PHOEBE: DEACON PATRONESS

We meet Phoebe via letter of recommendation from the Apostle Paul.

She included in the beginning of the end of Paul's letter to the Romans (chapter 16) where he appends an introduction of the letter bearer and extends his greetings to the church.

"I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord, as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well."

Romans 16:1-2

Since Phoebe is mentioned first and "commended" to the recipients by Paul, scholars agree that she is most likely the one who physically delivers the letter to the church in Rome—and maybe even reads it to them.

Paul's introduction of Phoebe is remarkable and stands as a reliable witness to Paul's view of women in leadership in the church.

Though some of his writings are regularly misinterpreted in an effort to silence women and prevent them from serving in leadership positions, here Paul clearly COMMENDS Phoebe as a saintly sister, a deacon, and a patron of the church.

Paul first introduces Phoebe to his readers as "our sister." Not "my sister" or "your sister," but "OUR sister." He wants them to know that the woman bearing his letter shares their faith—the same faith that Paul proclaims.

YES, SHE IS LITERALLY A "DEACON"

Paul describes her as a "deacon" (literally in the Greek: "diakonon") from the town of Cenchreae located on Corinth's eastern seaport and about 5-7 miles southeast of the city of Corinth.

Ancient Kechries [Cenchreae] on January 10, 2020.

SIDENOTE: Since there is no consensus on whether official church offices such as "deacon" and "elder" are set-up at this time (it's a little early for such formal structure), it's very clear that Phoebe is in a key position of leadership at the church in Cenchreae, and she is serving in the same capacity as her male counterparts.

Like many in Cenchreae and Corinth, Phoebe is wealthy. Paul makes sure to mention that she is both a philanthropist in her community and one of his patrons.

Paul requests that she be received in a manner "worthy of the saints." He obviously has great respect for her and entrusts her with his longest letter—the only letter he ever wrote to a community of believers he had not met in person.

Phoebe is Paul's chosen representative, and therefore, worthy of respect.

Paul requests not only that she be welcomed with honor but also assisted with anything she would need while in Rome. Why? Because she has a servant's heart and will probably take action wherever she sees a need.

You can read about Phoebe in Romans 16:1-2. Read these two verses slowly. Pause at each word Paul uses to describe her and imagine what a powerful and amazing woman she was.

Additional Resources:

• "Phoebe," Women’s Bible Commentary, 3rd Edition. Edited by Carol A. Newsom, Sharon H. Ringe, and Jacqueline E. Lapsley. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012), p. 555.

Commentaries on Romans:

• Romans, Rev. Ed. by F.F. Bruce. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, Vol. 6. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1985), pp252-253.
• "Romans" by Everett F. Harrison. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 10 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976), pp. 160-161.
• "The Epistle to the Romans," by John Knox and Gerald R. Cragg. The Interpreter's Bible, Vol. IX. (New York: Abingdon Press, 1954), pp. 653-655.
• The Epistle to the Romans by Leon Morris (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1988), pp. 527-530.

Photo Credits:

• Photo by Loren Joseph on Unsplash
• "Ancient Kechries on January 10, 2020" photo by George E. Koronaios, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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