This Woman Named Phoebe

“THIS WOMAN NAMED PHOEBE”

Romans 16.1-2

The city of Rome was not only the political and military capital of the world at the time of Paul’s writing, but it was also the very center of the world of maleness and masculinity at the time of Paul’s writing. So absolute was a man’s authority and rule over his household that the Romans coined a word to describe this mystique. The word is “paterfamilias.”

One example of the power of the adult male in his home will suffice for now. During his wife’s labor, the man of the house would never, ever, stoop to enter into the room where his wife was prepared to deliver his child with the aid of a midwife and servants. If he wasn’t too busy, and if he was interested enough, he would wait in the next room. Upon the delivery of the child, the man would stand, a signal to the midwife that the newborn infant was to be brought in and put down at his feet. Looking down at the child to see the child’s sex and to examine for any physical deformities or hint of puniness or weakness, the father, according to the custom of “paterfamilias,”1 had two choices which were sovereign absolutes.

Certainly, if the child had any obvious defect, probably, if the child appeared to be small and sickly in any way, and possibly if the child was a girl, the father would turn and walk away. This meant that the child was to be put outside the house where the elements, the child molesters, or the slave traders would take their toll. In the case of a robust, properly formed, baby boy the father would bend over and pick the child up. In this way, the child was recognized by his father and would be allowed to live.

Of course, the Christian community that Paul wrote to practiced none of those barbaric and murderous customs, but the culture into which Paul’s letter was sent was reflected, to some degree, by the Christians who had grown up in that environment. The typical Roman man of Paul’s day was worse than the worst nightmares of the militant feminists, insofar as the unquestioned authority and domination of men over women and children were concerned. And, no doubt, this cultural baggage was carried by both Christian men and Christian women, to some degree.

So, imagine the shock and surprise when that large contingent of Roman pastors and Church leaders gathered with great excitement and expectation to hear Paul’s letter to the Romans, only to be met by the person designated to deliver the letter to them, only to discover that the messenger was a woman ... named Phoebe. Imagine what ran through those men’s minds. From anger to puzzlement, from amusement to confusion. Simply by sending a woman to Rome with his letter, Paul had dramatically overturned many of their conceptions about the role of women in Christian ministry by using a woman to perform an important function that they, no doubt, had assumed ought to have been reserved for men only.

Why had Paul sent a woman with this letter? Didn’t he know how important his subject matter was? Didn’t he realize how offensive his actions might have been to them? And didn’t he realize that some among them would be furious at the sending of a woman, regardless of her standing before God?

I think Paul knew exactly what he was doing. I am convinced that every action and possible reaction that might result from sending a woman to do what many Roman Christians would have considered a man’s job was very carefully weighed and thought out by Paul, and perhaps even discussed with his coworkers and with this woman named Phoebe before sending her.

And the point of it all? What was the point of sending Phoebe to Rome with Paul’s letter? There was only one point: She was simply the best man available for the job at the time. But in that, Paul taught the Romans, and each of us, a lesson; that there is room in God’s economy for a Christian woman to have a great impact for the cause of Christ.

My text is Romans 16.1-2:

1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

2 That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also.

Notice how Phoebe was, and is, a great illustration of this truth. Consider the four statements Paul makes about her, statements that ought to put to rest, once and for all, the notions of some about women’s ministries that are contrary to Scriptural reality:

First, THERE IS PAUL’S DECLARATION ABOUT HER

There are two ways in which Paul makes a public declaration about this notable woman named Phoebe:

First, and the most obvious way of making a declaration, by using her to hand-carry this, without doubt, his most important letter to its destination. Why did Paul send this woman? Was Timothy gone on another errand? Nope. We see in Romans 16.21 that Timothy was with Paul at the time of writing. Had he no qualified men to do the job? Again, not a valid argument. In Romans 16.23, Paul mentions Erastus, the chamberlain of the city, the city treasurer. So, certainly, Paul had at his disposal men of note, capable men. No, folks. The reason Paul sent Phoebe was not that he had no qualified men around who might go instead. Paul energetically won men to Christ and discipled them wherever he went. He sent Phoebe with his letter on that hazardous journey to Rome for only one reason: She was the best-qualified servant of God for the job at the time.

The second way Paul made a declaration about Phoebe is the opening phrase of this passage:

“I commend unto you Phoebe.”

