1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea: Ver. 1. Servant of the Church ] A deaconess to minister to the sick, as 1 Timothy 5:9 , not a praedicantisse, to preach or have Peter’s keys on their belt. (Dr Bastwick against Independency.) read more
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 read more
I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:I commend unto you Phebe — The bearer of this letter.A servant — The Greek word is a deaconness.Of the church in Cenchrea — In the apostolic age, some grave and pious women were appointed deaconnesses in every church. It was their office, not to teach publicly, but to visit the sick, the women in particular, and to minister to them both in their temporal and spiritual necessities. read more
1. Phebe Feminine of Phoebus, shining, a Greek epithet and proper name of the sun; and hence, in the feminine, signifying the moon. Servant Our translators have hardly done Phebe justice in translating διακονον , servant, and προστατις , succourer; for the former is the term for deaconess or ministra, and the latter is patroness, being radically the same word as is rendered he that ruleth in Romans 12:8. The ability and eminence of Phebe appears from the apostle’s earnest... read more
4. Commendation of Phebe and various Salutations , Romans 16:1-16 . These salutations appear at first glance like a dry catalogue of names. But they introduce us into “good society.” Very probably we read here the names of Christians who went out three years after to escort Paul from Appii Forum to Rome. Very probably the large share of them sealed their Christianity with martyrdom under the approaching persecution by Nero. (See note on Acts 28:15.) Renan has a plausible theory that this... read more
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The Biblical Illustrator - Romans 16:1-16
Romans 16:1-16The conclusion of the Epistle1. This is scarcely the kind of conclusion that one would have expected. One would have thought that the rapt apostle, having been borne to the loftiest circles of contemplation, would have now flung his inspired pen upon the page he had immortalised. Instead of this, he threads his way into many of the minutest details of Christian life, and concludes his unparalleled effort by blessing many who had lightened his toil.2. We dare now approach the... read more