NOTE: New Light Faith Ministries and Barry Johnson Ministries, founded by Rodney V. Johnson and Barry O. Johnson, respectively, are partnering to offer Bible studies for Christians who are seeking to grow in their relationship with Jesus. This is a Bible study lesson, not a sermon. The Bible studies teach foundational truths that are designed to challenge, encourage, and most importantly, flame the fire of hunger in the Christian who wants to learn more about who they have become in Christ Jesus. The Bible studies you find on this site contain the written version of the lesson. However, these lessons also include a video and an audio file of the study, a PDF version of the lesson, and a sheet for note-taking. If you would like any of the additional resources for these studies, please email us at newlightfaithministries@gmail.com or bjteachingltr@gmail.com for more information or contact us at the email provided on both of our Sermon Central pages. Be blessed.
Women In Ministry – Part 2
Introduction
The question of whether it is proper for a woman to preach or exercise leadership in the church has received much attention in recent years. Some denominations permit and even encourage the unrestricted use of a woman’s gift in all of the offices of the church, while others consider it unbiblical for a woman to preach to or excise authority over a congregation that includes men.
Today is part two of our study titled “Women In Ministry.” In part one, we looked at four women in the Old Testament who played major roles in Israel’s story: Miriam, the first prophetess identified in Scripture; Deborah, a prophetess and a judge; Huldah, a prophetess; and Queen Esther. In this lesson, we are going to look at women in the New Testament who played important roles in establishing the early Church and who are specifically mentioned in Paul’s writings.
As we ended part one, we asked you to keep in mind what is recorded in Joel 2:28-29 – (28) It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. (29) Even on the male and female servant I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” God makes it clear here in Joel that He would use both men and women to deliver His message to His people. And this is important as we continue to look at this topic. We cannot let religion and its traditions about what women can and cannot do in the Church take the place of what God has said in the Bible about the vital role women play in the spread of the Gospel.
Now, there is one last passage we need to examine in the Old Testament before we get into the New Testament. The passage is Genesis 1:26-28. (26) Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ (27) So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. (28) Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1:26-28)
Notice in verse 26, God says “let them have dominion” and in verse 28 He says “have dominion.” From the beginning, dominion or rulership over God’s creation was designed to be shared by the husband and wife. And, based on our reading of Scripture, there is nothing that indicates God had changed His mind.
As we go through the New Testament examples, we want you to recognize that a lot of what we will cover is based on Paul’s interactions and recognition of women in ministry. We are calling your attention to this fact because as you recall, Paul was trained as a Pharisee and Pharisees held a very narrow view of women doing anything and definitely not anything pertaining to ministry. So the fact that Paul, as a trained Pharisee, acknowledged women in ministry says something. Rodney, why don’t you get us started with our first New Testament reference?
New Testament Introduction
Barry, I want to reiterate what you said about Paul as that is important. He acknowledged women in ministry and I believe he did so because he understood Jesus’ heart as Jesus never differentiated between men and women. Both were allowed to sit at His feet and learn, ask questions, and gain an understanding of who He was and what He meant to them. The best example of this is when Jesus visited Martha and her sister Mary as recorded in Luke chapter ten. Beginning at verse thirty-eight, it says, (38) Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. (39) And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. (40) But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, ‘Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.’ (41) And Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. (42) But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)
Mary was sitting with the men at Jesus’ feet learning. Traditionally it was the expectation that she would be doing what Martha was doing, preparing food and serving the men, but that is not what was in her heart to do on that particular day. She had a desire to learn from Jesus and regardless of the expectations that had been placed upon her, on that day, in that moment, she chose to sit at His feet with the men and do just that. When Martha complained and asked Jesus to correct her, He corrected Martha instead because Mary had chosen to learn. Women were present throughout the New Testament.
Remember what was recorded of the prophetess Anna? Luke 2:36-38 says, “And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, (37) and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. (38) At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Anna served God continuously in the temple as a prophetess after her husband died and she gave thanks to God when Jesus was presented in the temple.
As I said a minute ago, women were present throughout the New Testament as many were mentioned by Paul as “fellow-laborers” so there is no question that women had a role in the New Testament Church. Barry, let’s begin with what happened on the Day of Pentecost because that day opened a lot of eyes about women being seen as equal to men in the eyes of God.
