Most would agree that Romans is the most consequential book in the New Testament when it comes to theology—certainly when speaking of a theology of Israel. Where would the Messianic movement be without Romans 11? Martin Luther was inspired by it to start a revolution in the church. Wesley came to faith through Luther’s preface to his commentary on this crucial letter. Where would the Messianic movement be without Romans 11?
And yet, Paul did not have a publisher. He could not disseminate his letter via Facebook, as I will this blog later today. And, he was not in Rome at the time of his writing. Romans 1:11 speaks of his longing to get to Rome. He was held up in Cenchreae, according to David Pawson, “the worst part of Corinth, the red-light district there.” How would he get his letter to the Romans? Keep reading.
Phoebe also comes from Cenchreae. Paul says of her,
“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 to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me” (Rom 16:1-2).
That is it. We hear nothing more about our dear ancestor in the faith. So, what do we know?
1. Paul commends her to the Roman elders. Letters of commendation were common in the first century. “Travelers could not count on public facilities for food or lodging, so they had to rely on networks of personal relationships.” 1
2. And, while “deacon” diákonos actually means servant, it would appear that this is an official position within the congregation. The first deacons were men (Acts 6), but it is clear that women eventually had this role as well, as Paul gives standards for deaconesses. (1 Tim. 3:11).
3. Paul expects the elders of the Roman congregation to receive her.
4. She has money and uses it for the kingdom. “For she has been the benefactor of many people.” The word in Greek for “benefactor” is parastatis and the ESV translates it as “patron.” It’s very interesting that Paul would refer to her positively as a patron. Roman culture a patron with someone who would take care of people of a lower social status. In exchange, those people would sing the praises of their patron. This is one of the reasons that Paul did not accept help in certain areas. He did not want anyone to think of him as a “client.”
Patronage or “clientela” was a huge part of Roman culture. It went against New Testament values. This is one of the reasons that Paul wrote Philippians, to teach leaders to consider those under their authority, “count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Phil 3b-4). For Paul to refer to her as a patron, meant that she had her heart in the right place when she helped the saints.
5. We can speculate that she was a businesswoman, that she traveled quite a bit. That explains why she was on her way from Corinth to Rome. Many believe that she came to faith through Paul’s ministry. And to repay him, not that any minister of the gospel should expect repayment for that which is free, she supported him. Paul is clear that her generosity included him.
6. By referring to her as “a servant of the church,” it is clear that “Phoebe was highly regarded in the church,” writes Bruce Barton.
7. But here is the most important function of our dear sister. She was most likely carrying precious cargo! The book of Romans. There was no postal service, FedEx or fax machine. All letters were hand-delivered. Therefore, you had to guard against forgeries. This is why in some letters, Paul is seeking to convince the recipients that it was indeed him writing (Gal. 6:11).
No matter who you are, Jew or Gentile, male or female, slave or free, God can use you. Maybe you are a Phoebe!
[1] Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary on the New Testament
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