Phoebe, A Name to Remember!

"The Lord wants us to be used, yes; but what He is after is that we pour all we have, ourselves, to Him, and if that be all, that is enough."   - Watchman Nee

Throughout world history women have had a tough time making an impact in many cultures and societies. While it's true that there have been some breakthroughs every now and then, generally speaking, they are few and far between.

Only in recent times have women begun to be heard and even taken seriously as a force. Some still find it hard to believe that a woman can actually make a difference in the world, even generating positive change. Imagine that!

Phoebe was one such woman of the early Christian church. She's only mentioned once in the Bible, but she definitely left her mark (Romans 16:1-2). Phoebe lived in Cenchrea which was the “sea-port” of Corinth; an organized church seems to have been formed there.

This wasn't exactly an ideal location for a struggling young church to take root, though. Because it was a sea port with a transient maritime population, there was plenty of sinful behavior to go around, for sure. The church definitely had its work cut out for it!

Yet, somehow in all of this, Phoebe managed to make a go of it. She is referred to as a "servant" in Romans 16:1, which means that she was a "teacher or minister" of the Gospel. Phoebe also was an established member of the church in Corinth at that time.

Women weren't actually allowed to preach in the church, therefore, Phoebe was probably appointed by the church to care for the impoverished, older women and other ministerial work. At one time or another, in some way, she had even helped the apostle Paul.

No doubt that opportunity and experience helped her stand out from the crowd. As we can infer from Romans 16:1-2, she must have had some of her own business to take care of in Rome.

Since it was not culturally appropriate for married women to travel unaccompanied at the time, Phoebe was more than likely a well-off, older widow who had the financial means to travel.

As she embarked on this long journey, Paul entrusted her with delivering the epistle to the Roman church (Roman believers); sending her along with his stamp of approval. He asked that they receive Phoebe “receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people” (Romans 16:2).

Keep in mind that the ordinary woman of the day did not have opportunities such as this. Phoebe was already making a difference within the Church at Cenchrea when she got the call from Paul to make an ever bigger one.

Phoebe must have been some kind of lady to have been given such a big responsibility. The apostle Paul certainly could have chosen any of the church members to do it, but he chose Phoebe, a woman of obvious great faith.

In Romans 16:2, Paul said that, "she has been the benefactor of many people, including me." It's quite clear from this statement that she treated others with the special respect and Christian love that all believers should one another. Paul couldn't have picked a more trusted and Spirit-filled person for the job.

And although Phoebe is only mentioned once in Scriptures, her name resonates down through the centuries, forever leaving its mark in the Christian church history as an example for women everywhere about the power of a Godly woman.

Scripture: Romans 12:10; Mark 10:45; Colossians 3:23-24; 2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Peter 4:10

Prayer: Dear Lord, I pray that we may act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with you always, our God, amen

Have a blessed Monday!

Hailey