Biblical Mothers of the Faith: Phoebe, Priscilla, and Junia
Today, let’s analyze Romans 16. This is a chapter in the Bible that highlights women serving in ministry.These women are mothers of the faith. This Mother’s Day weekend, let us rejoice and praise the LORD for all the believing mothers who pray and teachand lead with a godly example.
The Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Romans is filled with instruction and exhortation. Paul does not hesitate to credit those around him (including wives and mothers!)who have worked hard alongside him for the sake of the Gospel. In Romans 16, Paul names names – and most of the people named in this chapter just so happen to be women.
Phoebe: A “servant” or a “deacon”?
The New International Version (NIV) rightly describes Sister Phoebe as a “deacon”:
She is described as a person of means – a “benefactor,” well able to minister to God’s people. She gave to others both materially and spiritually. Phoebe was a spiritual mother in the faith!
But sadly, the New King James Version demotes our dear sister. She is relegated to the status of a “servant” and “helper.”
I typically prefer the NKJV translation over the New International Version (NIV) because the NKJV is a literal translation truer to the original languages, but as with any human translation, bias can be found, and this really is a stark example:
Let me address my sisters in the LORD for a moment: has this ever happened to you?
Did God ever inspire you to lead or to teach – to be a spiritual mother – but someone brushed you off as “just a servant?” Oh mothers, please know you are valued in the Kingdom and there is a place for you.
Our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) wants us to have the heart of a servant, but it is one thing to submit and surrender ourselves joyfully to Him and a totally different thing to have your spirit crushed by those who think women aren’t intended to minister. It is so very important to look to the Bible to see what God says about women in ministry leadership positions.
Sister Phoebe was a leader in the church!
While “servant” and “deacon” can be used interchangeably, it is notable that had the name listed been male, it is most likely “deacon” would be the preferred translation. The modern American mindset limits the meaning because it has become commonplace to teach that women are prohibited by the Bible to serve in an official capacity such as a “deacon.” This teaching is biased and errant and must be corrected. There are many instances in Scripture in which we see women held what we would consider positions of authority – Prophetess Miriam, Judge Deborah, Deaconess Phoebe . . . The LORD has chosen to use many women throughout history to reach the nations and to serve as spiritual mothers!
Priscilla: A “CoWorker” of the Apostle Paul
Notice that when Paul extends greetings to Priscilla and her husband, Aquila, he names Priscilla first. This was quite uncommon in both the Jewish and the Roman cultures, as it is even in our own today. Generally, we name the husband first. This serves to highlight Priscilla’s strong role as a “fellow worker” alongside Paul in the mission to reach the nations with the Good News. To make it easier for us to understand in our modern context, the NIV aptly uses the term “coworker” to describe this ministry relationship. Both Priscilla and Aquila were recognized as critical parts of the ongoing ministry, but in most instances of Scripture, Priscilla is named before Aquila. She was very much a leader:
In Ephesus, Priscilla and Aquila helped mentor Apollos as he began preaching. Here, they are both most certainly operating in the role of pastors and spiritual parents:
Priscilla and Aquila were a model pastoral couple. They worked as a team and Paul recognized both of them as ministry leaders. A spiritual mother and father working together to bless the people of Ephesus.
Truly, Pricilla and Aquila’s ministry is an ideal pattern for us to follow. Here was a married couple who loved the LORD and could minister together. I am blessed to be married to a man of God who also happens to be a pastor, and this model has worked so wonderfully for us.
Junia: Female Apostle
Junia is a female name.
Some translations have opted to translate this name as “Junias” to masculinize it!
This is due to some translators’ personal discomfort with the idea that a woman could be an apostle!
But the Scriptures are clear and for generations “Junia” was translated as “Junia.” It is a female name!
Paul is very consistent in his positive descriptions of women in ministry. Not only does Paul refer to Junia as an apostle, he calls her a person “of note” – noteworthy, outstanding! There is no place in Scripture that prohibits wives or mothers or single women from serving in the ministry.
