Does God Allow Women to Preach & Teach? By Brett Keane

Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna were three of Jesus’s female disciples according to Luke 8:1-3: “After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.” Do you get this? Not only are we told about the Twelve, and then these 3 women by name, but we’re also told that there were “many others” [meaning, many other women] who not only followed Jesus around [which is the very definition of a Disciple in relation to a traveling Rabbi], but that they also supported Jesus financially. Translation: They were active members of the ministry with skin in the game who put their money and their time into the cause of Christ. We’re also told that there were 3 women who were the first eyewitnesses to the Resurrection of Christ in Mark 16:1-3: “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices, so that they might come and anoint Him.” Later, it is the same Mary Magdalene who is commissioned by Jesus as the “Apostle to the Apostles” [because “Apostle” means “sent one” and she was sent by Jesus to testify to his resurrection]. And in the earliest Christian Church movement, women continued to be honored and included as Deacons, Elders, Prophets, Teachers, [yes, even as Apostles], throughout the later ministry of Paul and the other Apostles. Women were not only included, they were honored, revered, appreciated and named.