Who Was Phoebe in the Bible? (Her Significance as a Deacon in Romans)

This post takes a look at Phoebe, a deacon in the early church that Paul mentions in the book of Romans. We will take a look at who Phoebe was, where we see her in the Bible, where she was from, the connection she had to Romans, the significance she carries, and how that applies to believers today. Learning about Phoebe will give us a better understanding of what the Bible says about women in ministry. There's a lot to be gleaned from her, including Paul's beliefs about women.

Where we see Phoebe in the Bible:

"I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me." -Romans 16:1-2 NIV

These two verses contain several significant details about Phoebe's life and ministry that we need to unpack!

Who was Phoebe in the Bible?

She lived in the coastal town of Cenchrea, in what is now Kechries, Greece. Living in a harbor town, she would have met many travelers stopping between Asia Minor, Italy, and Macedonia, and would have been exposed to various ideas and goods from around these parts of the world. This is the same town that Paul stopped in, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila, and cut his hair off, thus fulfilling his Nazirite vow (Acts 18:18). It seems likely that Phoebe and Paul met during this time, whether as a first meeting or to catch up again. Interestingly, Scripture does not record that Paul started the church in Cenchrea. It's possible that he did, but it's also a possibility that the Good News reached Phoebe's city another way. 

What Romans 16 tells us about Phoebe:

If you read Romans 16, you'll see that Paul had plenty of people to highlight and greet (the whole chapter - 25 verses - is him doing so), but the very first person he wanted to call attention to was Phoebe. And she is the only person listed that he specifically commends, and he goes out of his way to call attention the fact that she is a deacon and a leader. Other people he lists as friends, coworkers, brothers, or sisters, but only Phoebe does he give a title of leadership to.

This shows that Paul did not have a problem with women in leadership.

While Paul didn't hesitate to ban certain women from ministering or teaching when they were sharing things out of line with the Bible, he obviously did not have a problem with what Phoebe was doing or teaching - or he would have said something, as he frequently called out those in ministry for not acting appropriately. (Including Peter!)

Was Phoebe a deacon or a servant?

Different versions of Scripture translate Phoebe's title as either deacon (NIV) or servant (KJV), so which is it? The Greek word that's used is, diakonos. This word is usually translated as 'minister,' and it's the same one that Paul used in the previous chapter to describe the Messiah (Romans 15:8). Paul also uses it at other times to describe himself (Ephesians 3:7, Colossians 1:23).

Many denominations teach that while diakonos means minister or deacon in the case of Jesus and Paul, it means something more like servant or assistant when it comes to Phoebe. Downplaying Phoebe's role comes from misunderstanding Biblical passages related to women, and it is not implied by text itself. It's difficult to believe that Paul meant some sort of watered-down version of the word for a few reasons.

1. Paul is a master wordsmith. If he truly meant to call Phoebe a secretary or assistant or a lady that helps a lot, he would not have opted to use the exact word that he used 20 sentences earlier to describe the very Savior of the world. A middle schooler might make that kind of error on a homework assignment, but that's not what's happening here. 

2. If he did mean that Phoebe's work was insignificant, he wouldn't have mentioned her first. The next people he lists are Priscilla and Aquila, whom he calls his 'coworkers'. Paul shows respect to and believes in the work that Phoebe is doing.

3. The rest of what he says about her does not support this.

Scripture honors Phoebe with the title of deacon.

Paul instructs believers to receive Phoebe in a worthy manner.

We see that in Romans 16:2 Paul tells his readers to receive this woman in a manner that's worthy of the saints. Not just to receive her, but to receive her well. He's calling on them to be particularly good to her. He also tells the Romans that they are to support Phoebe. More than simply offering financial provision or help with the logistics of her visit, he is calling them to stand by her. The text indicates that he is calling on his readers to offer her moral support and respect.

Phoebe likely was responsible to explain the book of Romans.

Most scholars believe that by listing her first, Paul is indicating that she is the one he entrusted to bear this letter, which we of course know as the book of Romans. This means that one of the most significant books of the New Testament was originally entrusted to Phoebe, a woman. As she lived near a major harbor, it would have been relatively simple for her to sail to Rome from there. It was not only her job to transport it to Rome, she was responsible to clarify, explain, or elaborate on the questions the readers and listeners had, which naturally would be directed at her. 

Think about the implications of that. Paul sent the book of Romans with her and put her in a position where she would need to explain what he meant to anyone who didn't understand his meanings. This shows that he believed her to be capable of correctly explaining and expounding on his message. Paul placed Phoebe in a position to teach!

