B. Commendation of Phoebe (16:1–2)
B. Commendation of Phoebe (16:1–2)
The letter, when completed, was evidently taken to its destination by Phoebe, a Christian lady of substance who was making the journey on her own account. Paul takes the opportunity to commend her to the hospitality of the Christians to whom he writes.
1. Our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae. Cenchreae, situated on the Saronic Gulf, was one of the two seaports of Corinth (cf. Acts 18:18). The church there was probably a daughter of the metropolitan church of Corinth. She was a diakonos, ‘a fellow-Christian who holds office in the congregation at Cenchreae’ (NEB); in a church context the word should be rendered ‘deacon’, whether masculine or feminine. That the duties of a deacon could be performed by either men or women is suggested by 1 Timothy 3:11, where ‘the women’ are to be understood as ‘deacons’ (like the men of verses 3–10).
2. Receive her in the Lord. That is, as a fellow-Christian; but, if there is any distinction here between ‘in the Lord’ and ‘in Christ’,8 the meaning of the phrase may be conveyed more fully in the following words, ‘as befits the saints’. Travelling Christians could always be sure of finding hospitality with fellow-Christians wherever any were to be found (cf. 15:7).
A helper of many and of myself as well. The feminine noun rendered ‘helper’ (prostatis, ‘patroness’) is related to the participle proïstamenos (‘he who gives aid’) in 12:8. Phoebe was evidently to Cenchreae what Lydia was to Philippi (cf. Acts 16:15). What kind of help she gave to Paul we can only surmise.