Women of the New Testament: July 2021
Table of Contents
Women of the New Testament
“Her price is far above rubies” (Prov. 31:10). What was in the heart of some of the women in this issue is to be valued far above rubies. They had individual, personal devotion to a person – the Lord Jesus Christ. Luke records that “the twelve were with Him; and certain women ... Mary called Magdalene ... Joanna ... and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto Him” (Luke 8:1-3). The disciples were with Him, but the women are noted as ministering to Him. A little later in Luke 12 it is recorded of Mary that she “sat at Jesus’ feet.” It was the good part, sitting in the low place at His feet and listening to what He had to say. She was occupied with Himself. When her brother dies, Mary waits for Him to act first; she waits until He calls her. When He calls, she rises in haste to go to Him and when she sees Him, she falls down at His feet. Her single-minded attention and attraction of heart is to Himself. With Mary Magdalene, no power could draw her away from the Object of her affection. It has been wisely said, “Never try to love the Lord more than you do—just sit down and think of how much He loves you. It will increase your love for Him.” And then what will be the result? You bring joy and satisfaction to His heart; like Mary you will have chosen the “good part” which will not be taken from you.
Women of Our Lord's Genealogy
In Matthew’s gospel, there are four women mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord, a genealogy that traces our Lord’s lineage through Solomon, and thus gives Him the title to the throne of Israel. Although these women all lived in Old Testament times, yet it is of interest to find their names in the New Testament, conspicuously mentioned in connection with the birth of the Lord Jesus. There is real instruction for us in considering them.
First of all, we notice that at least three of them were clearly Gentiles—Tamar, Rahab and Ruth. Since her husband Uriah was a Hittite, Bathsheba too might have been a Gentile, but we are not told in Scripture. This shows us how the Gentiles were directly involved in the lineage of our Lord, and in that sense the way was opened for future blessing to the Gentiles.
But what is more striking about these four women is that each had a stain on her—a blot, either because of her character or because of her background. An uninspired author might well have left their names out of the divine record, for the genealogy is traced through men, and it would seem unnecessary to bring in the names of these women, all of whom would seem to soil our Lord’s pedigree. Yet the Spirit of God has included them, both for our encouragement and for God’s glory.
Tamar
The first to be mentioned is Tamar, who was the mother of Pharez. The sad and immoral story is recorded in Genesis 38, as Judah sinks deeper and deeper into sin. First, he married a daughter of the Canaanites, who bore him three sons. Then, when two of those sons died under the Lord’s hand, he promised his youngest son to their widow, Tamar, but then did not make good on his promise. Eventually Tamar pretended to be a harlot and conceived by Judah, who evidently had no scruples about seeking out a woman of this character. But this was not the only sin in Judah’s life, for he was the brother who suggested selling Joseph into Egypt. He was not only an immoral man, but malicious and cruel as well.
Yet later, it is evident that Judah was the most repentant of all of Joseph’s brothers and the one who stepped forward in Egypt to take Benjamin’s place, when the silver cup was found in Benjamin’s sack. In the blessings of Jacob (Gen. 49:8-12), no mention is made of his sin, for repentance and grace had covered it. As a result, the tribe of Judah becomes the royal tribe.
Rahab
The next name to come up is that of Rahab, another immoral woman, for she is constantly referred to as “Rahab the harlot.” Yet what characterized her was faith—faith in the God of Israel and in His power to give Israel the land of Canaan. She pinned her faith on the One about whom she had heard—the God who could dry up the Red Sea and defeat the mighty Egyptians. Her faith was strong, and the Lord honored it, for she too finds a place in our Lord’s lineage, having married the head of the tribe of Judah.
Ruth
Third, we come to Ruth, and outwardly she was a beautiful character. Her firmness in coming back to the land of Israel with her mother-in-law Naomi, her trust in the God of Israel, her willingness to go out and glean in the fields, her care for Naomi—all speak of a woman of piety and worth. Yet there was a problem, for the law clearly stated that no Moabite was to come into the congregation of Israel, no, not to the tenth generation (Deut. 23:3). But once again grace comes in, for Ruth is accepted into the congregation, over and above the law. The law is, in effect, set aside so that grace may abound. By the third generation after her, her great-grandson sits on the throne of Israel.
