The sermon titled 'Helping a Sister Who Helped Many' by Jason Dohm discusses the role of Phoebe, a servant of the church in Sincrea. Paul introduces Phoebe to the Roman believers as a sister in the Lord who is traveling to Rome and needs their help. The sermon explores the term 'diakonos,' which can mean both servant and deacon, and examines the implications of Phoebe's role in the church. It highlights the broader role of women in advancing the gospel, using examples like Lydia, Mary, and Martha. The sermon emphasizes the spiritual bond among believers, calling for a reception worthy of saints and assistance for those who help others. It concludes with an exploration of gender roles within the church, advocating for a balance between restrictions and the latitude women have in serving the church and advancing the gospel.

The title of the sermon this morning is Helping a Sister Who Helped Many. There is a woman, a believing woman who has been a help to so many and now she needs help, and Paul is calling on people to help her. In last week's text, Paul urged the believers in Rome to pray for him, and that signals the end of the main body of the letter. Now we undertake one last chapter, the final chapter. It's mostly greetings, starting in verses 1 and 2, which we'll talk about today.

There will be a lot of names that will be hard to pronounce. So the chapter is mostly greetings, and then there is a benediction, and then we're done with Romans. Let's pray. Yeah, I do thank you for our time in Romans. It's been very rich for me.

It's been so much learned and your grace in the saving of sinners is so front and center and so much of what he wrote to believers in Rome. Thank you for our time to just soak that in. How good it is for our souls to soak in your grace towards people who don't deserve it. Thank you for a contemplation of Phoebe, this sister in the Lord, and pray that you would use it to help us. In Jesus' name, amen.

Two verses, we'll just take them one at a time. Hopefully your Bibles are still open to Romans chapter 16. Follow me as I reread verse one. Paul writes, I commend to you Phoebe our sister who is a servant of the church in Sincrea. In this verse we have Phoebe, a sister who served a church near Corinth.

So if you're taking notes by filling in the blank, Corinth fills in the blank. It's not actually mentioned in verse 1, but it is in fact a city near Corinth. And Crea was a small Port City, so right on the Aegean Sea, that was used for shipping in and out to that region about six and a half miles from Corinth in the region of Achaea. So the larger region is Achaea. Paul has already mentioned that in chapter 15.

He was collecting from the churches in Macedonia, that's a region, and Achaia, that's a region, and taking what he collected to the poor in Jerusalem. Corinth is the major population center in the region of Achaia. There's just a little port city nearby, six and a half miles away, and that is Sincrea. That's the geography from verse one. In Acts 18, Paul was in Corinth, and when he sailed to Syria, he had his hair cut off at Sincrea because he had taken a vow, and that's the only other mention of Sincrea in the New Testament.

So he had been ministering for a prolonged period of time in Corinth. He was going to sail to Syria. He sailed through the port city of Sincrea, and he took a vow and had his hair cut off there. So that's pretty much all the New Testament has to say about Sincrea. According to our text, this small port city had a local church, and this local church was served by a woman named Phoebe.

Phoebe's gentile name, meaning bright or radiant, and it was shorthand for the mythological Greek god Apollo. So the Greek god Apollo might be referred to as bright or radiant and that became shorthand for this pagan god. Pagan meaning just the worship of false gods. Phoebe was born in a pagan city. The worship of false gods was flourishing in this pagan city.

She was born a pagan in a pagan city, but she did not remain a pagan Somehow quite possibly through Paul's preaching either directly there She heard him preach the gospel directly or indirectly somebody that got the pot the gospel through Paul It's a good quite possibly. This is how Phoebe heard the good news of Jesus Christ and repented and believed and was saved. She became a spiritual sister. Paul calls her a sister in verse 1. Paul wants to introduce the believers in Rome to Phoebe because Phoebe will be traveling to Rome.

She's unknown. People in the church at Rome don't know her already. And she's going to need help and deserves the reception that believers ought to give their spiritual brothers and sisters. That's really the nature of what's happening in verses 1 and 2. The word commend in our translation, I commend to you Phoebe our sister, literally means to place together, to set with one another.

So the believers in Rome, You have Phoebe and Paul is placing them together. He's setting them with one another. Paul is bringing them together. He is connecting them. Believers in Rome, meet Phoebe.

