Women in Ministry, The Jesus Revolution!
Jesus revolutionized the status of women by the way he acted towards them. The portraits of Mary his mother, and Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist, are most sensitively drawn. In Luke’s Gospel, particularly, women confront us at every turn. Anna the prophetess (Luke 2:36-8), the widow of Nain (Luke 7: 11-17), the marvelous story of the woman in Simon’s house who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears (7:36-50), and Mary Magdalene, from whom Jesus expelled seven demons (8:2). We are introduced, albeit briefly, to society ladies from court, including Joanna and Suzanna, who followed Jesus around and provided for Him and His followers, sometimes at least, from their substance (8:3). Jesus bothered about the woman with the issue of blood and the dying girl (8:41:48). He noticed the widow with her two mites, and commended her giving above all the public benefactors of the day (21:2-4). We find him relaxing in the home of close friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus (10:38-42). When the ‘daughters of Jerusalem’ wailed at His impending execution, He showed more compassion for them than himself (23: 27-31), and at His death it was the women who remained round the cross.
The attitude of Jesus to women was staggering. He did not treat them like chattels, but like equals. When asked His thoughts on contemporary divorce, so totally weighted in favor of the man, he repudiated it entirely, taking His hearers back to the ‘one-man, one-woman forever’ concept of Genesis (2:24).
Women were the first witnesses of the resurrection (Luke 24:1), and were the first to be entrusted with proclaiming it (Matthew 28:1). Jesus revealed himself first to Mary in the garden outside the tomb (John 20:1).
We find that women shared in the gifts of the indwelling of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1). We find that they owned houses that were used as Christian worship centers (12:12). Paul’s first convert in Europe was a distinguished businesswoman, Lydia (16:14).
The position of women is abundantly clear in the New Testament. They are ‘joint heirs of the grace of life’ (1 Peter 3:7). The clearest manifesto of the position of women, is given by the supposed misogynist, St. Paul. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28).
We have seen that the gospel of Jesus revolutionized the place of women. Keeping in mind the deep prejudice that existed, it is remarkable how far and how fast the early Christians moved.
Women were engaged in the ministry of prayer, not only privately but also publicly
(1 Corinthians 11:5). Women also engaged in the ministry of prophecy. They were involved in teaching (Titus 2:3-5). As well they were in the ministry of personal counseling, Priscilla and Aquila used their home to help Apollos to Christian maturity (Acts 18:26).
A good example of women in the ministry of hospitality is John Mark’s mother; her home became a center
We can gather from what St Paul tells us in Philippians about Lydia, Euodia and Syntyche, that women were also very effective in evangelism (Philippians 4:3).
As well as all of this, women were also deacons. Phoebe held this office in the church at Cenchreae. It appears that she was also Paul’s delegate in taking the Letter to the Romans to the church in the capital.
The value of women in the early church was immense, and it remains so today. How do we apply the lessons of the New Testament in today’s world? The same way that Jesus did, we accept and encourage women in all the roles they have in the ministry of Christ.
Pax et Bonum Duane A Vachon
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