Trusted Friend
Worship
Worship Innovations Volume Two
Worship Innovations: Easy Bible Drama
Phoebe Delivers Paul's Letter To Rome
Synopsis: Phoebe arrives in Rome carrying Paul's letter to the Roman church. She brings it to the home of Priscilla and Aquila and renews an old friendship with them. A creative introduction to Paul's letter to the Romans. At issue: A positive view of Paul's great respect for women in the churches.
Preparation
Characters Needed:
Phoebe: A woman of any age who wears an expensive (perhaps purple) tunic and decorative white veil with gold threads woven in. She wears sandals and has a shawl around her shoulders. In her hands she carries three items: a fabric, duffle-type suitcase for personal belongings, a smaller bag which holds a ceramic vase with some blue in the decoration, and a scroll wrapped in a piece of tapestry.
Priscilla: A mature woman, also dressed in a fine tunic and sash. Her veil is draped over her back, and flows from her shoulders on each side like a stole. She wears sandals.
Setting: It is the Roman house of Priscilla and Aquila. A small couch and chair are grouped around a low table. A water decanter and two glasses sit on a tray on the table. Add a large plant or Greek painting behind the chairs.
Dialogue
Phoebe: (Walks up to the entry carrying a fabric duffle-type suitcase, a smaller bag with the gift vase, and a scroll wrapped in a piece of tapestry. She knocks or rings a brass bell.)
Priscilla: (Enters from the opposite side, walks to the entry to answer, and is surprised.) Phoebe! (They embrace warmly.) How wonderful to see you again! We were expecting you, but did not know which day your ship was to dock.
Phoebe: Priscilla, my dear, dear friend. You look so well. Rome must agree with you!
Priscilla: (Motions Phoebe to come in.) Set your heavy bags down, dear. Aquila will have one of the servants take them to your room for you. We are so glad you can stay with us a while. We miss our friends from Corinth and Cenchrea so much. You must catch us up on everyone while you are here.
Phoebe: (Unwraps the gift vase and sets it on the table.) I hope you like this, Priscilla. I remembered how much you liked Cenchrean earthenware, and your love of blue. (Looks around for the scroll which is resting on her suitcase.)
Priscilla: (Picks up the vase and admires it from several sides.) It is lovely! Thank you for remembering how Aquila and I love Greek art. (They embrace again.) Do sit down and rest -- you must be exhausted from the long trip. (Phoebe sits on a chair, while Priscilla pours a glass of water for her from a decanter.)
Phoebe: (Unwraps the scroll and hands it to Priscilla.) This is my real reason for coming to Rome. My excuse was business. Justice had this big shipment of brass for market, and no time to come to Rome himself. So I volunteered. I wanted to see you and Aquila, and so many other friends here. And when Paul heard I was coming he asked me to bring this letter to the church that meets here with you.
Priscilla: A letter to us from Paul! Oh, how wonderful! I hope it is good news?
Phoebe: In the truest sense, Prisca. Paul finally has done what we have all wished for and so often requested -- he has written down the important truths of our faith in his inimitable way.
Priscilla: (Laughs) I can just imagine! Big words full of big ideas. He is such a dear man, and so very smart. God has really used him.
Phoebe: (Nods, agreeing.) In all our lives. When the church gathers maybe Aquila will read it to us. (Lays the scroll and cover on the table.)
Priscilla: I'm sure he will. They will all come tonight -- late -- after work. So many of the brothers are slaves, you know. (Strokes the scroll, then picks it up carefully.) We miss Paul. How did you leave him?
Phoebe: Fairly well. He is aging, you know, and never fully well. But he was cheerful. Actually, he was soon to board a ship for Caesarea, and then go on to Jerusalem to take the benevolence offering he has been collecting.
Priscilla: Who will be traveling with him?
Phoebe: Timothy and Luke and some others. We always feel better when Luke is with him. By now he is probably nearly there -- unless he changed plans and took the longer way home. (Both women laugh and shake their heads, remembering Paul's unpredictable ways.)