If anyone has told you that women are not to serve as deacons, pastors, or apostles, you might want to share these passages from Scripture with them.
Women, just as men, must demonstrate godly qualities in order to serve as leaders in ministry, but in our day, it seems there are often extra hoops for women to jump through in order to be considered equally qualified. Believe me, I am no feminist, but I do know that I have had to truly stand up for myself on many occasions as a female pastor. If you are a young woman who has been called to the Gospel ministry, reach out! I’d love to hear from you and encourage you.
Our LORD is the One who saves, who calls, and who equips. We should rejoice that God uses both godly men and women to minister!
Phoebe, Priscilla, and Junia are our spiritual foremothers who demonstrated persistence, passion, boldness, and commitment to the work of the ministry for the sake of the Gospel.
So this Mother’s Day, think of who the spiritual mothers are in your life.
Are there any women who have journeyed alongside you on the path of faith?
Who are the women who have prayed you through tough circumstances?
Be thankful for their witness and show them your appreciation!
If you are a woman who is mature in her faith, be that spiritual mother for someone else. If you are a mother, you know what it is to care for your children and pray for their well-being and exhort them to live well for the LORD!
Look for ways to allow the Holy Spirit to work through you so that you may bless others.
Be one of those mothers who prays consistently and fervently.
Each of the Biblical Spring Feasts can also be called by its Hebrew term:
The Feast of Passover = Pesach
The Feast of Unleavened Bread = Chag HaMatzot
The Feast of First Fruits = Yom HaBikkurim
The Feast of Weeks = Shavu’ot
Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) fulfilled the prophetic meaning of each of these Biblical spring feasts (moedim).
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Perhaps your church has held a Passover Seder meal or you have tasted matzah bread at some point in your life.
Passover is so clearly mentioned in the Gospels and we know the Lamb of God came to take away the sin of the world, so most Christians have at least a basic understanding of what the Passover feast is all about. The amazing Truth of Redemption.
However, most do not realize that Passover leads right into the 7 day Feast of Unleavened Bread.
It is also common for many believers to admit they do not know much about the Feast of First Fruits or the Feast of Weeks.
No worries.
I can help you sort this out.
Before we go any further, let me reassure you, you do not need to be “Jewish” in order to celebrate the “Jewish” feasts.
Followers of Messiah, whether native Israeli or grafted-in, are now part of Israel.
Together, truly a nation under God. Israel’s history is our history. We do not compete with Israel, we do not supersede or replace Israel: we are Israel. We have been united by the blood of the Lamb and saved by His unfailing grace.
More and more Christians are learning about our Father’s established feasts!
He has prepared a banquet before you and you don’t have to wait until you get to heaven to feast and celebrate with Him.
The Feast of Firstfruits
The Feast of First Fruits is about harvest. The LORD established it so that the people would bring the first and the best of their harvest. It was a feast day for this expression of worship. (Leviticus 23:9-14)
So what does this mean for us today? Most of us are not farmers. It seems a bit challenging to fully understand agriculturally-centric feasts, but we can understand the simple Gospel teaching that spiritually-speaking, the fields are white and ready for harvest (John 4:35).
This Biblical feast illustrates the victory of the Gospel in the most powerful and marvelous way possible.
You see, Passover is about freedom from death and bondage. The Feast of Unleavened Bread reminds us that He was buried and in that tomb. The Feast of Firstfruits is about the Resurrection!
Messiah Yeshua was the first of the harvest – raised into His glorified, resurrected body. If you read about what was involved with the celebration of First Fruits, you will learn that a sheaf had to be waved before the LORD back and forth.
Waving the sheaf surely seems to represent the movement of the wind through the crops.
A mighty rushing wind.
The power of the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) breathing new life!
The Spirit of the LORD stirring up salvation!
We know that in the last days, the harvest will include people from the east and west, north and south.
So back and forth the wave offering was made: prophesying the harvest of the latter days and prophesying the Truth of Resurrection Day!
