We do not know the sinful woman’s backstory at all. A careful reading of her account reveals this is not the same event as when Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus at Simon the Leper’s house, and she is also not Mary of Magdala, who had been possessed by seven spirits. (An early conflation, in 591 CE, of stories about these women has since caused much confusion.) Whatever her growing up story, there must have been trauma and soul wounds. And then she met Jesus.
Jezebel: Priestess and Queen
Jezebel was a Phoenician princess, born in Tyre during the reign of King Omri of Israel. Among royalty, marriage was seldom a love match, and far more often had to do with brokering political, military, and political benefits between nations. And, it should not come as a surprise that Jezebel worshipped the premier deity of her people. But Jezebel was more than a nominal adherent. She was the high priestess.
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Virgin Mary: Mother Meek but Never Mild
We might get the impression that as a young girl, being visited by Archangel Gabriel she was soft, submissive, gentle, meek. And certainly, she had these qualities, but is it possible we’ve missed the real person underneath the patina of two thousand years’ worth of iconography?
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Elizabeth: Filled with the Spirit
Being a biblical woman, from Elizabeth’s example, means living faithfully even when it seems unrewarding, believing boldly, even when circumstances seem unlikely, speaking prophetically when filled by God’s Spirit.
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Free Bible Studies
This series of Bible studies seeks to retell the stories of women who were divinely called and empowered to do great things. Many of them rose to the occasion, and a few very famously did not. Often, the tragedies and triumphs in their lives are missed, and their stories are told from perspectives other than with the honor and dignity they deserve.
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Women Disciples: Jesus’s Call to Mary of Magdala
Though Mary of Magdala is a well-known figure in the gospels, she is not introduced by name until Jesus’s crucifixion in John’s Gospel (John 19:25). John doesn’t explain who she is, or what her relationship is to Jesus or his family, but there she is, with John and Mary, Jesus’s mother. That alone says how … Continue reading Women Disciples: Jesus’s Call to Mary of Magdala
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HER STORY: Christ’s Ministry, Woman Caught in Adultery
Most Bibles point out that the earliest manuscripts do not include this story, and sometimes it appears in Luke However, Jerome, in 383 AD, included it in his translation of the Gospel of John, right after chapter 7, where it is usually found today. Jerome noted that many ancient Greek and Latin manuscripts at his … Continue reading HER STORY: Christ’s Ministry, Woman Caught in Adultery
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HER STORY: Christ’s Ministry, Herodias
Herodias’ story is introduced in both Mathew’s gospel and Mark’s with Herod Antipas hearing reports about Jesus’ astonishing miraculous powers. "Some were saying, 'John the baptizer has been raised from the dead; and for this reason these powers are at work in him.' But others said, 'It is Elijah.' And others said, 'It is a … Continue reading HER STORY: Christ’s Ministry, Herodias
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HER STORY: Kings and Queens, Esther
There is some debate as to whether the book of Esther is historical, or possibly written as a play or allegory. Haman’s seventy-five foot gallows, the difficulty in establishing which king—and more notably, which queen—Esther’s story describes, and the depiction of a few unlikely scenes such as a massive, three-day civil war which is completely … Continue reading HER STORY: Kings and Queens, Esther
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HER STORY: Kings and Queens, Huldah
Have you ever even heard of Huldah?I bet not!Most timelines for the history of ancient Israel place prophets alongside the kings they advised. Even prophets without their own books, such as the prophet Nathan who counseled King David, are listed. But as much as I look for her, I have yet to see the prophet … Continue reading HER STORY: Kings and Queens, Huldah
