PAPER III - "The Leading Women Referred to in ACTS"
Course: ACTS OF THE APOSTLES - Winter 2011
Intstructor: Prof. Rod Remin
- Who are the devout women of high standing (1:14; 13:50; 17:4; 17:12; 21:8-9).
- What is the role of women in Acts?
The devout women of high standing in Acts seem to fall into two categories in a certain sense. First mentioned are those who are taken note of for their central role in the faith life of the community, i.e. Mary the mother of Jesus and other women in Acts 1:14; and second, although more frequently referred to, the devout women "of high standing" (13:50; 17:4; 17:12). Additionally, it is worth making note of the fact that Philip's four daughters are mentioned, although unnamed, in 21:8-9 as 'prophetesses', clearly a ministry of value to the Christian community.
From this handful of references to significant women left to us by Luke in the book of Acts we can deduce that women were central to the life of the early Church not solely at the moment of the Incarnation of God in the womb of Mary, but also after His Resurrection and throughout the Church's nascent beginnings. Mary was not only the mother of Jesus bodily, but the formator of Jesus, along with Joseph, in their family home. In Acts, Luke has Mary again in the beginning of the Christian story, now as the mother of Jesus present at the birth of the Church. Further, it is women who throughout Acts will continue to support the new Christian family through their personal resources and spiritual support.
ACTS 1:13-14 -
Authors and commentators since the first centuries of the Church have made note of the fact that woman, in the person of Mary the mother of Jesus, was present from the very conception of the Church. Arguably the beginning of the Church lies with Mary's response to the greeting of the angel Gabriel and her unhesitating assent to God's request that she receive Jesus and have her life utterly transformed by His presence in her and with her. It is noted that "[In Acts] the mention of Mary... at the beginning of the Church recalls her presence at the beginning of Jesus' life and ministry: she is the only one present from the beginning to the end, at infancy, in Jesus' public life and at the post-resurrection gathering". [1]
'The list of apostles is given (minus Judas); "the women" are mentioned, as are Jesus' brothers;... [The sixth century Christian writer] Arator traces the contradistinctions between Mary and Eve. While his main concern is the distinction between Eve, the mother of humankind, and Mary, the mother of God, the narrative frame hints at how the apostles' return to Mary is, as it were, a return into the womb where the Saviour was formed, in order to be reborn in a descent of the Spirit."[2]
Arator wrote regarding Acts 1:13-14 :
They sought by a swift path, with which it was possible to go a mile on their sabbath, the well-known walls where Mary, the gateway of God, the virgin mother of her Creator, formed by her own Son, was sitting at a religious gathering. The second virgin put to flight the woe of Eve's crime; there is no harm done to the sex; she restored what the first took away. Let grief not raise up complaints or vex mourning hearts with groaning over the old law; these very forms of wickedness and crime rather cause delight at this bargain, and a better lot come to the redeemed world from the fall. The person, not the nature [of a woman], caused ruin; in those days [of Eve] a pregnant woman [brought forth] peril. In these [of Mary] one grew great to bring forth God, the one begetting mortal things and the other bearing divine - she through whom the Mediator came forth into the world and carried actual flesh to the heavens.[3] ([brackets] belong to original author)
The membership of the community is worth taking note of . Luke's listing of apostles (1:13) is a typical convention used in what are referred to as 'succession narratives', which means to indicate: "These are the names of those who form the community's leadership and will provide the messianic community's leadership in the Messiah's absence." [4]
Only eleven apostles are named, members of an incomplete apostolic circle. This narrative detail explains the purpose of the subsequent account of Judas' demise... and his replacement's selection...; The inclusion of "certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus" recalls the importance of various women in Jesus' ministry... and makes clear that women will continue to play a significant role in the Church's mission to the end of the earth (see Acts 18).[5]
The role of women disciples is highlighted in Acts 1:13-14 by a simple sentence structure (much less elaborate than those structures utilized in the Synoptics); "The most basic kind of chiasm, an ABA' arrangement, is used by Luke to dignify the role of women in this foundational season of prayer in the Upper Room"; here, the women and Jesus' male family members are situated as equals to Peter, John, and the other apostles:
A (1:13) the remaining eleven apostles praying in the Upper Room
B (1:14a) the unity and continuous nature of the prayer time
A' (1:14b) the women and brothers of Jesus praying in the Upper Room[6]
Tim Perry writes,
What needs to be understood here is that the pattern for the church seen in Acts 2:42-47 actually started in the upper room before Pentecost. In that regard, Acts 1:13-14 can only be treated fairly if it is remembered that women disciples were a key part of that unity in prayer (1:14).
