Sermon Central
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Phoebe Series
Contributed by John Lowe on Jun 16, 2022 (message contributor)
Summary: Phoebe was one of the first women leaders in the early church. In fact, she may have been the first woman deacon. The term “ diakonos ” used here to describe Phoebe is the same term given to Paul, Apollos, Timothy, and many others.
Paul’s appositives1 show Phoebe probably led the Cenchrean congregation that probably met in her home (Finger 1988:5). She served as a minister like Paul (Ephesians 3:7), Tychicus (Ephesians 6:21), Epaphras (Colossians 1:7), and Timothy (1 Timothy 4:6). She freely gave her wealth to finance and spread the new faith.
1. Appositive - An appositive is a noun or a noun phrase that sits next to another noun to rename it or describe it in another way.
Some background
Cenchrea, a port five miles east of Corinth, faces the eastern Mediterranean; perhaps Phoebe’s business involved trade with Asia. Corinth, the site of another early church, faces west to the Ionian Sea and Rome. Perhaps Phoebe’s Roman trip involved plans for westward expansion.
In typical fashion, the Bible shares nothing of Phoebe’s age, ethnicity, or marital status; it omits how she became a believer and made her money. Instead, another (in this case, Paul) describes her. Others praise them. Like Tabitha in Acts 9:36–43, Phoebe remains silent.
Her Saint’s Day is September 3. The art throughout the ages depicts Phoebe, robed in red or purple, as a woman of peaceful face, direct gaze, and graceful hands.
The First Accolade: Adelphe—sister
Endearingly calling her “our sister,” Paul claims Phoebe as family. Church Father John Chrysostom (347–407 C.E.), Bishop of Constantinople, observed that honoring Phoebe like this was “no slight thing.”
In some New Testament translations, Paul similarly names only Apphia (Philemon 2) as “sister.” Paul calls Timothy (1 Thessalonians 3:2), Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25), and Philemon (Philemon 7, 20) “brother.”
The Second Accolade: Diakonos—servant, deacon, minister
Diakonos is translated as “deacon” by the N.I.V. and carries the textual note, “servant.” The NRSV (New Revised Standard Version) similarly uses “deacon” but gives an alternative, “minister.”
However, deacon, as it evolved and is now recognized, became part of ecclesiastical governance only in the fourth century (Jankiewicz 2013:11).
Jewish insights aid in understanding diakonos in Phoebe’s day. The Complete Jewish Bible calls Phoebe “the shamash of the congregation at Cenchreae.” A shamash directs and leads public worship.
Since diakonos also designates Jesus and Paul but calls them “ministers” (Romans 15:8, 16 K.J.V.), it seems odd that when associated with Phoebe, it becomes “servant” and “deacon.”
A proper reading indicates Phoebe was a minister to the whole church at Cenchrea and not one who served in an office limited only to women (Schussler Fiorenza 1986:425).
The term also refers to a letter carrier (Wilder 2013:44, 46). If Phoebe carried the letter in her luggage or on her person to Rome, she probably delivered it to the house churches in Rome.
To insure against transit loss, she probably memorized it. Phoebe could step aside during her delivery, explain its tricky parts, answer questions, and then resume recitation (Chapple 2011:212–213).
Phoebe undoubtedly updated the Roman believers on the news from the Corinth and Cenchrea congregations. If she understood Paul’s thinking, she likely participated in the letter’s formation. Perhaps Tertius, the one penning the epistle (Romans 16:22), was her paid scribe.
