The phrase “Women in the Bible” refers to not just the few women, or even many, but literally hundreds of females who are mentioned in the Bible. They include well-known matriarchs and prophetesses as well as disciples and ordinary community members of the Bible, known as biblical women or women of the Bible.
The article examines how their responses led to key moments, how their examples of faith and courage—and even fear and forgetfulness—can help their sister readers grow spiritually and discover ways to better serve and lead. It delves into their riveting stories and highlights women in history whose lives and work have made an impact and contributed to the foundational teachings of the Christian faith. The commentary reflects on each of their narratives, their joint impact on Bible history, and the eternal lessons from their experiences.
What are some important stories in the Bible about women?
The powerful stories and influence of women in the Bible show their vital role in God’s plan, from the patriarchal order of the beginning days all the way through to the early Christian church. These are women who exemplify many facets of the human condition — faith, leadership, sacrifice, perseverance — often under difficult circumstances. Many of what they did and decided had great ripple effects: leading to pivotal biblical events, appearances in Christ’s genealogy, salvation of cities, and to the promulgation of the Gospel. The influence of women in the Bible continues to be felt beyond their time and place in history as they serve as inspirations for faithful people throughout the ages.
What position did women have in the Old Testament stories?
Departing from this mode of mythological articulation is, however, the great number and variety of women who figure in the narratives of the Old Testament as matriarchs, prophetesses, military leaders, and agents of divine predestination. Their narratives often emphasize covenant, lineage, and the sustainment of Israel. There are many instances of such influential women or those whose actions changed history for their tribe.
What did the matriarchs add to the covenant?
The matriarchs joined in the foundational covenant by sustaining the lineage which had been designated as the medium for bringing to realization the commitment of God’s covenant to Abraham. There are four main matriarchs in these stories—Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah.
- Sarah, Abraham’s wife, is promised a son, Isaac, in her old age, in the midst of her barrenness. Her faith, like that of many other believers, perhaps was at times shaken, but in the end this promise was fulfilled, thus securing the lineage of the people of Israel.
- Rebekah, as Isaac’s wife, made Jacob, being the younger of the two, receive the “greater blessing” (portion) of the firstborn. Her behavior, while controversial, had the effect of fulfilling the patriarchal blessing in the way it was inspired to be directed.
- Rachel and Leah, Jacob’s wives, are the heads of the families of the twelve tribes of Israel.
- Leah had six sons including Judah, from whom King David and later Jesus Christ would spring forth.
- Rachel gave birth to Joseph (who would later rescue his family from famine in Egypt) and Benjamin.
These women, by virtue of having children and engaging the family life, shaped the fulfillment of the covenant promise of God themselves, illustrating how details of human existence intersect with God’s purposes. Together their stories take us back more than 200 years to the era of the foundation.
What instances of leadership and prophecy are there of Old Testament women?
There are examples of both leadership and prophecy among Old Testament women, demonstrating the biblical standard of a woman’s ability to have spiritual authority and to lead other women in the Lord.
- Miriam, the sister of Moses and Aaron, is called a prophetess (Exodus 15:20). After the crossing of the Red Sea, she initiated the women of Israel into a song of praise while demonstrating communal leadership.
- Another well-known example, besides a judge and a prophetess, is the case of Deborah. She ruled Israel for 20 years and led the Hebrews to victory over the Canaanites, her story told in Judges 4 and 5. Deborah’s leadership had multiple facets: her judicial expertise, her prophetic vision, and her military purpose; making her an authority figure unlike any other judge in Israel.
- The prophetess Huldah appears in the Bible (2 Kings 22:14-20; 2 Chronicles 34:22-28). She received a word of prophecy to King Josiah about the long-lost Book of the Law. Her advice validated the text to be authentic and it led to a major revolution of religion in Judah, proving of her esteemed spiritual stature at a crucial time of national repentance.
These three women show us that God has always chosen women with the gift of prophecy and as leaders to shepherd and rescue His people.
In what ways did women act with courage and faith in times of struggle?
Women showed faith and courage in the ‘business-end of life’ and did so with courageous actions, protecting her family, community, and lineage of promise.
- A prostitute named Rahab, in the city of Jericho, showed an extraordinary faith by hiding two Israelite spies, thus saving their lives, and the lives of her own family, and avoiding the destruction of the city, as recounted in Joshua 2. Adopted into the lineage of Christ, her actions were motivated by faith in the God of Israel.
