Smethurst: Phoebe Was a Deacon, Not Just a Servant

Phoebe Was a Deacon, Not Just a Servant

As we saw earlier, Paul begins greeting the Roman church with a specific commendation:

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant [diakonos] of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. (Rom. 16:1–2)

Though many interpret diakonos informally (e.g., a servant-hearted person), there are better reasons to believe that the word signals the formal position of deacon.

First, the ending of the word is masculine, not feminine. This would have been an odd way for Paul to refer to a woman—unless, of course, he’s not describing her character but designating her office.

Second, it is significant that Phoebe is called a diakonos of a specific church. Throughout the New Testament this term is often used in a general sense—and rightly translated “servant” or “minister”—since the person’s labor isn’t tied to a specific locale, much less to a specific church. Thus Paul is a diakonos “of the gospel” (Eph. 3:7), Epaphras “of Christ” (Col. 1:7), Tychicus “in the Lord” (Eph. 6:21), and Timothy “of Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 4:6). On first glance it might seem Paul is placing Phoebe into this same “general servant” category, but this overlooks that he describes her as a diakonos “of the church at Cenchreae,” specifying her function as diakonos to that specific church.

This one-church designation is even more striking when we consider the expansiveness of Phoebe’s ministry: she belongs to the church in Cenchreae; she is serving Paul in Corinth; and she will likely carry the letter to Rome. Yet despite this service to churches across the Roman Empire, Paul tethers her diakonos status to a single congregation. The most natural conclusion, then, is that “diakonos of the church at Cenchreae” is not a general description but an official title. There are countless general servants of the church, but Phoebe is also a formal deacon of a church.

Finally, Phoebe is called a “patron” (ESV) or “benefactor” (NIV) in verse 2, indicating that she regularly supported, perhaps financially, those in need. This task, as well as serving as a courier or envoy to Rome, would fit naturally with a diaconal position.

Matt Smethurst, Deacons: How They Serve and Strengthen the Church, 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 147–148.

Comments

John Stott on the "old man" and the "body ruled by sin" in Rom 6 v 6

There are, in fact, two quite distinct ways in which the New Testament speaks of crucifixion in relation to holiness. The first is our death to sin through identification with Christ; the second is our death to self through imitation of Christ. On the one hand, we have been crucified with Christ. But on the other we have crucified (decisively repudiated) our sinful nature with all its desires, so that every day we renew this attitude by taking up our cross and following Christ to crucifixion. The first is a legal death, a death to the penalty of sin; the second is a moral death, a death to the power of sin. The first belongs to the past, and is unique and unrepeatable; the second belongs to the present, and is repeatable, even continuous. I died to sin (in Christ) once; I die to self (like Christ) daily. It is with the first of these two deaths that Romans 6 is chiefly concerned, although the first is with a view to the second, and the second cannot take place w...

Boice: “... the federal way of dealing with us was actually the fairest and kindest of all the ways God could have operated. ”

Adam had been appointed by God to be the representative of the race so that if he stood, we too would stand, and if he fell, we would fall with him. Adam did fall, as we know. So death passed upon everyone. “But isn’t that terribly unfair?” someone protests. “Isn’t it cruel for God to act in this fashion?” ... the federal way of dealing with us was actually the fairest and kindest of all the ways God could have operated. Besides, it was the only way it would later be possible for God to save us once we had sinned. In other words, federalism is actually a proof of God’s grace, which is the point the passage comes to (vv. 15 ff.). It was gracious to Adam first of all. Why? Because it was a deterrent to his sin. God must have explained to Adam that he was to represent his posterity. That might have restrained him from sinning. A father who might be tempted to steal his employer’s funds (and would if only he himself were involved), might well decide not to do it if he kne...

Repackaging the gospel? It's more like obscuring the gospel!

Preface : I recognize this post may make me unpopular with some, but I think it is an important issue to blog about here. I’ve had time to reflect on this video and in my opinion, I think what is in this video raises some questions. This gentleman featured below is slotted to speak at the SBC's 2020 Pastors' Conference and it prompted me to think more about this illustration. I want to note that I don't know him and I have no personal issue with him. I assume he is a brother in the LORD. Having said that, I see some significant issues here that relate to this type of preaching being clear on the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, it appears to be obscuring it in my observation. Concern: Should the SBC or churches, in general, be in the habit of holding this up as a good and healthy example? Let's think about it some together. (Watch this clip below here first.) Context: The clip was posted to stand on its own a...

Search This Blog