Phoebe: A Servant-Leader
Kate introduces us to Phoebe and the role she played in the early church.
Phoebe is recognised by Paul as a trustworthy servant of the early church and a generous leader and was one of the many women who worked alongside him. She is only mentioned in a few verses but her life has such profound importance for us today.
‘I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.’(Romans 16:1-2)
Paul’s commendation of Phoebe
Many biblical scholars believe Phoebe delivered the letter to the Romans, a significant letter in the New Testament. Some have described her like an ambassador of Paul, therefore acting as his representative and asking the church in Rome to treat her like she is him. She was publicly recognised by Paul and he asked that she be received with honour. This was a recognition of her leadership within the church.
Phoebe takes Paul’s letter from Corinth to Rome. In the ancient world this is how significant information was communicated. Paul needed someone he could trust, who could read and would have been wealthy enough to travel. Some believe Phoebe may have written the letter with Paul. This is because travelling was dangerous so if part of the letter was damaged the letter bearer would be able to relay the information since they had a full understanding of the original message. After reading it to the recipients, the letter bearer would also be asked questions about the message and would have to explain the content of the letter. Scholars have debated whether Phoebe read or helped write the letter. Whether she did or not, however, she would have been with Paul and he would have explained the content to her so that she was equipped to teach others. The implication of Paul choosing Phoebe – a woman – is significant, in an era when women did not typically have a public voice.
A deacon
As a sister in Christ to Paul, Phoebe is a follower of Jesus, part of the church and is the first deaconess mentioned in the book of Romans. The title deacon must have been used in the church in Corinth and Rome. Acts chapter 6 and 1 Timothy chapter 3 indicate that a deacon is someone who serves the church and leads in taking care of others. We can therefore assume Phoebe was involved in a leadership capacity as a deacon in the church at Cenchreae. We can also note that Paul recognised she was a gifted leader and that her gifts would be helpful to the church in Rome as they received his letter.
Help her in whatever she may need from you
We can suppose Phoebe was sent to help advance God’s kingdom across Europe, Paul asks the Roman church to help her in this. She was a missionary leader!
Benefactor or Patron of many
In Roman society a patron was someone of financial means and social standing who supported others. The Roman world worked on a deferential system where slaves or servants would look to a wealthy or influential patron who would advocate for their clients. As a patron Phoebe was an influential woman. Phoebe would have demonstrated herself as a kind and generous woman, looking after others including Paul. However, some scholars believe she may have started off as a slave due to the name Phoebe being that of a slave. We do not know how she then became wealthy but who else better to discuss Paul’s writings on slavery and adoption. If she had been a slave Phoebe is maybe the embodiment of the adoption Romans talks about, a former slave who is now an heir.
What does Phoebe tell us about God?
• Women are woven into God’s plan and have an equally important role to play as men.
• In society, authority was a matter of gender, class and origin but Christianity and God’s kingdom changed that.
What does Pheobe’s life teach us today?
• Women can be active leaders in the church.
• Right at the beginning of the formation of the early church women had influence and held leadership positions.
• Social and financial influence can be used for God’s kingdom.
What is God calling you to?
