Women and Christian Ministry

The day of Pentecost is sometimes called the 'birthday of the church',

and, in Acts 2:17,18, Peter quoted the prophet Joel:

17 In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

So, at the very beginning of the church, Peter affirmed that the Holy Spirit anointed women as well as men to exercise spiritual gifts. It was the original teaching of the apostles.

It is often said that the apostle Paul was against women teaching or having any office in the church, but look at the list of fellow workers he gives at the end of his letter to the Romans!

Romans 16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae. 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, ... 3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. ... 6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was. … 12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.

  
The list continues to v.15 and seems to be a list of accredited ministers

(or at least trustworthy Christians who assisted with the work of the ministry).

About a third of the names are women.

This is in the earliest days of the Christian church!

Phoebe is described as a deacon (the Greek could also be translated 'minister').

Priscilla is mentioned with her husband Aquila: they had been associated with Paul, and we read of them teaching Apollos. Incidentally, Priscilla's name comes first suggesting that she took the lead.(When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately. Acts 18:26)

Romans 16:7 describes Andronicus and Junia as apostles!

Junia is definitely a woman's name (even though one version changed it to Junias!)

So Paul himself recognised women at all levels of ministry in the church from deacons to apostles!

Also, in his letter to the Galatians, he made one of the most progressive statements in the New Testament: There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28

How can anyone think Paul was against women teaching or holding office?