Loading summary

Transcript1 lines

[00:08]
A
Welcome to another week of our podcast, Things Unseen. I wonder if you've ever noticed when you've been reading Paul's letters, that he mentions a remarkable number of fellow Christians. Actually, there are dozens and dozens of them, and we wouldn't know of their existence apart from these little cameos that he sometimes paints. And they give us hints of what these people were like and what they meant to him and how some of them helped him. The name that often pops up in my mind when I think of these people is one that he mentions in Romans, chapter 16, verse 13. He refers to a man called Rufus, and he describes him as chosen in the Lord. But all Christians are chosen in the Lord. So why would Paul say that, particularly about Rufus? I suspect because this was the Rufus who had a remarkable connection to the Lord Jesus. I think he was probably the Rufus who's mentioned by Mark in Mark, chapter 15, verse 21, the son of Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus cross. Mark would only have mentioned Rufus and his brother Alexander in that passage if they were well known to the Church. But then Paul also mentions Alexander and Rufus mother and says this lovely thing about her. She has been a mother to me as well. Isn't that beautiful? I wonder if this kind of feature in the Bible appreciation of an otherwise unknown lady who had obviously been such a blessing to Paul has the same effect on you as it does on me. It makes me think about people who have helped me in my own Christian life that most people don't know very much about. So I hope you'll not think I'm lapsing into a new phase of narcissism this week. If I mention some of these people. I don't want to draw attention to myself here, but honestly, to think about people who are hidden away in our lives, just as Rufus mother would be hidden away in Paul's life. And we wouldn't know anything about her if he hadn't devoted a sentence to her in Romans. And I hope this will encourage you to reflect with gratitude on the hidden people who have been a help and blessing to you as well. You remember Paul's Exhortation in Philippians 4:10, what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Of course, that was part of his special role as an apostle, to model the Christian life. But he also tells us to honor those who similarly follow Christ faithfully. That's because Christian faith and life are not merely matters of book learning. As though being a Christian was basically a matter of opening the Bible, studying it and asking, so what do I need to do to make a success of this? Note the Christian life is not only about knowing, but it's also about being. It's not merely about what we know, but about what we become because of what we know. So, for example, Ligonier's Daily renewing your mind is full of biblical instruction, but its ultimate purpose is not only the renewal of our minds, but what flows from that, as Romans 12:1 and 2 underline, namely being transformed into the likeness of the Lord Jesus. So being a Christian can be something that's caught caught from others as well as taught. It's about a new way of living, about a style, about an atmosphere, about a manner of life that's worthy of Jesus. And we often learn that through the people who have helped us. So I want to encourage you to think about these people in your own life. As I share with you some reflections on the people who have helped me. Let's pause to thank God for them and to ask him to help us follow their example. I suspect that if you start doing that, you'll soon feel, as I do, that you're in the same boat as the author of the Letter to the Hebrews when he says towards the end of his list of the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, that time would fail to tell of all the people who come to mind. So I'm not alone, I think, in feeling that what I am as a Christian and who I am as a Christian is in very large measure the fruit of other people's loving investment in my own life. Probably most of them have very little idea how much they've done to help me, and I suspect they wouldn't be able to take it in if I tried to tell them as I've sometimes done. I've breathed in the atmosphere of the grace of Christ that they breathed out, and it's been a tremendous help to me. So I'm going to have to limit my list of heroes of the faith, and perhaps it's a good thing for us to do that ourselves. And this week I want to mention a few people who helped me from my days as a young teenage Christian when I was around 15 to the day I became a minister when I was 23. And I suspect that each day this week, simply by talking about them, I'm going to feel even more grateful for their influence. Especially because the people I want to mention are not the well known Christians who have influenced me, but the hidden people that you'll never meet until perhaps you meet them in glory and say, oh, I think I know who you are. I heard about you on things Unseen. So join us again tomorrow. But perhaps today you should start thinking with gratitude of the people who are hidden away in your life and have been major blessings to you. And I hope you'll join us tomorrow.