Nothing we have said necessarily affects conclusions on the role of women in regard to church leadership - just their significance as disciples of Jesus Christ...; Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Salome, a number of other unnamed women at the Cross..., as well as others like Joanna and Susanna..., should all be considered as much full-fledged disciples as the Eleven.[7]
Mary, as woman, stands as the prototype of the faithful disciple. She said yes to Jesus in the Church's beginning (or perhaps as the Church's beginning) which was, in a certain sense, the opening of salvation to humanity through her assent to God's plan for creation's redemption over against Eve's rejection of God's express will (Gen. 3). Mary's presence in the Gospels parenthesizes the life of Jesus, she was faithful to God at the beginning of the story of the conception of Jesus and the Church, and faithful at the end, standing at the foot of the Cross at Jesus death. In Acts Mary is present at the Church's beginning, there amongst the apostles in the upper room prior to, and at the day of, Pentecost. "The 'mother of Jesus' appears as one whose faith is not dependant on Jesus' working signs but on her belief in [Him]... for Luke, perseverance is a mark of a disciple... in the end, faith involves 'staying with', remaining with Jesus."[8]
ACTS 13:50 -
In this passage the animosity shown Paul and Barnabas by a group of prominent Jews "and devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city" might have been expected. The Greek terminology used here "suggests that the women were Jewish proselytes... combined with "the Jews" who instigated the protest, indicates that hostilities toward the Christian missionaries originated from within the synagogue and were motivated because of the leaders' "jealousy"."[9] Just as women played a significant, and perhaps central role in the life of the synagogue, so it can be understood how it was that Saul before his conversion to Christ pursued and imprisoned both women and men of the nascent Church, considering Christians of both genders to be equally dangerous (Acts 8:3; 9:2).[10] The power of women being mustered against the apostles being acknowledged in Acts 13:50[11] allows us to recognise the potential for the positive roles of influence within the Church to which Luke repeatedly refers both explicitly and tacitly throughout the book.
ACTS 17:4; 17:12 -
"Not a few leading women" (17:4) joined in Thessalonica to follow the teaching of Paul and Silas, and in Berea "a number of prominent Greek women" (17:12) were added to that number. "Not a few" in NT Greek is a figure of speech used to draw attention to the number, thus indicating the presence of a notable number of women believers. The fact that Luke points out the number of women and that they are "leading women", seemingly in their own right, apparently made later readers uncomfortable to the extent that "one manuscript of Acts inserts a small change so that these women become the wives of the leading citizens rather than the leading women themselves."[12] Noteworthy is the fact that the religious authorities in the synagogue ignore or reject the teachings of Paul and Silas, it is "only the lay people - marginal and female at that - [who] are persuaded by Paul's exegesis."[13] This is hardly a fact that power and status seekers would be drawing attention to by making a record of it as Luke has done in Acts! Interestingly, however, it is these marginal female figures who had the resources to support the fledgling Church[14]; it was their support of Paul and the Christian message that was considered a threat by the local synagogue leaders.[15]
ACTS 21:8-9 -
"Acts 21:9, ... translates literally from the Greek as: 'and to [Philip] there were four virgin daughters (who were) prophesying'... the exact nuance of the participle prophēteuousai is unclear: possibly Spirit-given charismatic speech of some sort, as in 2:17-18; 19:6."[16] Luke uses the Greek word 'parthenoi' (virgins) to describe the daughters of Philip "which in his mind probably indicates a special call that includes prophecy...[17].