Phoebe is a sister in the Lord who is part of the church in Sincrea. She serves there. And before long she's coming to see you. This is what Paul is saying. At this point some say, Aha!

A woman deacon! So why do people say, Aha! A woman deacon? Because the Greek word translated servant here is diakonos, which is translated deacon in 1 Timothy 3. Same Greek word, but the translators say deacon in First Timothy 3 and in Philippians 1 verse 1.

It's deacon there too. Same Greek word, it's servant here, it's deacon. This is just choices made by the translators. Why the variation in translation? Because this Greek word, diakonos, in the New Testament has a general meaning, literally simply meaning servant or one who carries out the wishes of another in the broadest sense.

And the New Testament also uses it in a specific technical meaning, which is a local church officer set apart for particular areas of service and requiring certain qualifications. So in this specific technical sense, the translators would then use it to translate it deacon. You have to meet certain qualifications or you can't enter into that type of service for a local church. This word, diakonos, can be and is used in the New Testament in both ways. And really, you just have to go to the context to figure out.

Most places, it's really clear. Oh, this is the specific technical way. They're talking about an office in the local church. Or you can see, oh, this is really clearly used in the general sense. It simply means somebody who carries out the wishes of another.

Sometimes you can't really tell. This is one of those places where you can't really tell. Let me give you a for instance. This Greek word has already appeared twice in Romans. So we've already seen it, but you didn't know we were seeing it.

And at the time, I don't think I knew we were seeing it either. In Romans 13, 4, it is translated minister. So now we have three English translations of the same word, servant or deacon or minister. In Romans 13, 4, it's minister and it's speaking of civil authorities. Romans 13 was about how Christians ought to relate to civil authorities.

The civil authority is God's minister. He's God's diaconos, or God's servant. That is clearly the general sense. Clearly, civil authorities are not deacons in a local church, necessarily. In Romans 15 verse 8, Paul said that Jesus has become a servant, a diaconos.

So in Romans 15, 8, Jesus is called a diaconos, a servant, or a minister to the Jews to confirm the promises God made to the Jews. God sent Jesus to confirm and fulfill the promises that he made to the Jews. In that role, he's called a servant, a diaconos to the Jews. That is clearly the general sense. Jesus was not a deacon in a local church.

The point is, you simply cannot tell by looking at Romans 16.1 whether the general sense is meant just someone who carries out the wishes of another, or whether it is the specific technical sense of an officer, one serving in very particular areas in a local church, having already met the qualifications to serve in that office. If I was going to turn this sermon into a topical sermon on this issue, which I am NOT, I would argue from Acts chapter 6 where the Apostles call specifically for seven men, they say bring forward seven men, gender specific, to be nominated for mercy ministry service in the church. And in Acts 6, that specific instance is ministry to widows. So I was turning this into a topical sermon. I go to Acts 6 and I'd say if there were ever a case for women's deacons, because of the instance in Acts chapter 6 is ministry to widows, that would be where you would appoint a woman deacon.

And yet the Apostles call for seven men, and it's a very gender distinct word that is used there. And I would argue from 1st Timothy 3 where a qualification for being a deacon, this specific use of the word, a qualification for being a deacon, is being the husband of one wife. That's very gender specific. Contrary to popular belief, that's gender specific. And another is ruling their own houses well.

Head of household is reserved to men in the New Testament. So Phoebe served the church in San Crea, and we don't need to go beyond that. She served that local church, and Paul honors her for that service. As an important aside, many women serve our church. Did you know that?

It isn't just our deacons who can serve and who do serve. These women don't do it for the honor and in many cases don't want any attention brought to them, but they are worthy of honor. I could introduce many women in our congregation in just the same way that Paul introduces her. This is a sister. She's helped so many.

She's helped me personally. I could introduce so many of our women that way. If anyone wants more on deacons and whether women should be in that local church office, Rob Ventura does the best job I think I've ever encountered on it. I'd be happy to give it to you. He lays out the case and It's as strong as I've ever seen.

It does an excellent job. One final comment before we move on to the next verse. Some commentators speculate that Phoebe was carrying the letter. So she was actually the one who brought the letter to the Romans and was the courier, the one who delivered the letter. That's an interesting possibility, but nothing in Romans says that or requires that, so our response should simply be, maybe.