In Paul’s day, letter writing was a rather formal and very important method of communicating. Remember, there were no such things as postage stamps until invented by Benjamin Franklin when he was postmaster of the United States, some 1800 years after Paul’s ministry ended. In light of this fact, and because travel to almost any destination was incredibly difficult and hazardous due to the horrendous roads and sailing vessels that were very unseaworthy by our standards, letters sent and received were a very big deal. And the person charged with carrying and delivering the letter had to be most trustworthy. So, it became the standard practice in the Roman world to use a letter of introduction as a way of throwing the entire weight of your reputation behind the person being commended. And what we have here in Romans 16.1 is what’s called a classic epistolatory commendation, a classic letter of introduction. As some might say, Paul is backing her. And the message being communicated to the Romans by Paul’s commendations of Phoebe? “I, Paul, consider this woman to be a very important person in the Christian community.”

Second, THERE IS PAUL’S DESCRIPTION OF HER

Paul continues,

“Phoebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea.”

Let’s examine this portion of Paul’s text to see what we know:

Some things about Phoebe we know positively. We know, positively, that Phoebe was a Christian. Was Phoebe not a Christian Paul would never have considered her to carry his letter. Because she is a believer in Jesus Christ because, at some point in time, she acknowledged her sinfulness before God and repented of that sin, trusting Jesus Christ to forgive her, Paul recognized her as a member of God’s family and thus referred to her as “our sister.” But Phoebe is more than just a Christian, friends. Phoebe had the kind of realization about her new life in Christ that Paul attempted to communicate to the Ephesians in 2.10 of that letter, where he wrote, “for we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works.” You see, Phoebe was a servant, a deaconess if you will. She worked in her Christianity. But not simply a servant to an individual. She was a servant to her Church. She worked at Church ministry. And what do we know about a Christian who is a servant to her Church in this way? What do we know about servants? They don’t set their agenda. What a departure from Los Angeles County Christianity of the 2020 variety. Amen? Paul’s compliment of her being a servant to her Church, and the implications of such a description, would be rejected by a majority of so-called Christians in our day. Why? Because most contemporary Christians have no concept of servitude, instead seeking to retain absolute control over their agendas. And some would say, “What’s wrong with our own personal agenda?” Nothing. Except you don’t find it anywhere in God’s Word. But don’t be amazed. I do not doubt that Phoebe was almost as unusual an example of Christianity in her day as she would be nowadays. You see, people don’t change. This woman, however, was commended by Paul because she was committed to Church ministry.

Other things about Phoebe, we know probably. We probably know that she was a Gentile Christian, not a Jewish Christian. Why? Her name. You see, Phoebe was a name derived from pagan mythology. Hardly likely, then, that a Jewish mother or father would have given her such a name as a child. That would suggest that Phoebe came into her Christian life with very little beneficial baggage. You see, a Jewish woman who had trusted Christ would have a foundational knowledge of God’s Word to build on after her conversion. But not most Gentile women. So, it’s likely that the virtues that were found in her life were personality traits and characteristics that were started from scratch when she was claimed for the cause of Christ. That should encourage every new Christian to trust God to do marvelous things in your life, no matter where you were when God started with you. Like many Christian women nowadays, Phoebe was a woman who began her Christian life with few so-called “advantages.”

Still other things about Phoebe we know possibly. Was Phoebe a single woman? Perhaps a single mom? Possible. Maybe she was a woman whose husband had left her high and dry with four kids, and she turned to Christ when she had nowhere else to turn. Maybe she had found raising her kids, supporting herself, and serving God at the same time an almost Herculean task. But God’s grace was sufficient. It always is. It seems unlikely that Paul would have asked a married woman, or even a woman with children as yet unraised, to undertake so long and difficult a task like this. So it’s possible to even probable that Phoebe was a single woman, serving God with everything she had. And, from Paul’s description of her, what she had from God was substantial indeed. If she was possibly a single woman serving God, then there is one other absolute certainty, especially because she served God in the port city of Cenchrea, a city not unlike Singapore or Hong Kong, and certainly much rougher than Long Beach or San Pedro. We can be certain that serving Christ was brutally hard for her.