The Feast of Firstfruits is the Celebration of Resurrection Day!
“The One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Ruach (Holy Spirit) without limit.” John 3:34
The Day of Pentecost as a holy day wasn’t something new.
Bible translators chose to translate the Hebraic term, “Shavu’ot,” with the Greek term “Pentecost.”
Ironically, there are language barriers
It is debatable as to whether those who translated were legitimately trying to help readers understand the Hebrew here or whether they were trying to obstruct it (sadly, it is plausible). Preference for Greek terms in translation led to a loss of the original meanings and intent and propelled the wide separation between the early Messianic movements and later church movements.
Before you start thinking I’m anti-Pentecost, hold it right there.
I love Pentecost. I am an ordained Pentecostal pastor. Yet, using solely the term “Pentecost” actually obscures the fullness of the meaning of the Scriptures here!
We need to become more aware of the deficiencies caused by language. (This is nothing new to us Spirit-filled believers. We know language barriers have been overcome by the amazing infilling power of the Holy Spirit!). The limitations of our vocabulary lead to slight discrepancies in doctrine and practice which over time can become huge discrepancies.
For example: I don’t know any Christians who say, “Happy Shavu’ot Sunday!”
It’s always “Pentecost Sunday” in our vocabulary! And that is ok, in the sense that this is how we understand a word in ourlanguage.
But, we are missing half of the meaning!
We know the Holy Spirit came down. However, many do not realize that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit coincided with the ongoing celebration of the Biblical feast day. The disciples present in the Upper Room literally lived the Messianic fulfillment of the feast day.
The reality is, Shavu’ot (i.e. Pentecost) has been celebrated since the days of Exodus!
It became traditional to celebrate the giving of the Torah on Shavu’ot. As you can see, the Word which was written on tablets of stone would now be written on the hearts of all who would receive Him. Now we also celebrate the giving of the Holy Spirit on Shavu’ot! The LORD never leaves us without instruction and never leaves us comfortless.
The Messianic significance of the omer count
Beginning at the Feast of First Fruits, a special omer count was to begin every year. This was a measurement used for dry goods. Each day, for 50 consecutive days after First Fruits, the day’s omer was to be counted. This had gone on for generations prior to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day we know as Pentecost.
The word, “Pentecost,” is highly appropriate here because it was exactly 50 days after the Feast of First Fruits (Resurrection Day) when the Holy Spirit fell upon the gathered, praying believers and endued them with power from on high.
When the LORD Yeshua (Jesus) walked on this earth, He came to fulfill the prophecies, not to abolish them. He promised that He would send another Comforter (John 14:16, KJV) and that is exactly what He did. Every single action He took and Word He spoke correlated with His mission and He never contradicted Himself.
All of the Biblical Feast Days were established before God sent His Son. Today we are just focusing on the spring feasts, but each Biblical feast day is a part of the divinely orchestrated plan to show us the way of salvation. (If you are interested in the fall feasts, those include what is known as Yom Teruah (aka Rosh Hashanah), Yom Kippur, and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles).
What shall we do?
On that same Shavu’ot day, Peter preached a Spirit-empowered sermon that resulted in 3,000 immersion baptisms.
The question posed by the crowd should be the same question we still ask.
What shall we do?
And the exhortation of Peter continues to direct us:
Repent
Be immersed (baptized) in water
Receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit
Be saved from this twisted generation
Our journey of faith doesn’t end when we are baptized in water. We must seek the infilling of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us for the task of ministry.
How can we be saved from this “twisted” (some translations read, “perverted”) generation?
By doing things God’s way, not our way.
That includes surrendering our manmade traditions.
The Biblical Spring Feasts are about doing things God’s way, not our way. Learn about why you might consider trading in man’s holidays for God’s holy days.
By Acts chapter 5, there was so much going on in the way of outreach and missions that the Jewish authorities became very upset. Miraculous healings, supernatural deliverances, prison doors being opened . . .
