Tryphena and Tryphosa

Biblical Record

The two women appear only in the list of greetings in Romans 16. As Paul concludes his letter to the church at Rome, he greets a number of believers by name, and among them he writes, "Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labour in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, which laboured much in the Lord" (Romans 16:12).

Scripture records only their names and the commendation that they "labour in the Lord." Their origins, family relationships, responsibilities in the church, and later lives are not recorded. Because both names are feminine in the Greek text, the two are understood to have been women.

Significance Within Scripture

The Greek verb rendered "labour" means to toil or to exert oneself strenuously. Paul also used this word to describe his own gospel ministry (1 Corinthians 15:10; Galatians 4:11). The verse is therefore read as indicating that the two women were actively engaged in demanding service in the Roman church.

Romans 16 names several women, including Phoebe, Priscilla and Aquila, Junia, and Persis (Romans 16:1–7). Tryphena and Tryphosa are among them and are often mentioned alongside these figures in discussions of the roles women believers held in the early church.

Interpretations and Points of Discussion

• Their relationship: Because their names appear side by side and are similar names derived from the same root, a widely known interpretation holds that they were sisters, or perhaps twins. The text, however, says nothing about their relationship, so this remains conjecture.
• Meaning of the names: Both names are understood to be related to a Greek word meaning "delicate" or "dainty." They are also known to appear in Roman inscriptions of the period. On this basis some have suggested that the two were slaves or freedwomen, but this has not been established.
• The nature of their "labor": The text does not say whether this labor consisted of evangelism, teaching, charitable relief, or service to a house church. Denominations differ in how they relate this verse to women's roles in church ministry and to the question of the ordination of women. Denominations that ordain women as pastors cite the verse as one piece of evidence that women were partners in ministry. Denominations that do not ordain women value women's devotion highly but hold that the verse does not refer to any particular church office.
• Distinction from later tradition: A queen named Tryphaena appears in the apocryphal Acts of Paul and Thecla, but she is regarded as a different person from the Tryphena of Romans.

In the Korean Church

In Korean churches, sermons on Romans 16 often present the two women, together with other figures in the chapter, as examples of workers who served quietly and without recognition. They are also mentioned in contexts that encourage women's mission societies and church volunteers.