Mary the mother of Jesus, Elizabeth her relative (mother of John the Baptist), Mary Magdalene, and Mary and Martha of Bethany, are among those women who are named in the New Testament, but there are many unnamed and others whose existence we can only infer. Women are mentioned in the Gospels (Matthew 9:20-22; 14:21; 15:22; 26:7-13; Mark 1:31; Luke 13:11-13; John 4:7-26), and in Acts we hear of women as well as men imprisoned for their faith (Acts 8:3; 9:2).

Mary of Bethany sat at his feet as a disciple and anointed him for his death. Many women followed Jesus from Galilee, Mary Magdalene, Salome (mother of the sons of Zebedee), Joanna (wife of Herod’s steward), and Susanna, provided financially out of their own means for Jesus ministry. The Gospels report that women disciples played key roles. After his resurrection it was women to whom Jesus first appeared, especially Mary Magdalene.

Yet the role of women in the life of the early church, has often been overlooked. Romans 16 gives evidence of the extent and depth of female participation and leadership in the apostolic church. Phoebe (Romans 16:1) is the only named deacon in the New Testament, she performed a valuable ministry at Cenchreae, the Corinthian port. Prisca (Priscilla) and her husband Aquila (Romans 16:3) were among the most prominent of Paul’s fellow-workers, and Prisca, usually mentioned first, was active. Expelled as Jews from Rome, they met Paul in Corinth and were left by him at Ephesus, where they catechised the convert, Apollos (Acts 18:24-28). Their reputation was such that all the Gentile churches gave thanks for them (1 Corinthians 16:19), (2 Timothy 4:19). Andronicus and Junia (Romans 16:7) were probably husband and wife (Junia is a common Roman name for a woman; the masculine “Junias”, is otherwise unknown), are mentioned as outstanding apostles, having become Christians before Paul himself. Paul lists other friends (Romans 16:8-15), including women, but we know only their names: Tryphaena, Tryphosa, Persis, Rufus’ mother Julia, and Nereus’ sister.

Other women besides Prisca had churches gather in their homes: Mary, mother of John Mark, at Jerusalem (Acts 12:12), and Nympha at Laodicea (Colossians 4:15). Timothy’s mother Eunice and grandmother Lois were women of faith (2 Timothy 1:5). There are many women who “struggled hard in the work of the gospel . . . whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3), demonstrating in practice that men and women are equal in Christ.