30 Bible Verses on Women’s Leadership
Here are 30 of my favourite Bible verses that show women leading, teaching, prophesying, and positively influencing their communities.
December 20, 2024
2 Comments
Category: Mutuality in Ministry
1 Corinthians 11:2-16: Line by Line (4)
“A woman ought to have power on her head” is the crux of 1 Cor. 11:2-16. What did Paul mean here? And what does “because of the angels” mean?
October 13, 2024
15 Comments
1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Line by Line (3)
In Part 3, I focus on 1 Cor. 11:7-9 and corresponding verses. Why did Paul say man is the image and glory of God, and woman was made for man?
October 4, 2024
6 Comments
An Overview of Women Ministers in the Early Church
Women have always played important roles in the mission of the church and they are a part of our history. I highlight some of these women here.
March 26, 2024
17 Comments
The Structure and Language of 1 Corinthians 14:26-40
I’ve highlighted the structure and vocabulary of 1 Cor. 14:26-40 which contains verses 33-34, “Women should be silent in the churches …”
February 24, 2024
22 Comments
Sandra Glahn on the Decline of Women in Public Ministry
Sandra Glahn gives 4 reasons in her book “Nobody’s Mother” for why there was a decline of women in public ministry in the centuries following Pentecost.
December 5, 2023
17 Comments
Publia and her Plucky Choir of Virgins (AD 360s)
In this post, I quote a story from Theodoret of Cyrrhus’s Church History about Publia, a daring deaconess who lived in Antioch in the 360s, and her brave choir.
October 19, 2023
15 Comments
A Female Teacher and Deacon in Antioch (AD 360s)
In Theodoret of Cyrrhus’s Church History there is an interesting story of a brave woman who was a teacher and deacon in Antioch in the early 360s.
October 6, 2023
8 Comments
A Christian Lady Teacher in Egypt in the 300s AD
In this blog post, I look at a papyrus letter, written between Christians in the early 300s AD, which plainly mentions a woman teacher (kyrian tēn didaskalon).
September 22, 2023
7 Comments
Women and Men and Ministry in First-Century Churches (3)
This is the 3rd post taken from my chapter in “Co-workers and Co-leaders.” I look here at some of the men and women who were involved in difficult and dangerous ministries.
August 27, 2023
15 Comments
Women and Men and Ministry in First-Century Churches (2)
This is the 2nd post taken from my chapter in “Co-workers and Co-leaders.” Paul’s letters show that he ministered alongside women. Women were among his coworkers and were deacons (diakonoi).
August 17, 2023
4 Comments
Women and Men and Ministry in First-Century Churches
This is the 1st of 3 blog posts taken from my chapter in the book “Co-workers and Co-leaders: Women and Men Partnering for God’s Work.” I look here at the women who followed Jesus and the women who hosted house churches.
August 11, 2023
15 Comments
Why 1 Timothy 2:12 shouldn’t be used to ban women ministers
1 Timothy 2:12 (“I do not permit a woman to teach …”) is the only Bible verse that places a restriction on a woman teaching. It shouldn’t be used to ban women ministers.
June 7, 2023
37 Comments
Philip Payne on Hairstyles vs. Head Coverings in Corinth
In his book, The Bible vs. Biblical Womanhood, Philip Payne outlines 3 reasons why Paul’s concern in 1 Cor. 11:2–16 was not head coverings for women, but hairstyles.
May 27, 2023
24 Comments
Did Jesus aim to spare women from persecution?
Lately, I’ve been hearing some suggest the reason Jesus chose only men to be among the Twelve is because he knew the harsh persecution the Twelve would face. Is this reason valid?
May 8, 2023
17 Comments
Paul’s Theology of Ministry: 1 Tim. 3:2 and Priscilla
What did Paul mean when he said “husband of one wife”? What was Priscilla’s role in Ephesus and Rome? What is Paul’s overall theology of ministry and women?
February 27, 2023
27 Comments
Paul’s Theology of Ministry: 1 Timothy 2:12
Here is more from a talk I gave on February 11. In part 2, I look at 1 Timothy 2:12 within its immediate context and within the context of First Timothy.
February 21, 2023
15 Comments
Paul’s Theology of Ministry: 1 Corinthians 14:34–35
This is part 1 of a talk I gave recently which looks at Paul’s overall theology on ministry and the verses often used to limit women.