The Upper Room
In the first two chapters of the book of Acts, we see that women were among the 120 who waited for the power of the Holy Spirit. After naming the disciples Acts 1:14 says “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.” And on the day of Pentecost, those same women were filled with the Holy Spirit along with the men. Acts chapter two opens with, (1) When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. (2) And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. (3) Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one set upon each of them. (4) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4)
They were all filled, male and female, with the Holy Spirit at the same time and spoke with other tongues. When they were questioned, Peter stood up and said that what the people had witnessed was prophesied by the prophet Joel. Remember God said in Joel 2:28 – “…I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind and your sons and your daughters will prophesy….” Peter said this prophecy had been fulfilled on that day. There’s an important point here that we need to remember: in that culture when it came to most interactions, including religious activities, men met with men and women met with women.
After Peter had explained what had just happened, look at what we read in verses 37 and 38. (37) Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ (38) Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Now jump down to verse 41. “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” In that culture, men would have baptized men and women would have baptized women. Just as salvation is gender-neutral, so is the ability to serve God, to hear from Him, and to speak for Him. It has everything to do with a humble heart and walking in agreement with Him. Rodney, tell them about Dorcas.
Dorcas
In Acts, chapter nine, we read about a disciple named Tabitha (Dorcas in Greek.) Acts 9:36 says, “Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.” (Acts 9:36) I want you to notice how Scripture describes Dorcas. She was a disciple, not a deaconess. She was a leader in the Christian community. I also want you to notice that she “was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.” She is an example of what it means to show your faith through your works.
James 2:17 says “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” Trust me when I say that it is not by accident that the Bible describes her this way. She spent her life helping the less fortunate with acts of kindness and charity with the goal of leading them to Jesus. How do I know this? She was a disciple, a person who followed and adhered to the teachings of Jesus. Her acts of kindness and charity had one goal in mind – winning souls for Jesus. If you read the rest of this chapter you will see that she had gotten sick and died. The other disciples knew that Peter was near and sent for him to come and heal her; raise her from the dead. They did this because she had lived out her faith. Peter came and raised her and through that act, many others were saved. What an example she is to us today! Barry, tell us about Lydia.
Lydia
“A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, a worshiper of God, was listening; and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. (15) And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay.’ And she prevailed upon us.” (Acts 16:14-15) Lydia was a business owner who supported Paul and Silas's ministry. But this is not what set her apart. In verse fourteen it says, “….and the Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul.”
Now I want to draw your attention to verse 15, which says “And when she and her household had been baptized.” She is the reason her household was saved! This is a statement rarely used of a woman. Generally, this statement is used of a man and his household, not a woman and her household. What this tells us is that Lydia was the leader of her family, her household, which again is unusual for this culture. And the fact that the Bible records this tells us so much about what God thought about her and what she did for the kingdom.
After meeting with Lydia, Paul and Silas were put into prison. After their release, they returned to Lydia’s house where they regained their health before continuing their travels. Acts 16:40 says, “They went out of the prison and entered the house of Lydia, and when they saw the brethren, they encouraged them and departed.” Of all the places he could have gone following his release, Paul went back to Lydia’s home. He must have seen her as a leader in Philippi and respected her so much that he willingly put himself and Silas in her hands until they could continue their travels. Rodney, tell us about Damaris.
Damaris
In Acts chapter seventeen, we are told about Damaris. Let’s read verse thirty-four. “But some men joined him and believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.” (Acts 17:34) A woman named Damaris is mentioned only once in the Bible, and we know hardly anything about her. Damaris, was likely a prominent woman in Athens, Greece, in the first century. She is one of a small group of people who responded in faith to the gospel. We are told that God worked a miracle in her heart and she responded in faith to Paul’s gospel message.
The fact that Damaris is mentioned by name means that her conversion impacted her family and her circle of friends. We have to understand that the Bible, especially in the New Testament, names people who had an impact when came to sharing the gospel. The Bible may not share a person’s back story, but the person’s impact is known in heaven! New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham tells us that any time we come across the name of someone in the book of Acts or the apostles’ letters, it’s there because that person had become widely known among the Christian churches as a teacher and leader. Because we know Damaris’s name, we also know that she was well-known for ministry in the churches. As an intellectual herself, she could reach the intellectuals in Athens. Next, Barry will take us to Philip’s four daughters.
