Lives of Scripture
Rome
Capital of the empire that ruled the whole New Testament world, Rome itself is mentioned less often in Scripture than the emperors and officials who governed in its name, but it is the city Paul had long wanted to visit (Romans 1:10-13; 15:22-24) and the destination of his letter to the Romans, written to a church already established there before he ever arrived. Aquila and Priscilla had been expelled from Rome under Claudius's edict against Jews (Acts 18:2) before later returning. Paul finally reached the city as a prisoner appealing his case to Caesar, and spent two years there under guard, still preaching (Acts 28:14-31) — the point at which Acts's narrative ends, with the gospel having reached the empire's center.
References: Acts 2:10; Acts 18:2; Acts 28:14-16; Romans 1:7
People connected to Rome
- Andronicus (M) — a kinsman of Paul, imprisoned with him, greeted in the letter to this city
Romans 16:7
- Aquila (M) — hosted a church in this city, greeted by Paul in Romans
Romans 16:3-5
- Aristarchus (M) — accompanied Paul on the voyage that brought him a prisoner to this city
Acts 27:2
- Caesar (M) — the emperor whose image was on the tribute coin in Jesus's teaching
Mark 12:16-17
- Caesar (M) — the emperor to whom Paul appealed, carrying his case to this city
Acts 28:19
- Caesar Augustus (M) — this empire's first emperor, whose census decree reached Judea
Luke 2:1
- Claudius (M) — emperor here, whose edict expelling Jews sent Aquila and Priscilla away
Acts 18:2
- Demas (M) — a fellow worker who deserted Paul here, having loved this present world
2 Timothy 4:10
- Epanetus (M) — greeted by Paul in this city as the first convert to Christ from Asia
Romans 16:5
- Epaphras (M) — of Colossae, Paul's fellow prisoner in this city
Philemon 1:23; Colossians 4:12
- Epaphroditus — sent by Philippi with a gift to Paul in this city, where he fell ill
Philippians 2:25-27
- Junia (M) — a kinsman of Paul, imprisoned with him, greeted in the letter to this city
Romans 16:7
- Mark (M) — with Paul during his imprisonment in this city
Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11
- Mary (F) — a hard worker in this church, greeted by name by Paul
Romans 16:6
- Onesimus (M) — the runaway slave converted by Paul during his imprisonment in this city
Philemon 1:10
- Onesiphorus (M) — searched hard for Paul in this city until he found him
2 Timothy 1:17
- Paul (M) — brought here as a prisoner, and preached the kingdom under guard
Acts 28:16; Acts 28:30-31
- Persis (F) — a woman of this church who worked hard in the Lord
Romans 16:12
- Priscilla (F) — hosted a church in this city with her husband Aquila
Romans 16:3-5
- Rufus (M) — greeted in this church as choice in the Lord
Romans 16:13
- Tychicus (M) — a courier of the letters Paul wrote from his imprisonment here
Colossians 4:7-8