Romans 16:1-2. Overview of Romans 16

Transcription

1 Romans 16:1-2 Overview of Romans 16 We now come to the sixteenth and final chapter of the book of Romans, which not only completes the Roman epistle but also completes the seventh major section in the book, which began in Romans 15:14. Seven sections of the book of Romans: (1) 1:1-17: Introduction and Presentation of the Theme of the Epistle (2) 1:18-3:19: Both Jew and Gentiles are in need of the righteousness of God (3) 3:20-5:21: How to receive the righteousness of God (4) 6-8: How to live in the righteousness of God (5) 9-11: God s righteousness is vindicated in His relationship to Israel (6) Romans 12:1-15:13: The righteousness of God manifested through believers in Jesus Christ (7) Romans 15:14-16:27: Paul discusses his ministry to the Gentiles (15:14-22), and his intention to visit Rome (15:23-33). The number of greetings that appear in Romans 16:3-15 is substantially more than that which appears in his other epistles. In chapter sixteen, Paul names 35 individuals, 8 of which were with Paul in Corinth and the others in Rome. Seven women are named and twenty-eight men. Paul refers to at least two households (verses 10-11) and three house churches (verses 5, 14-15) and other unnamed individuals (verse 14). The names of these individuals are Gentile reflecting that the population in Rome was mainly Gentile and most are those of slaves and freedmen and freedwomen. In Romans 16:1-2, Paul commends to the Roman Christians, a sister in the Lord, namely, Phoebe William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1

2 Romans 16:1, I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; 2 that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well. In Romans 16:3-15, Paul urges the Roman Christians to greet various individuals of their number. In Romans 16:16a, he urges them to greet one another. In Romans 16:16b and 21-23, he sends greeting to the Roman Christians from others. Romans 16:3, Greet Prisca and Auila (AK wih luh), my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5, Also greet the church that is in their house. Greet Epaenetus (ih PEE neh tus), my beloved, who is the first convert to Christ from Asia. 6, Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7, Greet Andronicus (an DRAHN ih kuhs) and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. 8, Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9, Greet Urbanus (uhr-bay-nuhs), our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys my beloved. 10, Greet Apelles, the approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11, Greet Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord. 12, Greet Tryphaena (trigh FEE nuh) and Tryphosa, workers in the Lord. Greet Persis the beloved, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13, Greet Rufus, a choice man in the Lord, also his mother and mine. 14, Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon (flee-gahn), Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the brethren with them. 15, Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus (nee roos) and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16, Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. In Romans 16:17-19, the apostle Paul warns the Roman Christians about false teachers. Romans 16:17, Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them. 18, For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. 19, For the report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil. Paul in Romans 16:20a assures the Roman believers of their ultimate final spiritual victory over Satan and then in Romans 16:20b he prays that the grace of God will be manifested among them William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2

3 Romans 16:20, The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. In Romans 16:21-23, Paul sends greetings to the Roman Christians from his companions. Romans 16:21, Timothy my fellow worker greets you, and so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. 22, I, Tertius (TUHR shuhss), who write this letter, greet you in the Lord. 23, Gaius (gay yuhs), host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer greets you, and Quartus, the brother. Romans 16:24 does not appear in the original text and is put in brackets to identify this fact. Romans 16:24, [The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.] Paul closes the epistle in verses with a doxology, which is from the Greek doxologia and is derived from the Greek noun doxa, praise, glory, honor denotes a brief ascription of praise to members of the Trinity. The doxology was commonly employed in various parts of the New Testament epistles: (1) Salutation (Gal. 1:5). (2) Opening thanksgiving (2 Cor. 1:3f.; Eph. 1:3; 1 Pet. 1:3). (3) Final exhortations (1 Tim. 6:15f.; 1 Pet. 5:11; 2 Pet. 3:18). (4) Closing (Heb. 13:20f.; Jude 24f.). Romans 16:25, Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which has been kept secret for long ages past, 26 but now is manifested, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the eternal God, has been made known to all the nations, leading to obedience of faith; 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be the glory forever. Amen. Now some scholars have questioned whether or not the letter to the Romans that is now printed in our English Bibles is identical to the one Paul sent to the Roman Christians in that they believe chapter sixteen was not part of his original letter to the Romans. Many question whether chapter sixteen was meant for the Roman church and contend that it was intended for the church in Ephesus. Some conclude that internal inconsistencies within Romans can be explained only if the present form of the letter is composed of two or more separate letters. Others have identified interpolations in the text such as single verses or more were added to the letter after Paul s death. However there is absolutely no textual basis for accepting these theories. Some scholars have come to the conclusion that the 16 chapter form of the letter that we now have in our English Bibles was not the form that Paul sent to the Roman Christians because of the textual evidence William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3

