Romans 16:1

Romans 16:1. commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is. servant of the church that is at Cenchreae:

'Commend' -to introduce favorably, 'the regular word for letters of commendation' (2 Corinthians 3:1). So here verses. and. constitute Paul's recommendation of Phoebe, the bearer of the Epistle.' (Robertson p. 425)

'It was common then, as now, to bear letters of introduction to strangers, commending the person thus introduced to the favorable regards and attentions of those to whom the letters were addressed.' (Barnes p. 332)

Such. letter of commendation accompanied Apollos when he went to preach in Corinth. (Acts 18:27)

'The fact that this commendation is placed first, that it assumes simultaneous arrival of Phoebe and Paul's letter in Rome, and that no other person besides her is mentioned in this commendation, forms the basis for the conclusion that she was the bearer of Paul's letter to Rome.' (Lenski p. 898)

Other Christians would be the personal bearers of other letters written by Paul (Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7).

'Phoebe' -(FEE bih). Her name means "bright or radiant".

Point to Note:

'In. long list of lovely people Paul begins with. woman! Chauvinist indeed. In. list of 27 people Paul makes no allusion to the office of "universal bishop" or its equivalent. Nor does he say hello to anyone in such an office. Does this silence say nothing?' (McGuiggan p. 439)

'who is. servant' -the word 'servant' has created quite. stir here, seeing that many translator's chose to add in the side ref., 'or Deaconess'.

Points to Note:

1. The same word 'servant' is often used of male Christians, without any hint that we are to consider such men to be deacons. In fact, in those passages the translators didn't add the side ref., 'or deacons'. (See 1 Timothy 4:6; Colossians 1:7; Colossians 4:7) The same Greek word is applied to civil authorities (Romans 13:4), Jesus Christ (Romans 15:8), Paul and Apollos (1 Corinthians 3:5). Paul often uses the same word (translated 'minister') when speaking of himself (Ephesians 3:7; Colossians 1:23; Colossians 1:25), and from the qualifications laid down for 'deacons', we know that Paul wasn't calling himself. deacon. (1 Timothy 3:12) In the vast majority of cases, the word simply means. 'servant', one who ministers, without any idea of an official office.

2. The 'women' mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:11. must be the wives of the deacons, seeing that before and after this verse, the qualifications for deacons specifically apply to men. (Romans 3:8 'men of dignity'; Romans 3:12 'Let deacons be husbands of only one wife.')

'However, because the passage is sandwiched between various qualifications for deacons, the most natural reference would be to the wives of those being considered for deacons...but because Paul says of deacons that they "must be the husband of but one wife" (1 Timothy 3:12), he does not appear to include women in that office.'

3. 'In Romans 16:1 Phoebe is described as. diakonos, but since the form is masculine, without article, and since the first indications of an office of "deaconess" appear only in the 3rd cent., it is highly doubtful that the verse refers to. specific and definite church office.'

4. 'We can get caught in the same trap of word usage when Paul refers to Phoebe as. "servant" (Romans 16:1).. possible rendering of the word "servant" is the word "deaconess", at least if one overlooks the fact that only the masculine word for the word "deacon" is found in Scripture. (There is no feminine form of the Greek word for deacon).'

This whole discussion is very frustrating, seeing that there wasn't. consistent or impelling reason to place "or deaconess" in the side reference.

'that is at Cenchreae' -(SEN krih uh)-a seaport town in Greece about. miles east of Corinth. (Nelsons p. 213) 'A village, it existed solely for the transportation of goods to and from Corinth and across the isthmus. Rather than sail around dangerous Cape Malea, the southern tip of the Peloponnesus, ships were dragged across the isthmus from Cenchreae to Lechaeum, the western habor of Corinth on sleds.' (Zond. Ency. p. 771)

Evidently. church existed in this town, as well as in Corinth.