Women in the Early Christian Church
St. Paul the Apostle statue in St. Peter’s Square
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
English Translation
There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female ; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.[2]
Original Greek
οὐκ ἔνι Ἰουδαῖος οὐδὲ Ἕλλην, οὐκ ἔνι δοῦλος οὐδὲ ἐλεύθερος, οὐκ ἔνι ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ · πάντες γὰρ ὑμεῖς εἷς ἐστε ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ.[1]
These words from his letter to the Galatians is just one example of the precedent Paul the Apostle set for the equality of women in the early Christian church. Writing in the mid-first century CE, Paul had great influence over early Christian philosophy, especially over the congregations which he formed in Greece and Asia Minor. Though he never explicitly endorses women having positions in the church, his mentioning of women in important roles seems to suggest that he had no problem with it, which adds to his general message of inclusiveness and equality.[3]
And it makes sense that women would have an important place in the church - they provided the churches! In Roman society, women were absolutely treated as inferior and subservient to men, yet for the most part Roman husbands kept to war and the forum and gave their wives control over the household.[4] This is crucial, because early on in Christian history the church was not a “public institution,” as Bart Ehrman, author of A Brief Introduction to the New Testament puts it. Instead, Christians met in “house churches,” which were primarily offered by wealthier Christian women.
Therefore it is no surprise that Paul mentions plenty of women in his letters, particularly in his Letter to the Romans, which was delivered by a messenger named Phoebe:
English Translation
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a
deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so
that you may welcome her in the Lord as
is fitting for the saints, and help her in
whatever she may require from you, for
she has been a benefactor of many and of
myself as well. Greet Priscilla… Greet
Mary, who has worked very hard among
you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my
relatives who were in prison with me;
they are prominent among the apostles,
and they were in Christ before I was…
Greet those workers in the Lord,
Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the
beloved Persis, who has worked hard in
the Lord… Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus
and his sister, and Olympas, and all the
saints who are with them.[6]
Original Greek
Συνίστημι δὲ ὑμῖν Φοίβην
τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἡμῶν, οὖσαν καὶ
διάκονον τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς
ἐν Κεγχρεαῖς, ἵνα αὐτὴν
προσδέξησθε . ἐν κυρίῳ
ἀξίως τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ
παραστῆτε αὐτῇ ἐν ᾧ ἂν ὑμῶν
χρῄζῃ πράγματι, καὶ γὰρ αὐτὴ
προστάτις πολλῶν ἐγενήθη
καὶ ἐμοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ἀσπάσασθε
Πρίσκαν… ἀσπάσασθε
Μαριάμ, ἥτις πολλὰ
ἐκοπίασεν εἰς ὑμᾶς.
ἀσπάσασθε Ἀνδρόνικον καὶ
Ἰουνίαν τοὺς συγγενεῖς μου
καὶ συναιχμαλώτους μου,
οἵτινές εἰσιν ἐπίσημοι ἐν
τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, οἳ καὶ πρὸ
ἐμοῦ γέγοναν ἐν
Χριστῷ...ἀσπάσασθε
Τρύφαιναν καὶ Τρυφῶσαν
τὰς κοπιώσας ἐν κυρίῳ.
ἀσπάσασθε Περσίδα τὴν
ἀγαπητήν, ἥτις πολλὰ
ἐκοπίασεν ἐν
κυρίῳ...ἀσπάσασθε
Φιλόλογον καὶ Ἰουλίαν,
Νηρέα καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν
αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ὀλυμπᾶν καὶ τοὺς
σὺν αὐτοῖς πάντας ἁγίους.[5]
The number of praises for many women here is absolutely astonishing when compared to the treatment of women in similar literature of the time. In particular, his notes about Phoebe and Junia show his admiration for women; the fact that he would call one “worthy of the saints” and another “of note among the apostles” without mention of their sex or some sort of ‘exceptionality considering their sex,’ which other authors of the age would have mentioned, is a testament (see what I did there) to the fact that his churches were built on the principle of gender equality.