Men, we sometimes cry and bellyache and moan and complain so much about how hard it is to do right and serve God. But I estimate that few men have ever faced the difficulties associated with serving God as a single woman. Think about it. Sometimes being alone as the direct result of being rejected by a man, God’s plan is for that woman to serve in a Church that is led by a man. A man without any awareness of her burdens, her pains, and her hurts. And without the consolation and comfort that are associated with the family life normally accompanying Church involvement. Oh, it’s so hard, and so lonely, and so scary to be a tender and sensitive Christian woman alone in the world except for her Savior and, possibly, her Church family. That’s why I am glad we have men in our Church who are available to help our single Christian women Church members with some things in the home; the handyman jobs that most women feel helpless to tackle. It’s not much. It’s certainly not a replacement for concern and understanding. But it’s the very least the men of our Church can do for our single sisters in Christ.

Remember, fellows; you are sowing seed that will likely result in your widow being tended to properly by her Church family after you’ve passed on. So, when a deacon calls and asks you to work with another fellow to help one of our Church women out, do it. Do it right. And do it right away. God will bless you for it. And He may, years later, after you are dead and gone, bless your wife for it when she needs a helping hand.

I’m telling you, folks, my admiration for Phoebe grows every time I hear her name mentioned, and every time I read it in the Bible. I truly thank God for the Phoebes we already have in our Church. Women of courage. Women of conviction. Women who have it harder than I. Women that I admire but would never want to trade places with. Let’s realize about our Phoebes what Paul realized about this woman. She was substantial. She was an asset to the ministry.

Then, THERE IS PAUL’S DIRECTION REGARDING HER

Romans 16.2a, b:

“That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you.”

Two things to take note of here about Christian’s responses to the single Christian woman who serves God and who is commended by spiritual leadership. Of course, I am now speaking with the assumption being made that Phoebe was likely a single woman:

First, there should be an appropriate reception of her. Two phrases describe how Phoebe should be received, phrases that might very well have made some of the men listening to this letter read become red-faced as they realized how far they had fallen short of Paul’s instructions already:

First, they were to receive her in the Lord. That is, they were to receive her as Christians receiving a fellow Christian. So, the fact that she was saved should dictate their measure of hospitality toward her. We should be receptive to a woman commended to us by a man of God for no other reason than because she’s a believer.

Second, they were to receive her as becometh saints. In this phrase, the emphasis is on the Romans. First, receive her properly because she is a Christian. Second, receive her properly because you are a Christian. Either reason by itself ought to guarantee a proper reception, you would think. Amen?

Then, there should be appropriate assistance for her. In essence, Paul is saying, “Whatever this woman needs to accomplish her ministry tasks, make sure that she gets it.” And why did Paul feel the need to say this? Because so often, the Christian woman does not get what she needs to perform her tasks. And why is this often the case? I must admit that men frequently think that what they are doing is always more important than what women are doing, so all the resources needed must go to me and not to thee. This frequently happens with husbands and wives, as well. So, don’t evaluate the level of commitment to helping her because of her sex, Paul is suggesting, but because of the impact of her ministry on the cause of Christ. This speaks strongly to Churches who for years, have boxed women out of ministries other than that of childbearing and child-rearing.

Theologically conservative people for too long have wrongly thought they were honoring God by severely limiting ministry opportunities for women. And while we recognize the necessity of mothers devoting a great deal of time to their children during the rearing years, there is absolutely no Biblical reason why a woman cannot have ministry that reaches beyond, significantly beyond, her immediate family. The Gospel provides liberty for service to Christ, not limitation. While many might have thought of Christianity as a relationship with Christ that focused on what women should not do by way of ministry, Paul looked upon Christianity as a relationship with Christ that focused on what women could do by way of ministry. And Phoebe was a wonderful example of Paul’s approach to Christian service.

Finally, PAUL TELLS US OF THE DEVOTION OF PHOEBE

Here, perhaps, is why Paul was so intent on seeing this woman received properly:

First, because of her ministry to many. This word “succorer” speaks of someone who has come to the aid of others. Someone who helps out people who are in need. And how many times over her years as a Christian woman had she risen to the occasion and prepared meals for incoming preachers in the middle of the night? How many times had she opened her home so a recently converted person could have a place to sleep? How much help had she been to her pastors by having a schedule that was more flexible than is possible for a married woman or a mother of young children to have? Did she ever wonder if anyone took notice of her ministry? Did she ever get discouraged because so many Christians took her labor for granted? And how about the pangs in her heart when she tended to others’ children while their mothers were sick, and when she was available as a short notice baby sitter, only to find herself lonely when those same families spent time together without ever thinking to thank her, to include her, to make her an honorary aunt or grandmother? If her devotion were dependent upon the notice and the gratitude of other Christians, Phoebe would never have been the woman of God, the standout Christian servant, she was. For, despite the pain and the fact that Christians easily could have made it so much easier for her to serve God, her ministry was ultimately to her Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t think Paul didn’t notice that.

