“Claudia” by Mandy Jane Williams

“Do thy diligence to come before winter. Eubulus greeteth thee, and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.

The Lord Jesus Christ be with thy spirit. Grace be with you. Amen.”

2 Timothy 4:21

Claudia is mentioned in Paul’s second letter to Timothy which was written during Paul’s second imprisoned in Rome, where he was held for two years awaiting his trial before Nero. Timothy was serving as the bishop in Ephesus and Paul wrote to encourage him, to give him guidance, and sent him greetings from several of Roman saints who were with him in Rome. Paul wrote, “… Eubulus greeth thee and Pudens, and Linus, and Claudia, and all the brethren.” (2 Tim. 4: 21).

Claudia’s inclusion in this group of Roman saints is significant because this was an especially difficult time to be a Christian. In 64 AD a colossal fire raged through Rome for six day, burning most of the city. The people were outraged and Nero (who is widely regarded as the worst of all the Roman Emperors) refused to take responsibility for the fire and instead blamed the Christians for starting the fire. There was not any truth to this claim but nonetheless Christians were persecuted. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote about what it was like for the Christians in Rome during this time:  

“Therefore, to stop the rumor [that he had set Rome on fire], he [Emperor Nero] falsely charged with guilt, and punished with the most fearful tortures, the persons commonly called Christians, who were [generally] hated for their enormities… Accordingly first those were arrested who confessed they were Christians; next on their information, a vast multitude were convicted, not so much on the charge of burning the city, as of “hating the human race.”

In their very deaths they were made the subjects of sport: for they were covered with the hides of wild beasts, and worried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set fire to, and when the day waned, burned to serve for the evening lights.” (From The Annals of Imperial Rome)

In view of these persecutions it is easy to see how many Christians in Rome could have abandoned their faith. Paul told Timothy that when he went for his first meeting before Nero, “all men forsook me” (2 Tim. 4: 116) and that many of the previously stalwart saints had left the church. Paul wrote,

“… Demas hath forsaken me, having loved the present world and is departed unto Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me (2 Tim. 4: 10-11). 

Sadly we know that Paul was sentenced to death by Nero and was beheaded in Rome not long after his epistle to Timothy was written. Claudia and the other Roman saints would have felt the loss keenly and would have faced the continued challenge of living their faith amid increasing persecution and danger. While we know little about Claudia or what her role was in the early church, her inclusion in Paul’s list of faithful saints tells us much about her character. She was a woman who was willing to stand for Christ and her faith, even when others weren’t.