Phoebe (Bible)

Phoebe (Feben, Phebe) nowiki/>nowiki/>Koine_Greek:_;__la">Phœbē,_,_was_a_first-century_Christian_woman_mentioned_by_the_Paul_of_Tarsus.html" "title="Koine_Greek:_;__la.html" ;"title="Koine_Greek.html" ;"title="nowiki/>Koine Greek">nowiki/>Koine Greek: ; la">Phœbē, , was a first-century Christian woman mentioned by the Paul of Tarsus">Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, verses . A notable woman in the church of Kechries, Cenchreae, she was trusted by Paul to deliver his letter to the Romans.Quient, Allison. "Phoebe: Helper or Leader?" ''Arise'', 14 Mar 2013. Christians for Biblical Equality

Paul refers to her both as a "servant" or "deacon" (Greek ''diakonos'') and as a helper or patron of many (Greek ''prostatis''). This is the only place in the New Testament where a woman is specifically referred to with these two distinctions. Paul introduces Phoebe as his emissary to the church in Rome and, because they are not acquainted with her, Paul provides them with her credentials.

Background

Paul's letter to the Romans was written in Corinth sometime between the years 56 and 58, in order to solicit support for an anticipated missionary journey to Spain.Campbell, Joan Cecelia. ''Phoebe: Patron and Emissary''
Liturgical Press. 2015 Although he had not yet visited Rome, Paul would have been familiar with the community and its circumstances through Priscilla and Aquila, who were in Corinth, having previously lived in Rome. Biblical scholars are divided as to whether Chapter 16, Paul's letter of recommendation for Phoebe, was intended for Rome, with whose Christian community he was not acquainted, or with the more familiar community at Ephesus.

The name Phoebe means "pure", "radiant", or "bright"; and was the name of a Titan in Greek mythology.

Some scholars believe Phoebe was responsible for delivering Paul's epistle to the Roman Christian church.

Phoebe is the only woman named as deacon in the Bible.

Greek terms for her titles

''diakonos''

Apostle Paul used the Greek ''diakonos'' (διάκονος) to designate Phoebe as a deacon. "Deacon" is a transliteration of the Greek, and in Paul's writings sometimes refers to a Christian designated to serve as a specially-appointed "assistant" to the overseers of a church, and at others refers to "servants" in a general sense. In the letter to the Romans, apart from the debated case of Phoebe, it always refers to "servants" in the generic sense, as opposed to a church office. However, at this inaugural stage in the Church's formation it is no doubt premature to think of offices as being consistent or clearly defined, and Rosalba Manes argues that Paul's use of the term "deacon" suggests that, like Stephen and Philip, Phoebe's ministry may have extended beyond charitable works to include preaching and evangelization.Manes, Rosalba. "Phoebe a woman of luminous charity", ''L'Osservatore Romano'', January 2, 2018
/ref>MacDonald, Margaret Y., “Was Celsus Right? The Role of Women in the Expansion of Early Christianity”, ''Early Christian Families in Context: An Interdisciplinary Dialogue'', ed. David L. Balch and Carolyn Oziak (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003), p. 166

"Likewise the women"

While some scholars believe Paul restricted the office of deacon to men, others do not, since, when describing the qualities that the office-holders called "deacons" must possess, Paul wrote in ''gunaikas'' (Greek for "women") ''hosautos'' (Greek for "likewise"), translated "likewise the women." They, likewise, are to be "worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything." The "likewise" indicated that the women deacons were to live according to the same standards as the men deacons (see also the Apostle Paul's use of the term "likewise" in , , and ).

''prostatis''

In classical Greek the word ''prostates'' (προστάτης) (feminine, ''prostatis'') was used to mean either a chief or leader, or a guardian or protector, often in a religious context; it was later used also to translate the Roman concept of a patron. The Apostle Paul's use indicates that its range of meanings had not changed by New Testament times. This suggests that Phoebe was a woman of means, who, among other things, contributed financial support to Paul's apostolate, and probably hosted the house church of Cenchreae in her home, as well as, providing shelter and hospitality to Paul when in the town.

Veneration

The Calendar of Saints of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America commemorates Phoebe with Lydia of Thyatira and Dorcas on January 27, the day after the commemoration of the early male missionaries Silas, Timothy and Titus and two days after the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul. However, the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod remembers her on October 25, while the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church place her feast day as September 3. Phoebe is honored with a Lesser Feast on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America on September 3.

See also

* Romans 16

References

Further reading

Household Names: Michael Peppard, "Junia, Phoebe, & Prisca in Early Christian Rome"
23 April 2018, ''Commonweal''

External links

St Phoebe - Catholic Online

{{DEFAULTSORT:Phoebe
1st-century Christian female saints
Catholic deaconesses
Christian saints from the New Testament
Saints from Roman Greece
People in the Pauline epistles
Women in the New Testament