Bathsheba
Finally, we come to Bathsheba, and again we find ourselves associated with sin. While the responsibility for the sin must be laid at David’s door—sin of the most sordid kind—yet Bathsheba is connected with it. After David and Bathsheba committed adultery together, David arranged the murder of her husband Uriah, one his most faithful servants, in order to try and cover his sin. Yet again we find God bringing blessing out of man’s sin, for the product of the eventual union of David and Bathsheba was Solomon, of whom Scripture records, “The Lord loved him” (2 Sam. 12:24). The name Solomon means “peaceful,” but his additional name, given through Nathan the prophet, was Jedidiah, meaning “beloved of Jehovah.” As we well know, Solomon went on to succeed David on the throne of Israel, and he was a type of Christ reigning in millennial glory.
In all four of these women, we see either sin in her character or in her background, but grace triumphs over it all. Surely all this brings before us the words of our Lord, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). Heaven will be filled with those who were sinners by both nature and practice, yet were cleansed by the work of Christ on the cross. His genealogy exemplifies this blessed truth!
W. J. Prost
Mary, the Mother of Our Lord
A look at the life of Mary the mother of our Lord shows us (to use the words of another) “the marvelous grace of God in singling out this poor woman for this unspeakable honor, and also the fruits of that grace as displayed in her simple, unwavering confidence in the Lord and in her devoted and humble life.” Space does not permit us to enter into every detail of her life, but a consideration of a few experiences in her life will not only magnify the grace of God, but also serve as practical instruction for us.
We might notice right away that while Mary is certainly mentioned in Matthew, she tends to fade into the background. This is as it should be, for in Matthew, Jesus is viewed as the rightful King. As an example, in Matthew 2, five times we read the phrase, “The young child and His mother,” when we would likely have said, “The mother and her young child.” But the Spirit of God properly reserves the place of prominence for the Lord Jesus; it was He who was to be worshiped and to have the first place. As to Mary’s words and actions, they are mentioned only in Luke and John.
Highly Favored
We notice first of all the encounter of Mary with the angel Gabriel. She “found favor with God” (Luke 1:30) because of her godliness and piety; she was “highly favored” (Luke 1:28) because of the sovereign grace of God that chose her for the special privilege of being the mother of our Lord. We notice too that her question to the angel concerning how all this would happen did not result in any rebuke, as in the case of Sarah, Abraham’s wife, or Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist. Mary’s heart was right, and when the answer was given, her quiet response was, “Be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38). Mary was also given more information than she asked for, as Gabriel had also been commissioned to tell her that her cousin Elizabeth had conceived a son in her old age.
In the course of time, Mary and Joseph are compelled to go to Bethlehem, at the decree of the Roman emperor, but all this only accomplishes God’s purpose that the Messiah should be born in that city. But what rejection and poverty accompany that wonderful birth! With no room in the inn, Mary and Joseph are relegated to a stable. Mary was surely being prepared for the eventual pathway of sorrow and rejection of her Son. Later, when they brought Him to the temple, to present Him to the Lord, the words of Simeon confirm this: “Behold, this Child is ... for a sign that shall be spoken against; yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also” (Luke 2:34-35). The sacrifice offered was the offering of the poor — “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” (Luke 2:24). Joseph and Mary were poor and could not afford a lamb.
The Natural Tie
However, there are two other things that Mary needed to learn, as our Lord matured as a child and eventually entered upon His earthly ministry. She needed to learn that our Lord must, first and foremost, be involved in His Father’s business. Second, she must learn that her natural tie to Him as His mother gave her no special claim upon Him. At the age of 12, He went up to Jerusalem with His parents to keep the Passover. When His parents started on the return journey, unknown to them, our Lord stayed behind in the temple, hearing the doctors of the law and asking them questions. When His parents finally found Him and His mother reproached Him for doing this, His reply to her was, “Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49). Later, at the marriage in Cana of Galilee, when there was no wine, His mother (no doubt really wanting to help the situation), drew this fact to Jesus’ attention. But His reply was, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come” (John 2:4). We know that Jesus did, in fact, supply the need, but He must do it on His Father’s bidding, and not because of His mother. On another occasion, when His mother and His brethren could not get near Him because of the crowd, they evidently sent a message to Him, wishing to see Him. His answer was, “Who is My mother, or My brethren? And He looked round about on them which sat about Him, and said, Behold My mother and My brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother” (Mark 3:33-35).
