Cenchreae

In the Bible

Cenchreae appears twice in the New Testament.

• Acts 18:18: After a long stay in Corinth, Paul sets sail for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila. The text records that Paul had "shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow." This voyage comes at the close of Paul's second missionary journey, and the party next stops at Ephesus.
• Romans 16:1: Paul commends to the church in Rome "Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea." This verse indicates that Cenchreae had a church community of its own.

Background

Corinth lay on the narrow strip of land (the isthmus) connecting mainland Greece with the Peloponnese and belonged to the Roman province of Achaia. On the western side, facing the Gulf of Corinth, was the port of Lechaeum; on the eastern side, facing the Saronic Gulf, was the port of Cenchreae. Cenchreae served ships traveling to and from the Aegean and Asia Minor, and for this reason Corinth is known to have flourished as a trading city linking two seas. The site of the ancient harbor is identified with the vicinity of modern Kechries in Greece, where the remains of submerged harbor installations have been excavated.

Significance in the Bible as a Whole

Cenchreae was a port that served as a gateway for Paul's mission. Romans 16:1 shows that churches were established not only in the great city of Corinth but also in the port towns around it. Because Paul commends a female coworker by name in this verse, it is also frequently cited in discussions of the roles women filled in the early church.

Interpretation and Debated Questions

• Who had his hair cut: Some hold that the Greek sentence in Acts 18:18 can grammatically be read with Aquila as its subject. Most translations and commentaries, however, read it as referring to Paul.
• What kind of vow: A Nazirite vow was concluded at the end of its term by shaving the head at the door of the tabernacle (temple) (Numbers 6:18). For this reason, interpreters differ over whether the haircut at Cenchreae, rather than at the temple, should be regarded as marking a formal Nazirite vow or a personal vow.
• Phoebe as "servant": The Greek word diakonos, rendered "servant" in the KJV (and "worker" in the Korean New Revised Version), is also used in Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3 to refer to the office of deacon. Interpreters differ over whether the word should be understood as the formal office of "deacon" or in the broader sense of "one who serves." This difference also bears on the debate over the ordination of women.
• Distinguishing text from tradition: It is widely said that Phoebe carried the Epistle to the Romans to Rome. This, however, is an inference drawn from the commendation (Romans 16:1–2) and a detail found in a subscription appended to the end of the letter in some later manuscripts. It is not something the text itself states directly.

In the Korean Church

In the Korean church, the place name Cenchreae is rarely treated as a topic in its own right. It is usually mentioned in connection with readings of Romans 16:1–7 or discussions of Phoebe. The verse is also frequently cited in debates within and beyond denominations over women's ministry and the ordination of women.