The Forgotten Women of Galilee

There is an old saying in Christian circles, which is, “women are the backbone of the Church;” and nothing is probably truer than that. In the letters written by the Apostle Paul, several women of the Christian Church are mentioned with the highest respect or support, namely, Phoebe (Romans 16: 1), an unknown Mary (Romans 16: 6), Chloe (I Corinthians 1: 11), Euodia &; Syntche (Philippians 4: 2-3), Nympha (Colossians 4: 13), and others who are either brother and sister or husband and wife. It is curious that the New Testament Scriptures are silent about the lives of the very women who walked, talked, supported the earthly ministry of Jesus, followed Him to ‘Golgotha Hill,’ wept as He was crucified, saw Him after He was resurrected, and one unmarried virgin maiden even carried the infant Jesus in her womb and raised Him; are almost a footnote in Church history.

The gospel sources list a few of the women who financed the work of proclaiming the kingdom of God, such as Mary called Magdalene, Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s Stewart, Susanna, and many others (Luke 8: 2-3). There was also Mary the mother of James and Joses (Jesus’ siblings; Cp. Matthew 13: 55-56; 27: 56), the mother of Zebedee’s sons (Matthew 20: 20-21; 27: 56); Mark 15: 40 mentions Salome; Joanna and the mother of James [son of Alphaeus; Matthew 10: 3-4??] are mentioned in
Luke 24: 1, 10. In Matthew 28: 1, “another Mary” is mentioned and in John 19: 25, standing by the cross of Jesus was His mother, His mother’s sister (??), and Mary the wife of Clopas. It is even more surprising that Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and cousin [“relative”] of Jesus’ mother Mary (Luke 1: 26-44) is not mentioned as a disciple, let alone that she was absent at the crucifixion.

In Acts 1: 14-15, there was a gathering of about 120 persons of whom are Mary the mother of Jesus and His brothers and the women, who are unfortunately not mentioned. It seems reasonable to assume that in that gathering are the same women and the others who supported the Galilean ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is amazing that the one individual (Mary Magdalene; Cp. John 11: 1-2) who showed the greatest ‘faith’ and of whom Church History has dishonored by branding an adulteress or a harlot. In Matthew 26: 10, 12-13, Jesus said, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. “For when she poured this perfume upon My body, she did it to prepare for My burial. “Truly I saw to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done shall be a memorial to her.” What a shame that such an act of love and devotion should be marred and scandalized by the salacious label of sexual promiscuity.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 20, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com