Phoebe

(radiant) the first and one of the most important of the Christian persons the detailed mention of whom nearly all the last chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. (A.D.55.) What is said of her, (Romans 16:1,2) is worthy of special notice because of its bearing on the question of the deaconesses of the apostolic Church.

(n.) The pewee, or pewit.PHOEBE

fe'-be (Phoibe; the King James Version Phebe): Described by Paul as (1) "our sister," (2) "who is a servant of the church that is at Cenchrea," (3) "a helper of many, and of mine own self" (Romans 16:1, 2).

(1) "Our (Christian) sister": Paul calls the believing husband and wife "the brother or the sister" (1 Corinthians 7:15), and also asks, "Have we no right to lead about a wife that is a sister?" (1 Corinthians 9:5 margin). The church was a family.

(2) The Greek word translated "servant" is diakonos. "Servant" is vague, and "deaconess" is too technical. In the later church there was an order of deaconesses for special work among women, owing to the peculiar circumstances of oriental life, but we have no reason to believe there was such an order at this early period. If Phoebe had voluntarily devoted herself "to minister unto the saints" by means of charity and hospitality, she would be called diakonos.

(3) The Greek word prostatis translated "helper" is better "patroness." The masculine is "the title of a citizen in Athens who took charge of the interests of clients and persons without civic rights" (Denney). Many of the early Christian communities had the appearance of clients under a patron, and probably the community of Cenchrea met in the house of Phoebe. She also devoted her influence and means to the assistance of "brethren" landing at that port. Paul was among those whom she benefited. Gifford thinks some special occasion is meant, and that Paul refers to this in Acts 18:18. The vow "seems to point to a deliverance from danger or sickness" in which Phoebe may have attended on him.

It is generally assumed that this letter was taken to Rome by Phoebe, these verses introducing her to the Christian community. In commending her, Paul asks that the Roman Christians "receive her in the Lord," i.e. give her a Christian welcome, and that they "assist her in whatsoever matter she may have need" of them (Romans 16:1, 2).

S. F. Hunter

5402. Phoibe -- Phoebe, a deaconess
... Phoebe, a deaconess. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: Phoibe Phonetic
Spelling: (foy'-bay) Short Definition: Phoebe Definition: Phoebe, a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5402.htm - 6k

4291. proistemi -- early
... cf. Ro 12:3,8). [See also the derivative, 4368 , which is used of a woman
who has an (Phoebe, Ro 16:2).]. maintain, be over, rule. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4291.htm - 7k

Phoebe
... ROMANS PHOEBE. 'I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant
of the Church that is at Cenchrea: 2. That ye receive her ...
/.../maclaren/romans corinthians to ii corinthians chap v/phoebe.htm

Cary
... Cary. Cary, Phoebe, and her sister Alice hold an honored place among the
female poets of America. Phoebe (her sister Alice being ...
//christianbookshelf.org/nutter/hymn writers of the church/cary.htm

Of the Church
... Brooks, Phillips, [162]BrooksP-p0.1. Brown, Phoebe Hinsdale, [163]BrownPH-p0.1. ... Carney,
Julia A., [173]CarneyJ-p0.1. Cary, Phoebe, [174]CaryP-p0.1. ...
/.../nutter/hymn writers of the church/hymn writers of the church.htm

Subject Index
... Brooks, Phillips, [162]BrooksP-p0.1. Brown, Phoebe Hinsdale, [163]BrownPH-p0.1. ... Carney,
Julia A., [173]CarneyJ-p0.1. Cary, Phoebe, [174]CaryP-p0.1. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/nutter/hymn writers of the church/subject index.htm

Deacons and Deaconesses.
... Paul mentions Phoebe as a deaconess of the church of Cenchreae, the port of Corinth,
and it is more than probable that Prisca (Priscilla), Mary, Tryphaena ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 62 deacons and deaconesses.htm

Excursus on the Deaconess of the Early Church.
... by St. Paul in his Epistle to the Romans (xvi.1) where he speaks of Phoebe
as being a diakonos of the Church of Cenchrea. It moreover ...
/.../schaff/the seven ecumenical councils/excursus on the deaconess of.htm

Entering the Gospel Field
... In Romans 16:1 Paul says, "I commend unto you Phoebe, our sister, which is a servant
of the church which is at Cenchrea." Is not the servant of the church the ...
/.../cole/trials and triumphs of faith/chapter x entering the gospel.htm

The Extraordinary Teachers of the Apostolic Church; and Its ...
... Towards the conclusion of the Epistle to the Romans, [245:7] Paul mentions Phoebe,
"a servant [245:8] of the Church which is at Cenchrea;" and from this ...
/.../killen/the ancient church/chapter ii the extraordinary teachers.htm

Concerning Lowliness of Mind.
... 6. And that the disciples too were bound up with Paul with all perfectness; [424]
and that not men only, but women also, hear what he says about Phoebe. ...
/.../chrysostom/on the priesthood/concerning lowliness of mind.htm

Purity and Peace in the Present Lord
... Two Christian women, Euodia[1] and Syntyche, evidently well-known Church members,
possibly officials, "deaconesses," like Phoebe (Romans 16:1), were at ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/moule/philippian studies/chapter xi purity and peace.htm

Phoebe (1 Occurrence)
...PHOEBE. ... If Phoebe had voluntarily devoted herself "to minister unto the saints" by
means of charity and hospitality, she would be called diakonos. ...
/p/phoebe.htm - 9k

Deaconess (1 Occurrence)
... Paul says, "I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant (the Revised
Version, margin "or, deaconess") of the church that is at Cenchrea" (Romans 16:1 ...
/d/deaconess.htm - 12k

Deacon (4 Occurrences)
... Paul says, "I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant (the Revised
Version, margin "or, deaconess") of the church that is at Cenchrea" (Romans 16:1 ...
/d/deacon.htm - 14k

Cenchreae (2 Occurrences)
... A local church must have been established there by Paul, since Phoebe, the deaconess
of Cenchrea, was entrusted with the Epistle to the Romans, and was ...
/c/cenchreae.htm - 7k

Sister (113 Occurrences)
... kinship (Matthew 12:50; Matthew 13:56; Matthew 19:29 Luke 10:39; Luke 14:26 John
11:1; 19:25 Acts 23:16); (2) of fellow-members in Christ: "Phoebe, our sister ...
/s/sister.htm - 42k

Romans (8 Occurrences)
...Phoebe (Romans 16:1) of Cenchrea conveyed it to Rome, and Gaius of Corinth entertained
the apostle at the time of his writing it (16:23; 1 Corinthians 1:14 ...
/r/romans.htm - 44k

Consist (7 Occurrences)
... He commends to the Romans the deaconess Phoebe, attached to "the church at Cenchrea"
(16:1), presumably a place near that from which he was writing; and ...
/c/consist.htm - 80k

Introduce (3 Occurrences)
... Introduce (3 Occurrences). Romans 16:1 Herewith I introduce our sister Phoebe
to you, who is a servant of the Church at Cenchreae, (WEY). ...
/i/introduce.htm - 8k

Phoenice (1 Occurrence)

/p/phoenice.htm - 6k

Phlegon (1 Occurrence)

/p/phlegon.htm - 7k

Who was Phoebe in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

What does the Bible say about women pastors? | GotQuestions.org

Can women serve as deacons in the church? | GotQuestions.org

Phoebe: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus