the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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New Living Translation
Romans 16:1
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I want you to know that you can trust our sister in Christ, Phoebe. She is a special servant of the church in Cenchrea.
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cen'chre-ae,
I commede vnto you Phebe oure sister (which is a minister of the congregacion of Chenchrea)
I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly that is at Cenchreae,
Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servantdeaconess">[fn] in the church at Cenchreae.Acts 18:18;">[xr]
I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea,
I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a helper in the church in Cenchrea.
I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, and who is a servant of the church that is at Cenchreae:
I commend to you Phebe our sister, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae,
I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly that is at Cenchreae,
I commend unto you Phebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,
Herewith I introduce our sister Phoebe to you, who is a servant of the Church at Cenchreae,
And Y comende to you Feben, oure sister, which is in the seruyce of the chirche that is at Teucris,
I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church that is at Cenchreae:
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.
I have good things to say about Phoebe, who is a leader in the church at Cenchreae.
Now I introduce and commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deaconess (servant) of the church at Cenchrea,
I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church that is at Cenchreae:
It is my desire to say a good word for Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae:
I am introducing to you our sister Phoebe, shammash of the congregation at Cenchrea,
But I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is minister of the assembly which is in Cenchrea;
I COMMEND to you Phebe our sister, who is a deaconess of the church of Kancreos,
And I commend to you Phebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea:
I commend vnto you Phebe our sister, which is a seruant of the Church which is at Cenchrea:
I want to let you know about our Christian sister Phoebe. She is a helper in the church in the city of Cenchrea.
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae,
I Commende vnto you Phebe our sister, which is a seruaunt of the Church of Cenchrea:
I ENTRUST to your care Phe''be, our sis ter, who is a deaconess of the church which is at Cen''chre-a:
And I commend to you Phoebe our sister, - being a minister alsoof the assembly which is in Cenchreae;
And I commend to you Phebe, our sister, who is in the ministry of the church, that is in Cenchrae:
I commende vnto you Phebe our sister, whiche is a minister of the Church of Cenchrea,
I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who serves the church at Cenchreae.
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchreae.
I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
Now I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is also a servant of the church in Cenchrea,
But I commend our sister Phoebe to you, being a servant of the assembly in Cenchrea,
And I commend you to Phebe our sister -- being a ministrant of the assembly that [is] in Cenchrea --
I commende vnto you Phebe oure sister, which is a mynister of the congregacion of Cenchrea,
I recommend to you Phebe our sister, who is a deaconess of the church at Kenchrea; receive her for Christ's sake,
Be sure to welcome our friend Phoebe in the way of the Master, with all the generous hospitality we Christians are famous for. I heartily endorse both her and her work. She's a key representative of the church at Cenchrea. Help her out in whatever she asks. She deserves anything you can do for her. She's helped many a person, including me.
Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,
I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,
I am recommending to y'all a cowgirl named Phoebe. She is instrumental in the church in Cenchreae.
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea;
Now I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea;
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
commend: 2 Corinthians 3:1
our: Matthew 12:50, Mark 10:30, 1 Timothy 5:2, James 2:15, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 Peter 1:23
a servant: Luke 8:3, 1 Timothy 5:9, 1 Timothy 5:10
Cenchrea: Acts 18:18
Reciprocal: Exodus 35:25 - General Proverbs 31:31 - and let Matthew 10:41 - that receiveth a prophet Acts 18:27 - the brethren 1 Corinthians 9:5 - a sister Titus 3:15 - Greet Hebrews 13:24 - Salute 3 John 1:14 - Greet
Cross-References
But Sarai was unable to become pregnant and had no children.
Then Pharaoh gave Abram many gifts because of her—sheep, goats, cattle, male and female donkeys, male and female servants, and camels.
So Sarai said to Abram, "The Lord has prevented me from having children. Go and sleep with my servant. Perhaps I can have children through her." And Abram agreed with Sarai's proposal.
So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian servant and gave her to Abram as a wife. (This happened ten years after Abram had settled in the land of Canaan.)
The angel of the Lord said to her, "Return to your mistress, and submit to her authority."
Then he added, "I will give you more descendants than you can count."
But God told Abraham, "Do not be upset over the boy and your servant. Do whatever Sarah tells you, for Isaac is the son through whom your descendants will be counted.
and he settled in the wilderness of Paran. His mother arranged for him to marry a woman from the land of Egypt.
Isaac pleaded with the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was unable to have children. The Lord answered Isaac's prayer, and Rebekah became pregnant with twins.
In those days a man named Manoah from the tribe of Dan lived in the town of Zorah. His wife was unable to become pregnant, and they had no children.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
I commend unto you Phebe our sister,.... This chapter chiefly consists of commendations and salutations of persons, and begins with the former. It was usual to give letters of commendation of a member of one church to those of another; see 2 Corinthians 3:1; The person who is here recommended was, as appears from the subscription of this epistle, if that may be depended on, the bearer of this letter, and is described by her name, Phebe; as she dwelt at Cenchrea, it is probable she was a Grecian, as is her name. Pausanias e makes frequent mention of one of this name in Greece. With the Heathen poets, Pheobus was the sun, and Phoebe the moon. Though it is not unlikely that she might be a Jewess, since there were many of them in those parts; and this was a name in use among them. We often read f of R. Ishmael בן פאבי, "ben Phoebi", which I take to be the same name with this. She is recommended as a sister, "our sister"; not in a natural, but spiritual relation; one that was a member of the church at Cenchrea, and in full communion with it; for as it was usual to call the men brethren, it was common to call the women sisters. Elderly men were called fathers, younger men brethren; elderly women were styled mothers, and younger women sisters, who were partakers of the grace of God, and enjoyed the fellowship of the saints:
which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea. This place was a seaport of the Corinthians, distant from Corinth about seventy furlongs, or eight or nine miles: it was on one side of the Isthmus, as Lechea was on the other g; 2 Corinthians 3:1- :. In the way to this place from the Isthmus, as Pausanias relates h, was the temple of Diana, and a very ancient sculpture; and in Cenchrea itself was the temple of Venus, and a wooden image; and near the flow of the sea was a Neptune of brass. But now, in this place, was a church of Jesus Christ; and since it was so near to Corinth, it shows that churches in those early times were not national, or provincial, but congregational. Of this church Phebe was a servant, or, as the word signifies, a minister or deacon; not that she was a teacher of the word, or preacher of the Gospel, for that was not allowed of by the apostle in the church at Corinth, that a woman should teach; see 1 Corinthians 14:34; and therefore would never be admitted at Cenchrea. Rather, as some think, she was a deaconess appointed by the church, to take care of the poor sisters of the church; though as they were usually poor, and ancient women; that were put into that service, and this woman, according to the account of her, being neither poor, nor very ancient; it seems rather, that being a rich and generous woman, she served or ministered to the church by relieving the poor; not out of the church's stock, as deaconesses did, but out of her own substance; and received the ministers of the Gospel, and all strangers, into her house, which was open to all Christians; and so was exceeding serviceable to that church, and to all the saints that came thither: though it is certain that among the ancient Christians there were women servants who were called ministers. Pliny, in an epistle of his to Trajan the emperor, says i, that he had examined two maids, "quae ministrae dicebantur", "who were called ministers", to know the truth of the Christian religion.
e Graec. Deseript. l. 2. p. 125. l. 3. p. 190. l. 4. p. 276. f Misn. Sota, c. 9. sect. 15. T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 9. 1. & 35. 2. Jucbasin, fol. 24. 2. & 54. 2. g Plin. Natural Hist. l. 4. c. 4. Ptolem. l. 3. c. 16. h in Corinthiacis, p. 88. i Epist. l. 10. ep. 97.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
I commend - It was common then, as now, to bear letters of introduction to strangers, commending the person thus introduced to the favorable regards and attentions of those to whom the letters were addressed; 2 Corinthians 3:1; Acts 18:27. This Epistle, with the apostle’s commendation, was designed thus to introduce its bearer to the Roman Christians. The mention of Phebe in this manner leaves it beyond a doubt that she was either the bearer of this Epistle, or accompanied those who bore it to Rome. The Epistle was therefore written, probably, at Corinth. (See Introduction.)
Our sister - A member of the Christian church.
Which is a servant - Greek,” Who is a deaconess.” It is clear from the New Testament that there was an order of women in the church known as “deaconesses.” Reference is made to a class of females whose duty it was to “teach” other females, and to take the general superintendence of that part of the church, in various places in the New Testament; and their existence is expressly affirmed in early ecclesiastical history. They appear to have been commonly aged and experienced widows, sustaining fair reputation, and suited to guide and instruct those who were young and inexperienced; compare 1Ti 5:3, 1 Timothy 5:9-11; Titus 2:4. The Apostolical Constitutions, book iii. say, “Ordain a deaconess who is faithful and holy, for the ministries toward the women.” Pliny in his celebrated letter to Trajan, says, when speaking of the efforts which he made to obtain information respecting the opinions and practices of Christians, “I deemed it necessary to put two maidservants who are called “ministrae” (that is “deaconesses”) to the torture, in order to ascertain what is the truth.” The reasons of their appointment among the Gentiles were these:
(1) The females were usually separate from the men. They were kept secluded, for the most part, and not permitted to mingle in society with men as is the custom now.
(2) It became necessary, therefore, to appoint aged and experienced females to instruct the young, to visit the sick, to provide for them, and to perform for them the services which male deacons performed for the whole church. It is evident, however, that they were confined to these offices, and that they were never regarded as an order of ministers, or suffered “to preach” to congregations; 1 Timothy 2:12; 1 Corinthians 14:34.
Of the church ... - This is the only mention which occurs of a church at that place. It was probably collected by the labors of Paul.
At Cenchrea - This was the “sea-port” of Corinth. Corinth was situated on the middle of the isthmus, and had “two” harbors, or ports: “Cenchrea” on the east, about eight or nine miles from the city; and “Lechaeum” on the west. Cenchrea opened into the AEgean sea, and was the principal port. It was on this “isthmus,” between these two ports, that the “Isthmian” games were celebrated, to which the apostle refers so often in his epistles.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER XVI.
The apostle commends to the Christians at Rome Phoebe, a
deaconess of the Church at Cenchrea, 1, 2.
Sends greetings to Aquila and Priscilla, of whom he gives a
high character; and greets also the Church at their house, 3-5.
Mentions several others by name, both men and women, who were
members of the Church of Christ at Rome, 6-16.
Warns them to beware of those who cause dissensions and
divisions, of whom he gives an awful character, 17, 18.
Extols the obedience of the Roman Christians, and promises them
a complete victory over Satan, 19, 20.
Several persons send their salutations, 21-23.
To whose good wishes he subjoins the apostolic blessing;
commends them to God; gives own abstract of the doctrines of
the Gospel: and concludes with ascribing glory to the only wise
God, through Christ Jesus, 24-27.
NOTES ON CHAP. XVI.
Verse Romans 16:1. I commend unto you Phoebe — As the apostle had not been at Rome previously to his writing this epistle, he could not have had a personal acquaintance with those members of the Church there to whom he sends these friendly salutations. It is likely that many of them were his own converts, who, in different parts of Asia Minor and Greece, had heard him preach the Gospel, and afterwards became settlers at Rome.
Phoebe is here termed a servant, διακονον, a deaconess of the Church at Cenchrea. There were deaconesses in the primitive Church, whose business it was to attend the female converts at baptism; to instruct the catechumens, or persons who were candidates for baptism; to visit the sick, and those who were in prison, and, in short, perform those religious offices for the female part of the Church which could not with propriety be performed by men. They were chosen in general out of the most experienced of the Church, and were ordinarily widows, who had borne children. Some ancient constitutions required them to be forty, others fifty, and others sixty years of age. It is evident that they were ordained to their office by the imposition of the hands of the bishop; and the form of prayer used on the occasion is extant in the apostolical constitutions. In the tenth or eleventh century the order became extinct in the Latin Church, but continued in the Greek Church till the end of the twelfth century. See Broughton's Dictionary, article deaconess.
Cenchrea was a sea-port on the east side of the isthmus which joined the Morea to Greece, as the Lechaeum was the sea-port on the west side of the same isthmus. These were the only two havens and towns of any note, next to Corinth, that belonged to this territory. As the Lechaeum opened the road to the Ionian sea, so Cenchrea opened the road to the AEgean; and both were so advantageously situated for commerce that they were very rich. These two places are now usually denominated the Gulf of Lepanto, and the Gulf of Ingia or Egina. It was on the isthmus, between these two ports, which was about six miles wide, that the Isthmian games were celebrated; to which St. Paul makes such frequent allusions.