Philip’s four daughters
Let’s look at Acts chapter twenty-one beginning at verse eight. “8. On the next day we who were Paul’s companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the House of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9. Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied…” (Acts 21:8-9) There are a couple of points that I want to call out from this record. The first point is that verse nine brings us back to the fulfillment of Joel 2:28 – “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophecy…”
Although the record does not tell us the specifics of what they prophesied about, when you read verse nine in context with the first fourteen verses of this chapter, it is highly probable that they prophesied to Paul about not going to Jerusalem. In the first three verses of this chapter, Luke lays out their travel plans to Jerusalem. But look at what we read in verse four. “And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem.” When they finished their visit there, they continued to their next destination. When they finally reached Caesarea they stayed with Philip and we then read about Philip’s four daughters who prophesied. Again, the Bible does not tell us what they prophesied about, but look at what is recorded in verses 10 and 11. Luke writes (10) And as we stayed many days (with Philip and his daughters), a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. (11) When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, so shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.”
We see that the Holy Spirit instructs the disciples at Tyre to tell Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Then we see Phillip’s four daughters prophesying. And finally, we see the prophet Agabus tell Paul not to go to Jerusalem because he would be handed over to the Gentiles. Based on how this story flows, it is probable that Philip’s daughters prophesied to Paul not to go to Jerusalem. Ladies and gentlemen, these women spoke into the life of the Apostle Paul! Even if they did not tell him not to go to Jerusalem, they still prophesied in his presence about something! Praise God! Four “unnamed” daughters gave Paul a word from the Lord. Let that sink in. The man who wrote most of the New Testament! Four “unnamed” women. And you can rest assured that if they gave Paul a message from the throne of grace, they also did so for countless others. Rodney, tell us about Priscilla.
Priscilla (Prisca)
In Acts chapter 18, we are introduced to Priscilla and her husband, Aquila, who lived in Corinth having left Italy when Claudius commanded all the Jews to leave. When Paul left to sail to Syria, verse 18 says “…and Priscilla and Aquila were with him.” It is believed that Paul often mentioned her name first possibly because she was more active in the ministry than her husband. Of the six times that they are mentioned in the New Testament (four by Paul and two by Luke), Priscilla’s name appears first four times, which went against the “social norms” of the times. Together, they led a church in their home. Here in Acts chapter 18, something happens that shows us the impact that she and her husband had in the early Church.
Let’s read verses twenty-four through twenty-six. “Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. 25. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; 26. and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” (Act 18:24-26) What did Priscilla and Aquila help Apollos understand? It had to be the baptism of the Holy Spirit since he only knew the baptism of John.
This encounter, once again, reminds us that women can help men understand the ways of God just as men can help women understand the ways of God. And let’s close this discussion of Priscilla with Romans 16:3-4: “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, (4) who for my life risked their own necks, to whom not only do I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.” What a testimony about Priscilla and Aquila! Not only was the Apostle Paul indebted to them but so were all of the Gentile churches! Barry, tell us about Phoebe.
Phoebe
In Romans chapter sixteen, Paul mentions 28 people as he closes out this letter. Of the 28 individuals mentioned, one-third of them are women whom he refers to as “fellow-workers” together with him. Rodney just mentioned Priscilla but there are a couple of others we want to call out beginning with Phoebe. Romans 16:1-2 says, (1) I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea; (2) that you receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and that you help her in whatever matter she may have need of you; for she herself has also been a helper of many, and of myself as well.” (Romans 16:1-2)
Phoebe was a deaconess. A New Testament deaconess had the same authority and responsibility as a deacon. She was not a deaconess just because her “husband” was a deacon. She walked in her own office. Paul’s language here tells us so much about Phoebe, beyond her role as a deaconess. He says “I commend to you our sister …” Paul says “Let me introduce to you our sister, someone who understands the trials that come with the Christian faith and who has been a person I have leaned on and trusted.” Paul’s stamp of approval and instructions to give her what she needed to accomplish her task shows you how much he respected and valued her contribution to the Church. With this introduction, Paul is saying, you can trust Phoebe just like you trust me. Rodney, tell us about Junia and Chloe.
Junias (Junia)
In Romans 16:7, Paul writes, “Greet Andronicus and Junias, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are outstanding among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.” (Romans 16:7) Paul described her as “my kinsmen” and “fellow prisoners.” She was his relative and, at some point in their journeys, had been in prison with him. Paul also says they have “excellent reputations among the apostles and who also came to the faith before me”. Although the King James Bible translates her name as a male, scholars acknowledge that she was a female and an Apostle. Junias was either Andronicus’ wife or his sister and what we learn from this verse is that Junias understood the suffering that accompanied the Christian walk in the same way that Paul, her relative, did.
