Romans 16:8-11 Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord.… I. THEIR NAMES. "Citizen" and "Ear of Corn," suggestive of — 1. Town and country. (1) Urbanus may well represent a busy civic character, bringing all the qualities necessary for and exhibited in commercial and political life to the service of the Church. The modern Urbanus is the consecrated merchant or town councillor. (2) Stachys may represent the Lady Bountiful of some rural district whose temperament, unfit for the bustle and fashion of the city, is exactly suited to the quiet work and influence of the village church. 2. Polish and simplicity. (1) Urbane is a word that has become technical for refined manners, and we may imagine Urbanus combining business energy with gentlemanly deportment — two things which should never be separated certainly in church life. (2) In Stachys we miss much of the polish and suavity of Urbanus, but there is a charm about her natural homely manners that renders her, in her sphere, no less useful. II. THEIR PLACE IN HISTORY. Who they were no one knows: yet every one would like to know. No unenviable position. There are many whom we know well that we wish we knew nothing about. A stroke of the pen, however, has made them immortal. There were those then living who would have given thousands of gold and silver for a similar record in a book far less widely circulated than the Bible. Urbanus and Stachys are known through the wide world eighteen centuries after their death, and learned men are making researches if haply they may find their names on some tomb or in some contemporary record. Why this? Simply because of their relationship with Christ and His Church. So millions to-day whom no historian would think worth mentioning are in the Lamb's Book of Life, and wilt be held forth for the admiration of a universe when many of the world's greatest names shall have perished. III. THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO THE APOSTLE. Urbanus was "our helper." Stachys was "my beloved." The one sustained a general relationship to Paul and to others beside Paul: but the other sustained a special relationship to the apostle himself. We have all a circle of acquaintances wide enough to include a great many; but we have also an inner circle where few indeed move. The former belong to others as well as us; the latter to ourselves alone. And so in the Church. There are scores perhaps that may be depended on to do general work for the common good, but there are only a few whom the minister may count as his own, and upon whom he may depend for special work out of peculiar regard for himself. IV. THEIR ENCOMIUM. 1. Urbanus with his masculine qualities is an active helper. Useful in many a good word and work he is a man to admire. He makes his mark, is always in evidence, and men wonder how the Church would get on without him. 2. But Stachys is a woman to be loved. She can only pray, give the apostle many a quiet word of encouragement, and do such unobtrusive work as her nervous shrinking temperament will enable her to do. Here we have Martha and Mary, Peter and John over again.Conclusion — 1. Let each do what he or she can, each in his own way in the Church. 2. Let each receive timely and fitting encouragement. 3. Let each be sure of an appropriate reward. (J. W. Burn.) Parallel Verses KJV: Greet Amplias my beloved in the Lord. |
    |