4 The following is a list of several forms of the text as it appears in the MSS tradition: (1) 1:1-14:23, 15:1-16:23, 16:25-27: P 61?, a, B, C, D, 1739, etc. (2) 1:1-14:23, 16:25-27, 15:1-16;23, 16:25-27: A, P, 5, 33, 104 (3) 1:1-14:23, 16:25-27, 15:1-16:24: Ψ, the majority text, sy h (4) 1:1-14:23, 15:1-16:24: F, G [archetype of D?], 629 (5) 1:1-14:23, 16:24-27: vg1648, 1792, 2089 (6) 1:1-15:33, 16:25-27, 16:1-23: P 46. Based on this evident, some question the placement of the doxology in Romans 16:25-27, wondering if it should go at the end of chapter 14, chapter 15 or chapter 16. As shown above, several MSS of the Latin Vulgate omit 15:1-16:23 altogether. Also, Tertullian, Irenaeus, and Cyprian have no reference to chapters 15 and 16. All of this has led many to contend that the 16-chapter form of the letter we now have in our English Bibles today is completely different to an original 14- or 15- chapter form. Furthermore, MSS G and the Old Latin g omit the only references to Rome that occur in the letter (1:7, 15). Therefore, we can understand why some scholars believe that Paul s original letter to the Roman Christians was much shorter than what we have today. The most popular theory today is that the original letter consisted of 1:1-15:33 and that chapter 16 were not included. This in part is based upon the placement of the doxology after chapter 15 in P 46. Some have argued that it can only be accounted for if the letter had at one time ended there. Then, there is the internal evidence of chapter 16 itself with some believing that the warning about people causing dissensions in 16:17-20 is totally out of place with chapters There are the extensive greetings in verses The number of greetings that appear in Romans 16:3-15 is substantially more than that which appears in his other epistles. In chapter sixteen, Paul names 35 individuals, 8 of which were with Paul in Corinth and the others in Rome. Seven women are named and twenty-eight men. Paul refers to at least two households (verses 10-11) and three house churches (verses 5, 14-15) and other unnamed individuals (verse 14). All of these individuals were in a community that Paul had yet to visit, thus leading some to the conclusion that chapter 16 must be addressed to a church that Paul knew such as Ephesus since Paul sends a greeting to the first convert in Asia in Romans 16:5 and Prisca and Aquila were there in Acts 18:19. Even though there is evidence of a 14-chapter form of the epistle in the early church, it makes no sense that Paul s original letter was without chapter 15 since as we have noted in our study of Romans chapter 15, this chapter is intimately connected to chapter 14. Furthermore, by omitting chapter 15, you omit the latter portion of Paul s main argument. The main argument of the epistle begins in Romans 1:16 and ends in Romans 15:13. Origen contends that the shortened form 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 4

5 of the epistle arose because of Marcion who cut off the last two chapters of the epistle because he was anti Jewish. The theory that the original epistle to the Romans was in a 15-chapter form is not based on textual evidence since no MS of Romans contains only 15 chapters. The only evidence for this theory is the placement of the doxology in P 46 after chapter 15. However, P 46 does not omit chapter 16! The theory that chapter 16 was not in the original letter to the Roman Christians can be rejected because the statement in Romans 15:33 does not conclude the epistle and doesn t do so in Paul s other epistles (cf. 2 Corinthians 13:11; Galatians 6:16; Ephesians 6:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:23). Also, in Romans 16:1, the conjunction de introduces a statement that presents a transition from the first part of Paul s concluding remarks in Romans 15:14-33 to the second part. Another reason to reject theory that chapter 16 was not in the original is that Paul usually ends his letters with a charis benediction, which appears in Romans 16:20b. The long greeting list in Romans 16:3-15 and Paul s complimentary statements about the Roman Christians whom he never met make clear that these statements were based upon the reports he received about the Roman believers from many of the individuals that appear in this list. Also, as Dunn argues against the omission of chapter 16 writing, the greeting from all the churches of Christ in verse 16 would be most appropriate to the Christians living in the capital city. (Page 884) Some scholars contend that the greeting to Prisca and Aquila supports the theory that chapter 16 was written with Ephesus in mind since Acts 18:18, 26 and 2 Timothy 4:19 mention them with Paul when he went to Ephesus. However, we must remember that this couple left Rome because of the edict of Claudius in A.D. 49. (cf. Acts 18:2). There is no reason to believe that they did not return to Rome when the Emperor died. The reference to Epaenetus, the first convert in Asia in verse 5 has been used to support the theory that chapter 16 was original written for the believers in Ephesus. However, this can be readily explained by the fact that people traveled widely in the Empire just like Paul did. Furthermore, it would already be known by those in Ephesus that Epaenetus was the first convert in Asia but would not be the case in Rome. Therefore, in the view of this writer, that chapter 16, which appears in our English Bibles today, was in the original letter that Paul sent to the Roman Christians in 57 A.D William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 5

6 Romans 16:1-Paul Introduces Phoebe To The Roman Believers Identifying Her As Serving The Church At Cenchrea In Romans 16:1, Paul commends to the Roman Christians, a sister in the Lord, namely, Phoebe who was a servant of the church in Cenchrea. Throughout church history, this verse has been controversial and still is today since many use this to support the teaching that women can be deacons in the local assembly. However, this passage cannot be used to support such teaching for it contradicts other passages of Scripture that explicitly teach that only men can be deacons and have authority over men in the local assembly and we know the Scriptures do not contradict themselves. Romans 16:1, I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; 2 that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well. Not translated in Romans 16:1 is the transitional use of the conjunction de (δέ) (theh), which introduces a statement that marks a transition to a new section within the main division that appears in Romans 15:14-16:27. The word introduces a statement that marks a transition from the first part of Paul s closing of this epistle in Romans 15:14-33 to the second stage of this closing in Romans 16:1-27. Therefore, we will translate de, now. I commend is the first person singular present active indicative form of the verb sunistemi (συνίστημι) (see-nee-stah-mee), which is a compound word composed of the preposition sun, together with and the verb histemi, to set, place, stand, thus the word literally means, to set together, unite. When used with people it can mean introduce or recommend. When used with an object it usually means either to stand by or to exist. It can be transitive or intransitive. Aristotle employed sunistemi in the sense of being composed or consisting of something (Liddell and Scott, page 4921). Philo used the verb in the sense of to hold together, or exist in an intransitive sense. Sunistemi appears 43 times in the Septuagint. It is used to describe the pools of water in Exodus 7:19. The word appears in Numbers 16:3 in both a literal and figurative sense for those who stood together with Korah against Moses and Aaron and also stood in rebellion against them. This sense appears in 1 Samuel 17:26 where David talked to the armies of Israel who stood by him in the debate over Goliath. The verb sunistemi appears 16 times in the Greek New Testament William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 6