Summary4 min read

Podcast Summary: "Our Hidden Helpers"

Podcast: Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson
Host: Ligonier Ministries
Date: August 10, 2026
Episode Theme: Recognizing the Hidden Helpers in Our Christian Lives

Episode Overview

In this episode, Sinclair B. Ferguson invites listeners to consider the often unnoticed people who play a vital role in shaping our Christian journey. Drawing inspiration from Paul’s personal greetings and mentions in his New Testament letters, Ferguson encourages gratitude for the “hidden helpers”—those quiet but significant influences who embody faithfulness and grace, even while remaining unknown to the wider world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Bible’s Portraits of Hidden Helpers

Paul’s Many Mentions: Ferguson points out Paul’s habit of naming fellow Christians, such as Rufus and his mother, in passages like Romans 16:13. These passing mentions reveal the significance of people otherwise unknown to history.
- “Paul also mentions Alexander and Rufus’ mother and says this lovely thing about her: she has been a mother to me as well. Isn’t that beautiful?” (01:54)
Special Connections: Ferguson speculates that the Rufus mentioned by Paul may be the same one referenced in Mark’s gospel as the son of Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus’ cross (Mark 15:21).

2. Personal Reflection and Application

Remembering Quiet Influences: The short biblical vignettes remind Ferguson of those “hidden away in our lives” who have deeply impacted his faith.
- “It makes me think about people who have helped me in my own Christian life that most people don’t know very much about.” (03:08)
Encouragement to Listeners: He invites listeners to reflect with gratitude on similar people in their own lives.
- “I hope this will encourage you to reflect with gratitude on the hidden people who have been a help and blessing to you as well.” (04:05)

3. Christian Formation: Caught and Taught

Beyond Book Learning: Ferguson stresses that Christian faith “is not merely matters of book learning” but about “what we become because of what we know.”
Transformation in Community: The process of becoming Christlike is caught from others' lives and examples as much as it is taught through doctrine.
- “Being a Christian can be something that’s caught—caught from others as well as taught.” (06:00)
- He links the transformation described in Romans 12:1-2 with the influence of community and spiritual atmosphere.

4. Affirming the Faithful Unknowns

Scriptural Example: Citing Hebrews 11’s list of the faithful, Ferguson identifies with the author’s feeling that “time would fail” to mention all the people who have influenced his spiritual formation.
- “I suspect that if you start doing that, you’ll soon feel, as I do, that you’re in the same boat as the author of the Letter to the Hebrews when he says...that time would fail to tell of all the people who come to mind.” (08:07)
Humility of Helpers: Ferguson notes that these influential people often have “very little idea how much they’ve done to help me.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Rufus’ Mother’s Influence:
“She has been a mother to me as well. Isn’t that beautiful?” (01:54)
The Impact of Hidden People:
“Honestly, to think about people who are hidden away in our lives, just as Rufus’ mother would be hidden away in Paul’s life. And we wouldn’t know anything about her if he hadn’t devoted a sentence to her in Romans.” (03:55)
Transformation Through Community:
“Being a Christian can be something that’s caught—caught from others as well as taught. It’s about a new way of living, about a style, about an atmosphere, about a manner of life that’s worthy of Jesus.” (06:00)
Gratitude for Help Received:
“What I am as a Christian and who I am as a Christian is in very large measure the fruit of other people’s loving investment in my own life.” (08:30)

Important Timestamps

00:08 – Introduction to Paul's lists of fellow believers and the story of Rufus and his mother
01:54 – Reflection on the significance of Rufus’ mother in Paul’s life
04:05 – Encouragement for listeners to identify their own “hidden helpers”
06:00 – Discussion of faith as both taught and caught
08:07 – Reference to Hebrews 11 and the challenge of thanking all who’ve helped
08:30 – Personal gratitude for the investment of others

Conclusion

Ferguson closes by previewing the week’s theme: a gratitude-filled reflection on the little-known yet pivotal “hidden helpers” from his own life, with encouragement for listeners to do the same. By highlighting the value of these quiet influencers, the episode fosters a spirit of humility, thankfulness, and deeper awareness of the communal nature of Christian growth.

Join tomorrow’s episode to continue hearing about these unsung heroes of faith—perhaps inspiring you to honor those hidden helpers in your own journey.

