Let me first start by saying this isn’t a post to start controversy, no, not at all. However, it is a post to point some things out. Today there is a push for women to sit by silently and let the men do the work. Men can care for, disciple, train, lead and even admonish women, yet women are not allowed to reciprocate that type of work. Women are to sit silently by, waiting tables, keeping the kids quiet, taking care of the home, while the men go out and do the “real work of ministry. Many men have rewritten ecclesiological history basing their theological conclusions off of a handful of verses. Well what does Paul think?

Romans 16 provides us with a totally different perspective of womanhood and manhood in the church, at least at Rome. Here is what Paul says:

16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well. 3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

Jon Zens whose latest book “What is With Paul and Women” says this:

Paul designated Priscilla and Aquila as his “coworkers”(cf. Rom. 16:3). The same word, sunergos, issued with reference to people like Timothy and Titus. Junia and Andronicus [wife/husband or sister/brother] were greeted by Paul as “outstanding among the apostles” (cf. Rom. 16:7). They were his relatives and had been in prison with him. Clearly, there were many identified as “apostles,” like Barnabas, who were not among the original Twelve. Junia was also among such apostolic workers. There is no reason to think that she was the only such female apostle or that female apostles were regarded as rare or unusual. This illustrates that apostolic labor was not male-specific. Among all the people Paul greeted in Romans 16, ten were sisters among whom were “Tryphena and Tryphosa [who may have been twins], women who work hard for the Lord” (cf. Rom. 16:12).

In other words, women were not just passive, standbyers waiting to be told what to do by men. They were filled with God’s Spirit, which means they were gifted just like men and these gifts were used to build the Church along side of their fellow Spirit filled male contemporaries.

If the Church is to be all that it can be, then we have to allow all who are gifted to operate in their gifts. This is not exclusive to women but also children who are filled with the Spirit. As the Body we dont’ want to mute anyone who can speak on the behalf of God, rather that is gender, age, or tenure in the faith. All of God’s people can speak, can be used and can “bear burdens”, “admonish”, “teach”, “encourage” and “edify”. As Paul says “when Jesus ascended He gave gifts unto men” these gifts are to be used for His body and these gifts are not exclusive to any specific demographic as all are “one in Christ”.

spiritual gifts, women