7 The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised lists the following meanings for the word in the Greek New Testament: (1) To place together, to recommend to favorable attention (Rom. 16:1; 2 Cor. 3:1; 10:18) (2) To place in a striking point of view, to evince (Rom. 3:5; 5:8; Gal. 2:18) (3) Intransitively, to stand beside (Luke 9:32) (4) To have been permanently framed (Col. 1:17) (5) To possess consistence (2 Pet. 3:5) (page 391). The New Thayer s Greek-English Lexicon: (1) To place together, to set in the same place, to bring or band together; intransitively, to stand with (2) To set one with another, i.e. by way of presenting or introducing him, i.e. to commend. (3) To put together by way of composition or combination, to teach by combining and comparing, hence, to show, prove, establish, exhibit (4) To put together, to be composed of, consist; to cohere, hold together (page 605). Louw and Nida list the following: (1) To indicate approval of a person or event, with the implication that others adopt the same attitude to recommend (33.344) (2) To cause something to be known by action to make known by action, to demonstrate, to show 28.49) (3) To bring together or hold together something in its proper or appropriate place or relationship to hold together (63.6). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition lists the following meanings for sunistemi: (A) transitive (1) to bring together by gathering, unite, collect (2) to bring together as friends or in a trusting relationship by commending/recommending, present, introduce/recommend someone to someone else (3) to provide evidence of a personal characteristic or claim through action, demonstrate, show, bring out (4) to bring into existence in an organized manner, put together, constitute, establish, prepare (B) intransitive (1) to stand in close association with, stand with/by (2) to be composed or compounded of various parts, consist (3) to come to be in a condition of coherence, continue, endure, exist, hold together (Pages ). Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament lists the following: (1) transitively (a) active, as making known one s approval commend, recommend; passive be recommended (b) as making known by action, demonstrate, show, bring out (2) intransitively (a) stand together, stand with or by (b) exist, have existence, continue (Page 368). Moulton and Milligan list the following meanings: (1) From its original meaning set together, combine, sunistemi passes into the sense of bring together as friends, introduce, recommend. (2) appoint as a technical legal term (3) Establish prove (4) stand with (by) (5) hold together, cohere (6) engaged, held accountable, picked (a senseless quarrel), gain (his living), delegate (Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament, page 608). In the Greek New Testament, the verb sunistemi can have one of two meanings. The first meaning is that of someone bringing a person together with another 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 7

8 person as a way of introducing them. Thus, in the New Testament, sunistemi means, to commend, to recommend as worthy of confidence with the implication that others adopt the same attitude, or it can mean, to present to one s acquaintance for favorable notice. Sunistemi can also mean, to put together by way of composition or combination, to teach by combining and comparing, thus to make known by action, to demonstrate, to prove by presenting evidence. We first saw this word in the Roman epistle in Romans 3:5 where it was used in a transitive sense and means, to cause something to be made conspicuous by some action. The word sunistemi expresses the idea that the unrighteousness of the unsaved Jew caused the righteousness of God to be made more conspicuous. Conspicuous means, easily seen, visible, readily observable, attracting special attention as by outstanding qualities. The unrighteousness of the unsaved Jews caused the righteousness of God to be easily seen, visible, readily observable, attracting special attention by its outstanding quality. Romans 3:5, But, if-and let us assume that it s true for the sake of argument our unrighteousness does cause God s righteousness to be made conspicuous. What then is the conclusion that we are forced to? Is God unrighteous, while inevitably exercising His righteous indignation? (I am speaking according to human viewpoint.) No! In Romans 5:8, the verb means, to prove, to prove by presenting evidence, thus the English verb that accurately reflects the meaning of the verb sunistemi would be prove. To prove means, to establish the truth or genuineness of, as by evidence or argument, to give demonstration of by action. Therefore, if we paraphrase, this definition, we would say that the self-sacrificial, substitutionary spiritual death of Jesus Christ on the Cross proved God s love for the Christian in that the Father sent His Son to die on the Cross while the Christian was still an enemy of God due to sin. Romans 5:8, But, God (the Father), as an eternal spiritual truth and fact of history, proves His own divine-love for the benefit of all of us by the fact that while we were, as an eternal spiritual truth, still sinners, Christ died as a substitute for the benefit of all of us. In Romans 16:1, the verb sunistemi is used in a transitive sense and means introduce in the sense of making known by a formal announcement or recommendation indicating that Paul is introducing Phoebe, who delivered this epistle, by announcement and recommendation to the Roman believers. The word is used in this context of bringing Phoebe into the fellowship of the Roman believers. It denotes Paul s approval of this woman that she can be trusted with the implication that the Roman believers adopt the same attitude that he has towards this woman. The verb speaks of bring together Phoebe and the Roman believers as 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 8

9 friends. This word indicates that Phoebe delivered this epistle to the Roman believers. The first person singular form of the verb is obvious referring to Paul. The present tense of the verb is an instantaneous present used to indicate that the action of Paul introducing Phoebe to his readers is completed at the moment of writing. The active voice refers to Paul as the subject producing the action of introducing in writing Phoebe to the Roman believers. The indicative mood is declarative presenting this assertion as a non-contingent or unqualified statement of fact. We will translate the verb sunistemi, I introduce. Romans 16:1, I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea. To you is the dative second person plural form of the personal pronoun su (σύ) (see), which is a reference to Paul s Gentile and Jewish Christian readers in Rome in a corporate sense. The word functions as a dative indirect object meaning that it is receiving the direct object, who is Phoebe. We will translate su to you. Our sister Phoebe is composed of the genitive first person plural form of the personal pronoun ego (ἐγώ) (eh-go), our and articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun adelphe (ἀδελφή) (ah-thel-fee), sister and the accusative feminine singular form of the proper noun Phoibe (Φοίβη) (fee-bee), Phoebe. The proper noun Phoibe is taken from Greek mythology since it is the feminine form of phoibos, a name given to the god Apollo, the Bright One (LSJ, page 868). She was a Gentile for a Jewish woman would never be given a name deriving from pagan mythology. This word functions as an accusative direct object meaning that it is receiving the action of the verb sunistemi indicating Phoebe is the object of this introduction to the Romans. The first word that is used to describe her is the noun adelphe, which refers to a close female believer or sister in Christ or a female member of the body of Christ. It functions as an accusative of simple apposition meaning it stands in apposition to the proper noun Phoibe, Phoebe clarifying this woman s relationship to Paul and his companions with him in Corinth and her relationship with the Roman believers. The genitive first person plural form of the personal pronoun ego does not denote the spiritual relationship that Phoebe had with Paul and his companions who were with him in Corinth. The individuals would include Timothy, Lucius, Jason, Sosipater, Tertius, Gaius, Erastus and Quartus according to Paul s statement in Romans 16: Rather, the personal pronoun ego denotes the common spiritual relationship that Phoebe has with not only Paul and his companions with him in Corinth but also the common spiritual relationship she has with the Roman believers. This indicated by the context where Paul is introducing Phoebe to the Roman believers. The definite article preceding the noun adelphe is used with the 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 9