Loading summary

Transcript1 lines

[00:08]
A
Welcome to another week of our podcast, Things Unseen. I wonder if you've ever noticed when you've been reading Paul's letters, that he mentions a remarkable number of fellow Christians. Actually, there are dozens and dozens of them, and we wouldn't know of their existence apart from these little cameos that he sometimes paints. And they give us hints of what these people were like and what they meant to him and how some of them helped him. The name that often pops up in my mind when I think of these people is one that he mentions in Romans, chapter 16, verse 13. He refers to a man called Rufus, and he describes him as chosen in the Lord. But all Christians are chosen in the Lord. So why would Paul say that, particularly about Rufus? I suspect because this was the Rufus who had a remarkable connection to the Lord Jesus. I think he was probably the Rufus who's mentioned by Mark in Mark, chapter 15, verse 21, the son of Simon of Cyrene, the man who carried Jesus cross. Mark would only have mentioned Rufus and his brother Alexander in that passage if they were well known to the Church. But then Paul also mentions Alexander and Rufus mother and says this lovely thing about her. She has been a mother to me as well. Isn't that beautiful? I wonder if this kind of feature in the Bible appreciation of an otherwise unknown lady who had obviously been such a blessing to Paul has the same effect on you as it does on me. It makes me think about people who have helped me in my own Christian life that most people don't know very much about. So I hope you'll not think I'm lapsing into a new phase of narcissism this week. If I mention some of these people. I don't want to draw attention to myself here, but honestly, to think about people who are hidden away in our lives, just as Rufus mother would be hidden away in Paul's life. And we wouldn't know anything about her if he hadn't devoted a sentence to her in Romans. And I hope this will encourage you to reflect with gratitude on the hidden people who have been a help and blessing to you as well. You remember Paul's Exhortation in Philippians 4:10, what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you. Of course, that was part of his special role as an apostle, to model the Christian life. But he also tells us to honor those who similarly follow Christ faithfully. That's because Christian faith and life are not merely matters of book learning. As though being a Christian was basically a matter of opening the Bible, studying it and asking, so what do I need to do to make a success of this? Note the Christian life is not only about knowing, but it's also about being. It's not merely about what we know, but about what we become because of what we know. So, for example, Ligonier's Daily renewing your mind is full of biblical instruction, but its ultimate purpose is not only the renewal of our minds, but what flows from that, as Romans 12:1 and 2 underline, namely being transformed into the likeness of the Lord Jesus. So being a Christian can be something that's caught caught from others as well as taught. It's about a new way of living, about a style, about an atmosphere, about a manner of life that's worthy of Jesus. And we often learn that through the people who have helped us. So I want to encourage you to think about these people in your own life. As I share with you some reflections on the people who have helped me. Let's pause to thank God for them and to ask him to help us follow their example. I suspect that if you start doing that, you'll soon feel, as I do, that you're in the same boat as the author of the Letter to the Hebrews when he says towards the end of his list of the heroes of the faith in Hebrews 11, that time would fail to tell of all the people who come to mind. So I'm not alone, I think, in feeling that what I am as a Christian and who I am as a Christian is in very large measure the fruit of other people's loving investment in my own life. Probably most of them have very little idea how much they've done to help me, and I suspect they wouldn't be able to take it in if I tried to tell them as I've sometimes done. I've breathed in the atmosphere of the grace of Christ that they breathed out, and it's been a tremendous help to me. So I'm going to have to limit my list of heroes of the faith, and perhaps it's a good thing for us to do that ourselves. And this week I want to mention a few people who helped me from my days as a young teenage Christian when I was around 15 to the day I became a minister when I was 23. And I suspect that each day this week, simply by talking about them, I'm going to feel even more grateful for their influence. Especially because the people I want to mention are not the well known Christians who have influenced me, but the hidden people that you'll never meet until perhaps you meet them in glory and say, oh, I think I know who you are. I heard about you on things Unseen. So join us again tomorrow. But perhaps today you should start thinking with gratitude of the people who are hidden away in your life and have been major blessings to you. And I hope you'll join us tomorrow.