Phoebe, Deacon of the Church of Cenchreae and Leader of Many, Including Me with Philip B. Payne

Phoebe, mentioned in Romans 16:1–2, was not merely a letter carrier, but a woman in leadership in the early church. Paul writes, “Phoebe, who is deacon of the church in Cenchreae ...” “Deacon” was a local church leadership title. The phrases “receive her” and “assist in any matter” encourage people to respect Phoebe and show that Paul trusts her implicitly. An examination of secular usage argues that prostatis should be translated “leader,” not “helper” or “benefactor,” and probably not “patron.” None of the examples BDAG cites (or I have found) for prostatis means “a woman in a supportive role” or “benefactor.” Some even mean “president.” Finally, we will explore the significance of Paul’s statement, “including me.” This shows that Paul applied to himself his injunction in Ephesians 5:21 that all believers “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”