10 plural form of the personal pronoun ego, our to denote possession. The personal pronoun ego is a genitive of possession indicating that Phoebe belongs to not only Paul and his companions with him in Corinth but also to the Roman believers. Therefore we will translate the expression Phoiben ten adelphen hemon (Φοίβην τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἡµῶν), Phoebe, our spiritual sister. Corrected translation thus far of Romans 16:1, Now, I introduce to you Phoebe, our spiritual sister Romans 16:1, I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea. Who is a servant is composed of the accusative feminine singular present active participle form of the verb eimi (εἰμί) (ee-mee), who is and the accusative feminine singular form of the noun diakonos (διάκονος) (thee-ak-owe-noce), a servant. The verb eimi means, to belong to a particular class of individuals in the human race that is identified by the expression diakonon tes ekklesias tes en Kenchreais (διάκονον τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἐν Κεγχρεαῖς), a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea. Thus, the word denotes that Phoebe belongs to a certain class of individuals identifying her as a servant of the church in Cenchrea. It functions as an accusative of simple apposition meaning it stands in apposition to the proper noun Phoibe, Phoebe clarifying this woman s relationship to the church in Cenchrea. The present tense of the verb eimi is a customary or stative present used to signal an ongoing state. This indicates that Phoebe exists in a state of serving the church in Cenchrea. The active voice is stative indicating that the subject exists in the state indicated by the verb eimi. The subject is Phoebe indicating that she existed in the state of serving the church in Cenchrea. The verb eimi functions as a substantive participle. We will translate eimi, who is. The noun diakonos in classical Greek referred to someone who waited on tables. However, the diakonos was someone who performed a wide range of duties including those of a baker, messenger, (of a woman) maid and cook. It was also used in association with religious duties. Moulton and Milligan relate that there was a college of diakonoi who were overseen by a priest in the worship of Serapis and Isis (The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament Illustrated from the Papyri and Other Non-Literary Sources, page 149). Josephus used diakonos in reference to a servant of God but not in any technical sense (Wars of the Jews 3.8.3). Diakonos appears 6 times in the Septuagint in Esther, Proverbs and 4 Maccabees. It is used in Esther as the king s attendant and as a term of 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 10

11 derogation in 4 Maccabees 9:17. This reflects the secular Greek usage, which viewed servanthood as degrading. The word diakonos appears 29 times in the Greek New Testament. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition: (1) one who serves as an intermediary in a transaction, agent, intermediary, courier (2) one who gets something done, at the behest of a superior, assistant to someone (Pages ). Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament lists the following: (1) generally of a person who renders helpful service servant, helper (2) as an official in the church; deacon, both masculine and feminine (3) as a government official minister, agent (4) as one who serves as a high official attendant, servant (Page 109). Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains: (1) a person who renders service servant (35.20) (2) one who serves as a deacon, with responsibility to care for the needs of believers deacon, one who helps the believers (53.67). The Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised lists the following meanings, one who renders service to another; an attendant, servant; one who executes a commission, a deputy; a commissioned minister or preacher of the Gospel; a minister charged with an announcement or sentence; a minister charged with a significant characteristic; a servitor, devoted follower; a deacon or deaconess, whose official duty was to superintend the alms of the Church, with other kindred services (Page 92). Thayer s New Greek-English Lexicon defines the word one who executes the commands of another, especially of a master; a servant, attendant, minister (Page 138). The noun diakonos means servant and was used in a spiritual sense of the believer s function toward his fellow believer (Matthew 20:26; 23:11; Mark 9:35; 10:43; John 12:26). It is used of servants in the natural realm who wait on tables at the wedding in Cana (John 2:5, 9). In Galatians 2:17, diakonos is used of Christ being a servant of sin in a rhetorical question that is emphatically negated by Paul. The word is used of Paul, Apollos, Tychicus, Epaphras and Timothy and describes their servanthood as pastors who communicate the Word of God to the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:5, 6; 2 Corinthians 3:5, 6; 6:4; 11:15, 23; Ephesians 3:7; 6:21; Colossians 1:7, 23, 25; 4:7; 1 Thessalonians 3:2; 1 Timothy 4:6). It is used to denote the office of deacon (Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:8, 12). This is the third time that we have seen this noun in the Roman epistle. It first appeared in Romans 13:4 where it means servant and is used to describe the relationship between governmental authority and the Father. The noun means that governmental rulers whether they acknowledge it or not serve God s purpose on 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 11

12 earth and therefore are accountable to God. Governmental authority is a servant of God the Father in that it promotes and encourages obedience to His will and discourages disobedience. Romans 13:4, For you see, it is, as an eternal spiritual truth God s servant for your benefit for the purpose of encouraging that which is good in character. However, if you, at any time practice that which is evil in character, then begin and continue to live in a state of fear because it, as an eternal spiritual truth by no means exists in the state of bearing the sword without justification because it is, as an eternal spiritual truth God s servant, an avenger for the purpose of exercising God s righteous indignation against those who exist in a state of committing that which is evil in character. The noun is used of the Lord Jesus Christ in Romans 15:8 and describes Him as a, servant which He manifested by fulfilling the Messianic promises and the promises made by God to the patriarchs of Israel and by redeeming Israel from the curse of the Law (Galatians 3:13; 4:4b-5a). Romans 15:8, For, I affirm, Christ is serving the circumcision because of God the Father s faithfulness in order to fulfill the promises, which belong to the fathers. In this passage, the noun diakonos should be converted into a verbal form since peritome, circumcision functions as a objective genitive meaning that it functions semantically as the direct object of the verbal idea implicit in the noun diakonos, servant. We can convert the verbal noun diakonos, servant into the verb form diakoneo, to serve, minister. Therefore, we translated the word serving. In Romans 16:1, the noun diakonos means servant and is used to describe Phoebe as one who serves both Paul and the Roman believers as an intermediary between the two in the sense that she is the courier of this epistle. The word does not denote the office of deacon since Paul s teaching in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 3:12 prohibit a woman holding this position of authority in the church. The noun diakonos is used of the office of deacon in Philippians 1:1. Philippians 1:1, Paul and Timothy, slaves owned by Christ Jesus, to all the saints in union with Christ, to those who are presently located in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons. In this passage, the word refers to those male believers in Philippi who hold the office of deacon and does not refer to a spiritual gift. A deacon can have the gift of administration, helps, encouragement, mercy, etc. Being a deacon in itself is not a spiritual gift but simply an office of leadership in the church, which is designed to aid the pastor-teacher in administrating the church so that the pastor-teacher is free to fulfill his responsibilities of studying, teaching and praying William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 12

