Sister Power Should Be Welcomed, Encouraged

Two air flights, a taxi and a bus trip have taken a family member to St-Jean-Pied-de Port to walk the Way of St James. She plans to return 32 days later after walking 804 kilometers. In about AD 55 another brave woman, Phoebe, undertook a journey, mentioned by Paul in Romans 16, to deliver an important document to Rome.

The journey that Phoebe undertook from Corinth was dangerous. No air flight only travel on a sailing ship for a great distance from Greece to Puteoli on the stormy Mediterranean Sea. On arriving at Puteoli there would be no bus or taxi to Rome, she had to travel on foot or caravan for the rest of the way. However Phoebe, woman of valour, had the strength to undertake this treacherous journey.

Scholars agree that the reason for her journey was to carry Paul’s letter to Roman Christians and Paul had no doubt that Phoebe could be trusted to deliver this important correspondence. The letter was to introduce himself and his message to the Romans before his imminent arrival. He sent Phoebe ahead with a letter of commendation to the Roman Christians asking their assistance in whatever she had need of them. This was not a shopping expedition or to discuss new business. Paul ensured that fellow Christians in Rome know that the person he was sending had already distinguished herself in her church as a deacon (diakonos) and a benefactor (prostatis) to many including himself. Interesting to note that in the King James version diakonos is always translated as ‘minister or deacon’ when it applies to men (1 Timothy 3:8,12) but ‘servant’ in reference to Phoebe! 

In 1894 the esteemed spiritual and missionary leader, A.J. Gordon wrote “why discriminate against Phoebe simply because she is a women?  Are we also guilty of applying double standards when speaking about men and women? Do we say men are strong, progressive leaders while women are ‘bossy, demanding, pushy, domineering or controlling?

When Paul speaks about Phoebe in Romans 16 he calls her a ‘sister’. All Christians have a relationship with God who is like a father and mother to us. Paul wrote in Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” It is appropriate then as Christians that there be no discrimination among us and that we welcome and encourage strong qualities in men and women instead of categorizing them by gender, age, social status or race.

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