Marg Mowczko

Exploring the biblical theology of Christian egalitarianism

Category: Women in Ministry

Woman’s Authority or Subordination in 1 Corinthians 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 14 Comments

Every Female Prophet in the Bible

Here is a complete list of women identified as prophetesses in the Bible notes on each. There was a recognised place for such women in Israel and in the 1st-century church.

September 22, 2021 18 Comments

Beth Allison Barr on (un)Making Biblical Womanhood

Throughout her book, Dr Barr aims to show that complementarianism isn’t the only option for those who believe the Bible is the authoritative Word of God.

June 2, 2021 9 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 4 Comments

Atto of Vercelli, Hatto of Vercelli, women elders

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 12 Comments

Chrysostom on New Testament women ministers

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.

June 10, 2020 6 Comments

Prisca, she who is in babylon New Testament

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.

March 10, 2020 17 Comments

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 dear friend.

July 25, 2019 18 Comments

women at the entrance of the tent of meeting or tabernacle

Women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting

Who were the women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting and what did they do? (Exodus 38:8; 1 Samuel 2:22) Did their service involve religious rituals?

July 20, 2019 22 Comments

Portrait of Tabitha or Dorcas, a helper of widows. Acts 9

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 did her ministries involve? What was her association with the widows of Joppa?

June 11, 2019 18 Comments

Apostle Paul Junia Priscilla Nympha Phoebe Persis Tryphena Tryphosa Labourers

Partnering Together: Paul’s Female Coworkers

Paul included women as ministry partners and used the same ministry terms for his male and female co-workers. He didn’t restricts the ministry of godly and gifted women.

May 1, 2019 11 Comments

Marcella of Rome: Academic and Ascetic

Marcella of Rome (325–410), 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.

February 1, 2019 2 Comments

Nympha, women in ministry, New Testament, Nymphas

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?

September 19, 2018 59 Comments

What were Euodia and Syntyche thinking?!

Here’s a look at a common Greek phrase used in Phil. 4:2 concerning Euodia and Syntyche. What did Paul want them to think? Were the women quarrelling?

July 11, 2018 20 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 32 Comments

The Elder and the Lady: A look at the language of Second John

In this article I look at the text of 2 John, especially at the words the letter writer uses to identify the people he is writing to, including the “chosen lady.”

July 16, 2017 11 Comments

1 Timothy 5:2 elders new testament presbyter prebyteroi Judaism Christianity

Were there women elders in New Testament churches? (Part 2)

This is a somewhat technical look at the word presbyteroi (“elders”) in New Testament letters, including the presbyterai (“women elders”) 1 Timothy 5:2.

January 20, 2017 18 Comments

early christian women priscilla Phoebe Junia

Were Priscilla, Phoebe and Junia friends?

Priscilla, Phoebe, and Junia were Christian ministers who sometimes travelled. The NT shows that, at the very least, their paths crossed one or twice. Were they friends?

December 29, 2016 19 Comments

Apphia: Philemon’s wife or another Phoebe?

Apphia, a woman, is greeted by Paul in his letter to Philemon. What was her role or position at Colossae? Was she Philemon’s wife or another Phoebe?

October 29, 2016 7 Comments

The Samaritan Woman of Sychar (John 4)

Eve, Delilah, Bathsheba, Mary Magdalene, and the Samaritan woman have often been thought of as immoral. What’s with that? This article looks at the Samaritan woman without negative prejudices.

June 10, 2016 49 Comments

The Church at Smyrna and her Women (Part 2)

This is the second part of a two-part series which looks at the women in the church at Smyrna in the post-apostolic period. This article focuses on Gavia.

April 22, 2016 4 Comments

The Church at Smyrna and her Women (Part 1)

In Christian writings known as the Apostolic Fathers (late 1st and early 2nd centuries) we discover that women were active in ministry in the church at Smyrna. Part 1 looks at Alke (or Alce) of Smyrna.

April 21, 2016 2 Comments

The Countess of Huntingdon and Gospel Ministry

Selina Hastings, the Countess of Huntingdon, was a tireless leader and an influential benefactor of the Methodist movement in Britain in the 1700s.

