ACC ~ Romans 16 v1

WHETHER WOMEN WERE ORDAINED BY APOSTOLIC AUTHORITY. ORIGEN: This passage teaches that there were women ordained in the church’s ministry by the apostle’s authority. … Not only that—they ought to be ordained into the ministry, because they helped in many ways and by their good services deserved the praise even of the apostle. COMMENTARY ON THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS.

PHOEBE’S RANK OF DEACONNESS. CHRYSOSTOM: Note how many ways Paul dignifies Phoebe. He mentions her before all the rest and even calls her his sister. It is no small thing to be called the sister of Paul! Moreover, he has mentioned her rank of deaconess as well. HOMILIES ON ROMANS 30.

NO DISCRIMINATION TOLERATED BETWEEN MALE AND FEMALE. [PSEUDO-]CONSTANTIUS: Here the apostle demonstrates that no discrimination or preference between male and female is to be tolerated, because he sends his letter to Rome by the hand of a woman and sends greetings to other women in the same epistle. Cenchreae is the port of Corinth. THE HOLY LETTER OF ST. PAUL TO THE ROMANS.

WOMEN DEACONESSES IN THE EAST. PELAGIUS: Although the text of the letter is already finished, as it were, Paul has attached this material for the purpose of commendation and greeting, as was his custom.

Even today, women deaconesses in the East are known to minister to their own sex in baptism or even in the ministry of the Word, for we find that women taught privately, e.g., Priscilla, whose husband was called Aquila. PELAGIUS’S COMMENTARY ON ROMANS.

AT CENCHREAE. THEODORET OF CYR: Cenchreae is a village outside Corinth. It is interesting to note how quickly the gospel was spreading, in that it had already reached the villages. In fact the church at Cenchreae was so large that it even had a woman deaconess, and one who was famous and well known to boot. INTERPRETATION OF THE LETTER TO THE ROMANS.

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