Here it is: you wondered how it all began didn’t you?!!
“Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.” (Romans 16 v 5)
Immediately after the leaders Priscilla and Aquila are presented Paul is mentioning Epenetus. He may well have been placed here because he was also a Church leader. He is amongst the group led by Phoebe who are bringing this letter to the Church.
One thing is sure is that he was someone who people were still thankful to God for (which suited his name as it means Praise). Whether or not Epenetus had become a leader he had certainly grown in discipleship since the day of his conversion. The Orthodox Church believe he was one of the 70 Apostles (celebrated on January 4th). He was Paul’s dear friend.
That day (probably around 48-52 AD) when Epenetus gave his life to Christ the world of evangelism looked quite small. Just one man. However, look at the spread of the gospel now!
From one small seed …!
The next time you see someone come to Christ then pause long enough to understand that this person has a destiny greater than anyone could ever imagine.
Missions Paul 