Jesus and Women

Jesus treated woman equally in a world where they were considered less than. Note that he spoke to them in public. This was never done. He chatted with the woman at the well (John 4), the woman caught in adultery (John 8), and the widow of Nain, (Luke 7)

He talked to the woman with a bleeding disorder (Luke 8) and a woman in the crowd. (Luke 11) and the woman bent over for eighteen years and also the women near the cross.

He spoke to all of them with kindness and respect. He treated them like equals. He gave us spiritual equality with men by calling us daughters of Abraham. (Luke 13)

He did not gloss over their sins, yet made it clear that each one had the freedom to face up to and deal with their own sin and ask for forgiveness.

Gender was not a barrier then and dear friends, it is not a barrier now. There were woman teachers in Jesus’ time as there are now. Women supported his ministry. Women taught.

Apollos came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. He spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. (From Acts 18:24-26) Note that Priscilla is mentioned first and it is thought that she was the lead teacher of the two.

Later, when Paul seems to speak differently, note that he was speaking of order in the services, not that women should never speak.

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