Priscilla: (Teases.) No wonder he couldn't travel with a wife! (Becomes serious.) Only God knows what is ahead for Paul. Opposition continues to grow, doesn't it? He could be killed by angry Jewish leaders in any town -- they hate him so. Aquila and I pray for him every day.
Phoebe: That's why this letter to the church here is so very important. One day Paul will be gone from us -- by whatever way God chooses to take him home. But this letter holds the main teachings of our faith, so we can have Paul's words even when he is gone from this life. (Reaches for the scroll and carefully opens it.) Here, let me read you just a few sentences. (Phoebe reads Romans 3:21-24 which has been printed on the scroll.)
Priscilla: No wonder the Jews object. They have no special standing by Paul's doctrine. I tease Aquila about that, but we agree fully with Paul. All the Gentiles are as much included in God's grace as are the Jews. That is really what this church in Rome is built on.
Phoebe: Oh, but wait until you hear Paul's agony for his fellow Israelites farther down in this scroll. He would give up his own salvation if he could give it to his own people. It is a heart-breaking cry -- he wants to reach them so much. Yet in city after city they have opposed him -- to the point of trying to take his life.
Priscilla: Aquila feels that pain, too. Several of our most dedicated friends in this church are Jews who have become believers. Yet, we have many other Jewish friends who refuse to accept that a new covenant is now in place, and Jesus is the way to God.
Phoebe: I grieve for them, too -- but not as those like Aquila, who are Jewish by birth. But had the Jews only listened to the apostles and believed in Jesus in the beginning, we Greeks might never have heard the gospel. I thank God that he planned for us to hear, too. (Lays the open scroll on the table again.) You and Aquila were such an important part of that work, Prisca. The year or more you kept Paul in your home in Corinth, and let him work in your business, allowed him to stay in Corinth and preach. That is when my family and I believed.
Priscilla: (Reaches to touch her friend's hand.) Those were good days, Phoebe. (Looks through the scroll slowly.) I wish I could read better. (Continues looking.) Oh! Paul mentions Aquila and me by name at the end. And you, too! How kind of him.
Phoebe: (Nods) Always the gentleman and encourager. Many would not even find it in their hearts to mention mere women. (They giggle.) But Paul always loves us all alike. "No Jew or Greek, no bond or free, no male or female. We are all one in Christ." We will treasure this letter for years to come.
Priscilla: That's what it is, Phoebe -- a treasure. A treasure from God's heart to our hearts. (Stands and motions to her friend.) Come, let me show you the house and the garden. You will love it here. (They exit together.) I hope you can stay a while -- it is such a treat to have you visit with us.
Follow Up
Some Issues: Among Bible scholars some believe the sixteenth chapter of Romans is misplaced. How could Paul have known so many people in a distant church where he had never been? (See Romans 15:22-33.) Generally it is thought that Paul knew these people from around the Mediterranean world, and that the chapter is in the right place. Apparently versions of the Letter to the Romans were circulated to many churches, and in some cases this very personal and local ending was omitted from the manuscripts.
Note especially his mention of Aquila and Priscilla. (See Romans 16:1-4.) Paul first met them in Corinth during his second mission trip. He lived with them more than a year, and supported himself and his work through tentmaking. (See Acts 18:2-3.) After about eighteen months Paul went to Ephesus, and took Aquila and Priscilla with him, leaving them there to help establish a new church. (See Acts 18:18-19.) When Paul returned to Ephesus (Acts 19) we find no mention of Aquila and Priscilla still being there, although they were mentioned much later to Timothy when he was pastor in Ephesus. (Probably in the mid-60s A.D. See 2 Timothy 4:19.) There is time in that framework for them to have returned to Rome for a while. That seems to be where Phoebe found them in this letter to Rome about 58 A.D.
