05/28/2026
🕊️ The First Apostles Were Women
“The first apostles were women. That is not a feminist slogan; it is a historical fact.”
— N.T. Wright, Lecture on the Resurrection, 2008
For centuries, the Church has often treated women’s witness as something to be tolerated rather than trusted. Yet the Gospel begins with Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and Salome standing in the places where many had fled — at the cross, at the tomb, and at the dawn of resurrection. These were disciples in every meaningful sense of the word. They followed Jesus, learned from him, supported his ministry, and remained when others could not.
The wound this quote exposes is not only historical — it’s spiritual. Many of us inherited a version of faith that centered men by default, leaving the rest of the story dimmed or distorted. But Jesus never taught that. The Gospels don’t hide these women; they highlight them.
When Mary Magdalene heard her name spoken by the risen Christ, she became the first preacher of Easter. Joanna and the others carried the same message — not as exceptions, but as trusted witnesses. Revelation did not wait for permission. Jesus entrusted the most world‑changing truth to those society dismissed. That is not rebellion — it is redemption.
“Go and tell my brothers, ‘I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
– John 20:17 (NIV)
In that moment, the hierarchy cracked open. Love spoke through voices long ignored, and history began again.
What if the resurrection is still asking us to believe the voices we were taught to overlook?
🤟 Royce
