Romans 16:1–7

Context

This passage opens the final chapter of Romans. Having finished the main body of the letter, Paul commends individuals to the believers in Rome and sends them greetings. Cenchreae was the eastern port of Corinth, and Paul is generally understood to have written the letter from the area around Corinth. Phoebe is traditionally regarded as the person who carried the letter to Rome. Paul then greets, in turn, his coworkers Priscilla and Aquila (Prisca is another form of the name Priscilla), the church that meets in their house, Epaenetus, Mary, and Andronicus and Junia. Some scholars have proposed that chapter 16 was originally a letter sent to Ephesus, but the view that it belongs to the letter sent to Rome is widely accepted.

Interpretation

• Phoebe as "servant": The Greek word is diakonos (one who serves). Some read it as referring to the official church office of deacon, as in Philippians 1:1; others take it in the broader sense of one who serves. The word rendered "succourer" in verse 2 (prostatis) is often interpreted as referring to a patron who provided for others financially and personally. Some, however, read it as denoting a position of leadership.
• Prisca and Aquila: Because the name of the wife, Prisca, appears first, some interpreters take this as an indication of her prominence in ministry. The phrase "the church that is in their house" reflects the house gatherings of the early church.
• Andronicus and Junia: "Kinsmen" may be understood either as blood relatives or as fellow Jews. The church father John Chrysostom is known to have regarded Junia as a woman and to have praised her as an apostle.

Debates and Issues

Junia's gender: The Greek form of the name alone makes it difficult to distinguish between the feminine name Junia and the masculine name Junias. In the medieval period a tradition arose of reading the name as masculine, but in light of the observation that no masculine name Junias is attested in ancient literature, modern critical editions and most translations render it as the feminine Junia.

"Of note among the apostles": This expression is read in two ways. One reading takes it to mean outstanding among the apostles, that is, that Junia was herself called an apostle. The other takes it to mean well known to the apostles. Even among those who adopt the first reading, some hold that "apostle" is used here in the broad sense of an itinerant missionary.

These issues are connected to the debate over the ordination of women. Denominations that permit the ordination of women (such as the Korean Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church in the Republic of Korea, and the Presbyterian Church of Korea [Tonghap]) cite this passage as evidence that women held leadership roles in the early church. Denominations that do not permit it (such as the Presbyterian Church in Korea [Hapdong] and the Presbyterian Church in Korea [Kosin]) maintain that the passage does not directly address ordination to the offices of pastor and elder, and argue that it must be read together with 1 Timothy 2 and related passages.

In the Korean Church

Phoebe is frequently mentioned when explaining the biblical basis for women's offices, such as women deacons and kwonsa (exhorters), and when discussing the devotion of women who serve the church.

Related Passages

• Acts 18:1–3
• Acts 18:24–26
• 1 Corinthians 16:19
• Philippians 4:2–3
• 1 Timothy 3:11