I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea,
Parallel translations
- WEB I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly that is at Cenchreae,
- KJV I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
- BSB I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.
- NASB I recommend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea,
- NLT I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Paul commends Phoebe, a sister and servant of the church at Cenchreae, likely the bearer of this letter. He warmly introduces a trusted fellow worker to the Roman church.
Overview
Phoebe is recommended as a faithful 'servant' (the Greek diakonos) of the church at Cenchreae, near Corinth. Many take her as the courier entrusted to carry Romans to Rome. Whether the term denotes a formal office of deaconess or general service is debated among faithful interpreters, but all agree she was a valued and trustworthy Christian worker. Her commendation models honor for faithful service in the church.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Acts 18:18Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow.
- 1 Tim 5:9–10Let no one be enrolled as a widow under sixty years old, having been the wife of one man,
- 1 Pet 1:22–23Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently:
- 1 Tim 5:2the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, in all purity.
- Matt 12:50For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
- Jas 2:15And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food,
- Mark 10:30but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, with persecutions; and in the age to come eternal life.
- Luke 8:3and Joanna, the wife of Chuzas, Herod’s steward; Susanna; and many others; who served them from their possessions.
- 2 Cor 3:1Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as do some, letters of commendation to you or from you?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Paul unfolds the gospel in full: Christ our righteousness received by faith, the second Adam in whom many are made righteous, in whose death and resurrection we are buried and raised.
How Romans 16:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.