Women, Called and Serving in Leadership

Jesus Commanded Women to Go and Preach

October 4, 2008 on 11:15 pm | In Women in Ministry | 1 Comment

Let’s look at the book of Acts and see its witness of women preaching the Word and testifying as His witnesses.

Acts 10:40-42 “God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, 41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42 “And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

Who ate with Jesus after he rose from the dead?

Luke 24:33 And they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found gathered together the eleven and those who were with them,
Who are “those that were with them”? In Acts 1:14-15 we find that these were 120 in number and included men and women.

Luke 24:41-43 While they still could not believe it because of their joy and amazement, He said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave Him a piece of a broiled fish; 43 and He took it and ate it before them.

Who are “those that were with the eleven” and ate with Jesus?

In the book of Acts we find those that were with the eleven numbered 120 and were made up of both male and females.

(Acts 1:14-15) These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers. 15) At this time Peter stood up in the midst of the brethren (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty persons was there together), and said,

Peter in Acts 10:41-42 is referring to the words Jesus spoke to ALL those who ate with him that day – both male and female.

Luke 24:46-48 and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 “You are witnesses of these things.

Now, you may say that I’m assuming too much because I can’t specifically prove that on that day “those with them” were both male and female.

Let’s look at another section from Acts where we can specifically place women as those who were commanded to witness and to preach.

Acts 13:31-32 and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people. 32 “And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers,

The Greek word translated as “preach” means “to publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done, public proclamation of the gospel and matters pertaining to it.”

Women as well as men had come up with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem.

Matthew 27:55-56 Many women were there looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee while ministering to Him. 56) Among them was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Mark 15:40-41 there were also some women looking on from a distance, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and Joses, and Salome. 41 When He was in Galilee, they used to follow Him and minister to Him; and there were many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

Luke 23:49 And all His acquaintances and the women who accompanied Him from Galilee were standing at a distance, seeing these things.

It is undeniable that both men and women came up to Jerusalem from Galilee with Jesus. Paul in Acts 13:31-32 said those who did so are now His witnesses and preach the good news of Jesus Christ.

In Acts 8 we find the church being persecuted and scattered. We know the scattered church contained both men and women because in Acts 8:3 Saul ravaged the church dragging off both men and women and putting them in prison Acts 9:1-2 Saul receives permission to go to Damascus to persecute any of The Way – both men and women.

Acts 8:4 says, “those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.”

Acts 11:19 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.