Romans Chapter 16 Vs. 1

Personal Greetings

I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: Rom 16:1

unto you Phebe... She was a deaconess of the church at Cenchrea, her duties being to attend to female converts, helping them get ready for baptism; to visit the sick and those in prison; and attend to all parts of the church work among women which could not be performed by people. She was probably the bearer of the epistle to Rome. Phoebe means bright and radiant, which fits Paul’s brief description of her personality and Christian character.

is a servant... Greek: diakonon, see, Mat. 20:26. This is one passage used in support of the office of deaconess. No specific specifications however are given of such an office. Such women are better viewed as being either the wives of deacons, or godly widows who were supported financially by the church. Here it is best to understand Phoebe’s role to be that of a helper.

In the early church, women servants cared for sick believers, the poor, strangers and those in prison. They instructed the women and children.

Whether Phoebe had an official title or not, she had the great responsibility of delivering this letter to the Roman church.

is at Cenchrea... A city on the sea coast near Corinth.

Cenchrea is the little town east of Corinth from which Paul wrote Romans.

The capital city of Rome was a magnet that drew people from all over the empire. In addition Paul’s travels to many of the major population centers — Jerusalem, Syrian Antioch, Philippi, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus — brought him into contact with the mobile segment of Roman society. These factors help explain the presence of Paul’s many friends in Rome, but his knowledge of their whereabouts remains a tribute to his deep concern for people.

Again Phoebe (which means “bright, radiant”) was Paul’s emissary to deliver this letter, so he wrote officially, I commend to you our sister Phoebe. The relationship mentioned is spiritual, not familial. Phoebe was a servant of the church in Cenchrea, a seaport a few miles east of Corinth (cf. Acts 18:18. Again the word diakonon, “servant,” is used for the office of deacon (Phlp.1:1; 1Tim. 3:8, 3:10, 3:12) as well as used generally (Rom. 15:8; 1Cor. 3:5). Use of the word with the phrase “of the church” strongly suggests some recognized position, a fact appropriate for a person serving as Paul’s emissary.