Who was Phoebe?

[Jeffrey]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I can't help but consider that we're reading a letter written to Timothy. It's someone else's mail... not a didactic teaching given to the church as a general lesson. Obviously men serving under Timothy desired to progress into ministry so Paul tells Timothy what the basic requirements should be. However, I can't help but wonder what Paul would have written if some of those desiring the office of bishop or deacon were women. Should we see what Paul wrote as a "letter of the law" type rule for the church... or should we see what Paul wrote as embodying principles that might apply to different situations. For example, if a bishop must be the husband of one wife who rules his house well, a woman called to the office should be the wife of one husband who is submitted and tends to her home well.

Just a few thoughts.

Interesting thoughts.
I would say there is, in fact, plenty of didactic teaching in Paul's letter to Timothy, and that this letter was never intended to remain a private letter, as was similar for many letters in antiquity.

As for Phoebe, it is likely she is the one carrying Paul's letter. Yes, she is referred to as diakones. Later, Paul uses the word protastis (benefactor). Depending on one's view of Phoebe, many have interpreted this word differently. Some, meaning "helper" and another preferring "leader/ruler."

There's one problem with the latter translation.

As to Sam's evidence that Paul used the word diakanos to refer to overseerers in Timothy... I shall return after a word study there. Of course, words aren't isolated to a homogenous meaning, though that should be in consideration of our interpretation. But the context is equally, if not more, influential with how we determine the word usage.