Frescoes of St. Paul and Thecla made in the 6th Century, found near the ruins of Ancient Ephesus
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
These sentiments, however, go far beyond Pauline literature. In The Acts of Thecla , an apocryphal text not included in the Bible, a brave young woman named Thecla hears Paul preach about marriage and chastity and decides to cancel her wedding.[7] After refusing to give up her faith, her mother and ex-fiance report her to the local authorities. Thecla is given the death penalty and is thrown into an arena with man-eating seals. After baptizing herself in the water, God strikes that pool with a lightning bolt, killing the seals but not her. Later, she is given the authority to preach. Her book may have not made it into the New Testament, but given the fact that her Acts have been found in Greek, Armenian, Latin, and Syriac, Thecla was likely celebrated throughout the Christian world.[8] And Thecla was not the only woman preaching in the church: “Women could participate in his [Paul’s] churches as ministers, prophets, and even apostles…”[9] This means that women were often the ones organizing meetings, teaching the public, and creating new doctrine. The amount of influence women had was quite impressive, considering where they stand in the modern church, in which women in many denominations cannot preach, and even in more open sects it is rare to see women preachers.
Unfortunately, this prosperity for women within the church did not last for very long. In fact, one of Paul’s “Pastoral Epistles,” 1 Timothy, has a very striking emphasis on men:
English Translation
...also that the women should dress
themselves modestly and decently in
suitable clothing, not with their hair
braided, or with gold, pearls, or expensive
clothes, but with good works, as is proper
for women who profess reverence for
God. Let a woman learn in silence with full
submission. I permit no woman to teach
or to have authority over a man; she is to
keep silent. For Adam was formed first,
then Eve... and Adam was not deceived,
but the woman was deceived and became
a transgressor. Yet she will be saved
through childbearing, provided they
continue in faith and love and holiness,
with modesty.[11]
Original Greek
...ὡσαύτως καὶ γυναῖκας ἐν
καταστολῇ κοσμίῳ μετὰ
αἰδοῦς καὶ σωφροσύνης
κοσμεῖν ἑαυτάς, μὴ ἐν
πλέγμασιν καὶ χρυσίῳ ἢ
μαργαρίταις ἢ ἱματισμῷ
πολυτελεῖ, ἀλλ’ ὃ πρέπει
γυναιξὶν ἐπαγγελλομέναις
θεοσέβειαν, δι’ ἔργων
ἀγαθῶν. γυνὴ ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ
μανθανέτω ἐν πάσῃ ὑποταγῇ ·
διδάσκειν δὲ γυναικὶ οὐκ
ἐπιτρέπω, οὐδὲ αὐθεντεῖν
ἀνδρός, ἀλλ’ εἶναι ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ.
Ἀδὰμ γὰρ πρῶτος ἐπλάσθη,
εἶτα Εὕα · καὶ Ἀδὰμ οὐκ
ἠπατήθη, ἡ δὲ γυνὴ
ἐξαπατηθεῖσα ἐν
παραβάσει γέγονεν.
σωθήσεται δὲ διὰ τῆς
τεκνογονίας, ἐὰν μείνωσιν
ἐν πίστει καὶ ἀγάπῃ καὶ
ἁγιασμῷ μετὰ σωφροσύνης.[10]
This chapter in subjugation of women is not only disgusting, but the latter half about Adam and Eve has formed an argument that has been used against women’s involvement in churches for nearly the past 2,000 years. And shockingly, Paul did not write it. It wasn’t a reversal of opinions, but instead someone writing letters posing as Paul in order to wedge his (I’m going to go ahead and assume it was a man) opinion into the church. We do not know who wrote it, but we do have a few clues.[12] This letter, along with 2 Timothy and Titus, collectively called the “Pastoral Epistles,” was written by someone in either the late 1st century or early 2nd century CE. They were written to organize the church the way the author wanted and to root out certain “heresies.” One such heresy was Gnosticism, which was a general belief that an imperfect being created the world, not God, and that one could attain redemption by having the knowledge (Greek: gnosis) that the material body doesn’t matter spiritually.[13] Though the forgeries were bad enough, though common in ancient writing,[14] they also included vandalism, as seen in 1 Corinthians:
English Translation
As in all the churches of the saints,
women should be silent in the churches.
For they are not permitted to speak, but
should be subordinate, as the law also
says. If there is anything they desire to
know, let them ask their husbands at
home. For it is shameful for a woman to
speak in church.[16]
Original Greek
ὡς ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις
τῶν ἁγίων. Αἱ γυναῖκες ἐν
ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις
σιγάτωσαν, οὐ γὰρ
ἐπιτρέπεται αὐταῖς λαλεῖν ·
ἀλλὰ ὑποτασσέσθωσαν,
καθὼς καὶ ὁ νόμος λέγει. εἰ δέ
τι μαθεῖν θέλουσιν, ἐν οἴκῳ
τοὺς ἰδίους ἄνδρας
ἐπερωτάτωσαν, αἰσχρὸν γάρ
ἐστιν γυναικὶ λαλεῖν ἐν
ἐκκλησίᾳ.[15]
In this particular case, the job was even done quite sloppily, because Paul mentions women without the same bigotry just three chapters before. Also, if you look at the Greek of this passage and the one before it, you can see that they share very similar sentiments written in very similar ways. This opinion seems to have been slipped into the chapter, and even into the argument. If you look at the passages around this excerpt, it is clear that it has nothing to do with its surroundings:
English Translation
For you can all prophesy one by one, so
that all may learn and all be encouraged.
