5745 women

God created both women and men in his image and likeness. Scripture shows women in a variety of roles, playing an important part in God’s salvation plan. In Christ, there is no fundamental distinction between believers on account of gender, race or social status. Women played a significant part in the life of Jesus Christ and in the early church. The NT both records their role and faces the questions thereby raised.

The creation of women

Ge 2:20-24 See also Ge 1:27; Ge 5:1-2; 1Ti 2:13

Women and the fall

1Ti 2:14 See also Ge 3:1-16; 2Co 11:3

Examples of godly women

Ru 1:16-17 Ruth; 1Sa 1:9-28 Hannah; 1Sa 25:2-35 Abigail; Est 4:15-16 Esther; Lk 1:41-45 Elizabeth; Ac 9:36-42 Tabitha

Examples of women who are condemned or judged

2Sa 6:16-23 Michal; 1Ki 21:1-25 Jezebel; Pr 5:1-6 the adulteress The women of Jerusalem: Isa 3:16-4:1; Eze 13:17-23

OT laws concerning women

Ex 21:22-25; Lev 12:1-8; Lev 15:19-30; Dt 22:5

Women in office in the OT

As a judge or leader Jdg 4:4-5

As a prophetess Ex 15:20-21 See also Jdg 4:4; 2Ki 22:14-20; Isa 8:3

As a queen 2Ki 11:1-3 See also 1Ki 10:1-13 pp 2Ch 9:1-12; Est 1:9-21; Est 2:17

Women as wives and mothers in the OT

Pr 12:4 See also Ge 2:24; Ge 21:11-12; Pr 18:22; Pr 31:10-31

Women in the life of Jesus Christ

In the birth narratives Lk 1:26-56; Lk 2:16-19,36-38

In the ministry of Jesus Christ Lk 8:1-3 Jesus Christ respected women and talked to them as individuals with spiritual understanding. This was a considerable deviation from the cultural conventions of the time. See also Mt 9:20-22 pp Mk 5:25-34 pp Lk 8:43-48; Mt 15:21-28 pp Mk 7:24-30; Mk 12:41-44 pp Lk 21:1-4; Lk 10:38-42; Jn 4:7-30; Jn 11:17-44

In the passion narratives Mt 27:55-56 pp Mk 15:40-41 pp Lk 23:49 See also Mt 26:6-13 pp Mk 14:3-9 pp Lk 7:37-38 pp Jn 12:1-8; Mt 27:61 pp Mk 15:47 pp Lk 23:55-56; Mt 28:1-10 pp Mk 16:1-11 pp Lk 24:1-11

Women’s ministry in the early church

As prophets Ac 21:8-9 See also Ac 2:17-18; Joel 2:28-29; 1Co 11:5

As teachers Tit 2:3-5 See also Ac 18:24-26

As deacons Ro 16:1-2 NIV footnote at verse 1. See also 1Ti 3:11 fn

As hostesses Col 4:15 See also Ac 16:15; 1Co 16:19

As workers in the church Ro 16:12 See also Ro 16:6; Php 4:2-3

As an apostle Ro 16:7 Interpreters disagree over whether Junias was a man or a woman, and also over whether Paul meant these two were notable in the ranks of the apostles or were well-known to the apostles.

Instructions to women in the early church community

Their role in the church meetings See also 1Co 11:5-16; 1Co 14:33-35; 1Ti 2:11-12

Their behaviour as Christians 1Ti 2:9-10; 1Ti 5:11-16; Tit 2:3-5; 1Pe 3:1-6

The care of women in the early church community

Ac 6:1; 1Ti 5:1-10

Women as the weaker sex

1Pe 3:7 See also 1Ti 2:13-14

Women and their relationships

Their relationship to God through Jesus Christ Gal 3:26-29

Their relationship to their husbands See also Ro 7:2-3; 1Co 7:1-5,10-16,39-40; Eph 5:22-24,33; Col 3:18; Tit 2:4-5; 1Pe 3:1-6

Their relationship to men 1Co 11:3 Some interpret this as referring to a husband, rather than to men generally. See also 1Co 11:7-12; 1Ti 2:11-12

Feminism and the Bible’s teaching on women

The equality of the sexes and rejection of female subordination 1Co 11:11-12; Gal 3:28

Examples of the abuse of women by men Jdg 11:30-40; Jdg 19:22-30; 2Sa 13:1-20; Ac 16:16-21

Women who are strong role models Jdg 4:4 Deborah; 2Ki 22:14-20 Huldah; Pr 31:10-31 the wife of noble character; SS 3:1-5 the beloved; Ac 16:13-15 Lydia

See also