Chloe
In First Corinthians chapter one, we are introduced to Chloe. Let’s begin reading at verse ten. “(10). Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together and the same mind and in the same judgment. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you.” (First Corinthians 1:10-11)
We cannot truly understand Chloe’s importance in the early Church had this story not been recorded and her actions noted. Her actions made Paul aware of a problem that was brewing in the Church at Corinth. The issue that the Apostle Paul is addressing in this first chapter of First Corinthians is that people were starting to follow personalities and not whether or not the person was teaching the doctrine of Christ. Let’s also read verses 12 and 13. “(12) Now I say this, that each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am a Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephus,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ (13) Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (First Corinthians 1:12-13) Because members of Chloe’s household alerted Paul to this issue, he was able to address it. Again as we talked earlier, it was rare to hear of a household being “of a woman.”
What’s significant here is that the members of her household who spoke with Paul understood that what they were hearing went against the gospel of Jesus Christ and the primary reason they knew this is because they were part of Chloe’s household. In other words, Chloe, a woman, had taught them the true gospel of Jesus Christ! For Paul to address the division that was developing in the church this early in this epistle is a testimony of his respect for Chloe and what she was teaching.
Euodia & Syntyche
(2) I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to live in harmony in the Lord. (3) Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life.” (Philippians 4:2-3) Here we see two more women named in the Philippian church. We talked about Lydia earlier in this study. Women, ladies, and gentlemen were prominent in the founding of the Philippian church.
Paul lists Eudora and Syntyche as his fellow workers, women who had worked side by side with him. They were believed to hold positions of authority and leadership in the Church at Philippi and this can be seen in the way Paul addresses them: “I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche.” Paul mentioned them in vs. 2 as having some disagreement and he admonished them to walk together in harmony. This could have been similar to the contention that read about at Corinth – members, men, and women, were choosing to align themselves with either Euodia or with Syntyche. And notice that Paul did not take sides. His focus was to keep both women as part of his “leadership team.”
Nympha
“Greet the brethren who are in Laodicea and also Nympha and the church that is in her house.” (Colossians 4:15) The last eight verses of Colossians 4 (vss. 10-18), read like a “Who’s Who” in the early Church. Aristarchus. Marcus. Jesus (Justus). Epaphras. Luke. Demas. The brethren in Laodicea. Nympha. Archippus. Nympha was a resident of Laodicea and that’s why she is singled out. Each person listed here was seen as a leader in the early Church. Reading about the church at Laodicea in Revelation 3:17-22 indirectly sheds light on her and the church’s other leaders.
Summary & Prayer
In the Gospels, we read of several women messengers who proclaimed the good news. (Matthew 28:1-10; Luke 24:9-11) And we discussed in Acts 2:14-21 and Joel 2:28-31, how God predicted and promised that He would pour out His Spirit upon women and they would prophesy. To prophesy means to “speak to men/women to edification, exhortation, and comfort.” First Corinthians 14:3 says, “But he that prophesies speaks unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.” God promised that both men and women would walk in this office.
We will close this lesson with what is recorded in Galatians 3:26-28. It reads, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” In these verses, we see that, first of all, all of us become “sons of God” through faith. Each of us enters God’s family the same way – through our faith in Christ Jesus. And it’s interesting to me, that both men who believe and the women, who believe, are sons of God.
This tells me that our Father sees us as having the same access to Him regardless of our gender. This is further emphasized when the passage says a person is no longer a Jew a Gentile a slave a free person or a male or a female. Why? Because we are now one in Christ Jesus! In Christ, the old worldly lines of separation are all blotted out and now we have become one person with Christ being the head. Neither the male nor the female have any special advantages. Both are equal and are not limited in what God can do through them.
Now I want you to consider this question when you think about whether or not God will use a woman in a leadership position in a Church. God has used a rod, a donkey, a ram’s horn, an ox goad, a tent peg, barley loaf, pitchers, jawbones, millstone, mantle, ditches, empty vessels, a jar of oil, ravens, wind, fish, plant, worm, and many other weak things to confound the mighty. Is it not possible then that He can use a woman? We think He can, will, and DOES!
Barry do you have any closing thoughts before we close this lesson
