Question?

A number of the women among Jesus’ followers seem to have had some measure of social and financial independence. They are depicted as traveling with his disciples and contributing to his ministry expenses (Lk 8:1-3). Despite their lack of presence among the apostles, women played crucial roles in Jesus’ life and ministry from the beginning. Jesus’ mother Mary is depicted as the first human to hear of Jesus’ coming and is commended by God for her faith (Lk 1:28,30,42,48). Jesus regularly taught women (Jn 4:10-26; 11:20-27) and received their acts of kindness and financial support (Lk 8:3; 10:38-42; 23:56). Joanna, the wife of Chuza, the tetrarch of Herod Antipas’s steward (Lk 8:3), may have been the follower of Jesus named Joanna (Lk 24:10).
Jesus apparently taught that both men and women can remain unmarried out of dedication to God (Mt 19:3-12). This teaching ran counter to most Jewish and pagan traditions, in which marriage and procreation were obligations and (for women) the principal means of achieving fulfillment. Many of his contemporaries would have considered some of Jesus’ views on women radical, but he stopped short of calling for dramatic changes in existing gender relationships. According to Acts, the women disciples joined with the men in prayer and fellowship following Jesus’ resurrection (Act 1:14). They evidently helped to elect Matthias (Acts 1:15-26). They reportedly received the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and spiritual power along with male believers at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-11, 17-18). Women were often among the first believers (Acts 5:14; 12:12; 16:14-15; 17:3, 34).

Paul’s teachings and descriptions of Christian woman indicate a new realm of ministry activity that was denied to the typical Jewish woman, and they present a softened version of the larger society’s patriarchal family structure. Many of the women mentioned in the Pauline books of the New Testament seem to have enjoyed some level of economic and social independence. The Pauline circle included women who headed households, ran businesses, had independent wealth and traveled with their own slaves and helpers. Paul led to Christ several “Greek women of high standing” in Macedonia (Acts 15:14; 17:4,12). Some who were married converted to this new religious sect without the consent of their husbands (1 Cor 7:13). Paul allowed them to initiate divorce, though he advised against it. In addition, women took on some of the same roles as men within the congregation. Some exercised functions like public praying and prophesying (1 Cor 11:4-5). Christian women at Corinth in particular apparently experienced remarkable freedom (1 Cor 1:11; 11:5; 16:19; Acts 18:2,18).

A number of women served in positions of leadership in the Pauline congregations. Women like Lydia (Acts 16:14,40), Priscilla (acts 18:2-3; Rom 16:3-4; 1 Cor 16:19), Phoebe (Rom 16:1-2), the mother of Rufus (Rom 16:13) and Chloe (1 Cor 1:11) were fellow workers with Paul. They are described as evangelists and teachers, and women whose homes hosted churches. We do not know the level of leadership exerted by women in the Christian congregations. The absence of fixed, formal offices at the time makes it hard to determine the scope of their functions.

The difficulties in interpreting some of Paul’s comments about women adds to this uncertainty as well. Paul considered women the spiritual equals of men in Christ (Gal 3:28) and told both Christian men and women to submit to one another (Eph 5:21). His writings permit Christian women to pray and prophesy in the church meetings (1 Cor 11:2-16; Acts 21:9). ON the other hand, Paul warns women not to usurp leadership in public worship (1 Tim 2:12). Paul appears to order women to “keep silence in the churches” (1 Cor 7:34-36), but in light of his acceptance in 1 Corinthians 11 of women who pray and prophesy in public worship, this probably refers to the inappropriate interruption of speakers. The Greek author Plutarch, writing about fifty years later, warns the unlearned not to interrupt lectures (On Lectures 3). In some contexts, including the Jewish religious context, it was considered inappropriate for women to interrupt a speaker with questions.