Despite what your favorite modern Bible translation might say, in Romans 16 the word used to describe Phoebe’s role in the church is the same word, “diakonos” (deacon), used in 1 Timothy where Paul says that a deacon must be the husband of one wife. If Paul means here that a deacon must only be a man, rather than intending the passage to emphasize fidelity in marriage as a marker for purity, then why would he commend to the Roman church Phoebe, a deaconess of the church at Cenchreae?

It’s likely your translation says that Phoebe is a servant rather than a deacon because of this dilemma, despite the usage of the same word to describe the role in church ministry.

This is only a dilemma if you hold to Patriarchal or hard Complimentarian theology rather than Biblical Egalitarianism. (Not the same thing as Secular Egalitarianism).

Remember, and please remember, we need to interpret individual passages by the whole of Scripture: not interpret the whole of Scripture by an individual passage.

And we see all throughout the Bible God’s heart toward women. There are women leaders such as the Prophetess Deborah and Queen Esther. There’s the Prophetess Anna who would prophesy in the temple! There’s Jael who killed the wicked Sisera with a tent peg. There’s the Samaritan woman who was the second person to proclaim that Jesus is the Messiah! There’s Priscilla who taught Apollos alongside her husband Aquila (and in Greek grammar Priscilla’s name coming before Aquila’s likely indicates a higher level of authority). There’s the Deaconess Phoebe, Mary Magdalene who was the first person ever to preach the good news TO MEN that Jesus is risen, and of course there’s Mary the mother of Jesus. I doubt Paul ever told her to sit down and shut up.

And also, if your translation says that Phoebe was a “servant” it probably also says that Junia was “well known to the apostles” when it really should say “of note among the apostles”.

Even the early church father Chrysostom (347 – 407), who was not in support generally of women in ministry, but whose first language was Koine Greek, admitted that Junia was a woman apostle!

“To be apostles is a great thing, but to be distinguished among them—consider what an extraordinary accolade that is! They were distinguished because of their works and because of their upright deeds. Indeed, how great was the wisdom of this woman that she was thought worthy of being called an apostle!”

— John Chrysostom of Constantinople

Another early church father, Origen (185 – 254), also confirms that Junia was a woman apostle and even claims she was among the 72 commissioned by Jesus Christ in Luke 10.

Some translations try to get around this by writing a masculine name, Junias, instead of the feminine Junia, and while yes some early church writings have the masculine name Junias, we know that those writings can not be taken as accurate, because they also wrote Priscilla/Prisca’s name in the masculine, “Priscas”.

Clearly written by someone with an agenda and not a desire to maintain historical accuracy.

I also want to address the passage in 1 Timothy 2 where Paul says that he does not permit that a woman should exercise authority over a man.

Again, we need to interpret this passage in light of the whole of scripture. We should not interpret the whole of scripture from one passage.

If you read it all Paul starts off giving men and women in the church of Ephesus specific instructions. “men should do this; women should do this…” etc.

But then he shifts gear and switches from the plural “women” to the singular “a woman.”

Paul now says that he does not permit “a woman” to exercise authority over “a man.”

He does not say “women shouldn’t have authority over men.”

Another noteworthy fact about this passage is that the language used here for exercising authority implies forcefully taking un-rightful authority. It appears that Paul is now addressing a specific situation in the church of Ephesus where a specific woman was forcefully taking authority that doesn’t belong to her from a specific man.

This passage seems to address a single situation in the church that the letter was written to. It wasn’t written as a general piece of common advice but it was written intentionally to a church that had issues in need of addressing.

Same thing in 1 Corinthians 14 where Paul says that “the women should keep silent…”

There is a Greek article used here “hai” meaning “THE”. Paul is again addressing specific women in a specific situation in the specific church of Corinth. He didn’t write this letter to you or to me initially. He wrote it to a church with issues in need of addressing in a city that historically worshiped the false goddess Aphrodite.

For any arguing from Genesis that Eve was made as a helper for Adam, the word used for helper is “ezer” which is used multiple times in the Old Testament to describe God as our helper and sustainer, so it clearly does not indicate subordination.

Lastly, yes, the Bible does say that the husband should be the head of the household.

But the pastor isn’t the husband of the church. Jesus is the Husband of the church; we are the bride.

We need to remember to interpret the Bible as it was written and do what we can to avoid reading it through the lens of agenda and doctrinal bias. I know it’s not fully possible, but I also know that probably the majority of people who read this post and disagree are not even going to consider changing their mind or reevaluating their position. After all Rick Warren changed his mind about it and as a result was kicked out of the Southern Baptist Convention.

All that to say,

That is why I emphatically support women in ministry. It isn’t because I support some sort of leftist feminist agenda or secular egalitarianism. And It certainly isn’t because I hold to some kind of liberal theology.

And, being completely honest, the women who argue for ministry roles because of those reasons should probably not be in ministry.

But the real reason I argue for women in ministry is because I read the Bible and when it says in Joel 2…

“…their sons and their daughters shall prophesy… …even the male and female servants…”

…I believe it.

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“The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord turn His face toward you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

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in Christ

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Wickstrom, S. P. (n.d.). Adam’s Rib. SPWickstrom. http://www.spwickstrom.com/rib/ 

1 Corinthians 14:34. Bible Hub. (n.d.). https://biblehub.com/text/1_corinthians/14-34.htm 

Jeffries, B. J. (2022, July 8). John Chrysostom on the apostle junia. Weighted Glory. http://www.weighted-glory.com/2019/01/john-chrysostom-apostle-junia/ 

Romans 16 Interlinear. Bible Hub. (n.d.-b). https://biblehub.com/interlinear/romans/16.htm

 Lyle, J. (n.d.). Mavericks & Misfits. http://www.maverickmisfit.com/

 Jeffries, B. J. (2022a, July 8). Did Origen Say Junia was a man?. Weighted Glory. http://www.weighted-glory.com/2018/12/origen-junia-man/

 Jeffries, B. J. (2023, December 17). Origen on the apostle junia: A new translation. Weighted Glory. http://www.weighted-glory.com/2018/12/origen-apostle-junia/