Phoebe (

Koine Greek Koine Greek (, ), also variously known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek, Septuagint Greek or New Testament Greek, was the koiné language, common supra-regional form of Greek language, Greek spoken and ...

: ) was a first-century Christian woman mentioned by the

Apostle Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Apostles in the New Testament, Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the Ministry of Jesus, teachings of Jesus in the Christianity in the 1st century, first ...

in his

Epistle to the Romans The Epistle to the Romans is the sixth book in the New Testament, and the longest of the thirteen Pauline epistles. Biblical scholars agree that it was composed by Paul the Apostle to explain that Salvation (Christianity), salvation is offered ...

, verses . A notable woman in the church of 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 A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

" (Greek ''diakonos'', which means "servant") and as a helper or patron of many (Greek ''prostatis''). This is the only place in the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

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 (which means "servant" in Greek) in the Bible.

Greek terms for her titles

''diakonos''

Apostle Paul used the Greek ''diakonos'' (διάκονος) to designate Phoebe as a

. "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, some argue, it is premature to think of offices as being consistent or clearly defined, and activist Rosalba Manes argues that Paul's use of the term "deacon" suggests that, like

Stephen Stephen or Steven is an English given name, first name. It is particularly significant to Christianity, Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is w ...

and

Philip Philip, also Phillip, is a male name derived from the Macedonian Old Koine language, Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominen ...

, 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"

There is some debate over whether the women referred to in are to be considered deacons or not. When describing the qualities that the office-holders called "deacons" must possess, Paul wrote ''gunaikas'' ''hosautos'', which is translated by some as "likewise the women." The "likewise" could indicate that female deacons are to live according to the same standards as male deacons (see also the Apostle Paul's use of the term "likewise" in , , and ). The predominant view holds that this verse refers not to female deacons, but instead to the wives of deacons. See, for example, the KJV rendering: "Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things."

''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 Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

. 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

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Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...

and

Episcopal Church in the United States of America The Episcopal Church (TEC), also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, based in the United States. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is ...

place her

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

as September 3 (the latter designating it a Lesser Feast). The

Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

remembers her later, on October 25. The

Calendar of Saints The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context does n ...

of the

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is a mainline Protestant church headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA was officially formed on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three Lutheran church bodies. As of December 31, 2023, it ...

commemorates Phoebe with

Lydia of Thyatira Lydia of Thyatira () is a woman mentioned in the New Testament who is regarded as the first documented convert to Christianity in Europe. Several Christian denominations have designated her a saint. Lydia of Thyatira and Philippi The name, "Lyd ...

and Dorcas on January 27, the day after the commemoration of the early male missionaries

Silas Silas or Silvanus (; Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey. Name and ...

, Timothy and

Titus Titus Caesar Vespasianus ( ; 30 December 39 – 13 September AD 81) was Roman emperor from 79 to 81. A member of the Flavian dynasty, Titus succeeded his father Vespasian upon his death, becoming the first Roman emperor ever to succeed h ...

and two days after the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

References

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