And the spirits of prophets are subject to
the prophets, for God is a God not of
disorder but of peace… Or did the word of
God originate with you? Or are you the
only ones it has reached? Anyone who
claims to be a prophet, or to have spiritual
powers, must acknowledge that what I
am writing to you is a command of the
Lord.
Original Greek
δύνασθε γὰρ καθ’ ἕνα
πάντες προφητεύειν, ἵνα
πάντες μανθάνωσιν καὶ
πάντες παρακαλῶνται καὶ
πνεύματα προφητῶν
προφήταις ὑποτάσσεται, οὐ
γάρ ἐστιν ἀκαταστασίας ὁ
θεὸς ἀλλὰ εἰρήνης…[previous
passage here]... ἢ ἀφ’ ὑμῶν ὁ λόγος
τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξῆλθεν, ἢ εἰς ὑμᾶς
μόνους κατήντησεν; Εἴ τις
δοκεῖ προφήτης εἶναι ἢ
πνευματικός,
ἐπιγινωσκέτω ἃ γράφω ὑμῖν
ὅτι κυρίου ἐστὶν.
A further crushing blow seems to be an attack on women in scripture, for even The Acts of Thecla was shrugged off as an “old wives’ tale” in 1 Timothy.[19] It appears that as the number of house churches decreased, sexist ideas from mainstream Roman society were seeping into Christianity: “When churches acquired a more public character [as opposed to the ‘house churches’ predominantly run by women]… men appear to have asserted more fully their gender claims and removed women from positions of authority.”[20] It seems clear that prejudices against women were not removed from the minds of men during the earlier period of equality. When women lost their primary source of control in the church, some men decided to use this vulnerability to assert their own control, and thus push women to the side.
This change didn’t happen overnight, however. It probably happened all throughout the second century, though the earliest public Christian church building found by archaeologists has been dated to around the year 250.[21] Anyway you slice it, the role of women in the church was severely diminished. The amount of equality women experienced in the first and second centuries CE is still yet to be re-established. However, dear reader, do not give up hope, for, though the day-to-day lives of women in the church were hard, women did have their time in limelight. For the most part, these women will not be members of the clergy but instead their fame will come through saintly stories, such as that of St. Joan. Most notably among such stories in the Roman world were those of St. Blandina and St. Perpetua, martyred in Lyon and Carthage, respectively. Though I suppose this fame is little compensation for the loss of equality, this has been, is, and, at least for the time being, will be, the primary source of recognition for women in the Christian church.
Notes
[1] SBL Greek New Testament, Gal. 3:28
[2] New Revised Standard Version Bible, Gal. 3:28
[3] Bart D. Ehrman, A Brief Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), 284-85
[4] Bart D. Ehrman, A Brief Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), 293
[5] SBL Greek New Testament , Romans 16:1-15
[6] New Revised Standard Version Bible, Romans 16:1-15
[7] Bart D. Ehrman, A Brief Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), 294
[8] Jeremy W. Barrier, The Acts of Paul and Thecla: A Critical Introduction and Commentary (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012), xiii
[9] Bart D. Ehrman, A Brief Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), 289
[10] SBL Greek New Testament , 1 Timothy 2
[11] New Revised Standard Version Bible, 1 Timothy 2
[12] Bart D. Ehrman, A Brief Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), 279-282.
[13] Note that this is a very broad definition. Gnosticism was not a formal sect and is a modern term used to describe an entire range of beliefs.
[14] Bart D. Ehrman, A Brief Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), 265.
[15] SBL Greek New Testament , 1 Corinthians 14:33-35
[16] New Revised Standard Version Bible , 1 Corinthians 14:33-35
[17] SBL Greek New Testament , 1 Corinthians 14:31-33, 36-37
[18] New Revised Standard Version Bible, 1 Corinthians 14:21-33,36-3 7
[19] Bart D. Ehrman, The New Testament and Other Early Christian Writings: A Reader (New York: Oxford University Press, 2004), 177
[20] Bart D. Ehrman, A Brief Introduction to the New Testament (New York: Oxford University Press, 2013), 295.
[21] Ibid. pg. 331.