There is encouragement in Paul's mention of about 10 women in the Roman church who were dear to his heart. (See Romans 16:1-16.) Some were church leaders, and others just valued friends. This is a side of Paul not often discussed. Perhaps it moderates some of the strict instructions he gave regarding women's behavior in churches such as Corinth and Ephesus, where there were specific problems to counteract. (Note 1 Corinthians 14:33-35, and 1 Timothy 2:8-15.) On balance, it may be significant that Paul did not give any such warnings or prohibitions about women to the churches at Rome, Philippi, or Colossae.
Finally, Paul's special introduction of Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2) may have been because she carried this most treasured letter across the sea. If so, it is a great testimony to the value of women in the early churches. In the drama we have assumed her to be on business (a clue from Romans 16:2) and to be the bearer of the letter. This is a definite possibility, but not fully clear from Romans 16 alone.
If Phoebe was the carrier, it would provide a unique insight into how Paul's letters were sent from church to church in that day. It is likely that she would have traveled with servants or co-workers from Greece to Italy by a merchant sailing ship -- a trip of several days or weeks that could have entailed considerable risk. Phoebe is but one of many men and women who played supporting roles in the history-making ministry of the great Apostle Paul. We owe a sizeable debt to those who ventured and risked on our behalf -- never dreaming of us who, two millennia later, benefit from their unselfishness and vision.
Questions For Thought:
About the Book of Romans: Is it well known to you why the letter to Rome is considered Paul's greatest work? Perhaps you might reconstruct the famous "Roman Road" plan of salvation, which has become the path of faith for so many. Begin with Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-13. Were any of these verses meaningful in your own journey to faith in Christ?
About Paul: Do you think Paul ever realized his dream of sailing to Spain via Rome? (See again Romans 15:22-33.) Bible writers do not give us the ending of Paul's life in the scripture accounts. But some early church historians, such as Clement of Rome and Eusebius and others, believe there is good evidence that Paul was released from his first imprisonment in Rome. After that he is said to have made other mission trips, before he was re-imprisoned and executed for his faith in Christ. Compare that possibility to Acts 28:30-31. Do you find it interesting to search and compare scriptures to uncover possibilities and connections between persons and places in this way? When we meet Paul in person, we'll be sure to ask about these things.
Synopsis: Phoebe arrives in Rome carrying Paul's letter to the Roman church. She brings it to the home of Priscilla and Aquila and renews an old friendship with them. A creative introduction to Paul's letter to the Romans. At issue: A positive view of Paul's great respect for women in the churches.
Preparation
Characters Needed:
Phoebe: A woman of any age who wears an expensive (perhaps purple) tunic and decorative white veil with gold threads woven in. She wears sandals and has a shawl around her shoulders. In her hands she carries three items: a fabric, duffle-type suitcase for personal belongings, a smaller bag which holds a ceramic vase with some blue in the decoration, and a scroll wrapped in a piece of tapestry.
Priscilla: A mature woman, also dressed in a fine tunic and sash. Her veil is draped over her back, and flows from her shoulders on each side like a stole. She wears sandals.
Setting: It is the Roman house of Priscilla and Aquila. A small couch and chair are grouped around a low table. A water decanter and two glasses sit on a tray on the table. Add a large plant or Greek painting behind the chairs.
Dialogue
Phoebe: (Walks up to the entry carrying a fabric duffle-type suitcase, a smaller bag with the gift vase, and a scroll wrapped in a piece of tapestry. She knocks or rings a brass bell.)
Priscilla: (Enters from the opposite side, walks to the entry to answer, and is surprised.) Phoebe! (They embrace warmly.) How wonderful to see you again! We were expecting you, but did not know which day your ship was to dock.
Phoebe: Priscilla, my dear, dear friend. You look so well. Rome must agree with you!
Priscilla: (Motions Phoebe to come in.) Set your heavy bags down, dear. Aquila will have one of the servants take them to your room for you. We are so glad you can stay with us a while. We miss our friends from Corinth and Cenchrea so much. You must catch us up on everyone while you are here.
Phoebe: (Unwraps the gift vase and sets it on the table.) I hope you like this, Priscilla. I remembered how much you liked Cenchrean earthenware, and your love of blue. (Looks around for the scroll which is resting on her suitcase.)