While in Luke's gospel he has Elizabeth, Mary, and Anna speak of God's mystery being made manifest in their present circumstances he does not have the prophetess daughters of Philip speak in Acts. Smith asserts that "Luke, 'silences' them, and 'women prophets never utter an actual prophetic utterance in Acts - and therefore within the early Christian missionary enterprise'." Yet, the historian Eusebius leaves account that "the churches in the Asian provinces derived their apostolic origin from [these four women]."[18] Eusebius appears to have been very much struck by the stories he had heard concerning Philip and his daughters.[19]
Eusebius of Caesarea wrote:
In this epistle [to Victor, the bishop of Rome] he [Polycrates] mentions him [John] together with the apostle Philip and his daughters in the following words:
"For in Asia also great lights have fallen asleep, which shall rise again on the last day, at the coming of the Lord, when he shall come with glory from heaven and shall seek out all the saints. Among these are Philip, one of the twelve apostles, ... and his two aged virgin daughters, and another daughter who lived in the Holy Spirit and now rests at Ephesus; and moreover John, who was both a witness and a teacher, who reclined upon the bosom of the Lord, and being a priest wore the sacerdotal plate. He also sleeps at Ephesus."; Proclus... speaks thus concerning the death of Philip and his daughters: "After him there were four prophetesses, the daughters of Philip, at Hierapolis in Asia. Their tomb is there and the tomb of their father." Such is his statement. But Luke, in the Acts of the Apostles, mentions the daughters of Philip, who were at that time at Caesarea in Judea with their father and were honoured with the gift of prophecy; [one of whom, it has been related], rose from the dead.[20]
The women of high standing in Acts were clearly numerous, yet never enumerated in the texts and few were named. In light of the Incarnation and the redemption of both man and woman that was required, presumably because both man and woman were involved in the fall, God invited woman, in the person of Mary, to accept the will of God for the redemption of all creation into her very flesh. The Father chose that humanity would be redeemed by the God-Man through the willing assent of a woman. Further, Mary was at the beginning of the life of Jesus and at his death, then finally she was there at the beginnings of the Church as one held in authority in conjunction with the apostles, she alone named amongst a group of other devout women. As Acts proceeds, more women of high standing are brought forward in the narrative as leaders in the young Church, not least of whom the daughters of Philip who are taken note of for their spiritual gifts rather than social standing. All of the women of Acts stand out for their devotion and commitment to Jesus Christ and his Church through their presence, actions, and gifts. Although we do not hear their voices, we can be certain of their significance to the early Christian community because in Scripture they are remember, recognised, in some cases named, and nevertheless acknowledged - we just wish we could have been left with more!
[1] Martin, Francis, editor. Acts, from the 'Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture; New Testament, vol. V'. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006. P. 13
[2] Martin, 13.
[3] Martin, 13-14.
[4] Wall, Robert C. The Acts of the Apostles, in NIB vol. X. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1994. P. 44.
[5] Wall, 44.
[6] Luter, A.B. Women Disciples and the Great Commission. Trinity Journal 16 (2, 1995) 183-184.
[7] Luter, 184-185.
[8] Smith, Susan E. Women in Mission, From the New Testament to Today. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2007. P. 52-53.
[9] Wall, 196.
[10] Thurston, Bonnie. Women in the New Testament, Questions and Commentary. NY: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1998. P. 118.
[11] Arlandson, James Malcolm. Women, Class, and Society in Early Christianity, Models from Luke-Acts. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1997. P. 130-131.
[12] Gaventa, Beverly Roberts. "Turning the World Upside Down": A Reflection on the Acts of the Apostles", in Shaking Heaven and Earth: Essays in Honour of Walter Brueggemann, and Charles B. Cousar, Christine R. Yoder, Kathleen M. O'Connor, E. Elizabeth Johnson, and Stanley P. Saunders, ed.s. Louisville, KY: WJK Press, 2005. P. 107-108.
[13] Ibid.
[14] Arlandson, 129-131.
[15] Gaventa, 108.
[16] Fitzmyer, Joseph. The Acts of the Apostles, ABC. NY: Doubleday, 1998. P. 689.
[17] Martin, 259.
[18] Smith, 63.
[19] Martin, 259.
[20] Martin, 260.