Phoebe: A Model For Female Service

June 23rd, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Romans 16:1-2 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; 2 that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.

Romans 16:1 introduces Phoebe (“radiant”), a woman from Cenchrea, a seaport near Corinth (where Paul wrote Romans). To “commend” (Gr. sunistēmi) her was to regard her as worthy, for she would deliver Paul’s epistle to Rome. Commendations were common in the NT for travelers (Acts 18:27; 2 Cor. 8:23-24; 3 John 9) because travel was often dangerous. Since the safest places to lodge were with family or friends, Paul vouched for Phoebe’s character.

Since Phoebe is called a “servant” (Gr. diakonon), or deacon, of the church in Cenchrea, some use her as an illustration of women in leadership in the early Church. In the NT, however, “deacon” is used for household servants (John 2:5, 9) as well as for secular government leaders (Rom. 13:4). Though “deacon” is a term for an official office in the Church (1 Tim. 3:8-13), it is an office of service, not of leadership or teaching. Paul forbade women to teach or have authority over men (1 Tim. 2:11-14), but they were to evangelize (Matt. 28:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:2-16), care for children (1 Tim. 2:15), and teach other women (Titus 2:3-5). That said, there may have been an official office for women deacons in the early Church as helpers, but since the role a female servant was to care for sick and poor Christians, guests passing through, and for those in prison, it is absurd to conclude that Phoebe was a pastor in the early Church. She was simply a faithful deaconess/servant who served her church well, and Paul, with her gifts and her means.

The very fact that Paul trusted Phoebe to safely deliver an inspired epistle of God clearly means that she was respected woman. Knowing that the truths he had written were of vital significance to the universal Church, only an upstanding, trustworthy servant would qualify in Paul’s eyes to deliver such. It thus makes perfect sense that the Roman church was summoned to “receive” Phoebe in a manner “worthy of the saints”—to welcome her warmly. Of course this is the way all Christians are to treat other saints, for Christians are to be known for their love.

Paul adds that the church also “help [Phoebe] in whatever matter she may have need of you.” Although this “matter,” or “business” (KJV), is not specified, Paul thought well enough of Phoebe to recommend her as a faithful Christian who was also worthy of any help the Roman Christians could offer her in this “matter” she was bringing to them.

A final tidbit about Phoebe was that she had been a “helper” (Gr. prostatis) of many. This word, used only here in the NT, means (1) “to care for, give aid to,” or (2) “direct, preside over.” Now Paul does use a related form of the verb in relation to leadership (Rom. 12:8; 1 Tim. 5:17), but if this is in view, then he would be contradicting himself elsewhere about women not leading or presiding over men in the Church. Notably, Paul said that she had been a “helper” of his, not one who presided over him. Perhaps she was a “helper” in a financial sense, supporting Paul and others financially while caring for other Christians in and around the Christian community. Whatever her role had been as a “helper,” it was not that of a pastor or elder. She was a “deacon” in the sense of helping in Christ’s Church. And God has preserved her memory for all eternity!

Food For Thought
Godly women in our churches serve the saints. They develop reputations for their service, and as a result are recommended to others as trustworthy. Like Phoebe, they get up daily thinking about serving others and little about how to care for themselves. They are valuable assets in their families and in their churches. What a great example we have in Phoebe!