“Behold Thy Mother”
However, it is beautiful how this changes somewhat when our Lord is on the cross and about to die. Mary had witnessed His sufferings on that cross, and surely, as Simeon had prophesied, a sword must have pierced through her own soul, as she saw all that happened to her firstborn Son. But now Jesus takes up her case. It is true that once again Jesus addresses His mother as “woman,” but the Spirit of God refers to her as His mother (John 19:25), and when Jesus commits her to the care of John, He says, “Behold thy mother!” (vs. 27). In effect, He transfers to John her relationship with Himself as His mother, and thus owns that relationship in the earthly sphere. He did not own that relationship during His public ministry, but in perfect appropriateness, He owns that natural bond when He is about to give up His life, and He provides for her care.
After the Lord’s Ascension
We see Mary for the last time in Acts 1:14. She does not appear at the grave, nor on the resurrection morning, but after our Lord’s ascension, she is noted as being with the apostles, with other women, and with His brethren. This does not in any way diminish the privilege she had enjoyed as being the mother of our Lord, but that honor did not extend beyond this earth. Now that Jesus is risen and ascended, she humbly takes her place with others who honored Him, and she became part of the church. We do not hear anything further of her.
The scriptural account of her life makes it clear, on the one hand, what a tremendous privilege was hers, to be chosen of God to be the mother of our Lord. On the other hand, Scripture carefully guards against any tendency to exalt her beyond this and to make of her an intercessor between man and God, or an object of worship.
W. J. Prost
Mary Magdalene
At our first introduction to Mary Magdalene, we are told two striking facts: that the Lord had cast seven devils out of her and that she, with others, ministered to Him of her substance (Luke 8:2-3). Satan had full control over that poor woman, which was manifested by seven forms of evil, and he held her absolutely in his power until the One who was stronger than the strong man came, and in His mighty love and power, He broke the bands and freed the captive. Now she was free to serve, and in response to the love that had done so much for her, she delighted to minister to Him.
What she possessed of this world’s wealth (formerly, no doubt, used in self-gratification) was now dedicated to the Lord, who had entirely won her heart’s allegiance, and it was used to help supply the temporal needs of the One who, though He was rich, had become poor for her sake, that through His poverty she might be rich indeed. From this moment, she definitely became one of His disciples, and with the 12 and several other women, followed Him from city to city and village to village, where He preached the glad tidings of the kingdom of God.
By the Cross
His marvelous life on earth was completed; His course here finished, and Jesus, the Savior, was dying on the cross for sin. Afar off, gazing at the scene in awestruck sorrow, were a few devoted women who had followed Him from Galilee, and of whom Mary Magdalene was one. Her love and attachment to her Savior, however, perhaps overcame the natural aversion to witnessing suffering, and the attraction of love drew her near, for John tells us that she stood “by the cross.”
Have we each known what it is to have been in spirit in Mary’s position and there learned something of the extent and depth of the love that led the precious Savior into such suffering — “even the death of the cross” — for our sake? “By the cross” Mary Magdalene remained until all was over. No power could draw her away from the Object of her affection. She heard the dread cry of being forsaken by God fall from the lips of the blessed Sin bearer; the deeply significant “It is finished” also fell on her attentive ears; she heard her Lord commend His spirit to His Father, and witnessed the actual laying down of His precious life and dismissal of His spirit. What deep, deep truths her soul was drinking in!
By the Burial
She was there when the precious body of the Lord was taken down, wrapped in fine linen by Joseph of Arimathea, and laid in his new sepulcher. Mary was present at the burial, for Mark tells us that she beheld where they laid Him. The deep and far-reaching truths of resurrection could be unfolded to such a devoted heart as hers.
Returning from the tomb, she prepared sweet spices and anointing oil, and then rested during the Sabbath. But by dawn on the first day of the week she returned to the sepulcher to anoint the Lord’s body, in spite of the great, sealed stone that closed the entrance and the sentinels placed there to watch. Love is superior to all difficulties; they do not come into its calculation. When they reached the tomb, however, she and her companions found the stone rolled back from the entrance, two angels in possession, and the guards as powerless as dead men. There was no need now to ask, “Who shall roll away the stone?”
