“I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea.” The church at Cenchrea was a local congregation or assembly. Phebe our sister—that this personage was a woman, no one disputes, and she was a servant of the church. Servant-diakonos, translated servant in the following texts: Mat. 23:11; Mark 9:35; John 12:26; Rom. 16:1. Translated deacon in Phil. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:8, 12. Translated minister: Mat. 20:26, 28; Mark 10:43, 45; Rom. 15:8; 1 Cor. 3:5; 2 Cor. 3:6; 6:4; 11:15, 23; Eph. 3:7; 6:21; Col. 1:7, 23, 25; 4:7; 1 Thes. 3:2; 1 Tim. 4:6; Rom. 12:7; 2 Cor. 8:4; Mat. 25:44; 2 Cor. 3:3; Heb. 6:10; 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:12; 4:10, 11.
The extensive use of this word diakonos in the New Testament readily determines its meaning. That Paul conferred upon Phebe the church title “diakonos” is unquestionable, and as such it means minister or deacon. Liddell and Scott's lexicon comments on diakonos as used in the New Testament as follows: A servant, waiting man or woman, minister, a messenger, a minister [pg 321] of the church. Any one can see the above definition covers all the ground of elder. I will offer a few proof texts. “He that is greatest among you, shall be your servant [diakonos].” Mat. 23:11. “Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister [diakonos].” Mat. 20:26. “Ministers [diakonos] by whom ye believed.” 1 Cor. 3:5. “Who also hath made us able ministers [diakonos] of the New Testament.” 2 Cor. 3:6. “Thou shalt be a good minister [diakonos] of Jesus Christ.” 1 Tim. 4:6. “In all things approving ourselves as the ministers [diakonos] of God.” 2 Cor. 6:4. “Whereof I was made a minister [diakonos].” Eph. 3:7.
Thus we might swell the testimony that diakonos was the common term used in the New Testament signifying the ministerial office of minister, elder, preacher, etc. Therefore the evidences are in Phebe's favor that she was a minister or elder rather than a deaconess. If we consider Paul's commendation of her standing and the sending of his Roman epistle by her, as having some weight, this certainly favors the above conclusion.
Prophecy.
Propheteuo—to prophesy publicly, to expound, to preach, etc. There were certain prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch, as Barnabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen, and Saul or Paul. Acts 13:1. They were public expounders of the Scriptures. Prophesy—to [pg 322] speak, to edify, exhort, and comfort. 1 Cor. 14:3. A few examples: Zacharias filled with the Holy Ghost prophesied. Luke 1:67-79. Compare this prophecy with Mary's words in Luke 1:46-55. “They spake with tongues and prophesied.” Acts 19:6. “And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.” Acts 15:32. “Mystery of Christ which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.” Eph. 3:4, 5. Prophets were set in the church. “He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets.” Eph. 4:11. “And God set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets.” 1 Cor. 12:28. And there were certain prophets and teachers in the church which was at Antioch. Acts 13:1.
Thus we see the prophets were identical with or a constituent part of the New Testament ministry; and it only remains for us to prove there were women prophets in the church and we have women identified with the ministry. Example: Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven. “And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.” Acts 21:8, 9. “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.” 1 Cor. 11: 5. If there were no women prophets it were foolish to give directions for them while praying or prophesying.
Joel prophesied, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” Acts 2:17, 18. We observe first, men and women were placed on equality as prophets: second, this was to be a characteristic feature or mark of the last days, or last dispensation; third, this was being fulfilled at that time, at Pentecost, as women were present. Acts 1:14. All were filled with the Holy Ghost, and spoke with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4.
Paul speaks of the whole church coming together into one place. 1 Cor. 14:23. This includes both men and women. He says, “But if all [men and women] prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all,” ver. 24. In verse 31 he says, “For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.” This was an extended privilege to all, though not expected of all, as we see in 1 Cor. 12:29: “Are all prophets?” Paul expressly mentions those women which labored with him in the gospel. Phil. 4:3. See Rom. 16:1, 3, 7, 12. “Labored in the gospel.” “Elders ... labor in the word and doctrine.” 1 Tim. 5:17. This was exactly the kind of [pg 324] work that Paul was doing, and those women labored with him in the gospel. “In the gospel” signifies here, evangelizing, spreading or preaching the gospel, etc. Let us not confound ordinary testimony with prophesying. A person must have the gift of prophecy in order to prophesy: and it is this gift that constitutes a person a prophet. Proof texts, Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:10, 28; 14:1, 3, 6, 12, 29, 39; Eph. 4:8-11. And we have before proved that women did possess this gift, hence were prophetesses or public expounders of the gospel, and hence they have a constituent part in the ministry, and as such are just as much elders in the church of God as men.
Silence In The Church.
“Let your women keep silence in the churches.” 1 Cor. 14:39. “Let him keep silence in the church.” Ver. 28. If these scriptures had no contexts to explain them we would all be silenced in the church. The context to the last quotation reads thus. “But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence.” This makes it clear. Context to the first reads, “For it is not permitted unto them to speak: but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home.” What kind of speech is forbidden? Ans.—Asking questions in the church to learn, interrogative speech in the public congregation. The law did not prohibit women being prophets [pg 325] or prophesying. See Deborah, in Judges 4:4-14. Miriam, Ex. 15:20. Anna, Luke 2:36. If the law did not prohibit women prophesying, Paul did not call in question the obedience of the law to prove that point. Thus the context explains itself without further comment. Does not the character of Jezebel “which calleth herself a prophetess” disapprove of women prophets? Rev. 2:20. No! no more than Satan's ministers transforming themselves into the ministers of Christ would disapprove of the entire Christian ministry. The counterfeit proves there is a genuine. This is conclusive proof in itself that there were true prophetesses in the church in those days.