Phoibe (Bible)

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Phoibe , Phöbe or Phoebe ( Greek Φοίβη) († end of the 1st century in Rome or Corinth ) is a woman who was in the service of the ancient Christian community of Kenchreä near Corinth. It is mentioned by the apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans ( Rom 16.1  EU ).

Life

According to Paul, Phoibe was active in diaconal activities, she “stood by many”, including the apostle himself. In ancient times, the term “stand by” was normally understood as legal counsel. Therefore, Phoebe could have stood by Christians who were in transit (Corinth was an important port base) with business or legal matters. In view of the position of women in antiquity, it is astonishing that Paul mentions them, especially in the meaning given here. Therefore, she is often considered to be the first female figure in church history of importance.

Phöbe was also described as a “servant of the community in Kenchreä”, whereby “serving” also included table service, that is, accommodating and entertaining people traveling through or in need. Perhaps Phoibe also had a mission to preach. In feminist theology, thought was also given to whether Phoibe was possibly a patroness, i.e. a patroness or head of the church in Kenchreä, who was ultimately even subordinate to Paul. Lydia , a purple trader in the Philippi community, also suspects that women could also be community leaders.

In theological research it is controversial whether Phoebe was possibly the bearer of Romans . Because Paul mentions in it (v. 16: 1f) that Phoebe is coming to Rome and asks the Roman community for a warm welcome to Phoebe.

Reactivation of the old church deaconess office based on the Phoibe model

In 1791, Johann Friedrich Oberlin used the model of Phoebe von Kenchreä for his comprehensive diaconal reform. Phoebe was also godmother to the reactivation of the old church deaconess office by Theodor Fliedner (1800–1864), the founder of the Kaiserswerther deaconess mother house . In 1839, Fliedner stipulated in § 1 of the house rules of the deaconess mother house: "According to the apostolic congregation order, the deaconesses have the job of serving our Christian congregations, like Phoebe in the service of the congregation in Kenchrea (Rom. 16: 1) ..." By Friedrich Klönne (1794–1834) came from the Protestant side in 1820 with the proposal to shape the patriotic women's associations of the parish in the sense of the old church deaconess office. In the struggle for the gospel Paul also stood with two women of the church in Philippi , Euodia and Syntyche. Also Thecla of Iconium is named as a supporter of the Apostle Paul.

Phoibe is venerated as a saint ; her remembrance for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the January 27 , for the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod of the 25. October and for the Roman Catholic and the Orthodox Church of 3. September . She is said to have died in either Rome or Corinth.

literature

documentary

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Luise Schottroff : Servants of the saints. The Diaconate of Women in the New Testament. In: Gerhard K. Schäfer and Theodor Strohm (eds.): Diakonie - biblical foundations and orientations. A workbook for theological understanding of the diaconal mandate , publications Diakoniewiss. Institute Heidelberg 1990.
    Lic. Gerhardt, Deaconess Mother House Düsseldorf-Kaiserswerth : A brief overview of the history of female diakonia. In: Kaiserswerther Association of German Deaconesses = Mother Houses (Ed.): 1836-1936 Hundred Years of Mother House Deaconry     . A handout for evangelical pastors and religion teachers. Vereinsdruckerei Potsdam 1936, pp. 18-20.
  2. ↑ Anni G. Hentschel: Frauendienst - Frauenamt. To questions about a deaconess office in the New Testament. In: Jochen-Christoph Kaiser and Rajah Scheepers (eds.): Servants of the Lord. Contributions to female diakonia in the 19th and 20th centuries, historical-theological gender research. Ev. Verlagsanstalt Leipzig 2010, p. 48. Kaiser: Servants of the Lord
  3. ↑ Michael Theobald : The biblical women Junia and Phoebe. Without homeland rights in the Roman Catholic. Church? In: Katholisches Sonntagsblatt No. 13, March 25, 2012. PDF Junia and Phoebe without a right of home?
  4. ↑ Gerhard K. Schäfer (Ed.): The human friendliness of God testify. Diaconal sermons from the old church to the 20th century , Johann Friedrich Oberlin 1791 sermon on Ephesians 5.1.2. ("Je vous recommande notre soeur Phoebé, qui est Diakonisse de l'Eglise de Cenchrée"), Heidelberger Verlagsanstalt 1991, pp. 305-313. ISBN 3-89426-030-0
  5. ↑ Christine R. Auer: History of the nursing professions as a subject. The development of the curriculum in nursing education and training , dissertation at the Institute for the History of Medicine, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , academic advisor Wolfgang U. Eckart , Heidelberg 2008, on the early church tradition of the Phöbe zu Kenchreä pp. 116–117. C. Auer: History of the nursing professions as a subject.
  6. ↑ Christoph Schweikardt: The development of nursing for a state-recognized activity in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The interaction of modernization efforts, medical dominance, denominational self-assertion and guidelines of Prussian government policy , Martin Meidenbauer Verlag Munich 2008, p. 64. ISBN 978-3-89975-132-1 . Online resource RUB
  7. ^ Paul Philippi : The preliminary stages of the modern deaconess office (1789-1848) as elements for its understanding and criticism. A study of the history of motifs on the nature of the motherhouse diakonia, habilitation thesis Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg , Neukirchener Verlag 1966, translation of the French sources I-IV about Oberlin's Diakonissenamt, Phöbe p. 243; Fliedner's house rules Phöbe p. 182. Philippi: Preliminary Diakonissenamt
  8. ↑ Anna Sticker : The Origin of Modern Nursing. German source pieces from the first half of the 19th century , Kohlhammer Stuttgart 1960, p. 243.
  9. ↑ Friedrich Klönne: On the resurgence of the deaconesses of the early Christian church in our women's associations, Barth Leipzig 1820.
  10. ↑ Wolfgang U. Eckart : History of Medicine , Springer Textbook Berlin, Heidelberg, 1st edition 1990, Apostle Paulus p. 83; History, theory and ethics of medicine , 7th edition. Springer textbook, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2013, Apostle Paulus p. 51. Textbook ISBN 978-3-642-34971-3 , textbook online ISBN 978-3-642-34972- 0 . History, theory and ethics of medicine 2013 doi : 10.1007 / 978-3-642-34972-0
personal data
SURNAME Phoibe
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Phoebe, Phoebe
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Woman in the service of the ancient Christian community of Cenchreae for Corinth stood
DATE OF BIRTH 1st century BC BC or 1st century
DATE OF DEATH 1st century
Place of death Rome or Corinth