By His Resurrection
Mary hastened back to the disciples to tell of the opened sepulcher, and returned with Peter and John, who hastily satisfied themselves that the Lord was not there and left. But not so Mary; she remained weeping, “because,” as she told the angels, “they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him.” Her heart was desolate, its Object was gone, and life was nothing without Him. Is the Lord thus enshrined in our hearts? Is this world a real wilderness to our souls because He is not here? We do well to ask ourselves these questions.
Her devotion was rewarded, for Jesus, her Lord, revealed Himself to her. She, as one of His sheep, knew His voice and responded with the one exclamation, “Master,” when the simple “Mary” was so lovingly spoken. Then the Lord had more to say, and to her was entrusted the most wonderful message ever sent to man. “Go to My brethren,” said the risen Lord, “and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father, and your Father; and to My God, and your God” (John 20:17).
What wonderful relationships—the results of death and resurrection! The Lord claims those who love Him and follow Him as His brethren, and He unites them with Himself in relationship with His God and Father. Nothing can break such links, forged by the Lord in relation to a new system of things entirely, where He, instead of being disowned and rejected, is supreme.
Mary was intelligent as to who were His brethren, for she returned to His disciples and told them “that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her.”
From Women of Scripture, author unknown (adapted)
Love Returned
It is a well-known truth that Scripture does not occupy us with our love to Christ, but rather with His love to us. Some of us well remember an old brother, long since with the Lord, who used to remind us, “Never try to love the Lord any more than you do; just think of how much He loves you!” This is important, for occupation with self in any way, except to judge ourselves, does not honor God and is not the path of blessing.
However, there are a number of Scriptures that, while not occupying us with our love to Christ, would remind us of how much He appreciates any response in our hearts to His love. One very precious incident concerns Mary of Bethany, when she anointed the Lord before He went to the cross. The account is most explicit in John 12:1-9, but the accounts in Matthew 26:6-13 and Mark 14:3-9 are very likely the same occasion, although Mary is not named; she is simply identified as “a woman.” Perhaps this would show us that the privilege of such an act of worship is not limited to Mary, but could be performed by any devoted believer.
It will be recalled that Mary was the one (Luke 10:39) who sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. Likewise, she was the one who was most in the current of God’s thoughts when her brother Lazarus died (John 11). When it came time for the Lord to go to the cross, again it is she who understands, perhaps more than any other, what was going to happen. It is she who responds with real devotedness and, more than this, according to the mind of God.
The Ointment of Spikenard
Apparently it was customary for young, unmarried girls of that day to try to acquire some of the expensive ointment of spikenard (or nard) to be kept until they used it on their wedding day. It was very costly, as it was grown in the Himalayas and had to be imported. The price mentioned in Scripture would represent approximately a year’s wages for a laboring man. It was sometimes mixed with olive oil, and the bride would use it as a perfume. It is mentioned several times in the Song of Solomon in this connection.
It is likely that Mary was initially reserving her pound of this ointment for the day when she might marry, but when she saw her Lord and Master about to die, she used all of it to anoint Him instead. In her act of doing so, she recognized the Lord Jesus in His two distinctive characters— as the rightful King and as the sacrifice for sin. Because she knew Him to be the rightful King, it is recorded in Matthew and Mark that she anointed His head; because she knew He would suffer for sin in His humiliation, it is recorded in John that she anointed His feet. “Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). While the disciples might not understand when the Lord told them He must suffer and die and while Judas (and perhaps others) might complain of the waste of the ointment, Mary understood fully who the Lord was and what He must do. Her act exhibited both spiritual intelligence and heartfelt devotedness.
The Value of Her Act
When objections to Mary’s act were made, the Lord defends her in a touching way. The poor were always present, and none felt for them as did the Lord. There would always be ample opportunity to help them. But here was an occasion that would not present itself again, and Mary had seized that opportunity. The Lord’s response to her is most touching and encouraging, for it shows how much He valued her act. He says, “In that she hath poured this ointment on My body, she did it for My burial. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her” (Matt. 26:12-13).
The gospel of the grace of God was about to be preached, as the blessed result of the Lord’s work on the cross. The love of God was to be shown out at the cross as never before, and the heart of God revealed as it had not been in the Old Testament. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). What would be man’s response? Sad to say, many would spurn God’s offer of mercy and prefer to remain in their sins. But even more sad, those who would accept it and be brought into eternal blessing with Christ would sometimes fail to appreciate the cost involved. All too often we who are the Lord’s tend to react like the nine lepers in Luke 17, who enjoyed their healing, but had no heart to return and give thanks.
