Atto of Vercelli on Female Priests/Elders 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.
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Category: Women in Ministry
Chrysostom on 5 Women Church Leaders in the NT
John Chrysostom (d. 407) praised Priscilla, Phoebe, Euodia, Syntyche, and Junia, and acknowledged that these five women were leading ministers in their churches.
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Who is “she” who is in Babylon? (1 Peter 5:13)
In this article, I explain why “the co-elect” woman in 1 Peter 5:13 (AKA “she who is in Babylon”) is most likely a woman and not a church.
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Olympias of Constantinople: Deaconess and Chrysostom’s Friend
Olympias was a determined woman who renounced her aristocratic lifestyle to serve the church. She was an ordained deaconess and Chrysostom’s close friend.
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Women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting
In Exodus 38:8 and in 1 Samuel 2:22, we are told that women served at the entrance of the tent of meeting. Who were these women and what did they do? Did their service involve religious rituals?
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Tabitha: An Exemplary Disciple (Acts 9:36-42)
In Acts 9, Tabitha (AKA Dorcas) is identified as a disciple and described as a generous supporter of the poor. What can we know about her? What did her ministries involve? What is her association with the widows of Joppa? Why did Luke include her story in Acts?
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Partnering Together: Paul’s Female Coworkers
Paul included women, as well as men, as ministry partners. And he used the same ministry terms for his male and female co-workers. None of Paul’s statements, when understood in context, restricts the ministry of godly and gifted women.
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Marcella of Rome: Academic, Ascetic, Almsgiver
Marcella of Rome (325–410), a friend of Jerome, dedicated herself and her considerable talents and resources to serving the church and helping the poor. Here’s some information about this remarkable woman.
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Nympha: A House Church Leader in the Lycus Valley (Colossians 4:15)
In this post, I look at Nympha, a Christian mentioned in Colossians 4:15. What was her association with Paul? What was her ministry? Where was her house church? Was she really a woman?
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What were Euodia and Syntyche thinking?!
Inspired by a recent reading in Acts, I’ve taken a close look at a common Greek expression that Paul uses when addressing Euodia and Syntyche. What was Paul saying to these women in the Philippian Church?
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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.
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The Elder and the Lady: A look at the language of Second John
In this article I take a look at the text of 2 John, especially at the words the letter writer uses to identify the people he mentions, including the “chosen lady.”
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