He indicates that the Corinthians were not giving Stephana respect or recognition as a minister, but Paul praises her and her household. Because this passage is so clearly speaking of ministers, many try to maintain that Stephana was an abrieviation for a man's name, but Stephana was a Greek female name, and their arguments are partly based on disbelief that a woman could head a household of ministers.
Another woman who was serving as a pastor or evangelist was the woman John writes the book of 2 John to. He addresses her in Greek as "Eklektee kuria", the first word meaning "Chosen of God," Thayer's definition; and the second word, "Kuria" is the feminine form of "Kuros," which means "supreme in authority"16! John writes to her, "It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us."
2 John 1:4. "In the New Testament, pupils or disciples are called children of their teachers, because the latter by their instruction nourish the minds of their pupils and mould their characters"17. Her "children" are as John's "children" in
3 John 1:4, they are her converts to the truth. Again in verse five he refers to her again as "kuria", such a high feminine title of respect that it is used only these two places in the entire New Testament! She was "beloved" "by all who know the truth" and "supreme in authority"! He warns her of a certain deceiver, "do not take him into your house" as her house was obviously a church meeting place. She was clearly a woman John highly regarded and greatly respected. She may have been the apostle Junia once imprisoned with Paul,
Romans 16:7, as her actual name is never given. Did John carefully hide her real name, the names of the brethren, and the location of the church because the Roman authorities were searching for her and her converts? At the close of 2 John Paul also mentions, "the children of your chosen (or elect) sister send their greetings" which indicates a second woman chosen by God in an ecclesiastical sense.
Teachers: Many of the previously mentioned women, including Priscilla, Junia, and Phoebe, were also teaching as part of being an evangelist, apostle or minister.
In Conclusion:
Eph 4:11-12 "And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ," RSV
Some of God's people are prepared for works of service serving others, "the work of the ministry" by spiritual gifts given by God Himself. God does not consider women to be less deserving of spiritual gifts than men, "For there is no partiality with God"
Romans 2:11. He designed both personalities to work well together as spiritual brothers and sisters. Paul realized that God was without prejudice concerning race or sex, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus18 …heirs according to the promise"
Gal. 3:28-29. Race, social differences, or our gender are not to disqualify a Christian from serving Christ Jesus. There is a oneness in Christ, and a oneness in being heirs. Both men and women understood they were heirs together looking towards Christ's Kingdom and they worked together as apostles, prophets, prophetesses, evangelists, ministers, and teachers using their spiritual gifts to build the early church.
Read about the =EQUAL to SERVE= Conference for Christian Women
held in Atlanta, Georgia, on Pentecost/Memorial weekend, May 25-27, 2001! Men were also welcome. See the PDF or HTML flyer and Reservation form for more details.
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1 Other apostles beyond the twelve include Paul,
Col. 1:1, Barnabas in
Acts 14:3,4; and Epaphroditis, an "apostolon" mentioned in Phil. 2:25; and also many "apostoloi" in
2 Cor. 8:23.
2 "outstanding" or "of note" is from the word episemos Strong's number 1978, defined by Strong's Greek Hebrew Dictionary as "remarkable, eminent".
3 The Greek en. "the preposition en always has the idea of 'within.' In the plural en is translated 'among' although it still has the basic idea of 'within.'" Pg 108, Beyond the Curse by Aida Besancon Spencer.
4 Bible abbreviations are: NIV, New International Version; NAS, New American Standard; NAU New American Standard Update; RSV, Revised Standard Version; KJV King James Version; NKJ, New King James.
5 Thayer's Greek Definitions "a Christian woman at Rome" 2458 Iounias.
6Article by Karen Jo Torjesen, a researcher of this subject, U.S. News and World Report, August 10, 1998, page 52.
7 Ektithemi, Strong's 1620.
8 sunathleo (soon-ath-leh'-o), Strong's 4866, defined as "to wrestle in company with".
9 Phoebe was a diakonos, Strong's 1249, "a Christian teacher and pastor", Translated "minister" in all the following scriptures, Matt. 20:26,
Mark 10:43,
Romans 13:4,8, 2Cor 3:6, 2 Cor 6:4, 2 Cor11:15,23,
Gal. 2:17,
Eph 3:7, 6:21,
Col 1:7,23,25;
Col 4:7 and
1Tim 4:6.
10 sunistao (soon-is-tah'-o); Strong's 4921, to introduce (favorably).
11 Translated as "minister" by Greek scholar Alfred Marshall, The Interlinear NASB-NIV parallel New Testament in Greek and English, page 477.
12prostatis- Strong's 4368, defined by Thayer's as "a woman set over others, a female guardian, a protectress, a patroness, caring for the affairs of others and aiding them with her resources."
13 The KJV and the NKJ are in error in this passage about the female Nympha, see the NIV, NAU, NAS, or RSV which all read "her house".
14 Some translations add "house" or "household of Chloe" which is not in the Greek text.
15 See Thayer's Bible Definitions for tasso, 5021.
16 See Strong's definition 2962
17 Thayer's reference on children, "teknois" Strong's 5043.
18 "in Christ Jesus" indicates in the church, and this oneness refers to the present, not the future. See
Col 1:24, and
Romans 25:5, 16:3,9;
1 Peter 5:14, 1 Thes 3:2.