Was Phoebe a Female Deacon? Romans 16:1-2

Phoebe as a Servant of the Church in Romans 16

All right, the Apostle Paul begins with these words in Romans 16. He says, I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the church in Centuria. There's a matter that is often brought up here in Romans chapter 16.

This woman, Phoebe, is called by Paul in the Greek language, a diakonos. And that word probably sounds familiar to most of you. So I want to address this right away for two reasons. First reason, it's the first verse.

So, you know, I sort of have to.

But number two, this has been an issue that often comes up, and it's often what people remember. Interestingly enough, it's what they remember about Romans 16. So Paul calls Phoebe a diakonos, which is translated as what?

As servant in most of your Bibles. But it can also be translated deacon. And what is a deacon? A deacon is a servant of the church. Now pastors are called sometimes ministers, right? And what is a minister?

Well, a minister is a servant, and it's the same Greek word diakonos. So if you compare scripture with scripture, you see that there are two ministerial offices in a local church. That of the bishop or the pastor, and that of deacon.

And that is clearly taught in 1 Timothy 3, among other places. So with that being said, in the church there are servants who hold office, and there are servants who do not hold office, but they are valuable servants nonetheless.

The word diakonos is found 31 times in the New Testament. And at least in the King James Version, it is translated minister 20 times, servant 8 times, and deacon 3 times. So chapter 16 of the Book of Romans is often remembered for this due to the debate that has arisen in the church, not Morse Quarter Church, but the church in general in the 20th century over whether or not women should serve as deacons in the church.

Paul's Purpose in Honoring Phoebe

But that is not Paul's intention here. Paul's intention is to recognize this special woman who did so much for so many. What Paul wanted people to remember was not some debate over words, not some contentious argument in the latter days about the role of women in the church.

What Paul wanted people to remember, what he wanted to do, is to recognize a faithful servant in the Lord. And really, so many women have served the church of Jesus Christ faithfully over the years. So many women have given their time and their energy, put in countless hours of preparation and service.

Equal Value in Christ, Distinct Roles in the Church

Paul taught elsewhere, and you'll remember this, he taught that in Jesus Christ, there is neither male nor female. We are all one in Christ Jesus. Now that doesn't negate the roles and responsibilities that God has ordained, but it is a simple recognition that all people have equal value before God.

And clearly, Phoebe's service was of great value.