Priscilla: (Picks up the vase and admires it from several sides.) It is lovely! Thank you for remembering how Aquila and I love Greek art. (They embrace again.) Do sit down and rest -- you must be exhausted from the long trip. (Phoebe sits on a chair, while Priscilla pours a glass of water for her from a decanter.)
Phoebe: (Unwraps the scroll and hands it to Priscilla.) This is my real reason for coming to Rome. My excuse was business. Justice had this big shipment of brass for market, and no time to come to Rome himself. So I volunteered. I wanted to see you and Aquila, and so many other friends here. And when Paul heard I was coming he asked me to bring this letter to the church that meets here with you.
Priscilla: A letter to us from Paul! Oh, how wonderful! I hope it is good news?
Phoebe: In the truest sense, Prisca. Paul finally has done what we have all wished for and so often requested -- he has written down the important truths of our faith in his inimitable way.
Priscilla: (Laughs) I can just imagine! Big words full of big ideas. He is such a dear man, and so very smart. God has really used him.
Phoebe: (Nods, agreeing.) In all our lives. When the church gathers maybe Aquila will read it to us. (Lays the scroll and cover on the table.)
Priscilla: I'm sure he will. They will all come tonight -- late -- after work. So many of the brothers are slaves, you know. (Strokes the scroll, then picks it up carefully.) We miss Paul. How did you leave him?
Phoebe: Fairly well. He is aging, you know, and never fully well. But he was cheerful. Actually, he was soon to board a ship for Caesarea, and then go on to Jerusalem to take the benevolence offering he has been collecting.
Priscilla: Who will be traveling with him?
Phoebe: Timothy and Luke and some others. We always feel better when Luke is with him. By now he is probably nearly there -- unless he changed plans and took the longer way home. (Both women laugh and shake their heads, remembering Paul's unpredictable ways.)
Priscilla: (Teases.) No wonder he couldn't travel with a wife! (Becomes serious.) Only God knows what is ahead for Paul. Opposition continues to grow, doesn't it? He could be killed by angry Jewish leaders in any town -- they hate him so. Aquila and I pray for him every day.
Phoebe: That's why this letter to the church here is so very important. One day Paul will be gone from us -- by whatever way God chooses to take him home. But this letter holds the main teachings of our faith, so we can have Paul's words even when he is gone from this life. (Reaches for the scroll and carefully opens it.) Here, let me read you just a few sentences. (Phoebe reads Romans 3:21-24 which has been printed on the scroll.)
Priscilla: No wonder the Jews object. They have no special standing by Paul's doctrine. I tease Aquila about that, but we agree fully with Paul. All the Gentiles are as much included in God's grace as are the Jews. That is really what this church in Rome is built on.
Phoebe: Oh, but wait until you hear Paul's agony for his fellow Israelites farther down in this scroll. He would give up his own salvation if he could give it to his own people. It is a heart-breaking cry -- he wants to reach them so much. Yet in city after city they have opposed him -- to the point of trying to take his life.
Priscilla: Aquila feels that pain, too. Several of our most dedicated friends in this church are Jews who have become believers. Yet, we have many other Jewish friends who refuse to accept that a new covenant is now in place, and Jesus is the way to God.
Phoebe: I grieve for them, too -- but not as those like Aquila, who are Jewish by birth. But had the Jews only listened to the apostles and believed in Jesus in the beginning, we Greeks might never have heard the gospel. I thank God that he planned for us to hear, too. (Lays the open scroll on the table again.) You and Aquila were such an important part of that work, Prisca. The year or more you kept Paul in your home in Corinth, and let him work in your business, allowed him to stay in Corinth and preach. That is when my family and I believed.
Priscilla: (Reaches to touch her friend's hand.) Those were good days, Phoebe. (Looks through the scroll slowly.) I wish I could read better. (Continues looking.) Oh! Paul mentions Aquila and me by name at the end. And you, too! How kind of him.