This verse isn’t a license to stop listening to the wise people that God has placed in your path. Heed godly counsel. Submit to righteous authority.
But carefully discern what is truly godly.
If we are to obey God rather than men, let me ask you this question today.
Why continue with manmade festivities?
Why not celebrate the LORD in the way the LORD established?
Why allow the world to creep in to our faith practices?
What do the Springtime Biblical Feasts represent?
Easter, Eostre, and Ishtar
It is no secret that the word Easter has been derived from several pagan sources. Do we really need to “Christianize” these false gods?
Look at the linguistics.
We get the term, “Easter” from Eostre, an English goddess, who is likely the same personage as Ishtar, the Babylonian fertility goddess. It is no surprise then, that we see the reappropriation of fertility symbols such as eggs and rabbits in Easter celebrations.
What, then, shall we do?
Obey God rather than men!
Our Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ) died to free us from idolatry and sin.
We need to reject the pagan practices that have managed to invade our celebrations of our Savior’s Resurrection.
Resurrection Day exists in Scripture as the Fulfillment of the Feast of First Fruits. We should celebration Resurrection Day! But we really don’t need “Easter.”
Consider celebrating each of the Biblical spring feasts. Consider trading in man’s Lent for God’s teshuvah (time of repentance). Trade in man’s Easter for Yom HaBikkurim (the Feast of First Fruits). In the fall and winter, (I know this one will be controversial) trade in man’s Christmas for the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), the most amazing celebration of the Word being made flesh and coming to dwell with us! If you decide to truly follow what Scripture says rather than what the majority of tradition has invented, you will gain so much!
If following the LORD at His Word is important to you, please comment below! If you have questions about the Biblical spring Feasts we would love to help you! And most importantly, if you have questions about the Messiah, please let us know and we would love to share the Good News with you. Please subscribe so you don’t miss any new posts! Shalom!
Related items you may enjoy:
Divine Empowerment in an “Inclusive” Age: The Baptism of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2
The Empowerment of followers of Messiah Yeshua (Jesus)
Acts 2 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture:
I think it is my favorite because it was completely ignored by the church I attended growing up.
And I attended faithfully.
Obsessively faithfully.
If the doors of that church were open, I was there. Choir practice, youth leadership teams, bell choir, instrumental ensembles. It was a very large church with a large staff, so there were many opportunities for me, and I’m thankful for that. I probably wore out the pastors with all my theological questions, but they put up with me!
But despite all of those years in the church, I had never heard Acts chapter 2 when the LORD empowered the believers with the power of the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh).
I even learned to preach and lead entire worship services before I went to college.
The problem is, I had learned to preach a false gospel…
I didn’t know that, of course.
But when I did figure that out, I felt deceived!
I was angry, hurt, but on-fire for Jesus (Yeshua).
My experience in a universalist church
See, I grew up in a universalist type of ‘church’ in which everything and anything could be considered ‘divine’ and the deity of Messiah was even questioned.
It was normal to practice ‘mysticism’ and the congregation built a pagan labyrinth so that they could become ‘closer’ to God. ‘Sin’ was explained away through relativism and none of the leaders I knew believed in a literal eternal hell.
Liberal social justice agendas were presented as ‘gospel;’ and homosexual clergy were not only accepted, but encouraged.
I am a very spiritual person and have been since I was very little, so I was intrigued by the “historical Jesus” debate and the off-center teachings presented to me by my pastors as a teenager. I had the opportunity to travel to France, and walked on the Chartres labyrinth, excited to bring back books and souvenirs reflecting what I know now to be an occult practice.
I had no idea that we were so outside of a Biblical framework, but I did know that the pastoral staff thought ill of evangelicals, calling anyone who took the Bible at its word a “fundie,” their pejorative term for a fundamentalist.
There was always talk of “inclusion,” but this really meant including only those who agreed with their far left agenda.
