The Other Mary: Mother of James and Joseph
Mary the mother of James and Joseph/ Joses, also known as “the other Mary,” is mentioned 7 times in the Synoptic Gospels. What do we know about her?
December 19, 2023
19 Comments
Tag: Women in the Gospels
All the Marys and Miriams in the Bible
I look at all the Miriams, Marias, and Marys in the Bible (there are 7 in the NT), and at Mariamne in Josephus, and discuss what their names might mean.
November 19, 2023
6 Comments
Jesus Called Her “Woman”
In this article, I look at every verse where Jesus directly addresses a woman as “woman.” These verses can sound cold and even rude in English. This article was first published in Mutuality magazine.
April 28, 2023
24 Comments
A note on “everything I ever did” (John 4:29)
What did the Samaritan woman mean when she told the folk of Sychar, “Come, see a man who told me ‘everything I ever did'”?
September 7, 2022
12 Comments
Is Martha Missing from the Oldest Surviving Text of John 11?
Was Martha initially missing in Papyrus 66, the oldest text of John’s Gospel? Is Mary of Bethany in John 11-12 really Mary Magdalene?
August 2, 2022
27 Comments
Comparing the Anointing Stories
Each of the four Gospels contains an account where a woman anoints Jesus with perfume. In this article, I compare these stories. How many times was Jesus anointed?
April 24, 2022
11 Comments
Jesus and the Bent-Over Woman (Luke 13:10–17)
In Luke 13:10–17, Jesus sets free a woman who had been disabled for 18 years. Click to see Barbara Schwarz’s painting and to read the story that inspired her artwork.
March 19, 2022
10 Comments
Salome: Follower of Jesus and Myrrh Bearer
Salome was a follower of Jesus, a witness of his crucifixion and empty tomb. She is mentioned twice in the Bible but many more times in other early church documents.
July 30, 2021
9 Comments
Mary Magdalene and the Ascension
Mary Magdalene was the herald of Jesus’s resurrection and of his impending ascension. After his resurrection, why did Jesus tell her, “Do not cling to me”?
May 12, 2021
14 Comments
The Women in Matthew’s Genealogy of Jesus
Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Uriah’s wife are the only women mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1. Why only these four women?
December 12, 2020
29 Comments
Partnering Together: Jesus and Women
At a time when women were often regarded as odd and inferior by men and were excluded from many aspects of society, Jesus included women, taught them, and accepted their ministry.
April 11, 2019
45 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
All About Elizabeth (Luke 1)
Elizabeth was a faithful woman of God who was given a remarkable son, John the Baptist. She was also given a prophetic voice.
December 16, 2017
15 Comments
Pontius Pilate’s wife knew Jesus was innocent
Matthew 27:19 mentions Pontius Pilate’s wife and her dream about Jesus. What do we know of this woman? Was she a Jewish convert? A Christ-follower?
September 29, 2017
13 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
75 Comments
Jesus, Women, and Theology: “Jesus said to her …”
Jesus talked about theology with women, a life-giving, vital theology. He answered their theological questions which answered their deepest needs, and he equipped them to talk theology to others.
March 27, 2016
16 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
39 Comments
Male-Female Pairs and Parallelism in Luke’s Gospel
In Luke’s Gospel, some material is presented using male-female pairs to highlight the full and equal inclusion of women and men in God’s new covenant and community.
April 8, 2014
9 Comments
Jesus had many female followers – many!
I had imagined that only a few women accompanied Jesus during his ministry and only a few witnessed his crucifixion and resurrection, but the Gospels state many women were with Jesus.
March 14, 2014
35 Comments
The Apostolic Ministry of Gospel Women
John the Evangelist chose his words carefully when describing the ministry of certain apostolic women in his Gospel, women such as Mary Magdalene. [500 words]
January 18, 2014
11 Comments
Mary, Martha and Lazarus of Bethany
Mary and Martha of Bethany are well-known Bible figures whose characters are often polarized in the retelling of their story. What is the background of these women, their age, marital status, level of wealth?
May 15, 2013
44 Comments
Who will roll away the stone?
Mary Magdalene and some other women knew a large stone had been rolled in front of the entrance to the tomb where Jesus’ body had been laid. They went to the tomb anyway. [300 words]
April 1, 2013
4 Comments
Was Jesus Poor?
Was Jesus poor? A few verses in the Gospels indicate that Jesus was not as poor as I have previously been led to believe.
March 17, 2012
9 Comments
Christmas Cardology 6: The Virgin Mary
Most religious art portrays Mary as serene, shy, and even sombre. Are they accurate portrayals? Does the Bible teach that Mary remained a virgin?
December 1, 2011
15 Comments
Why God is Sometimes Silent
Even though a Canaanite woman was crying out for help, Jesus didn’t say a word. Why was Jesus silent? And why does God sometimes seem silent and remote?
April 30, 2011
2 Comments
Ben Witherington on Jesus and Women
Watch Ben Witherington talk to Simon Smart from the Centre of Public Christianity about the revolutionary nature of Jesus’ and Paul’s treatment of women. [Video]
November 23, 2010
No Comments
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman in John 4:1–42
In John 4 we read about the Samaritan woman’s life-changing encounter with Jesus. She was very different from Nicodemus.
August 1, 2009
9 Comments
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