Phoebe was a spiritual leader to Paul.

"...for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me." -Romans 16:2b NIV

The end of the mention of Phoebe highlights another significant detail about her. The NIV uses the word 'benefactor' and many translations use the word 'helper'. It's easy to read words like that and think that Phoebe supported Paul financially, or that she let the apostles stay in her house occasionally, or maybe she cooked for them or did their laundry. We assume that the only help she was able to give was housekeeping or money...because the truth is that much of the church has significantly downplayed the roles and actions of the women of the Bible. We haven't been taught the significance of women like Phoebe, so it's easy to miss.

But once again, if we dig deeper into Scripture, and examine what words Paul used and what they meant to him, we will see that his words mean something more than what we have assumed.

The word that is translated as helper or benefactor is the Greek word prostatis (Strongs G4368) - a feminine noun derived from proistemi, which is usually translated to rule over, or something similar. We only see this word once in the New Testament, which should call our attention to the significant meaning behind it.

According to Strongs, prostatis means:

1. A woman set over others.

2. A female guardian, protectress, patroness.

Phoebe is a woman set over others, including Paul (Romans 16:2).

Further support for this idea comes from the definition of the root word, proistemi which means: to set over, to be over, superintend, preside over, to be a protector or guardian, to care for, give attention to. This is dynamite! Phoebe is a leader. 

It is very, very difficult to read these definitions and think that this woman had done nothing for Paul except make a donation or feed him a few good meals. Paul respected Phoebe as a spiritual leader. Again, Paul is an excellent communicator...if he hadn't meant that Phoebe was over others or acting as a guardian, protector, and patron, he would have used a different word. His word choice highlights that he himself learned from her and considered her a leader in the church.

It's also worth noting that even if we jump to the last possible definition of this word - 'patron' - it doesn't fit well with what many believe this passage to mean. In the cultural context of the time, a patron was someone who provided significant help. This is not someone who makes a $20 donation, but someone who sponsors the entire ministry, and pays yearly salaries. If Phoebe were wealthy enough to do so, would it make sense for Paul to tell the Romans to support her financially? Wouldn't there be better uses for their money than giving it to a very wealthy woman? The text simply can't mean that all Phoebe did was fund his ministry, or that the only support he expected the believing community to offer her was financial.

Elsewhere in Scripture we do see women financially supporting the Gospel (Joanna and Susanna in Luke 8:3), and prostatis is not the word used. If Phoebe's work was about physical or financial provision, that would have been described differently.

The latter part of Romans 16:2 could be translated as, "...for she has been set over many people, including me."

What Phoebe's life means for us today:

Her life demonstrates that the role of women in ministry is not limited just to children or other women. It's not just about doing secretary tasks, sweeping the floors, taking care of orphans, and so on. While those tasks matter, and those who do them are honored in the kingdom of Heaven, Phoebe's life and ministry show that women can also teach the Gospel and have positions of leadership in churches and ministries.

Paul himself, undoubtedly one of the greatest teachers of the Gospel in history, went out of his way to highlight that not only was this woman a deacon, but he himself was under her spiritual influence and authority. Paul respected her ministry. She had taught and encouraged Paul. Paul chose to validate that. Phoebe's life is a validation of women in ministry.

I know that many people will disagree with this message because it just doesn't fit with what so many pastors and churches have told us about women in ministry. I would highly encourage you to study the original meanings of the words Paul chose to use and look at what this passage meant to the writer. Here's a link to the Strongs definition of prostatis to get your studies started.

More about women in the Bible:
The Significance of Sarah in the Bible
1 Corinthians 14:34 Does Not Mean Women Aren't Allowed to Speak
The Real Meaning of the Mary and Martha Story

What Romans 8:28 Actually Means

"For God works all things together for the good of those who love him." -Romans 8:28

This statement made by Paul in the New Testament is packed full of hope, isn't it? I love the promise of the idea that no matter what happens in my life, God will bring something good to me through that. An ugly situation will be weaved into something beautiful. Bad things will be turned around. That's the power of YHWH, the one who trades beauty for ashes.

This idea isn't limited in origin to Romans 8:28. Joseph told his brothers that what they had intended for evil, God had used for good. So I'm not saying that the common understanding of this verse is wrong. But it is limited. There is more to it than what sits above the surface.