13 Romans 16:1 has been taken by some expositors of the Word of God to mean that women can hold the office of deacon (deaconess) but the context of Romans 16:1 does not signify that diakonos refers to the office of deacon and a comparison of Scripture with Scripture reveals this is emphatically not the case. For example, a woman cannot fulfill the following qualification that appears in 1 Timothy 3:12. 1 Timothy 3:12, Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. Furthermore, women are not to hold positions of authority over men. 1 Timothy 2:11-14, A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. The noun diakonos is ascribed to those who hold the office of deacon in 1 Timothy 3:8, 12 and Philippians 1:1. The pastor-teacher and the deacons are the only other leadership positions ordained by the Lord and the apostles for the church, thus they form the administration or government of the local church. The office of deacon was a position of honor and was commissioned by the apostles so that they might be able to maintain their priorities, namely prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:1-9). The function of a deacon is to serve the individual members of the local assembly by seeing to it their needs are met, thus by doing so the deacons would enable the apostles (communicators of the Word) to fulfill their responsibilities of being devoted to prayer, study and teaching the Word of God. Acts 6 records a crisis that arose in the early days of the church during the 1st century A.D. The apostles dealt with this crisis by exercising their delegated authority by creating the office of deacon. Remember the Lord delegated authority to the apostles. Matthew 16:17-19, And Jesus said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. The Lord gave the apostles authority and in Acts 6 we see the apostles exercising this delegated authority that they received from the Lord. Out of this crisis arose the office of deacon William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 13

14 Acts 6:1, Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. Hellenistic Jews refer to Greek speaking Jews, who could not speak the native Aramaic language and were descendants of those Jews dispersed during the Babylonian captivity and were immersed in the Greek culture, including language, of the countries in which they were born in the dispersion and were considered inferior by the Hebrews, or Palestinian Jews, who were the majority in the church. Native Hebrews refers to Aramaic-speaking Jews who lived in Israel. Acts 6:2, So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3, Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. Select is the second person plural aorist middle imperative form of the compound verb episkeptomai, which denotes choosing or selecting someone for a position of service in the local church on the basis of having investigated them carefully, thus the word means, to select carefully, to choose after careful investigation. The deacons were men elected by their fellow believers. This election gave a precedent for the office of deacon, which is mentioned in 1 Timothy 3:8-12 and Philippians 1:1. The prepositional phrase from among you is important in that this is the first law of Christian service meaning that those employed in serving the church should be members of the church. This condemns the practice of placing unbelievers in positions of administration in the local assembly. Good reputation indicates that a deacon must be respected by and have credibility with those he serves. Full of the Spirit and of wisdom contains the figure of speech called hendiadys and is composed of the accusative masculine plural form of the adjective pleres, full and the genitive (of means) neuter singular form of the noun pneuma, of the Spirit and the conjunction kai, and and the genitive (of product) neuter singular form of the noun sophia, of wisdom. The adjective pleres in Acts 6:3 does not mean full in the literal sense but rather is figurative in meaning describing someone who is totally and completely under the influence of God the Holy Spirit. The believer is influenced by means of the Spirit when he makes it a habit of obeying the Holy Spirit s voice, whose voice is heard through the communication of the Word of God William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 14

15 The noun pneuma in Acts 6:3 does not refer to the Person of the Holy Spirit but rather it refers to the wisdom that the Spirit imparts to the believer who obeys His voice, whose voice is heard through the communication of the Word of God. The anarthrous (without the article) construction emphasizes the quality of the noun pneuma, thus emphasizing an operation (producing wisdom in the believer) of the Spirit here rather than His personality. The noun pneuma in Acts 6:3 is a genitive of means indicating a deacon must be totally and completely influenced by means of the Spirit. Ephesians 5:18, And do not permit yourselves to get into the habit of being drunk with wine because that is non-sensical behavior, but rather permit yourselves on a habitual basis to be influenced by means of the Spirit. The noun sophia in Acts 6:3 means, wisdom that is acquired from obeying the voice of the Spirit, whose voice is heard through the communication of the Word of God. It is a genitive of product indicating that being totally and completely influenced by means of the Spirit produces wisdom in the believer. Therefore, we could translate the expression plereis pneumatos kai sophias, totally and completely influenced by means of the Spirit, who produces wisdom. This expression contains the figure of hendiadys, which takes place when two nouns are used to express one idea or concept and it literally means one by means of two. This figure of speech takes place when the author uses two words but only one idea is intended. The two words are of the same parts of speech, i.e., two nouns, and are always joined together by the conjunction and. The two nouns are also always in the same case. One of the two words expresses the thing, and the other intensifies it by being changed (if a noun) into an adjective of the superlative degree, which is, by this means, made especially emphatic. Here in Acts 6:3 the nouns pneuma and sophia are both in the genitive case, and are separated by the conjunction kai, and therefore, if we take into account the figure of hendiadys we could translate this expression plereis pneumatos kai sophias, totally and completely influenced by means of the Spirit, yes-by means of the Spirit who produces wisdom. Corrected translation of Acts 6:3, Therefore, brethren, carefully select from among you seven men of good reputation, totally and completely influenced by means of the Spirit, yes, by means of the Spirit, who produces wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. Acts 6:4, But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. 5, The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 15