I was taught an imitation, but the LORD led me to TRUTH
When I went to college and later to Divinity School, I realized how far the church had strayed from Biblical Truth.
By studying Hebrew, I was awakened to the reality that Scripture is inspired and without error in its original form.
The one nice thing about being raised as a ‘Unitarian Considering Christ’ was we were always open to Judaism. I never struggled with the concept that Messiah Jesus stood on this earth as a practicing Jew, a Holy Rabbi with the greatest teaching of all time. Eventually, I accepted my Savior Yeshua and the glorious gift of salvation.
Hallelujah!
The Postmodern/Emergent Church is looking for an “experience”
The postmodern and emergent church movements were popular when I was a student. One thing that stands out to me with those who want to start drawing and painting in church is that people are genuinely looking for an “experience.”
The church, as a whole, has strayed so far from Scripture that people don’t realize that the experience they are looking for is found within the pages of the Holy Bible and that everything else is a cheap imitation.
Well-meaning people add things into worship services, not intending to become idolatrous, yet these extraBiblical practices lead people far far away from what they actually need.
Worldly empowerment vs. Divine empowerment
Inclusiveness, feminism, empowerment – all key words in the liberal agenda, mask the true need in the world today. The Gospel is inclusive of all who would be willing to make a change, but the Gospel isn’t going to change to suit humanity’s deviant desires.
It is good to feel empowered! But you have to be empowered with the right thing!
That’s why the power from on high is so important. Acts 2 is all about supernatural empowerment!
The Holy Spirit will empower you in your calling to do the will of the Father.
The world offers a false empowerment. Feminists and liberal activists don’t actually support or love women. They hate Biblical womanhood because they want women to be men.
That devilish agenda says: Go ahead, have children, but make sure you’re back on the job in 6 weeks after you have your baby. We wouldn’t want you to reconsider and stay home with your children.
When my second son was born, I had been serving as a hospital chaplain on a staff of primarily men. When I informed them I would not be coming back because I was choosing to stay home with our little ones, they told me I was overly traditional and that I would regret my decision.
No regrets here.
To me it was humorous that I had grown up more liberal than any of them, and now they were calling me ultra-conservative. 🙂
Shavu’ot = Pentecost
The believers gathered in the Upper Room were there on a feast day. It was called Shavu’ot, and Jewish believers had celebrated it for years. Our English translations call it “Pentecost,” and many Christians today mistakenly believe it was a newly established feast day after the Resurrection, but that’s not right.
The word for “Pentecost” comes from Greek, for 50, because Shavu’ot referred to the Feast of Fifty Days, better known as the Feast of Weeks. The timing of Messiah is perfect, so on this exact day, 50 days after the resurrection, the LORD poured out His Spirit upon the gathered believers to coincide with the feast.
Are you experiencing a time of waiting?
In Acts 1:4, Messiah Jesus (Yeshua) told the disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received the Promise of the Father.
Maybe you are waiting. Maybe you know the LORD has something more in store for you, but you’re in a waiting pattern. If you are waiting, but with a sense of expectation, with faith that He will work in your life – I assure you, He will.
The last phrase there, in Greek, “upon each and every one of them” is important for those interested in “inclusivity.”
The Greek is emphatic meaning that this included men and women.
ἐφ’ ἕνα ἕκαστον αὐτῶν eph hena hekaston auton Upon each and every one of them
The gifts and calling of the Eternal One are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). He calls men and women to share the Good News, and to be empowered by His very Spirit to do it well.
What was going on before this moment, before the power of Adonai came?
Prayer and supplication. Both men and women were present in an Upper Room prayer meeting.
The LORD uses men and women. In different ways, yes, but (if you are a woman reading this) don’t let anyone tell you that there’s no place for you in the ministry. That simply isn’t true. If He has given you a voice, you have something to say, so long as it lines up with the Word of God. Most of the people in the Upper Room were men. The women were outnumbered. But they were most certainly included.
God chose this group of men and women to be present to receive the inaugurating outpouring of the fire of the Holy Spirit because they were faithful in prayer and they were willing to obey!
