Hidden in the final chapter of Romans is something that reads almost like the end credits of a film -- a long list of names that most of us are tempted to skip right over. But what if those names carry some of the most powerful spiritual lessons in the entire letter? Among them is Junia, a woman described as outstanding among the apostles, who alongside Andronicus endured the very real dangers of Roman imprisonment for the sake of the gospel. Their story challenges us to ask a hard but necessary question: what are we actually willing to risk for our faith? The early church was not a homogenous group of like-minded people -- it was a stunning diversity of Jews and Greeks, slaves and free, men and women, all brought together by the good news of Jesus. These names are not filler. They are a testimony to what the gospel does in the world, and a mirror held up to our own lives and commitments. It is a story in which reminds us that God pour out his Spirit on all people, both women and men.
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