Erastus, di treasurer of di city.

Phoebe carry di letter. You go find her, and all dis friends, for Romans chapter sixteen, verse one to sixteen. One big letter about di grace of God wey end with one big list of names, because di gospel na always about people. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. If you write list of di people wey don help your faith, whose names go dey inside?