There are no self made men or women, though pride encourages that deception.

Likewise, when it comes to Kingdom “success”, no one “arrives” through their own efforts.

Those who are amazed at the zeal and knowledge of the Apostle Paul and the powerful impact that he made on his generation, and all subsequent generations, might be surprised to learn that he had “backing”!

We read in Romans 16:7:   “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Messiah before I was.”

So, there were relatives who were believers before Paul.

What do you think they were doing while their relative, Saul of Tarsus (Paul), was busy persecuting fellow Jews who simply believed Yeshua was the Messiah?

I suspect they were fasting and praying on behalf of their relative Paul; and asking the Living God, the God of Israel who alone works wonders (Psalm 73), to miraculously redirect Paul’s energy away from persecuting Yeshua (Acts 9:4-5; 22:7-8; 26:14-15), persecuting and destroying the church (Acts 26:11; Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:6), and even blaspheming God (1 Tim. 1:13), towards building up and furthering the Kingdom of God (Gal. 1:23)  Perhaps they even shared with him their faith and belief that Yeshua was the fulfillment of the messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures.

They haven’t received much press.  This little verse acknowledges them.  We who have read and been edified by these books:

Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, Titus, Ephesians, Philippians, Galatians, Colossians, Philemon,  and 1 & 2 Timothy

have those obscure people to thank.  It has been said that the LORD does nothing without someone praying.  For some reason, in the divine economy, intercessory prayer is the catalyst for the “chemical reaction” which synthesizes God’s sovereign power and unfailing love with our needs, be they spiritual, physical or emotional, into His  marvelous works!

What if you have never had exposure to the Bible, and frankly couldn’t care less about this guy Paul and his relatives?

Well, you’ve heard, as Paul quoted Yeshua in Acts 20:35: ” ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

You’ve heard, “But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” — again, Paul.  (1 Cor. 13:13)

Western culture and governments were strongly influenced at certain points in history by the Bible, including Paul’s writings.  Various social institutions were conceived:  Hospitals, hospices, orphanages, food banks.  His legal mind, as revealed in the Book of Romans, is an early example of Judeo-Christian ethics influencing judicial thought.

Paul’s writings are brilliant and extensive.   I encourage you to examine the following list of topics which he covered in his letters that were canonized as Scripture, to see which ones are relevant to your life:

How to find peace with God; the ‘why’ of evil in the world; the wisdom of man vs. the wisdom of God; making relationships work; marriage & family matters; love, money, philosophy, prayer and spiritual gifts; Israel and the Jewish people in God’s plan; the relationship between the Church and Israel; how to be free from sin; how to relate to government, to the poor, to the rich; how to resolve conflicts and deal with enemies; how to find freedom from fear & bondage to self and others; lawsuits; sexual boundaries; relating to food; Satan and the spirit realm; resurrection and the afterlife; dealing with emotional and life pressures; future judgment and accountability; giving to others; putting sorrow in perspective; predestination; Torah; purpose & destiny; the unfathomable riches that belong to every believer; how to find joy and victory; connecting to community; walking wisely in a crazy world; how young men are to relate to young women; description of the end times and remedy for related fears; requirements for leadership; how to not be deceived; and of course, the magnificence of the Messiah.

Andronicus and Junias, Jews who believed in Yeshua during frightful times under Roman occupation, probably had no idea how mightily their lives and prayers would impact humanity over twenty centuries.

What can we learn from them?

Do not underestimate the power of praying for others that you know and love.  This includes those who are hostile to you and your beliefs.

Think big.  Pray big prayers. Pray for those who despise the things of God.  They could be Pauls for this distressed generation.