Helper of the evangelist
Romans 16:1~2 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.
♬ Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #518 We Have Heard a Joyful Sound (#252 in previous version)
Scholars in France have named Jesus Christ the most influential person on earth, religious or otherwise. The greatest number of books have been written about Jesus, and the book that has been read the most is the Bible. The Bible is a book that people of all nations carry around. The name of a female deaconess Phoebe was recorded in this book. The Bible records that Phoebe was one of the most blessed people. What did she do to have received such a great blessing?
1. She understood evangelism
Phoebe correctly understood evangelism. In order to understand evangelism, you must understand Christ correctly. There are three scary things that are invisible in this world. They are curses, Satan, and hell. Calamities come upon people even if they don’t do anything wrong; they come even when people live diligently. Furthermore, Satan, who is invisible, leads people into destruction. Satan blocks people from knowing God, so that they go to hell. The solution to these three things is Christ. Christ came to us as the Priest who put an end to calamity, the King who broke the power of Satan, and the Prophet who opened the way to God in order to save us from hell. God saves the world through those who know this mystery. Phoebe, who knew this mystery, had no choice but to receive answers and blessings.
2. She was a helper of the evangelist
Phoebe became a helper of the evangelist. After the time of Joseph, it took the Israelites over 400 years to restore the covenant and sacrificial offering and escape from their slavery in Egypt. Although they were freed from captivity, they lost hold of the Gospel again and continued to face disasters and suffering. Finally, about 700 years later, they restored the Gospel through the Early Church. Among the workers of the Early Church was Phoebe, who helped the evangelist Paul; as a result, she had no choice but to receive answers.
3. She was in the prayers of an evangelist
In Romans 16:1, Paul commends Phoebe, a worker in the church of Cenchrea, to the congregation of the church in Rome. This means that Phoebe was a person who was in Paul’s prayers. Phoebe was a person who was in the prayers of an evangelist. We must receive this blessing.
● Forum Topic - The evangelist Paul and his helper Phoebe connected through evangelism. If you understand evangelism, you will understand all things, and if you see evangelism, you will see all things. Look at your field with the eyes of evangelism and meditate.
Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 2nd Service / 2010.1.17