16 The names of these men elected by the congregation to be deacons are all Greek, thus clearly indicating that they were Greek-speaking Jews. This is significant because the majority in the congregation were Aramaic speaking rather than Hellenistic or Greek-speaking Jews. This demonstrates the Holy Spirit s work in the lives of these believers. The deacons were all chosen out of a minority group. They would be in charge of the distribution of food to the entire church including the Hebrew speaking Jews, thus no possible complaint could be lodged by the Greek-speaking Jews for they were now in charge. Language was not a barrier in the early church. Acts 6:6-7, And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith. The office of deacon came into existence as a result of a need. The twelve apostles were administering the helps ministry. They were engaged in an essential ministry, but it was taking them away from their primary responsibility, namely, the ministry of the Word. From this came the origin of the office. The apostles brought the need before the church. They pointed out that an undesirable situation had arisen. They gave them a directive to select seven men to cover this ministry. This, they noted, would free them to devote themselves to praying, studying, and teaching. They outlined the qualifications the seven deacons should possess. The church responded to the leadership of the apostles. They saw the spiritual issue at stake and responded immediately. They sought out men who fulfilled the qualifications. They picked seven men who were Greek speaking Jews to diffuse the complaint of the Greek-speaking believers. They then brought the seven to the twelve for final approval. The seven were then ordained and the result is stated in verse 7. The office of deacon is one of two offices authorized for the local church (1Tim.3:8-13) and the other is that of Pastor-Teacher (1 Tim. 3:1-7). 1 Timothy 3:1, It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 8 Deacons likewise must be 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 16

17 men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain. Dignity is the adjective semnos, which describes someone who is noble in character, possessing spiritual self-esteem (i.e. confidence in the Lord) and understands that he is serving the King of kings. This adjective semnos describes an individual who is serious and not a clown, yet not devoid of a sense of humor. Not double-tongued is composed of the negative particle me, not, and the adjective dilogos, double-tongued. This expression refers to someone who talks out of both sides of his mouth meaning he tells something to someone and another thing to someone else. A deacon must not be an individual who betrays confidences or talks about others in derogatory terms. Proverbs 17:9, He who conceals a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates intimate friends. Proverbs 11:13, He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter. The adjective dilogos describes someone who is honest, not hypocritical and possess integrity of character. Not addicted to wine refers to a person who abuses alcohol or in other words is an alcoholic. Not fond of sordid gain refers to an individual who loves money. 1 Timothy 6:10, For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. Hebrews 13:5, Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU. 1 Timothy 3:9, but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. Mystery of the (Christian) faith refers to the fact that a deacon must be possess knowledge of the essentials of the Christian faith and in particular that body of doctrine that appears in John and the New Testament epistles that was not revealed to Old Testament saints but has now been revealed to believers in the church age. This body of doctrine coined by Paul the mystery of the faith reveals the modus operandi (i.e. mode of operating) and modus vivendi (i.e. manner of living) for being conformed to the image of the Lord Jesus Christ. Deacons must base their decisions upon the Word of God. It is not enough to sit in meetings and decide how to run the church. They must base their decisions on the Word of God. While it is good to know the bylaws in and regulations in your 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 17

18 church constitution, it is important to manage the affairs of a church on the basis of the Word of God. The Scriptures were the constitution of the early church. A deacon who does not know his Bible is an obstacle to progress in a local assembly. He can handicap a pastor-teacher. The church s constitution is not to be revered as much or more than the Bible. A deacon who does not know his Bible cannot manage the affairs of the local assembly. Simply because a man is popular, successful in business, or generous in his giving does not mean he is qualified to serve as a deacon. 1 Timothy 3:10, These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. These men must also first be tested : (1) A deacon must be a man who has maintained his spiritual priorities of learning and applying the Word of God in the midst of adversity. (2) A deacon must be a man who has gained the respect and trust of those whom he is to serve in the local church. An untested Christian is unprepared to hold any offices in the church and will hurt the testimony of the church. In fact, an untested Christian can be hurt immeasurably spiritually by being promoted to a position he has no capacity for. Men must first have the capacity to lead before they can hold positions of authority in the local assembly. The capacity to serve is developed by applying the Word of God in the midst of adversity, which in turn produces in the believer greater confidence and trust in his relationship with God. A man must be faithful in the little things before he can be promoted to greater responsibility as a deacon. Matthew 25:21, You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' All the great leaders of the Bible were first tested as servants before they were promoted: (1) Joseph was a servant in Egypt for 13 years before he became prime minister of Egypt. (2) Moses served as a shepherd for 40 years before God called him to lead Israel out of Egypt. (3) Joshua served as Moses chief of staff before he became Moses successor. (4) David was serving as a shepherd of his father s flock when the prophet Samuel anointed him as king of Israel. (5) The Lord Jesus Christ served as a carpenter before He began His ministry. 1 Timothy 3:11, Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. Husband of only one wife refers to the fact that a deacon, if he is married, must be the husband of one wife. This qualification along with Paul s prohibition in 1 Timothy 2:12 disqualifies women from holding the office of deacon. It also refutes the idea that the noun diakonos in Romans 16:1 refers to the fact that Phoebe held the office of deacon in the church at Cenchrea William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 18