- Ruth, a Moabitess, a widow, demonstrated her loyalty to God by going to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, Naomi, and embracing the God of the Israelites as her God. She was faithful to her work, in the fields, and to custom, and through these she wed Boaz, perpetuating the line of Naomi and becoming an ancestor of King David and Jesus, as documented in the Book of Ruth.
- Esther, the Jewish queen of Persia, showed great courage by placing her life in jeopardy and facing the powerful King Ahasuerus uninvited in order to save her people from the vile plot of Haman. Because of the wisdom of her strategizing, and her bravery in the face of death, the Jewish people are saved, as we read in the Book of Esther.
So it was that these three women and others like them resolutely and courageously responded in times that risked their lives or the life of their people, expressing and confirming their faith and influence.
How did women affect New Testament world, in Jesus’s life and in the early church?
The role of women in the New Testament was immense, specifically in Jesus’ life and in the establishment and growth of the early church. They were the most enthusiastic of Jesus’ disciples, the primary witnesses to His resurrection, and core members of the earliest Christian communities. Their service included giving financially, practical help on evangelistic teams as well as in leadership.
In what ways did women serve in the ministry of Jesus?
Women worked in the ministry of Jesus by their steadfast discipleship, their economic provision, and their mobilization.
- Mary, the mother of Jesus, occupies a singular and foundational role in receiving the call of God to bring the Son of God into the world and raising Him in the course of His early childhood. Her “yes” to God’s plan commenced the incarnation.
- There were other women who accompanied Jesus always and everywhere, even as He and His disciples traveled. In Luke 8:1-3, we are told that Jesus and His disciples were sustained in their mission by a company of women, including Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna, who provided for them out of their own substance. This support was vital for the itinerant ministry of Jesus.
- Women were there at Jesus’ most crucial moments of His earthly ministry, at His crucifixion, when all of the male disciples had fled. They were the first to discover the empty tomb on resurrection morning and the first to witness the risen Christ, whom they were instructed to labor for on earth by spreading the news to the apostles of His resurrection as recorded in Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20. This position as the bearers of the news of the resurrection marks their central role.
- Mary Magdalene is also stated, in the Gospels, to be exorcized of seven demons, and thereafter was a close follower.
- Martha and Mary of Bethany welcomed Jesus into their home, where they exchanged significant theological conversation; Mary sat at Jesus’ feet as a disciple would, while Martha served.
These women are an embodiment of a discipleship of service and learning, indicating their central status and active roles within the ministry of Jesus on earth.
What did women do in the first church?
Women occupied important and active roles within the emerging Christian church, its growth, organization, and mission. They were involved in such diverse activities as leadership, teaching, hospitality, and evangelism.
- Priscilla (who was often spoken of with her husband Aquila) is a case in point. Acts 18:26 provides evidence that Priscilla was involved in the “oral training” of an eloquent and competent speaker. While the original text of Acts uses the name “Priscilla,” together with her husband, in Priscilla’s own handwriting from that period she constantly uses the name “Prisca” (its Latin form). Their house was also a meeting place for the church (Romans 16:5). In Romans 16:1–2, the Apostle Paul sends greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, a married couple who were working as missionaries in Corinth, and to the church that was meeting in their house, and sends greetings to another of his associates named Timothy, the household of Aristobulus, Herodion, the household of Narcissus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brethren who were with them. This lady was obviously one who held some office, and afforded great help to the Christian community.
- Junia in Romans 16:7 is said to be “foremost among the apostles,” making her an apostle in the sense of “an authoritative messenger in the early church” the way the Greek word apostle is used elsewhere in scripture. This revelation is evidence of a prominent role in the first church.
- Euodia and Syntyche are called out by Paul, in Philippians 4:2-3, as women who “struggled together with me in the cause of the gospel,” suggesting they were involved in evangelical efforts.
- A businesswoman in Philippi named Lydia became the first recorded European Christian convert when she met with Paul and the women who followed him. Her house served as a meeting place for the first Christians in that city, a sign of her role in the creation and maintenance of a local church.
These show that women were not just passive recipients, but women who were active, involved, and who played significant roles as leaders, teachers, and even financial supporters of the early Christian movement in different localities. The effort output being their core or source of the movement, without which the course on their part and the dissemination wouldn’t have continued.
