Lives of Scripture

Persis is named only once in Scripture, among the long list of personal greetings Paul sends at the close of his letter to the Romans (Romans 16:1-16). Most names on the list receive a bare mention, but Paul singles out a handful, including Persis, with a specific commendation: "Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord" (16:12). The same phrase -- "worked hard" -- is used of at least two other women in this chapter (Mary, v. 6, and Tryphaena and Tryphosa, also v. 12), suggesting sustained, costly labor in gospel ministry rather than a passing courtesy. Nothing else is recorded about Persis: not her role, her location within Rome, or the nature of her work. What Scripture does preserve is Paul's evident personal affection and respect for her -- "the beloved" -- and public acknowledgment that her labor for Christ's church was real and worth naming, even though the details have not survived.