19 Good managers of their children and their own households indicates that a deacon must be a man whose wife and children respect his authority in the home and is a capable manager of the affairs of his family. The reason that a deacon must be a good manager of the affairs of his own home is given in 1 Timothy 3:4-5, which in context deals with one of the qualifications for the man who aspires to the office of pastor-teacher, but also has application for men who hold the office of deacon. 1 Timothy 3:4-5, He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?) 1 Timothy 3:13, For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. Those who faithfully fulfill their responsibilities as a deacon obtain two things: (1) High standing : They gain the respect and esteem of those whom they serve. (2) Great confidence in the faith : They re confidence in their relationship with the Lord grows. Therefore, in Romans 16:1, the noun diakonos means servant and is used to describe Phoebe as one who serves both Paul and the Roman believers as an intermediary between the two in the sense that she is the courier of this epistle. The word does not denote the office of deacon since Paul s teaching in 1 Timothy 2:11-15 and 3:12 prohibit a woman holding this position of authority in the church. The noun is a predicate accusative meaning that it stands in predicate relation to the accusative form of the proper noun Phoibe, Phoebe indicating that the word is making an assertion about Phoebe, namely that she serves the church at Cenchrea. It should be converted into the verbal form diakoneo since the noun ekklesia, of the church functions as a objective genitive meaning that it functions semantically as the direct object of the verbal idea implicit in the noun diakonia, servant. Therefore, we will translate diakonia, serving. We must next deal with a textual problem in that some MSS have the conjunction kai between ousan and diakonon (P 46 a 2 B C* 81 pc bo) whereas others do not have the word (a* A C 2 D F G Ψ 33, 1739, 1881, majority text latt sy sa). The context indicates that the word is probably original introducing an additional description of Phoebe. The first was that she was a spiritual sister of Paul and the Romans. The second, which kai introduces, is that she serves the church at Cenchrea. Therefore, we will translate kai with an adjunctive sense also William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 19

20 Corrected translation thus far of Romans 16:1, Now, I introduce to you Phoebe, our spiritual sister, who is also serving Romans 16:1, I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea. Of the church is the articular genitive feminine singular form of the noun ekklesia (ἐκκλησία) (ek-klee-see-ah), of the church. The noun ekklesia is a compound word composed of the preposition ek, out from and the verb kaleo, to call, thus it literally means called out ones. Liddell and Scott list the following meanings: (1) Assembly duly summoned (2) In LXX, the Jewish congregation (3) In NT, the Church as a body of Christians (Page 509). So therefore the word has three distinct stages of meaning: (1) Secular (2) Jewish (3) Christian. As a secular term, he ekklesia was a technical term for the lawful assembly of free Greek citizens met to transact public affairs. That they were summoned is expressed in the verb kaleo and the preposition ek indicates that they were summoned out of the whole population as a select portion that included neither the populace, strangers, nor those who had forfeited their civic rights. Both the calling and the calling out are the distinctives that make the word well adapted for its new Christian usage. The word was used in classical literature for the summons to the army to assemble. It is attested from Eurpides and Herodotus onwards (5th century B.C.) and denotes in the usage of antiquity the popular assembly of the competent full citizens of the polis, city. It reached its greatest importance in the 5th century and met at regular intervals (in Athens about times a year, elsewhere less frequently) and also in cases of urgency as an extra-ordinary ekklesia. Its sphere of competence included decisions on suggested changes in the law (which could only be effected by the council of the 400), on appointments to official positions and-at least in its heyday-on every important question of internal and external policy (contracts, treaties, war and peace, finance). To these was added in special cases (e.g. treason) the task of sitting in judgment, which as a rule fell to regular courts. The ekklesia opened with prayers and sacrifices to the gods of the city. It was bound by the existing laws. Every citizen had the right to speak and to propose matters for discussion, but a proposition could only be dealt with if there was an expert opinion on the matter (Aristotle Ath. Pol. 45). A decision was only valid if it won a certain number of votes. Authorization to participate and the methods of summoning the assembly and of voting-by show of hands in Athens (Aristotle Ath. Pol., 45), by acclaim (Thuc. 1.87), by ballot sheets or stones (Xenophon Hell )-were strictly regulated, as was the control of the assembly, which originally 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 20

21 lay with the president of the Prytaneis and from the 4th century B.C. with a college of nine. Thus, ekklesia, centuries before the LXX and the NT was clearly characterized as a political phenomenon, repeated according to certain rules and within a certain framework. It was the assembly of full citizens, functionally rooted in the constitution of the democracy, an assembly in which fundamental political and judicial decisions were taken. The scope of its competence varied in the different states. The word ekklesia throughout the Greek and Hellenistic areas always retained its reference to the assembly of the polis. In only three exceptional cases was it used for the business meeting of a cultic guild. Otherwise it was never used for guilds or religious fellowships. The Greeks had a well developed vocabulary to describe their religious gatherings and offerings. Most of these terms are not found in the NT. Ekklesia was used in a very restricted sense while sunagoge was used especially for the cultic gatherings and various offerings to the pagan deities. The noun ekklesian occurs 97 times in the Septuagint representing exclusively the Hebrew qahal (including once each for 4 derivatives of the root). Where ekklesia is used in the LXX for qahal, it indicates the assembly of the people of Israel (e.g. Deut. 9:10; 23:3 ff.; Mic. 2:5). It also indicates, especially in the Chronicler, the assembly of the people for worship (e.g. 2 Chron. 6:3 at the consecration of the temple; 30:2, 4, 13, 17 at Hezekiah s Passover; cf. also Joel 2:16 and in the Psalm 21:23, 26. The noun ekklesia was used in the LXX primarily as an equivalent to qahal, a term which to some degree was itself a particular group within the people of God, even when it was translated by sunagoge. Ekklesia was used only infrequently for non-religious assemblies and it was never used for a pagan religious gathering. The term ekklesia is employed 114 times in the Greek New Testament. It appears only three times in the Gospels (Mt. 16:18; 18:17 twice). The word occurs most frequently in the Pauline epistles. In the overwhelming majority of the New Testament passages, ekklesia is used as a fixed Christian term and is to be translated with congregation or congregational assembly or church. Early Christianity did not conceive of ekklesia primarily as an organizational, but rather as a theological entity or spiritual organism. The New Thayer s Greek Lexicon lists the following meanings for the word (pages ): (1) A gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place; an assembly (2) Among the Greeks from Thucydides down, an assembly of the people convened at the public place of council for the purpose of deliberating (3) In the LXX often equivalent to qahal, the assembly of the Israelites (4) Any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance or tumultuously 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 21

