Featured Yes, 12 Disciples were men, but women respected and found empty tomb . . . is this enough so women can be preachers, too?

[Multicolored Lemur]

I think this is the main emotional texture of the decision. And many charismatic churches answer, Yes. Protestant churches in the mainstream answer, Yes.

The Catholic Church, however, answers that only men can be priests.

———

* Evangelical Christian churches I’m not so sure about.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

Bible Gateway passage: Mark 16 - New Living Translation

The Resurrection - Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. On the way they were asking each other...

www.biblegateway.com

1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

——————

I know the two Marys are important and I’ve have heard about them before. I don’t know much about Salome.

All three of these women were brave because they could have been labeled as followers of Jesus. And no one knew how things would go down following the execution of Jesus.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

I don't believe women being at the tomb and associated with the disciples is enough by itself. I'd rather go on an example of a woman serving in a teaching/preaching role.

I remember there being a passage in 1 Timothy that talks about woman teachers. I'd have to read up more in that later on when I get home.

 

[Scooter]

The Bible expressly forbids women from being pastors or deacons. The qualifications for both requires them to be the husband of one wife. Also, the Bible forbids women from exercising authority over men.
1 Tim.3:1-2 This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach…

1Tim.2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

I'd rather go on an example of a woman serving in a teaching/preaching role

I think there’s a woman in one of the gospels who helped finance and support the early Christian movement, maybe ?? Joanna ?? although she may have been someone else.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

Bible Gateway passage: Luke 8 - New Living Translation

Women Who Followed Jesus - Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary...

www.biblegateway.com

Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, 2 along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing from their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples.

4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. . . ”

———

So, not very much is told about Joanna.

* except that her hubby was Herod’s business manager, and so you’d expect her to be on Team Roman. But she liked Team Jesus.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

1Tim.2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence

This was one the verses I was looking for. Reading it today, compared to 10 -15 years ago, feels very different, lol. Main reason because there's been a lot more focus on women's rights so a passage like that would be even harder to accept today then back then.

But then there is this passage...
Titus 2:3-4

3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to
teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children

Factoring in the Titus passage shows me that it's not that women can't teach at all, but rather that they can't teach men. I think that they can't teach men is the safest interpretation, but some do go further to say that women just can't be the head pastor.

Do you see this as sexist? Maybe I can take what comes out of the discussion here and start another thread that focuses on 1 Timothy 2:12.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

Started a thread to respond to the 1 Timothy passage itself because that passage alone is a big problem.

Thread 'Is 2 Timothy 2:11-12 sexist?'

May 9, 2025

Here's one passage that doesn't look good for Christianity, esp. in our day...

2 Timothy 2:11-12 (NASB)

11A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.

Telling a woman to be entirely submissive and quiet in any context would lead to a lot of pushback.

When I first encountered this passage, I was open to it not being sexist. I thought it all depended on if there were any good reasons for why women would need to be submissive. One example where I...

• AgnosticBoy
• Replies: 5
• Forum: Christianity (section 2)

 

[Scooter]

Factoring in the Titus passage shows me that it's not that women can't teach at all, but rather that they can't teach men.

You are absolutely correct. There is nothing wrong with women teaching children or other women. They are simply forbidden from teaching men.

 

[Multicolored Lemur]

You are absolutely correct. There is nothing wrong with women teaching children or other women. They are simply forbidden from teaching men.

Two hearts are better than one for toddler who undergoes historic operation

Stanford Health Care delivers the highest levels of care and compassion. SHC treats cancer, heart disease, brain disorders, primary care issues, and many more.

med.stanford.edu

—————

So only religion . . .

Unlike a woman who’s a surgeon, for example, in which it’s just fine for her to instruct medical residents, in fact full-blown experienced surgeons. Especially in rare procedures like this “piggyback” heart transplant.

And if it’s your family member, don’t you want a surgeon who’s highly trained? Course you do!

And in this case, it’s fine for the boss to be highly demanding and focused on getting the details right. Because it’s important to get those details right.
—————

* The technical name for this procedure is a “heterotopic” heart transplant.