Second, Paul was intent on seeing this woman received properly because of her ministry to him. Sometimes the distance of time and imagination confuses us into thinking that the Apostle Paul was a generally admired and respected man in Christian circles because he was the apostle of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. If you think Paul was universally admired by Christians, you’d be wrong. Read the Book of Acts and you will see that Paul was rejected early on in his ministry. Read First Corinthians and you will see a great deal of evidence that he was sometimes scorned even by those he had led to Christ before he was imprisoned. And read Philippians and you will see that many preachers were delighted to hear that he had been thrown into jail. Preachers were treated in Paul’s day almost exactly the same way they are treated today. The crackpots and charlatans are adored and idolized, while humble and sincere men of God all across America are treated like dirt. So, when Paul discovered someone who said to herself, “He may not be pretty to look at, and he may not be the most entertaining preacher I’ve heard, but since he’s God’s man I’m going to be a blessing to him,” he decided to reciprocate and be a blessing to her.

Maybe her service to Christ had been overlooked by some. Perhaps she had even been taken advantage of by others who received from her and gave her nothing in return; no friendship, no love, no consideration, no companionship. But not by God’s man. He knew her worth in the sight of God. He knew the value of such women like her to the cause of Christ. He knew the importance of her kind to his own ministry’s success. Backed up by only a couple of devoted women like Phoebe, a pastor or missionary can hardly do anything but succeed in the ministry. Understand, Paul is the man of God. Phoebe is most probably a Christian woman who is single and completely devoted to Christ and the ministry. So, for propriety’s sake, Paul’s ability to express gratitude to her is limited. He can’t express his gratitude often, nor can he express it as fully as he might want to in his heart. It wouldn’t look right. And Phoebe completely understood. So, much goes unsaid. But when those opportunities to completely and fully bless her do come along, Paul took full advantage of it.

One thing we know from our text for today: There is a place for solid Christian women in the Lord’s service. Phoebe is a wonderful example of that truth and not even the first example associated with Paul. Before Phoebe, there was Lydia in Philippi and Priscilla in Corinth, to name only two.

I will admit to being a man. And with everything else that is associated with manliness is the tendency to be shortsighted and unimaginative when it comes to ministry opportunities for women. To that, I plead guilty and I ask for help. If God has given you a glimpse of what He wants you to do, ma’am, I’d like to help you do it.

But there’s something that I have spent some time speculating about in our text, the likelihood that Phoebe was a single woman who served God so passionately. Oh, how very much aware I am of my responsibility as a pastor to the single Christian woman. It’s a responsibility that weighs heavily on me.

Wives and young women of the Church, hear me as I speak. Encourage your husbands now, or your husbands when you marry, to help me make life easier for the single Christian woman by working with the deacons of our Church. You see, ladies, it is far more likely than you ever want to admit to yourself that you will someday be a single Christian woman.

Therefore, sow seed that will someday bless your own life. Encourage your husband to be available to work with teams of other men in the Church to minister to these important people, ladies who so desperately need just a little bit of a man’s help from time to time. And I guarantee that propriety and decorum will be observed.

I close with this: Calvary Road Baptist Church is a band of born-again people who have been baptized in Scriptural fashion and who are banded together to worship and serve our Lord Jesus Christ together. If you are a woman, we want to win you to Christ, we want to then baptize you, and then we want to equip you and provide a place for you to serve God as Phoebe did.

If by God’s grace, you exhibit the type of devotion found in Phoebe’s life, I pray, also by God’s grace, that I will make the same type of declaration about you that Paul made about her, that I will describe you as he described her, and that I will direct others to receive you as he directed the Romans to receive her.

Would you like to contact Dr. Waldrip about this sermon? Please contact him by clicking on the link below. Please do not change the subject within your email message. Thank you.

Pastor@CalvaryRoadBaptist.Church