The Display of Deepest Gratitude
Mary’s act would not necessarily be used as a gospel testimony to lost sinners; rather, it would be mentioned because her appreciation of the person of the Lord Jesus and the depth of His love for her called out from her the deepest gratitude. His love, enjoyed in her heart, caused her to give what was perhaps the most precious possession she had, in order to show her appreciation of His love.
Her act was individual, but it was done in the presence of others, and it is thus perhaps a picture of the remembrance of the Lord, which He later instituted. The ointment was poured on Him and was for Him, yet we read that “the house was filled with the odor of the ointment” (John 12:3). Our worship is not for ourselves; properly, it flows up to God through Christ. But all who are present will feel the preciousness of it, for all that Christ is and all that He has done will overflow for our enjoyment too.
The Lord Jesus was God, but He was a perfect man too, with all the thoughts and feelings natural to a man, “yet without sin.” He remains a man in the glory and appreciates any small response of our hearts to His love. The enjoyment of His love in our hearts will surely produce this, for “we love because He has first loved us” (1 John 4:19 JND).
W. J. Prost
Dorcas
Tabitha, or rather Dorcas, has become well-known among believers as one who helped to alleviate the sufferings of the poor by providing for some of their needs. Let us examine her history and see what instruction the Spirit of God intends for us.
Good Works
In the first place, we notice that her activity was not confined to clothing the destitute. “This woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did” (Acts 9:36). This is a wonderful memorial for a saint of God. It was recorded by the unerring pen of the Holy Spirit, and therefore, those good works could have been produced only in the energy of the Spirit of God. It is profitable to remind ourselves of what really are good works. We have been taught the danger of restless activity and occupation with service, and we have been led to admire the good part which Mary chose (Luke 10:42). However, we should also remember the words of Paul, “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men” (Titus 3:8). Philanthropic efforts of many kinds are often dignified with the title of “good works” and deceive many simple souls, but good works—those that are such before God—can flow only from the power of the Holy Spirit and, therefore, in accordance with His mind and will. They can thus be done only by believers, and only by believers as animated by divine power and in subjection to the Word of God.
Rich in Good Works
The “almsdeeds” of Dorcas are recorded as well as her good works. No doubt these consisted in the ministration of money or food to those that were in need. Paul, writing to Timothy, says, “Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal [rather, on that which is really] life” (1 Tim. 6:17-19). Dorcas acted in the spirit of this exhortation. She was rich in good works, and she was ready to distribute, willing to communicate of her substance. She had learned “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that we through His poverty might be rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). By that same grace she had become His representative in the world.
Beneficiaries
The objects of her ministry are distinctly specified. When Peter arrived and entered the chamber of death, we read that “all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them” (Acts 9:39). We note also that these widows are distinguished from the saints (vs. 41). It may well be that she labored for widows as a class and that her charitable activities were not expended solely upon believing widows. As one who knew the heart and mind of God, she sought to minister to need wherever it might exist, while owning the special claims of the household of faith.
It is clear that Dorcas had the mind of God in the work to which she was devoted. What service could be more blessed than to clothe the poor and feed the hungry? The Lord Himself, in the judgment of the living nations, when He shall sit on the throne of His glory, speaks of these kinds of things as services rendered to Himself in the persons of His “brethren.” He says, “I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat ... naked, and ye clothed Me” (Matt. 25:35-36). This, as He explains, when it was done unto one of the least of His brethren, was done to Himself. How unspeakable, then, the privilege to feed and clothe Christ in the person of one of His members!
Individual Work
Several lessons may be learned from the account of Dorcas. First, it should be observed that the work of Dorcas was individual. There is not the slightest trace of any association with others. Evidently it was the special service to which the Lord had called her and to which she willingly yielded herself. Her example cannot therefore be cited for anything beyond her individual line of service. Nothing is more blessed in Christian activity than fellowship—fellowship in the Lord. But the great danger of a day like this is association—association with others to obtain an object through the energy of cooperation rather than in the power of the Spirit. Satan often succeeds in this way in arresting even what might have been at the outset the action of the Spirit of God. The Lord may have laid some special thought of service upon the heart of one of His people. However, instead of going forth to its accomplishment in the power of Him who has called to it, the effort is often made to associate others with it, or even to form a society for the end in view. Immediately the service, even if outwardly prosperous, is on the road to failure. Moses may well be a warning to us here. He complained to the Lord that the burden of the people was too heavy for him. The Lord permitted him to have 70 associates, but He took of the Spirit that was on Moses and put it on them (Num. 11:11-17). There was no gain of power by the association, for the Lord had given to him all the power he needed to do the work appointed to him. Service is intensely individual, for every servant is individually responsible to the Lord. He cannot afford to subordinate his convictions to those of another or to seek to walk upon the level of another’s faith (be it higher or lower).