January 20, 2016 No Comments

Theonoe and Myrte: Prophetesses in Corinth

Several ancient documents show that women were prominent ministers in the early church. Two such documents mention Theonoe and Myrte, prophetesses in the church at Corinth.

December 15, 2015 2 Comments

At Home with Priscilla and Aquila

What does the ministry of Priscilla and Aquila to Apollos reveal? (Acts 18:18-28). How did others feel about the couple and their ministry? (Romans 16:3-5)

November 11, 2015 6 Comments

Harnack’s positive descriptions of NT women ministers

More than a century ago, church historian Adolf Harnack was honest and approving in his appraisal of women ministers who are mentioned in the New Testament.

June 16, 2015 2 Comments

Who was Chloe of Corinth?

Chloe is a woman mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:11? Was she a pagan or a Christian? A concerned house church leader or the quarrelsome leader of a faction?

April 26, 2015 17 Comments

(6) Phoebe: Deacon of the Church in Cenchrea

In Part 6 we look at more evidence that deacons in the apostolic and post-apostolic period were travelling envoys and agents, and that some were teachers.

November 25, 2014 No Comments

Febe una diácono de la Iglesia en Cencrea

(5) Phoebe: Deacon of the Church in Cenchrea

In Part 5, I look at 1 Timothy 3:8-13, concerning male and female deacons in the Ephesian church, and at Phoebe as a prostatis (patron). I briefly compare her ministry with that of Olympias and also Stephanas (1 Cor. 16:15-18).

November 25, 2014 7 Comments

(4) Phoebe: Deacon of the Church in Cenchrea

In part 4 I look at the deacons in the Philippian church and at the development of church offices in the apostolic and post-apostolic churches.

November 18, 2014 9 Comments

(3) Phoebe: Deacon of the Church in Cenchrea

We have only two lines about Phoebe in the Bible, but Theodoret of Cyrrhus has more information about her. Did Phoebe travel to Spain with Paul? Did she deliver his letter to the Romans?

November 14, 2014 No Comments

(2) Phoebe: Deacon of the Church in Cenchrea

In Part 2, I look at what Romans 16:1-2 in the ancient Latin texts say about Phoebe. These indicate she was recognised as an official deacon (or deaconess).

November 13, 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 7 Comments

Fresco of literate first century woman, Pompeii

The First Century Church & the Ministry of Women

It is helpful to have some insight into the values and customs of the first Christians. 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 9 Comments

Mosaic of Paul presenting Praxedes to Christ

Paul and Women, in a Nutshell

Here is a brief overview of eighteen women mentioned by the apostle Paul in his New Testament letters, as well as Lydia who is mentioned in Acts.

October 6, 2014 35 Comments

Apostles in the New Testament Church

In this article I look at the people who were apostles in the New Testament church, and at their qualifications. I also look at what they did as apostles.

July 20, 2014 15 Comments

Many women leaders in the Bible had this one thing in common

As I was making a list of Bible women who ministered to men, I saw something I had not noticed before. Almost all of these women had a prophetic gift.

June 23, 2014 25 Comments

Who was Mary the Magdalene?

This article looks at Mary Magdalene, and especially at what “Magdalene” might mean. Does it refer to Mary’s home town? Was it her nickname? Does it imply she was a prostitute?

May 26, 2014 34 Comments

Female Martyrs and their Ministry in the Early Church

Female martyrs in the early church, such as Blandina and Perpetua, “conformed themselves to Christ, even in death.”

May 2, 2014 No Comments

Paul and women believing wife sister woman 1 Corinthians 9 Paul Peter Grapte

Believing Wives and Female Co-workers of the Apostles

Does Paul refer to wives of apostles or female coworkers of apostles in 1 Corinthians 9:5? Was their role companionship or teaching Christian doctrine?

February 14, 2014 2 Comments

Barbara Aland and the Nestle-Aland Greek NT

Most modern translations of the New Testament rely on the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament. One of the editors of recent editions of this Greek New Testament is scholar Barbara Aland. This article provides a brief history of the Nestle-Aland text and a brief biography of Barbara Aland.

December 11, 2013 1 Comment