February 13, 2023
25 Comments
Woman’s Authority or Subordination in 1 Cor. 11:10?
Paul said in 1 Cor. 11:10 that a woman should have “authority on her head.” Whose authority is it?
November 14, 2021
33 Comments
Did Miriam the prophetess only minister to women?
Miriam is identified as a prophet and leader in the Bible, but some say her ministry was only to women. Was this the case? What does the Bible say?
December 24, 2020
17 Comments
Romans 14 and the Divisive Issue of Women Pastors
Paul’s message in Romans 14 has some relevance to the issue of women ministers, an issue that continues to cause division in some sectors of the church.
August 13, 2020
18 Comments
“Holding Up Half the Sky” by Graham Joseph Hill
I was honoured to write a foreword to Graham Hill’s book “Holding Up Half the Sky” where he presents a biblical case for women leading and teaching in the church. The foreword is in this post.
July 28, 2020
3 Comments
Atto of Vercelli on Female Priests in the Early Church
Atto, bishop of Vercelli in the 900s, saw in church tradition that women had led churches and were presbyters (priests or elders). He did not think this was a bad thing.
June 30, 2020
15 Comments
Chrysostom on 5 Women Church Leaders in the NT
Chrysostom (d. 407) praised Priscilla, Phoebe, Euodia, Syntyche, and Junia. He acknowledged that these women were leading ministers in their churches.
June 10, 2020
13 Comments
“Preaching” words in the NT and the women who preached
When we understand “preaching” words in the way New Testament authors used these words, we see that some New Testament women preached.
February 17, 2020
40 Comments
4 obscure passages sometimes used to diminish women
In this article, I look at 4 passages from the Hebrew Bible (Leviticus 27, Numbers 30, Ecclesiastes 7:28, Isaiah 3:12) which are sometimes used to diminish women.
October 23, 2019
47 Comments
3 reasons why it’s a woman, not all women, in 1 Timothy 2:12
Here are 3 reasons why 1 Timothy 2:12 may be about a particular couple in the Ephesian church and not Paul’s general thoughts on women in ministry.
August 28, 2019
74 Comments
Partnering Together: Paul’s Female Coworkers
Paul included women as ministry partners and used the same ministry terms for his male and female coworkers. He didn’t restrict the ministry of godly and gifted women.
May 1, 2019
34 Comments
1 Corinthians 16:16 applies to women ministers too
In 1 Cor. 16:16, Paul tells the Corinthians to submit themselves to coworkers and labourers. Paul refers to several women by these ministry terms.
November 21, 2018
57 Comments
What Timothy knew about Paul’s theology of ministry
Timothy knew Paul’s views on ministry and it’s unlikely he needed to be reminded of them. 1 Tim. 2:11-15 is not Paul’s general teaching on ministry but something else.
September 11, 2018
18 Comments
“Must manage his own household well” (1 Tim. 3:4-5)
Does 1 Timothy 3:4a (“managing his own household well”) show that men, and not women, are to rule or manage their households? What was the role of the first church overseers and bishops?
June 23, 2018
34 Comments
Junia: The Jewish Woman who was Imprisoned with Paul
This article looks at Junia, a Christian missionary mentioned in Romans 16:7 who was persecuted for her faith and may have known Jesus personally. Was she also known as Joanna?
June 10, 2018
37 Comments
Paul on Gender Roles in Ministry and Marriage
A few verses in Paul’s letters are frequently cited by Christians who exclude women from some ministries. Did Paul really restrict women in either ministry or marriage? This is part 3 of a series on gender roles in the Bible.
June 2, 2018
7 Comments
Jesus on Gender Roles and Gendered Activities
Does Jesus give instructions about gender roles as complementarians understand them? What does Jesus teach and say to women in the Gospels? This is part 2 in a series of gender roles in the Bible.
May 29, 2018
10 Comments
The authority of police officers, ship captains, and men
In this post, I respond to how the authority of police officers, etc, is used as an analogy by some Christians to support male-only authority.
May 12, 2018
34 Comments
Lydia of Thyatira: The founding member of the Philippian Church
Lydia of Thyatira (Acts 16:14ff), and women like her, were vital and strategic players at the forefront of the expanding Christian mission.
November 30, 2017
46 Comments
Video Series: Should Women Teach in Church?