Leisure Time
Second, this history affords distinct guidance for sisters as to the occupation of their leisure time in their homes. It is to be noted very specially that if Dorcas spent any of her time in fancy-work (and surely she had liberty to do so), the results of her labor in such a direction are not mentioned. It is “the coats and the garments” only that find a place in the Word of God, teaching us that it is labors of this kind that command the Lord’s approval. Her loss was so keenly felt by the disciples that they sent for Peter, “desiring that he would not delay to come to them.” The Apostle went and was permitted to restore her to life, and “when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive” (Acts 9:41). Thus the Lord interposed at the cry of His people and comforted their hearts.
Christ the Object
A last instruction may be added, namely, that the work of Dorcas was for cases of need. There is some danger of our seeking to gratify ourselves in ministry of a Dorcas character—of expending our efforts upon selected cases, or of choosing such as commend themselves to us in one way or another, so that it will often happen that the needs of some of the poor saints are abundantly met, while those of others are almost entirely overlooked. The antidote is to have Christ Himself before us as the object of our ministry, remembering that as it was not our merit but our necessities that drew forth His heart in service for us, so likewise the only incentive to our loving ministry to His own should be their needs. In other words, all our service must be drawn forth by the constraining love of Christ. It is possible to bestow all our goods to feed the poor and yet to be without divine love (1 Cor. 13), and hence without any promptings of the heart of Christ. Christ must be the motive, Christ must be the object, and Christ must be expressed in all our service.
E. Dennett, adapted from The Christian Friend, 1881
Lydia
From Acts 16:13, we learn that outside the city of Philippi, by a riverside, each Sabbath day a few women assembled for prayer. A riverbank was a favorite place for this purpose where there was no synagogue, and these praying women were evidently Jewish, although the city was itself sunk in heathen idolatry.
Among them was Lydia of Thyatira, a seller of the richly-dyed goods for which her native town was famous. She was a Grecian woman, but she had become a worshiper of the God of Israel.
Consequent upon the vision of a Macedonian crying for help, the Apostle Paul, accompanied by Silas and apparently also by the physician Luke and Timothy, had reached Philippi, being the bearers of the “gospel of the glory” received directly from the risen and exalted Lord. Hearing of the place for prayer, they joined the little company of women at the riverside and sat down and spoke with them about the things of God.
An Open Heart
Lydia listened, and as she listened, the Lord enabled her to receive the divine message of love and grace. In the beautifully expressive words of Scripture, the work in her soul is described thus: “Whose heart the Lord opened,” with the result that “she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.” She was ready and desirous to learn, and the Lord saw that she did not lack the opportunity. He had His eye on a little company of saints who later on were to be for His glory in testimony in this very city and a great source of joy and cheer to the beloved Apostle. Lydia was to be one of the number, and this was her preparation.
What an inestimable blessing it is to have “an open heart”—opened by the Lord Himself and thus fitted to receive and to respond to divine communications! When Lydia’s heart was opened, she attended to the things spoken by Paul, and this is significant.
Many of “the things which were spoken of Paul” and dictated to him by the Spirit of God, are still on record, handed down to us in the Scriptures of truth. Have we attended to them as God’s communications to us? They are full of wondrous, deep, searching truths, especially encouraging and necessary in these closing days of the church’s history on earth to all those who, on account of possessing opened hearts, desire to respond intelligently and in true affection to the Lord’s will for His own. Lydia may have had only this one opportunity, during the Apostle’s stay in the city, of hearing what was in the heart of God for her, but she made the most of it.