It makes sense. What's written in Romans 16, 1 and 2 fits well with that, but just nowhere requires that. The text doesn't say that. So she could have been the one who brought the letter. It would make sense with that.

But it's not the only thing that could make sense of these two verses by a long shot. Verse 2. That you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever business she has need of of you For indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also." In verse 2, Paul calls on the believers in Rome to help the helper. That fills in the two blanks if you're filling in blanks on the handout. The helper.

The person who's normally the helper, Phoebe, this woman who has been serving this local church, often the helper, Maybe normally the helper needs help. You should help her. This is what Paul is calling on the believers in Rome to do. His verse begins with the word, that. Paul tells us why he is bringing together Phoebe and the believers in Rome.

That the believers in Rome would receive her in a certain way and would assist her. Receive her, assist her. This is what Paul is calling on the Roman believers for. How should the believers in Rome receive Phoebe? Paul says two things.

One, believers in Rome receive Phoebe in the Lord. You have the same master. You belong to the master. Phoebe belongs to the master. Receive her accordingly.

You have the same master. Receive her accordingly. As such, Phoebe is your sister. That's what he said in verse 1. When you have the same master and the master is Jesus, your brethren, receive her accordingly.

In Christ there is a bond that is stronger than even blood relations. Amen? Receive her accordingly. You have a bond with this woman that's stronger than your blood relations in Christ, so receive her accordingly. Is Phoebe a stranger?

Well, Phoebe is unknown, but in terms of spiritual relationship, Phoebe is no stranger. I know you've had this experience. You meet someone who is clearly a believer, and the sense is, I don't know you yet, but you're no stranger. Have you ever had that experience? If you haven't, you're probably not a believer.

You met someone, you met them for the first time, you don't know them, you don't know hardly anything about them, but it's really clear to you that they're a believer. So they're unknown to you, but they're no stranger. Paul is drawing on that here. Two, believers in Rome, receive Phoebe in a manner worthy of the saints. Receive Phoebe in a manner worthy of the saints.

Receive Thebe in a manner worthy of the saints. Commentators wrestle over whether worthy, the word worthy, belongs to the manner, the manner of reception is worthy or whether worthy belongs to the saints. The saints are worthy of a great reception. If Paul were to read this wrestling, I suspect he would say, the manner that believers receive other believers should be a worthy manner because when God sets apart people to Himself, that's what saints means. It just means set apart ones.

When God sets apart people to Himself, your mind, he claims them, he adds them to his family. They are worthy of a great reception from their family members when they're out and about. They ought to have a worthy reception and they're worthy of such a reception simply because God has said, You're mine and claimed you. So when He sends them out and about on their various duties, they're worthy of a great reception. Paul calls on believers in Rome to receive Phoebe and then he calls on them to assist her in whatever business she has in need of you.

Talk about a blank check. If she needs it, help her with it, period. Whatever business of hers needs assistance, provide that assistance. Now, The word business isn't a bad translation of the Greek word, but it could be a little misleading. It doesn't need to mean buying and selling.

When I think of business, I'm thinking Target, Walmart, PetSmart. Doesn't need to mean buying and selling, as in I own my own business. It could possibly include that. It simply means matter. In whatever matters, she needs assistance, give her that assistance.

Phoebe came to Rome as a servant of the Church of Sincrea to accomplish certain unspecified things. The text doesn't say what those things are. She will need help to accomplish those things and the believers in Rome should provide that help. It's as simple as that. And If the spiritual bond of believers wasn't enough in itself, Paul adds this as a justification for his request.

For indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also." Paul calls for Phoebe to be on the receiving end of what she has so often been on the giving end of. Paul just describes her. She's always helping people. She hasn't helped one or two. She's helped many, and I'm one of them.

So if it's not enough that she's your spiritual sister, that you have the same master, she's always helping people, so help her. Let her be on the receiving end of what she's normally on the giving end of. Phoebe has often helped many, including the Apostle Paul, and now she ought to receive the help that she has so often given. The word Helper, she has been a helper of many, reflects something the Romans had, but we don't have, at least not in an official capacity. What is that?

A patron-client system, or a patron-client culture. What in the world is that? Well, if you're a Roman you would know. You're not Roman, so I'll explain it. I'm not Roman, so I learned it and can explain it.

In the patron-client system, the patron, a person with influence and resources, could voluntarily, essentially sponsor a person who doesn't have much influence and doesn't have many resources, the client. So we think we use the word client very differently. But the patron is the person who has the influence and resources. The client is not as we use the word. It's just a person who doesn't have much influence and doesn't have many resources.

And so the person who does have the influence and resources essentially sponsors this person who doesn't to advance the interests of the client. So to reflect this, ESV instead of has been a helper renders it has been a patron just to reflect this cultural dynamic that the Romans had but we don't And the NIV renders it has been a benefactor, somebody who advances the interest of somebody who has less influence, less resources. They put their influence and resources to work for somebody who doesn't have those to advance their interests. This is what Phoebe was and had done for many. By the way, the Greek word here is gender specific.

It is a woman, The Greek word is for a woman who has influence and resources and puts them to work for someone who has less of both to advance their interest. This is what Phoebe was and had done for many. And Understand, in that role, Phoebe is one of a kind, one of a tribe, so to speak. What do I mean by that? I want to demonstrate it a couple of different places.

The first is Luke 8, 1 through 3. Just listen because I'm moving fast. Luke 8, 1 through 3. Now it came to pass afterward that He, Jesus, went through every city and village preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God and the twelve were with him and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities Mary called Magdalene out of whom had come seven demons and Joanna the wife of Chuzzah Herod's steward and Susanna and many others who provided for Him from their substance. So we get Mary, and Joanna, and Susanna.

We get three names, but they're three of a kind they're three of a tribe There are many others who are joining together To provide for him who's him Jesus and his disciples. They're preaching he's Jesus is preaching they're providing That's what we have in Luke 8. They've been set free, and so Their influence is His influence. Their resources are His resources. They are enabling Jesus and His disciples to go and preach in the cities of Israel.

God gave these women resources. Where did they come from? We don't know. Why do you care? God gave them resources and they entered into Jesus's gospel labors with those resources.

That's what you have in Luke chapter 8. Women with resources, God gave them those resources, and they're entering into Jesus's gospel labors with those resources. Or consider Mary and Martha who lived just outside of Jerusalem, probably literally a stone's throw from the walls of Jerusalem, and who provided hospitality for Jesus and his disciples on multiple occasions. Jesus and his disciples had a lot to do in Jerusalem. In the Gospels we often find them in Jerusalem.

On multiple occasions We find them in the home of Mary and Martha. Martha is serving. Mary wants to be with Jesus. You remember this, but that's not the only text about this. When their brother Lazarus falls deathly ill, they send for Jesus because they know Jesus loves Lazarus.

So they think They have a strong claim on Jesus' affections and Jesus' willingness to heal him, so they send for Jesus. That's the kind of relationship Mary and Martha had for him. They were offering hospitality to Jesus and his disciples multiple times in the Gospels. Or consider Lydia in Philippi. I want to read Acts 16 verses 14 and 15.

Acts 16 verses 14 and 15. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. This is Paul and his gospel spreading companions. Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us. She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshiped God.

The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul. And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us saying, if you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord. Come to my house and stay." So she persuaded us. So Paul's preaching. She and her household believe.

She and her household are baptized and she begs them, use my house as a base. Come stay with us. And she persuaded them. What does that mean? They went and they stayed in her house.

She had a business and a home that could accommodate others and she entered into Paul's gospel labors with the resources that God had put in her hands. She has this business and a home that has space for these gospel laborers and so she puts them to work for the gospel. So this is something we see in the New Testament. God gives certain women influence and resources, which they then employ to advance the gospel in the world. Phoebe's not alone.

Lydia's not alone. Mary's not alone. What were those other two names? Susanna's not alone. There's one I'm missing.

Mary and Martha aren't alone. They are part of a tribe. They're a few of a kind. Women that God has given influence and resources that they then employ to advance the gospel in the world. Now, some questions and answers.

How old was Phoebe? The text doesn't say. My favorite answer. The text doesn't say. We don't know and can't know because the text doesn't say.

What were the things she went to Rome to accomplish? Were they all related to the church in Sincreia? The text doesn't say. We don't know and we can't know because the text doesn't say. These things aren't in the text and therefore we don't and can't know the answers to these questions.

