Melania the Elder was a powerful, wealthy, educated woman who influenced and shaped Christianity in the late 300s until her death in 410.
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?
Not all first-century women fit the stereotype of being hidden and housebound. Some were influential and prominent in society and in the church.
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?
Selina Hastings, the Countess of Huntingdon, was a tireless leader and an influential benefactor of the Methodist movement in Britain in the 1700s.
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?
The social world of the Roman Empire was patriarchal. Women were typically thought to be less capable than men, yet they were able to lead in certain contexts. This article describes 4 of these social contexts.
Was Jesus poor? A few verses in the Gospels indicate that Jesus was not as poor as I have previously been led to believe.
Would you like to support my ministry of encouraging mutuality and equality between men and women in the church and in marriage?
© 2022 Marg Mowczko