Sunday, April 5, 2020

30 New Days - Day 19

The 19th  day of a 30 day devotional Bible Study by the Rev. Tracy A. Siegman, Senior Pastor FCC, Covington, KY.  Shared with her gracious permission.

If you read the suggested passage each day, by the end of 30 days you will have read the entire New Testament.

Day 19
30-day reading plan: Romans 9 – 16

Daily Verse: Romans 16: 7
Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.

Paul writes about wives submitting to their husbands in Ephesians and Colossians. And, he wrote that women should be quiet in church and dress modestly in 1 Timothy 2. For these Scriptures, Paul often is thought of as being tough on women. However, we owe it to Paul and women of faith to give Paul’s works a closer look. Evidence of his writings suggest that Paul is more supportive of women in church leadership than many give him credit.

Paul worked with many women and counted them as faithful ministry partners. Throughout his letters, Paul names 12 women who were involved in his ministry: Chloe, Nympha, Apphia, Lydia, Mary, Tryphena, Tryphosa, Persis, Priscilla, Euodia, Syntyche and Junia.

Junia is a girl’s name. That’s right. Paul listed a woman among the apostles. Priscilla and her husband Aquila were prominent missionaries, especially in Ephesus. Priscilla is believed to be the leader while her husband helped in her ministry based on the evidence that her name is listed prior to his name in most places. Phoebe was a deacon

These partners of Paul leave us a tradition of strong roles of leadership for women in the church. Women have done great work throughout the history of the church in mission and justice work. And, what would a funeral dinner be without the important ministry women offer grieving families.

Question for reflection:
Who are the women in your church who have been faithful workers?

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