Why even bring them up? Because they get paid by the word. No, no. To say this, don't put weight on the answers to any of those questions, As you don't know the answers to any of those questions. For instance, if you want to know whether or not young women should be traveling alone to foreign cities where they're unknown, find other texts.

This text doesn't help with that. Go somewhere else. Applications. I'll give you three. One, we are family.

That gives us significant claims on one another. We should receive each other in a manner worthy of the saints. And we should help each other, most especially, but not exclusively, in gospel labors. Because we're family, because we have a spiritual bond that's actually more fundamental and more important than our blood relations bonds, our natural family bonds, our spiritual family bonds are more fundamental and more important than our blood relation bonds. That gives us significant claims on each other.

We should receive each other in a manner worthy of the saints. There's a manner of worthy and we should count each other worthy. Why? Because God has set us apart to Himself and if God has set you apart to Himself, you can make those claims on me. If God has set me apart to Himself, I can make those claims on you.

We ought to receive each other in a manner worthy of the saints, and we should help each other, most especially, but not exclusively, in gospel labors. In other words, don't think I only need help in gospel labors. I shouldn't think I should only help you in gospel labors. There are many things that are much more indirect than that. We should still help each other.

But, most especially in gospel labor, too. I haven't quoted Matthew Henry yet. We're drawing to a close, So I must quote Matthew Henry now. Matthew Henry says, everyone in his place should strive to serve the church, for therein he serves Christ and it will turn to a good account another day." Let me say that again in unpacking. Everyone in his place should strive to serve the church.

Wherever God has put you, whatever church you're in, you should strive to serve that church because for therein he serves Christ. Because that is a clear way to serve the Master, to serve the Savior by serving His bride. And it will turn to a good account another day. I can't guarantee you'll be known all over the world like Phoebe was, but it was good for her that she was such a faithful servant to this church. It did turn to a good account to Phoebe another day.

I bet she did get a reception worthy of the saints in Rome because of what Paul writes here. And I bet she did get all the help she needed. And really at the root of that was faithful service to this local church. I don't believe Phoebe was a deacon and I don't believe this restricted Phoebe from serving her church in profound ways. That actually might be the most profound thing I'm going to say here in this sermon.

I don't think that Phoebe was a deacon. I think there are compelling reasons to believe that only men should serve in this office, but I don't believe that restricted Phoebe from serving her church in profound ways. Stop thinking of that as a limitation. It's barely a limitation at all. I can only serve my church if they give me a title stop it stop thinking that that's not true number three our views of gender roles should be thoroughly informed by Scripture, both the restrictions and the latitude, the allowable breadth.

Wow, that's amazing. The allowable breadth. You get to explain that at home later. In 99.9% of evangelical churches, I wish they would preach boldly and unapologetically on the restrictions. In our church I think I should preach boldly and unapologetically on the latitude, the allowable breath.

I will say again what I've said before. Read Proverbs 31. Witness the breathtaking breadth of activities and resources that are controlled by the woman in Proverbs 31 and if you are disturbed by it you adjust. God's not interested in adjusting to us. We adjust to Him.

Read Proverbs 31. All those resources, all that latitude controlled by this woman. If you're disturbed by that, time for you to adjust. Women, you have influence, You have resources. That isn't wrong.

That is right and good. God has given you influence and resources. Now use them to advance the Gospel in your home, in your neighborhood, in your city, in your nation, to the ends of the earth as you have opportunity. Not autonomously. Does anyone think I am calling for female autonomy?

I am simply saying that while a woman's role is home-centered, we should not equate that with home exclusive. Let me say that again. I am simply saying that while a woman's role is home centered, we should not equate that with home exclusive. Not backing away from anything I've ever thought or taught on male headship and submission in the home. I still think and teach all of those things.

And I don't think anything that I've said in the last five or ten minutes is at war with any of those things. Because I think you find all of that in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Let's pray. Thank you for Phoebe and an opportunity to consider women who serve local churches in profound ways. So many of them don't need or want a title, don't need or want recognition, they just serve.

And they serve some more. And they serve some more. Thank you, God, for this kind, this tribe. May their tribe increase, God, increase their tribe. Thank you for the claims we have on one another as family.

I pray that you would teach us how to receive each other in a manner worthy of people who have been set apart to you and that you would help us to help each other and especially to enter into each other's gospel labors. Pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.