Most of us have heard, or experienced ourselves, first hand accounts of this. The person that claimed the awful car-accident was the wake up call they needed to fix their marriage. Someone insisting that getting fired from a job was the best thing that ever happened to them. And yet...all of us have experienced deep heartache, grief and loss that can feel too heavy to bear.  There are certain pains in life where it seems cruel to say, "Not to worry - good will come from this." 

And that's where we need to see the deeper meaning of Romans 8:28.

The point of this passage isn't limited to all things somehow working out to be beneficial to followers of God, even if they don't see how in the world that could be true until eternity. Romans 8:28 also means that no matter what happens, it is our job to work with God to bring about good in this world.

Again, while I firmly believe that God is faithful to turn around the mess in our lives, we are also called to work with him in that! That means there is tremendous hope in each of our lives! Not just for good to happen to us. But to overcome the hard things and heartache, and continue to be faithful servants of YHWH, doing everything we can to bring about good into the world.

Many of us struggle to take our eyes off their hardships and the brokenness of our world. And I get that. There are far too many overwhelming situations and heartaches for most of us. And there are scary statistics and predictions about society, the economy, depression rates, and the environment on the news every day. It's easy to want to throw your hands up in the air and say "What's the point?" But truthfully, as the body of Messiah this is our time to step into the role that God created us for. It is your job to work with God to bring about good in your life, your family, your community, and our world, no matter what unwanted circumstances may arise.

Here's a better rendering of Romans 8:28

"We know that God works all things together for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose."

Related posts:

What Does 'No Greater Burdens' in Acts 15:20 Mean?
The Real Meaning of 1 Corinthians 14:34
The Beautiful Detail You've Never Heard from the Prodigal Son Parable

Misconceptions that Keep Us from Understanding the Bible

The Bible has been a controversial and misunderstood book. 

Why is the Bible confusing? Why do so many people, sects, and denominations disagree about what certain passages of Scripture mean or how the word of God should be applied to our lives? This post will address what I believe are the most common misconceptions that lead to misunderstanding the Bible today, and help us to see the deeper meanings of the Scripture.

Now to be clear, I am not saying that many people don't understand much of the Bible. But I do believe that all of us have room to grow and better understand the words that we have been given. 

I don't know if you've ever looked through eyeglasses that weren't quite your prescription, but if you have you may know that even if you can see the general layout of your surroundings, the details are fuzzy at best. Looking through the wrong lens can very well lead to a headache. I think a lot of us have spent much of our lives looking at the Bible through lenses of wrong beliefs or incorrect assumptions like those below. Recognizing these misconceptions as incorrect is the first step towards correctly seeing both the Old and New Testaments

Misconceptions about the Bible that lead Christians to misunderstand God's word:

-Jesus was against Biblical commandments. I spent most of my teenage years believing that the Savior's interactions with religious leaders in the Gospels were him telling them to chill out about keeping Biblical law, and that idea could not be more incorrect. Jesus's words were always, always about restoring the word of God, and absolutely never about changing it.

-That the religious leaders of the day were doing what God wanted. I used to picture the culture the Messiah was born into as the perfect example of people following the Bible, but truthfully things were not going well when Jesus arrived on the scene. Leaders were a long way from perfectly implementing Biblical instructions. In their run-ins with the Messiah he called them out for ignoring commandments, greed, making a show of doing good deeds, focusing on small instructions while disregarding larger ones, and replacing God's commands altogether with their own laws.

-There's only one type of law in the Bible. If you believe this, then there is simply no way to read through all of the New Testament and have it make cohesive sense. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:20 something like, "I am not under the law...I am not free from the law...I am under the law." Have fun figuring out what that can mean if those are all the same kinds of law. But if we recognize that Scripture frequently references Biblical law, laws for the Levitical priesthood, and manmade traditions, then passages like these come into better focus.

-Only those of a certain bloodline were eligible for salvation before Jesus. It's a popular belief that before Christ, only those of a certain bloodline could be included among the people of Israel, or would have eternal life. This idea is not found in Scripture. Instead, we have many examples of all people being permitted to join the people of YHWH. From the idolatrous backgrounds of Abraham and Sarah, to the Egyptians that joined Israel during the Exodus, to Caleb the Kenezite. The authors of the Messiah's genealogies purposely included women like Ruth and Rahab - women who were not Israelites by birth or bloodline, but nonetheless great-grandmothers of the Savior himself, to dispel this idea.