Comfort will come after pain or loss
I have used this passage with women’s ministry groups because women in all walks of life endure all sorts of challenges and pain: Women who have recently lost their own mother, women who have been told by doctors they cannot have children, women who have ended pregnancies due to poor guidance by nonChristian medical staff or women who genuinely felt there was no other option, women who now live with the regret or guilt of any type of past sins.
The most emotionally painful thing to endure might be the mother who lost a child, whether that child was an unborn baby or an adult child. Many times it is out of that pain that the LORD will use you to minister to someone else. If you’ve been marginalized from the pulpit because you are a woman, you will also understand a hurt others will not understand.
Whatever you relate to as a horrible pain to endure was exactly the kind of pain the women (and the men) endured the day after the crucifixion.
Even though they knew what they had seen and heard and they knew that Jesus was the Messiah, and He told them He would rise again and He promised to send another Comforter . . . even so, there must’ve been so many questions going through their minds.
Maybe you have experienced something earth shattering. Maybe you have watched as something you have loved, dreamed of, or even built seems like it’s gone. When we ministered in Alabama and Tennessee, we frequently worked with people who had suffered devastating losses after tornadoes raged through their neighborhoods. Just know that the Spirit of the LORD can help you get through whatever has distressed you or twisted your life upside down.
What is your own personal Sabbath’s Day journey?
The verses contained in Acts 1:12-Acts 2:1 describe what occurred in (what most have calculated to be) 10 days from the Ascension described in Acts 1:9.
If there is a situation right now in your life, give it a few days. It might take ten, it might be four . . . it might be more than 10. But like I said earlier, God’s timing is perfect. You can trust Him.
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:12), a Sabbath’s Day journey – meaning it was a fairly short walk. They would not receive the Promise of the Father without resting in Him, without listening for His voice.
Maybe you’ve been traveling more than a Sabbath’s Day journey, keeping your agenda jam-packed. Honor the Sabbath, and the Lord of the Sabbath will meet you right where you are. Not everyone who desires to be baptized in the Holy Spirit receives that blessing right away. Think of it as a journey: He will satisfy your hunger and thirst when you need it most.
The Holy Spirit provides anointing so that you can be a Godly example to others
There is nothing more noble than to be an anointed, Holy Spirit-filled servant of God.
We need the power of God to change the way we speak, the way we interact, the way we present ourselves. You know, something that has been lost over time is the art of etiquette. I noticed this particularly when I lived in the south, having grown up in the north. Up North, we don’t usually say “yes, ma’am” and “no, sir.” It is wise and godly to teach your children, or your spiritual children, the etiquette of God’s Word. How to be a Godly example for others. It is more than attending an assembly. It is living the Word in thought, word, and deed, so that the transformation Christ has worked in you will be evident to all.
We need our etiquette to be anointed! If you comport yourself with grace, doors will open for you.
The Holy Spirit will empower you to pray for the salvation of your city!
We are not in Jerusalem, but we can tarry in our own cities, asking the LORD to intervene in these last days. I know from experience that those who have been immersed in false doctrines CAN be led to the Truth, but it requires prayer!
I am thankful for believers who prayed for me!
Pray, with fervor, without ceasing so He will send an outpouring of His power upon and into you, either for the first time, or for a new time.
Pray, pray, pray until the yoke-breaking, curse-disrupting and destroying, Almighty Power of the Most High descends upon you and believers around you and ignites your home and your city and your congregation with the Love of Messiah.
The most inclusive wonderful thing you can ever do is pray for someone and welcome them when they decide to become a citizen of heaven, too!
I look forward to hearing YOUR testimony! Please share your comments below. If you have not yet met Yeshua, the Promised Messiah of Israel, please reach out. He loves you very much and lived and died so that you could live eternally with Him. I would be so honored to pray for you or with you. If you’d like, please consider subscribing to our email list! Blessings and Shalom!
