07/25/2025
Theology that silences the voice of women is not biblical; it is trauma masquerading as orthodoxy. True Christianity dignifies, heals, and calls forth the full embodiment of women in every sphere.
New Testament Evidence for Women’s Full Inclusion in Ministry:
• Romans 16:1 – Paul honors Phoebe as a minister (diakonon)—a title Paul uses for himself and others in leadership. He doesn’t minimize her; he uplifts her.
• Romans 16:3 – Priscilla is named before her husband five of seven times. Paul saw her not as an appendage, but a co-laborer. Women were at the table, not just in the kitchen.
• Romans 16:7 – Junia is called “outstanding among the apostles.” Paul does not erase her. He celebrates her.
• 1 Corinthians 11:5 – Women are described as praying and prophesying in public worship. No rebuke, no shame—only inclusion.
• Galatians 3:28 – In Christ, hierarchy dies. There is no longer “male or female”—only oneness. Gender-based hierarchy is not God’s design; it is the wound of Genesis 3:16, which Christ came to heal.
• Ephesians 5:21-33 – Paul calls both husbands and wives to mutual submission. Christ does not dominate the Church; He dies for her.
• Philippians 4:3 – Euodia and Syntyche are named by Paul as co-workers, struggling alongside him in the gospel. Not subordinates. Equals.
• 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 & 1 Timothy 2:11-12 – These verses are often weaponized. But context matters. Paul was addressing specific dysfunction in specific churches. He never intended to build a theology of silence on isolated verses.
• 1 Timothy 3:2, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-4 – “One-woman man” is about marital fidelity, not gender exclusivity. Male leadership is assumed—not commanded. Character, not gender, is Paul’s concern.
Old Testament and Gospel Witnesses to Women in Spiritual Leadership:
• Genesis 1:26-27 – Both male and female are made in God’s image and entrusted with dominion—not domination.
• Genesis 2:18 – Ezer Kenegdo is the woman’s title. It means “powerful ally,” a word often used for God. She is not a subordinate; she is a rescuer.
• Genesis 2:23 – Adam recognizes the woman as his equal, not his property.
• Genesis 3:16 – The hierarchy introduced after the Fall is not God’s design—it is the result of sin. Jesus came to reverse the curse, not baptize it.
• Exodus 15:20 – Miriam, a prophetess, leads Israel in song and prophecy.
• Judges 4-5 – Deborah governs as a judge and prophet. Men sought her counsel. God ordained her authority.
• 2 Kings 22-23 – Huldah speaks God’s word to kings. Her voice carries the weight of divine instruction.
• Joel 2:28 / Acts 2:17 – Sons and daughters will prophesy. Pentecost is not a boys’ club.
• Matthew 28:19-20 – Jesus commands all to baptize and teach. No footnotes. No exclusions.
• Mark 16:15 – Preach. The. Gospel. Everyone. Everywhere.
• Luke 24:10 – Women were the first to proclaim the resurrection. The first preachers of the Gospel were women.
• John 4:39 – The Samaritan woman becomes the first evangelist to her city. Jesus not only saw her—He sent her.
• Acts 1:14 – Women were in the Upper Room. Women received the Spirit. Women led.
If the Church does not affirm and empower the full voice of women, it is not Christ it follows—but cultural patriarchy.
The work of Christ is always the work of restoration, and restoration always includes the restoration of the feminine voice. Anything less is not the Gospel.
Such a helpful list. Thanks for your tireless effort.