Here are four short clever videos which look at 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-14 and intelligently discuss whether women can teach in church.
February 18, 2017
28 Comments
Were there women elders in New Testament churches?
Three times this past week I’ve been in online conversations where a person has stated that women were not leaders or elders in early churches. Was this really the case?
January 9, 2017
83 Comments
Two Brave Women in 2 Samuel 17
This post is about two brave unnamed women mentioned in 2 Samuel 17 who each risked their lives to help King David’s, and God’s, cause.
June 28, 2016
11 Comments
Qualified for Every Good Work (2 Tim. 2:2; 3:16–17)
A good understanding of scripture is an important qualification for many Christian ministries. 2 Tim. 3:16-17 mentions this qualification and does not exclude women like Priscilla.
January 31, 2016
9 Comments
The Means of Ministry: Gifts, Grace, Faith … Gender?
If Paul had meant for only men to be leaders and teachers, why doesn’t he mention this in his lists of ministries in Rom. 12:6–8, 1 Cor. 12:28, and Eph. 4:11?
November 22, 2015
34 Comments
Church cultures that include and exclude women leaders
A poor understanding of church culture in the first century is one reason why some deny that women were leaders in some New Testament churches.
October 25, 2015
26 Comments
Prominent Male Biblical Scholars on Women in Ministry
Craig Keener, Leon Morris, F.F. Bruce, and many more well-respected biblical scholars can hardly be accused of playing loose with the scriptures, but they all believed that suitably gifted women can be leaders and teachers in the church.
June 30, 2015
154 Comments
Woman Created for Man (1 Cor. 11:9), in a Nutshell
How are we to understand “man was not created for woman, but woman for man”? Does 1 Corinthians 11:9 indicate that service or submission is the role of women and not men?
January 26, 2015
42 Comments
(7) Phoebe: Deacon of the Church in Cenchrea
This is a summary of the previous 6 parts. Paul was not reticent about using the same ministry terms (or titles), including deacon, for both men and women ministers.
November 26, 2014
5 Comments
(1) Phoebe: Deacon of the Church in Cenchrea
Here I look at Paul’s introduction of Phoebe to the church at Rome. I also look at the ministry of certain women in the Gospels, and Tabitha’s ministry in Acts, and compare them with Phoebe’s ministry.
November 12, 2014
11 Comments
My Perspective of Christian Egalitarianism
Some Christians have a mistaken view of our mutuality, or equality, in Christ. In this post, I briefly explain my perspective of Christian Egalitarianism
October 20, 2014
52 Comments
The First Century Church & the Ministry of Women
In this article I provide a brief overview of church life in the first century and I highlight the ministry contributions of women.
October 8, 2014
27 Comments
“Go and work in my vineyard” (Matthew 20:1–16)
In Matthew 20:1–16 Jesus tells the parable of the vineyard workers and points out that there is equality in his kingdom. To those who have so far been sidelined, Jesus says “Go work in my vineyard.”
February 18, 2014
6 Comments
Believing Wives and Female Co-workers of the Apostles
Does Paul refer to wives of apostles or female coworkers of apostles in 1 Cor. 9:5? Was their role companionship or teaching Christian doctrine?
February 14, 2014
8 Comments
Subscribe to Marg's Blog
Join Marg's Patreon
Would you like to support my ministry of encouraging mutuality and equality between men and women in the church and in marriage?
Categories
- "Difficult" Passages
- 1 Corinthians 11:2–16
- 1 Corinthians 14
- 1 Peter
- 1 Peter 3:1–7
- 1 Timothy 2:11-15
- 1 Timothy 3
- All Posts on Equality
- Becoming a Christian
- Bible Study Notes
- Bible Translation and Interpretation
- Bible Women
- Book Reviews
- Christian Living
- Christian Theology
- Christology
- Church History
- Early Church Women
- Early Jewish History
- Ephesians 5
- Gender in Genesis 1–3
- General
- Greco-Roman Culture
- Jesus and Women
- John's Gospel: Chs 1–10
- Junia
- Kephalē (“Head”)
- Lessons from Philippians
- Mutuality in Marriage
- Mutuality in Ministry
- Paul and Women
- Phoebe
- Priscilla
- Salvation and Eternal Life
- Submission
- The Holy Spirit
- Titus 2
- Women in Ministry
- Worship and Prayer