What lasting message about faith and determination do women of the Bible have to offer?
The accounts of women in the Bible have plenty of lasting insights when it comes to faith and perseverance, serving as role models for those in the faith. These women experienced overwhelming personal, social, and spiritual demands but many of them learned to trust in God and found amazing strength. Many of these stories teach powerful lessons about enduring through desolation, oppression, and social restrictions.
How do the women of the Bible model perseverance in the face of adversity?
Women in the Bible are models of perseverance in the midst of suffering as they remain resolute in the midst of great trials of barrenness, social alienation, and grave danger.
- Sarah endured 70 years of barrenness—in her culture, a source of profound personal and social shame—before giving birth to Isaac at 90, fulfilling the promise of God.
- Hannah, who was also suffering from barrenness and bullying by her rival, continued to pray and was rewarded with a son, Samuel, who became one of the greatest of the prophets. Her account in 1 Samuel 1 provides a model of steadfast prayer and unwavering faith.
- The Shunammite woman, 2 Kings 4, demonstrated incredible perseverance and faith when her son died. She ran immediately to the prophet Elisha and refused to leave his presence until he followed her back and restored her son’s life back to him, an impressive reminder of God’s power through His prophet.
- The Canaanite woman (Syrophoenician woman) whose daughter was possessed by a demon (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30) never gave up the fight pleading for her daughter to Jesus even though Jesus would not initially give her the time of day; in the end, He healed her daughter who was not even present, based upon her great faith.
These four females, and many others, remind us that determination is the answer; along with much prayed-up prayer and steadfast faith that will constantly overcome and climb over seemingly “impossible” mountains, resulting in God snapping His supernatural fingers and fulfilling what He wanted to do in the first place!
What can we learn from women’s narratives about human vocation and divine callings?
Women’s narratives shed light on what it means to be a woman and on one’s divine calling, illustrating how God worked with women in manners that were outside of (or counter to) the cultural norms of their days. Although women were limited by many cultures, the text of the Bible often features women in charge and even God coming in person to speak with them.
- For instance, Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah wielded spiritual authority beyond the household that influenced national decisions and religious practices.
- Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, the five daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 27, demanded their inheritance rights (to their father’s property) as they had no surviving brothers and the rules of inheritance favored male children, and were rewarded with a new and divine law governing property in favor of daughters. This episode illustrates God’s acceptance of both justice and women’s rights in an Israelite (Hebrew) legal context.
- The Samaritan woman at the well, who is mentioned in John 4, had a great theological conversation with Jesus, after which she converted those in her entire town, many of whom believed. Her open witnessing and immediate efforts to lead others to Christ were directly in conflict with the cultural convention of women not speaking to public gathering of men, and her speaking in religious matters.
In these examples it is clearly the calling of God that supersedes human social norms, empowering women to take up key roles in God’s purpose and economy, either in the context of conventional family life or as public leaders and ministers. Their narratives provide evidence that God’s action in the world is determined by his purpose, not by the human-constructed boundaries of society.
On what framework is Christianity laid?
Christianity, as an etic category, defines its central element as the affirmation that Jesus Christ is considered the Son of God. It is a universal religion, with some 2.5 billion followers — around 40% of the world’s population are Christians. The major elements of Christianity are faith in one God, the Holy Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit), the atonement for humankind’s sins through Jesus’ death and resurrection, and the gift of everlasting life after earthly death. Its holiest book is the Bible, which contains the Old and New Testaments.
What is the central teaching of Christianity?
Essential Christian teachings include the Godhead, salvation, and the authority of the Bible and the Trinity: There is one God, who is three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; one God in three persons.
How many branches of Christianity are there?
Christianity divides into three large branches – Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox. These branches alone account for some thousands of denominations and local, independent churches.
What does the meaning of the cross In Christianity?
In the Christian religion, the cross is a symbol of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, whose death paid for the sins of mankind. It is a symbol of repentance, redemption, and the triumph of life over death.
What are the major Christian holidays?
The most important Christian festivals are Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus, and Easter, which commemorates His resurrection. Other major observances are Lent, Advent, Good Friday, and Pentecost.
What is the place of Prayer in the life of a Christian?
Prayer is the vehicle of religion; prayer connects the Christian with God; prayer is that which puts the hand of man in the hand of God. It consists of adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication, as a medium for worship and as a plea for guidance.
