{I commend} (sunist(886d)i). The regular word for letters of
commendation as in  2Co 3:1  (sustatik(936e) epistol(936e)). See also
 Ro 3:5 . So here verses  1,2  constitute Paul's recommendation
of Phoebe, the bearer of the Epistle. Nothing else is known of
her, though her name (Phoib(885c)) means bright or radiant. {Sister}
(adelph(886e)). In Christ, not in the flesh. {Who is a servant of
the church} (ousan diakonon t(8873) ekkl(8873)ias). The etymology of
diakonos we have had repeatedly. The only question here is
whether it is used in a general sense or in a technical sense as
in  Php 1:1  1Ti 3:8-13 . In favour of the technical sense of
"deacon" or "deaconess" is the addition of "	(8873) ekkl(8873)ias" (of
the church). In some sense Phoebe was a servant or minister of
the church in Cenchreae. Besides, right in the midst of the
discussion in  1Ti 3:8-13  Paul has a discussion of gunaikas
(verse  11 ) either as women as deaconesses or as the wives of
deacons (less likely though possible). The _Apostolic
Constitutions_ has numerous allusions to deaconesses. The strict
separation of the sexes made something like deaconesses necessary
for baptism, visiting the women, etc. Cenchreae, as the eastern
port of Corinth, called for much service of this kind. Whether
the deaconesses were a separate organization on a par with the
deacons we do not know nor whether they were the widows alluded
to in  1Ti 5:9f .