22 (5) In the Christian sense: (a) an assembly of Christians gathered for worship (b) a company of Christians, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs according to regulations prescribed for the body for order s sake (c) those who anywhere, in city or village, constitute such a company and are united into one body (d) the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth; collectively, all who worship and honor God and Christ in whatever place they may be (Pages ). Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament lists the following meanings: (1) in a general sense, as a gathering of citizens assembly, meeting (2) as the assembled people of Israel congregation (3) as the assembled Christian community church, congregation, meeting (4) as the totality of Christians living in one place church (50 as the universal body of believers church (Page 137). A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature-Third Edition: (1) a regularly summoned legislative body, assembly (2) a causal gathering of people, an assemblage, gathering (3) people with shared belief, community, congregation (a) of OT Israelites assembly, congregation (b) of Christians in a specific place or area; of a specific Christian group assembly, gathering ordinarily involving worship and discussion of matters of concern to the community; congregation or church as the totality of Christians living and meeting in a particular locality or larger geographical area, but not necessarily limited to one meeting place (c) the global community of Christians (universal) church (Pages ) Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains: (1) A congregation of Christians, implying interacting membership congregation, church (11.32). (2) The totality of congregations of Christians church (11.33). (3) A group of citizens assembled for socio-political activities assembly, gathering (11.78). The use of ekklesia became more widespread than sunagoge as the church rooted itself more predominately in the soil of the Gentile world, breaking away from its Jewish roots. The use of sunagoge in the early first century church declined because it was permanently associated with the nation of Israel, while the use of ekklesia increased, not only because it was already familiar but also because it had an honorable meaning in Greek culture. After the period of the exile it was the synagogue which dominated the religious life of the Jews. It was in the Greek Diaspora that the synagogue became accepted as the new designation for the `edhah. The name applied not only to the house of the synagogue but to the congregation of the synagogue as well. Having this background in mind, it is very interesting that the Gentile Christian congregations did not use the designation of synagogue for their signification. The 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 22

23 members of these first Christian congregations came in a large degree from the Jewish synagogues which consisted of both Jews and proselytes. These believers claim to represent true Jewish congregation (Rm. 2:28-29) and the true Israel of God (Rm. 9:6) since they were regenerate. Although these ancient Christian congregations were patterned primarily after the Jewish synagogues, they avoided using the term synagogue. In fact, the term synagogue is used only one time in the New Testament as a designation for a Christian congregation (Jm. 2:2) since James was speaking exclusively to regenerate Jews. In the Roman Empire the synagogues stood as symbols of Jewish law and religion, and the new Christian religion. However, Christian congregations avoided association with this term. Instead, they adopted the term ekklesia which had fallen out of usage in Jewish circles. As well as avoiding associations with the Jewish religion, the Christians also chose ekklesia as a way of distancing themselves from the terms utilized by the pagan Greek cults. Here a multitude of terms would have been at the disposal of the ancient Christians. Secular Gentile authors such as Lucian and Celsus did, however, identify the Christians congregations by the pagan term thiasos. More amazing than this though, the early Church historian Eusebius also used the term for the church. Therefore, the term ekklesia was employed by the New Testament writers as a technical term to designate a totally unique group of believers who at the moment of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior were called out of the cosmic system of Satan and were placed into union with the Lord Jesus Christ through the baptism of the Spirit and as a result have been provided with totally unique privileges and opportunities to glorify God. The ekklesia began with the baptism of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost in June of 32 A.D. (Acts 2), and will leave this earth at the Rapture (1 Th. 4:13-17). This group of believers is distinct from Old Testament saints who belong to the theocentric dispensations. In Romans 16:1, the noun ekklesia refers to the local assembly in the city of Cenchrea. The word functions as an objective genitive meaning that it functions semantically as the direct object of the verbal idea implicit in the noun diakonia, servant, which should thus be converted into the verbal form diakoneo since the noun ekklesia, of the church. The articular construction of ekklesia indicates that this local assembly is unique to the city of Cenchrea. We will translate ekklesia, the church. Corrected translation thus far of Romans 16:1, Now, I introduce to you Phoebe, our spiritual sister, who is also serving the church 2010 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 23

24 Romans 16:1, I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea. Which is at Cenchrea is composed of the genitive feminine singular form of the definite article ho (ὁ() (owe), which is and the preposition en (ἕν), at and the dative feminine plural form of the noun Kenchreai (Κεγχρεαί) (ken-kray-ah), Cenchrea. The genitive feminine singular form of the definite article ho functions as a substantiver meaning it nominalizes (i.e. converts to a noun) and conceptualizing the prepositional phrase en Kenchreais (ἐν Κεγχρεαῖς), in Jerusalem. Therefore, this can be reflected by translating the article with a relative pronoun phrase such as, which is. The article functions as a genitive of simple apposition meaning that is it appositive to the articular substance form of the noun ekklesia, the church which is in the same case. It is introducing a prepositional phrase that identifies for the reader what church Phoebe serves. The noun Kenchreai refers to a seaport seven miles east of Corinth on the Saronic Gulf, which was used for trade with Asia and was mentioned in the writings of Thucydides, Pausanias, and Strabo. It served as the southern harbor of Corinth. In Romans 16:1, it is identified as the home of Phoebe. This word is the object of the preposition en, which is used to denote the geographical location of Phoebe s home. We will translate the prepositional phrase en Kenchreais (ἐν Κεγχρεαῖς), at Cenchrea William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 24

25 The ruins of Cenchrea with the waters of its bay seen in the background (Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary) Completed corrected translation of Romans 16:1, Now, I introduce to you as Phoebe, our spiritual sister, who is also serving the church at Cenchrea. In this verse, we have the apostle Paul introduces to the Roman believers, the one who delivered this epistle, namely Phoebe, who served the church at Cenchrea. It indicates that Phoebe delivered this epistle to the Roman believers. That Paul would entrust her with the delivery of this epistle is significant indicating that he had not problem entrusting an important job as the delivery of this epistle, to a woman. In this passage, he is introducing Phoebe with the idea of encouraging the Roman believers of welcoming her into their fellowship. It demonstrates Paul s approval of this woman that she can be trusted with the implication that the Roman believers adopt the same attitude that he has towards this woman. This verse speaks of bringing together Phoebe and the Roman believers as friends William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 25