-There was only one tribe of Israel. Most Bible students know that there were twelve tribes of Israel, yet we act like there was only one. Beliefs such as, 'Everyone in the Old Testament was Jewish,' or ignoring the split in the kingdom of Israel, and subsequently, the different kings and happenings in each kingdom, are direct reflections of this wrong idea. This myth also causes us to miss the true meaning of the Messiah's statement that he was sent "only for the lost sheep of the house of Israel"(Matthew 15:24).

-Scripture speaks of money and finances from a capitalist perspective. It's really easy to read the passages of the Bible that relate to money and assume God's plan for the financial structure of society is modern capitalism, but Biblical law has some huge differences from how things are today. As just one example: in capitalism, anyone with enough money can purchase property, and anyone who owns property could potentially lose it. While under Biblical law, land is not something that is bought, but given by YHWH. And no one can lose their land! If we are looking at Scripture through a lens of capitalism, it's going to be difficult to understand passages like 'render unto Caesar,' and 'a day's wages for a loaf of bread.'

-The Scripture being referenced was our New Testament. So often when Paul, Peter, and even the Savior's own words make reference to Scripture or what is written, we forget the fact that the New Testament did not yet exist. Authors of the New Testament spoke highly of the Old Testament!

-All priesthoods are the same. I used to read Hebrews and think that what was "fading away" was the Levitical priesthood in the Bible and everything else from the Old Testament. But there is another priesthood that was operation in Abraham's day and that is the Melchizedek priesthood that the Messiah is now high priest over.

-Individuals going to heaven is the point of Scripture and the work of God. While it's absolutely true that God loves each individual in the world and that the Bible does address eternal life, looking at the Bible like its only concern is about individuals getting to heaven is a lens that needs to be adjusted. This is an important topic to be sure, and, yes, I would gladly prefer someone know that Jesus loves them and died for their eternal life as opposed to nothing of God's promises. But that doesn't mean that there isn't more going on in this holy book.

Please hear that there's no shame in having had these beliefs! I grew up going to church every Sunday and most Wednesdays and these were things I was taught by pastors, youth pastors, and Christian authors and speakers. Thoughts like these are common and unfortunately, they lead to making the Bible difficult to impossible to understand. As we realize that the beliefs and customs that were passed to us are not necessarily Biblical truth, we can start to better understand the word of God.

Related posts:
The Three Types of Laws in the Bible
Commandments or Traditions - Understanding What the Messiah Spoke Against
Comparing the Melchizedek and Levitical Priesthoods

Here's When the Biblical Holidays Happen in 2025

This is when the Biblical holidays happen in 2025.

If you're looking for this year's dates for Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles you have come to the right place. These holidays have historic and prophetic meaning in Scripture and believers today can take part in that by adding these dates to their calendars!

While the Bible gives specific dates for each holiday, the Gregorian calendar doesn't match up with the Creator's calendar so the dates land a little bit differently each year on our modern calendar. There are also a few different ways to calculate the start of the year and because of that some groups will observe them at slightly different times. What I'm sharing here is the most commonly used set of dates. Whether you go by this calendar or another, mark your calendars for these set apart times!

When do the Biblical holidays happen in 2025?

Passover - April 12-13

Unleavened Bread - April 13-20

First Fruits - April 13-14

Shavuot - June 1-3

Feast of Trumpets - September 22-24

Yom Kippur - October 1-2

Feast of Tabernacles - October 6-13

A couple of things about this: according to this calendar, days start in the evening at sundown. This means that Passover starts on the evening of April 12 and goes through the evening of the 13th. If you do not observe days as starting in the evening, then celebrating Passover the day of April 13th would be appropriate. This calendar also gives an extra day to both the Feast of Trumpets and Shavuot, even though in the Bible they are both just one day events...feel free to just celebrate the first day of those!

It's also important to note that while all of these are special times, some of these days are considered Sabbaths which means we shouldn't work on them. These Sabbath days are the first and last days of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the first and last days of Tabernacles. This means that believers should request off from work or arrange to be away from their business on those days, as well as refrain from shopping, errands, and yard or household projects and chores. 

Sabbath days for 2025:

April 13-14
April 19-20
June 1-2
September 22-23
October 1-2
October 6-7
October 12-13

As well as all weekly Sabbaths, of course.

You have the opportunity to celebrate what God has done by joining in on the Biblical holidays this year!

Related posts:
The Beginner's Guide to the Biblical Holidays
Why the Biblical Holidays Are for All Believers
Six Reasons Believers Should Keep the Bible's Holidays Today