(Romans 16:1-2)
Let’s eavesdrop as Phoebe tells her own story:
“I simply did what needed doing.
My dear friend Paul commended me for my deacon’s work in the church of Cenchreae, the one mention of me that’s endured. But we had none of the titles that must’ve evolved later. I wanted to bear witness to Jesus, to follow him, and to do his work. You might say he captured my imagination; he became my happiness.
Anyone who heard about him for more than a day or two knew his focus on letting go of non-essentials. To him, those “fields shining white for the harvest” were more compelling than any synagogue authorities. After all, the man was baptized in a river by a fellow who ate locusts! No formal ritual in the temple for his initiation rite. None of the trappings of tribalism for him! Did he ever ask anyone for a marriage license or a baptismal certificate before he cured them? Did he check up on what church they attended or quiz them on purity codes before they had a conversation?
We tried to shape our priorities like Jesus’. I was Paul’s co-worker and we had much to do. My home, Cenchreae was Corinth’s eastern seaport, a place of cross-currents where cultures meet and stories spread. Good place to be! I had managed a household, raised a family and welcomed friends to my home. It seemed a natural step to host Christian communities. Why would I suddenly take a lesser role? Paul certainly wasn’t threatened by me; indeed he welcomed and appreciated all the gifts everyone brought to his magnificent enterprise. So when Paul asked me to carry his letter to the Romans, I said, “of course.” I had the means and the wit; I liked adventure and liked carrying good news—why not? What an honor to read his message aloud for the first time.”
A total of nine women named in the letter to Romans suggests an egalitarian movement with women in positions of authority. Oddly enough, their roles may have been dictated by social norms: e.g., a man couldn’t touch a woman during a baptismal anointing or visit a woman alone—hence, women into the breach! Talk of ordinations and hierarchies would have bewildered them, since Jesus ordained no one. Like any healthy family or community, they simply responded generously to the immediate needs, not concerned with titles or status. Phoebe stands as one whose role was eminently practical, like those who offered their homes for meeting places of the fledgling community.
Some parts of the church, by the late first or early second century, tried to tone down places in Acts showing women being an important part of the early Christian community. Scholars like William Ramsay noted long ago that the church tried to blend in with Roman society, which held women in low esteem, and would look askance at the prominence of women in this new sect. But today a vibrant international movement is reclaiming St. Phoebe, shining symbol of women’s contributions over the centuries. Viva Phoebe!
Excerpts from More Hidden Women of the Gospels, Orbis Press, 800-258-5838, orbisbooks.com
Kathy Coffey 