Romans 16:1-2 "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, ..."

 "I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you; for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well" (Romans 16:1-2).
 
"Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things" (2 Peter 1:12-15).
 

Comment:

RE: Romans 16:1-2:   Paul is writing to a church already established (by others) in Rome, paving the way for a trip to Rome which he plans to make as his next major journey from Jerusalem, where he is as he writes the letter. (Things do not go as planned, and when he does make it to Rome, it's as a prisoner.) He brings the letter to a close by sending greetings to a number of people who are either presently in Rome or who will apparently be traveling there. In this particular passage, Phoebe is singled out for special commendation. It may be that she was hand-carrying the letter to Rome. At any rate, she is clearly important to Paul and to his ministry—"a deacon of the church." This would suggest that, despite Paul's oft-quoted negativity about women in the church, many women continued to play important and public roles, and he was appreciative of their talents and their commitment.  

RE: 2 Peter 1:12-15   The writing known as Second Peter is from the early years of the second century of the Christian Era. Written from Rome, it combines two literary forms: a pastoral letter similar to those of Paul, and the final words of someone about to die. (Paul's final speech in Ephesus in Acts 20:25-35 is another example.) It was not written by Simon Peter, but as a kind of meditation on what Simon Peter's final words might have been. This passage makes it clear that he is not writing to potential converts—as Paul often did—but to people who are already followers ("established in the truth"). The author's purpose is not to teach, but to remind. Metaphysically, there is nothing about the Christ—the Presence of God that is our unique and shared identity—that is new to us. It is our deepest truth; we simply have to brush aside the distractions that block us from the awareness and allow that truth to flow freely into our consciousness and, through us, into the world.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed