Women and the 1st Century Jesus Movement

There are no known writings that chronicle the life of Jesus or his teachings during his lifetime; rather there is an accumulation of written sources that arose decades after his death (Seat 8/25). Originally, Jesus’ teachings were passed down orally, but eventually, Christians began to write down the oral traditions decades later after his death, specifically after the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70CE (Seat 8/25). As a result, it is important to note that there is a time discrepancy. Jesus died in 30 CE, but it was not until 70CE that Christians began to write down his teachings; therefore, this time difference has led to different interpretations of his teachings (Seat 9/1). As highlighted by Barbara MacHaffe it is important to note that “our sources of information have been written and interpreted by men, often with unfortunate results” (MacHaffie 1). This means that it is highly possible that “sources of information” regarding the Jesus movement may have been interpreted in such a manner that diminishes women’s contribution to the Jesus movement in the 1st century. However, as Bonnie Thurston explains, a closer analysis of the Gospel of Mark and John and the undisputed epistles of Paul demonstrate that women took an active role in spreading Jesus’ teachings. The women in the gospel undertook leadership positions, and too often demonstrated a stronger faith and understanding of Jesus’ significance in comparison to Jesus’ own apostles.

To begin with, in the Gospel of Mark women are portrayed to be faithful disciples of Jesus whom understand his significance. It is important to note the egalitarian character of the term “disciple”. It is typical to associate “discipleship” as a male role, but as Thurston ind...

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...ignificance in comparison to Jesus’ own apostles. The Gospel of John demonstrates that women were independent and were leaders in spreading Jesus’ message. And lastly, the undisputed epistles of Paul demonstrate that women occupied leadership positions within the Church.

Work Cited

Ehrman, Bart D. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. New York, Oxford University Press, 2000.

MacHaffie, Barbara J. Her Story: Women in Christian Tradition. Minneapolis, Fortress Press, 2006.

Pederson, Rena. The Lost Apostle: Searching the Truth about Junia. San Francisco, Jossey Bass, 2006.

Seat, Karen. Class Lectures. RELI 327: Women and Christianity. Fall Semester 2011.

Thurston, Bonne. Women in the New Testament: Questions and Commentary. Eugene, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2004.