A few months back, we took a look at the amazing and beautiful involvement of women in the earthly ministry of Jesus and saw the implications of this for our understanding of Jesus’ view of women.
Now, we are going to turn to Paul’s ministry to see how women partnered with him, as well, to advance the gospel and build the early church. What quickly emerges through such a survey of the Scriptures is a picture of how women as ezers have been called and commissioned by God to take part in the Great Commission just as men are. There is no room for a patriarchal subordination of women in any of these passages or examples!
Let’s get started!
The Involvement of Women in the Ministry of Paul
Romans 16
I want to begin with an extended portion of Romans 16 (verses 1-15, specifically), for in this lengthier passage of Scripture we see Paul refer to, commend, and thank several women who had partnered with him in church ministry.
I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also. Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. Greet Mary, who labored much for us. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodion, my countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord. Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.
Several women are specifically listed in this passage, including:
Phoebe
Paul refers to Phoebe as “a servant of the church in Cenchrea, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.”
Interestingly enough, not only was Phoebe a deacon in the Cenchrean church (more on that in an article next month entitled “The Biblical Case for Female Deacons”), but she also would have been the one to read this letter aloud to the church at Rome. In Paul’s day, the one who delivered a letter was also the one who would read it aloud, meaning that it was a woman, Phoebe, who not only delivered this most important and deeply theological treatise on the gospel of Christ, but she also would have been the one to read it to the church. Talk about an important role!
Priscilla
I have written before about how much I admire Priscilla and have learned a great deal from her example. We will look at her life in greater detail in just a moment, but suffice it to say for now that this theologically deep woman partnered with her husband, Aquila, in the building and edifying of the early church. This dynamic duo was described by Paul as “my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.” That is how well known this woman and her husband were among the early church!
Mary
We don’t know precisely which Mary this was, as Mary was a very popular name in that culture and time. But we do know that Paul points her out as someone “who labored much for us”. She, too, was an example of a woman who labored for the sake of the early church and the furtherance of the gospel.
Junia
There is some debate in more recent years over whether this person was actually a woman or whether the name should have been translated instead as Junius and therefore referred to a man. Interestingly, there was no such debate for the first 1500 years of church history, making it rather clear that the early church understood this person to, in fact, be a woman named Junia. For more on this, I encourage you to check out the book Vindicating the Vixens: Revisiting Sexualized, Vilified, and Marginalized Women of the Bible.
Paul refers to Junia as one of his “fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me”. This is a powerful statement! Not only was this woman a fellow prisoner and a Christian before Paul was (which may have led to her becoming a mentor to Paul!), but she was also “of note among the apostles”. What a description for a woman in that day to hold!
Tryphena and Tryphosa
Of these women, Paul wrote that they were two “who have labored in the Lord”. We also read of these women, “As Paul links these two Christian ladies together, we shall think of them as one—which they were in many ways. Probably they were twin sisters in the flesh, as well as in Christ, or very near relatives, and belonged to the same noble Roman family. They must have been conspicuous in the service of the church at Rome—perhaps deaconnesses—otherwise Paul would not have singled them out for his expression of gratitude for their devoted labor in the Lord.” Again, here were two more women who had quite the impact on the early church and lived out a role of directly serving and building up the congregations of the time.
Julia:
We don’t know much about Julia, but we do know that “By birth a member of one of the great old homes in Rome, Julia was doubtless a member of the imperial court and therefore among the saints to be found in Caesar’s household. Perhaps she was the wife or sister of Philologus with whose name she is coupled. She is named among those to whom Paul sent a warm salutation.”
Ministering at Corinth
It is in Acts 18 that we begin to learn more about this woman Paul named in Romans 16, Priscilla. Luke writes in Acts 18:1-4,
After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers. And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
Husband and wife pair, Aquila and Priscilla, were true partners in every sense of the word. We first see this in Romans 16 when we are told that they worked together towards the good of the early church. Luke then points out their partnership, as well, when he writes they worked together in their tent-making business. They are one of my favorite couples in all the Bible because of how they so clearly live out the callings given to both men and women in Genesis 1:28. It’s beautiful to read about!
Paul partnered with them in this business, and their hospitality led to his staying with them for some time. There is not one hint of Paul’s having a derisive view of Priscilla or of him degrading her in any way. Some who do not understand the full implications of Paul’s words on gender wrongly accuse him of being misogynistic. But it becomes quite clear through passages such as this one and the one we already looked at in Romans 16 that this was not at all the case. In addition, for Luke to pen these words and point out how Priscilla worked alongside her husband as a business woman is very countercultural and telling in many ways. Christ and His followers revered and raised up women in a time and culture that did not.
Their story picks back up in verse 18,
After staying for some time, Paul said farewell to the brothers and sisters and sailed away to Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.
Later in Acts 18 (verses 24-28) we read,
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
This passage is incredible, particularly when you, again, understand the common view and treatment of women in that day! Note that Aquila did not pull Apollos aside by himself and explain “to him the way of God more accurately”. No! Aquila *and Priscilla* both did so! And were both praised for it! This is why it is so important for us to be biblically literate and to allow Scripture to interpret Scripture – because as I have pointed out before, being aware of passages such as this one help you better interpret passages where Paul seems to be saying women are not to teach men.
What we find here in this passage written by Luke is what we found in Paul’s own words in Romans 16 – Priscilla commonly partnered together with the men in her life (namely, her husband and Paul) to proclaim the truths of God’s Word, to support and build the early church, and to work hard to the glory of God. Priscilla’s involvement in Paul’s ministry must not be underestimated. It was a big deal!
Lydia
As we saw in my article on the involvement of women in the ministry of Jesus, the woman at the well in John 4 is commonly referred to as being the first evangelist. Now, in the story of Lydia, we see the woman who is known as the first European convert, as well as a prominent church planter!
From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, a Roman colony and a leading city of the district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for several days. On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying. After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us……After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed. (Acts 16:11-15, 40)
Not only was Lydia the first known convert in Europe and a very hospitable and encouraging woman to Paul and others in their ministry endeavors, but it is often suspected that the church at Philippi met in her home (see verse 40). This means at the very least that she hospitably provided the meeting place for this church and served as a founding member of it and, at the most, was perhaps a leader in the congregation since it did meet in her home. Either way, her involvement in the ministry of Paul is given a place of honor and importance in the book of Acts!
Contending Together for the Gospel
So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, in this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. 2 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to agree in the Lord. 3 Yes, I also ask you, true partner, to help these women who have contended for the gospel at my side, along with Clement and the rest of my coworkers whose names are in the book of life. (Philippians 4:1-3)
This beautiful passage perhaps best summarizes the many ways in which Paul joyfully, respectfully, and wholeheartedly partnered together with women to advance the gospel and build the early church. He regularly referred to women as being his fellow coworkers, partners, and ministers in the gospel, contending for that gospel at his very side.
How beautiful it is to see the many ways in which women partnered together in both Jesus’ early ministry as well as in Paul’s!
Very Nice Study. It Helped Me To Understand The Contribution Of Women’s In The Ministry Of Paul.
Thank You. God Bless You.