Phoebe: (Nods) Always the gentleman and encourager. Many would not even find it in their hearts to mention mere women. (They giggle.) But Paul always loves us all alike. "No Jew or Greek, no bond or free, no male or female. We are all one in Christ." We will treasure this letter for years to come.
Priscilla: That's what it is, Phoebe -- a treasure. A treasure from God's heart to our hearts. (Stands and motions to her friend.) Come, let me show you the house and the garden. You will love it here. (They exit together.) I hope you can stay a while -- it is such a treat to have you visit with us.
Follow Up
Some Issues: Among Bible scholars some believe the sixteenth chapter of Romans is misplaced. How could Paul have known so many people in a distant church where he had never been? (See Romans 15:22-33.) Generally it is thought that Paul knew these people from around the Mediterranean world, and that the chapter is in the right place. Apparently versions of the Letter to the Romans were circulated to many churches, and in some cases this very personal and local ending was omitted from the manuscripts.
Note especially his mention of Aquila and Priscilla. (See Romans 16:1-4.) Paul first met them in Corinth during his second mission trip. He lived with them more than a year, and supported himself and his work through tentmaking. (See Acts 18:2-3.) After about eighteen months Paul went to Ephesus, and took Aquila and Priscilla with him, leaving them there to help establish a new church. (See Acts 18:18-19.) When Paul returned to Ephesus (Acts 19) we find no mention of Aquila and Priscilla still being there, although they were mentioned much later to Timothy when he was pastor in Ephesus. (Probably in the mid-60s A.D. See 2 Timothy 4:19.) There is time in that framework for them to have returned to Rome for a while. That seems to be where Phoebe found them in this letter to Rome about 58 A.D.
There is encouragement in Paul's mention of about 10 women in the Roman church who were dear to his heart. (See Romans 16:1-16.) Some were church leaders, and others just valued friends. This is a side of Paul not often discussed. Perhaps it moderates some of the strict instructions he gave regarding women's behavior in churches such as Corinth and Ephesus, where there were specific problems to counteract. (Note 1 Corinthians 14:33-35, and 1 Timothy 2:8-15.) On balance, it may be significant that Paul did not give any such warnings or prohibitions about women to the churches at Rome, Philippi, or Colossae.
Finally, Paul's special introduction of Phoebe (Romans 16:1-2) may have been because she carried this most treasured letter across the sea. If so, it is a great testimony to the value of women in the early churches. In the drama we have assumed her to be on business (a clue from Romans 16:2) and to be the bearer of the letter. This is a definite possibility, but not fully clear from Romans 16 alone.
If Phoebe was the carrier, it would provide a unique insight into how Paul's letters were sent from church to church in that day. It is likely that she would have traveled with servants or co-workers from Greece to Italy by a merchant sailing ship -- a trip of several days or weeks that could have entailed considerable risk. Phoebe is but one of many men and women who played supporting roles in the history-making ministry of the great Apostle Paul. We owe a sizeable debt to those who ventured and risked on our behalf -- never dreaming of us who, two millennia later, benefit from their unselfishness and vision.
Questions For Thought:
About the Book of Romans: Is it well known to you why the letter to Rome is considered Paul's greatest work? Perhaps you might reconstruct the famous "Roman Road" plan of salvation, which has become the path of faith for so many. Begin with Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-13. Were any of these verses meaningful in your own journey to faith in Christ?
About Paul: Do you think Paul ever realized his dream of sailing to Spain via Rome? (See again Romans 15:22-33.) Bible writers do not give us the ending of Paul's life in the scripture accounts. But some early church historians, such as Clement of Rome and Eusebius and others, believe there is good evidence that Paul was released from his first imprisonment in Rome. After that he is said to have made other mission trips, before he was re-imprisoned and executed for his faith in Christ. Compare that possibility to Acts 28:30-31. Do you find it interesting to search and compare scriptures to uncover possibilities and connections between persons and places in this way? When we meet Paul in person, we'll be sure to ask about these things.
