AND SHE WILL BE CALLED...

We it's finally settled. After months of agonizing over what to name our little girl we have finally decided.

You see ever since we've found out that Sarah was expecting we've wanted to name the baby a name that had significance. It was made even more apparent when I went to Africa and was reminded by the wonderful people there just how important a person's name is to them. So Sarah and I knocked several names around and just really couldn't decide. We started off liking Chloe but we just weren't sure if that was it. We moved on to Piper and Annalee and even Emma. All of those are great but we just didn't know which one to choose.

We've actually been praying about it. I know that this may sound crazy for some of you reading this that we would pray over such a relatively simple decision but it's that important to us! Anyway last night I'm reading "The Timothy Diary" and there was an obscure reference to the "household of Chloe" in the Corinthian Church plants. Since this book is "historical fiction" I decided I needed to see if this name Chloe was really in the Bible or was this simply a part of the story by the author. Sure enough there it was..in verse 1:11...For it has been declared to me of you, my brothers, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you.

I guess I've never remembered reading her name before, but the name Chloe is in the Bible. So I've been trying to understand who this Chloe was...the name is only mentioned once and not much is known specifically about her...here's what some of the Bible commentators say about the matters...

JOHN WESLEY..Chloe - Whom some suppose to have been the wife of Stephanas, and the mother of Fortunatus and Achaicus. By these three the Corinthians had sent their letter to St. Paul.

OR

FROM UMC...The church community gathered in the triclinium ("three reclining places room" at left) for a meal before worship. The dining room of a Roman house, which would have been furnished with couches (lecti). After dinner, services were held in the tablinum, the office or study. If the group was large, people stood in the atrium or peristylium. the tablinum was the office of the male head of the household. In Roman society and the Corinthian church, who headed households also, meaning that some Christian group's met in a woman's office. Women in early Christianity took on some of the same leadership roles as men within the congregation. One such woman was Chloe (1 Corinthians 1:11). "Chloe's people" were slaves, freed persons, or both

Lorraine Cunningham, in her book, "Why Not Women" said..."It seems Chloe was more than a homeowner, she was a leader in the Corinthian house churches. If she was a leader, Paul's letter takes on a new urgency. Paul wasn't responding to some idle gossip that had made its way to him. He was responding to the report of an official delegation sent by one of the church's leaders. And he took her report seriously. Paul [obviously] considered her assessment to be trustworthy. Because he believed the evaluation on the condition of God's people, we have the letter of 1 Corinthians. (pg 147/148).

Well needless to say I'm pretty excited that a name we like is after all in God's Word. I'm even more thrilled that her role in one of the house churches of Corinth was apparent and Paul obviously trusted her leadership and judgment to know that he needed to write a letter.

For Sarah and me the issue is now settled! Our little girl will be Chloe Annalee Gibson and may she be the hands or feet for the Kingdom of God and the declarer of truth to lost people around the globe!