Barnes in Common

the magazine of Churches Together in Barnes
July/August 2005

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Question Time

Why are there no women disciples?
From Olivia aged 11
We would be shocked by the way women were treated in Jesus' day. They didn’t have the same rights as men. For instance, they were not allowed to become disciples or even supposed to be given a religious education. One rabbi actually said, 'It is better that the words of the law should be burned than that they should be given to a women'. Sadly, Jesus wouldn’t have been taken seriously by anyone, probably not even by women, if he had chosen any women disciples. It would have been something like Sven Goram Erikson picking women to play in the men's England football team!

Jesus also chose men because he wanted his twelve disciples to represent the twelve tribes of Israel – and all tribal leaders had to be men.

But he always treated women as equals, with great compassion and respect. Jesus had women friends (Luke 10:38-42) and helpers (Luke 8:13). It was the women who remained with him when he was crucified and women were the first to visit his burial place on Easter Day. Women were also the first people told to go and share the good news of Jesus' resurrection (Mark 16:6-7). You might also like to look up Acts 16:13; 18:26, Philippians 4:3 and Romans 16:1,7 to see the important role women played in the early Church and then at Galatians 3:28.

Sadly Christians are still divided about the role of women in the Church. What do you think Olivia?

GP

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