The Home Opened
She was baptized as was her household; that is, she definitely and publicly identified herself with Christ’s death, putting herself and all she possessed under the Lord’s control; then she besought the Lord’s servants (“constraining” them—a strong word meaning that she would not take a refusal) to come to her house and abide there. There was one condition, however—if they judged her to be faithful to the Lord—and they evidently did. What a triumph of grace!
She was once a heathen, but the Lord made an entrance into her heart. She listened to God’s communications through Paul; she attended to them and definitely linked herself with the Lord’s interests. She owned His control over herself and all her own, earnestly desired to be faithful to Him, and consequently opened her house to His servants. Have we made as much spiritual progress as Lydia?
The Opposition of Satan
A true work of God was begun in that city, so Satan could not let it alone. He tried to spoil it by craft and through the testimony of an evil spirit possessing a young girl, who repeatedly proclaimed that the apostles were the servants of the Most High God.
Paul had spiritual discernment to detect that this was said to elate them and, if allowed, would mix what was of God with evil. If what the possessed damsel asserted was true, that they were the servants of the Most High God (and it was, only the time was anticipated, this being God’s millennial name), the evil spirit must submit to the power present there by being driven away. “Paul... turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour” (Acts 16:18).
Persecution and imprisonment followed for God’s servants, but it bore fruit in the conversion and baptism of the jailor and his household, another triumph over the power of Satan exerted against God’s truth.
The Outcome of Persecution
The result of the hatred and tumult raised by him as a last resource is very marked. First, Paul and Silas sang praises to God. The victims of Satan’s hate were rejoicing and exultant. Second, the prison doors were burst open by God’s intervention. Third, the jailor and his family were eternally blessed. Fourth, the magistrates were obliged to come as suppliants to the Apostles. Satan was unmistakably frustrated.
How had all this affected Lydia? Had all the opposition and persecution shaken her faith? On the contrary, Paul showed utmost confidence in her, and indeed judged her faithful to the Lord, for, being released from prison, he and Silas immediately went to her house, where they were certain of a welcome. Then, after seeing and comforting the brethren, they started on their journey to Thessalonica.
It would be well for us to question whether we, like this devout woman of God, would be likewise judged faithful to the Lord. Have we, like Lydia, open hearts and open homes? “Whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation” (Heb. 13:7).
From Women of Scripture, author unknown
Phebe Our Sister
The final chapter in Romans (chapter 16) is a letter of commendation for a sister named “Phebe,” coupled with salutations to various brethren in Rome. It includes a warning to withdraw from divisive persons who might mislead them, and closes with a doxology that links the two parts of Paul’s ministry together as being the means of establishing the saints in all the truth of God.
In verses 1-2 Paul writes, “I commend to you Phebe, our sister, who is minister of the assembly which is in Cenchrea” (JND). This letter of commendation formally introduced Phebe to the assembly in Rome. She was travelling from Cenchrea (the port of Corinth, two miles away) to Rome for some personal “matter,” and was probably the carrier of the epistle.
The use of such letters was common practice among brethren in the early church (Acts 18:27; 2 Cor. 3:1). The existence of them shows the care they had in inter-assembly communion. There were dangers that threatened the fellowship of the saints, and they needed to be careful whom they received, both on a personal level (1 Tim. 5:22), and collectively as assemblies (Acts 9:26-28). False brethren were coming into the Christian profession with bad doctrine and unholy practices, and they were corrupting the saints (2 Cor. 11:12-15; Gal. 5:7-12; 2 Pet. 2:1; 1 John 4:1-6; Jude 4). In view of this danger, the fellowship of the saints was not open, nor was it closed, but it was guarded. Such care should still be used among Christian assemblies that seek to be Scripturally gathered. In fact, since the corruption in the Christian profession is greater today than ever before, this care is needed more than ever. If a person in fellowship at the Lord’s table goes to an assembly where he or she is known, a letter is nice to have, but not necessary (2 Cor. 3:1-3). But if a person is visiting an assembly where he or she is not known, a letter of commendation should be used.
A Minister of the Assembly
We might wonder what this sister was doing functioning as a “minister of the assembly” in Cenchrea, when Scripture teaches that sisters are not to minister publicly from the Word of God and teach in the assembly (1 Cor. 14:34-35; 1 Tim. 2:11-12). However, this question reflects a common misunderstanding. The problem is that the inquirer is trying to understand the passage by using the conventional (commonly accepted) meanings that men have attached to Biblical terms. Sad to say, Christendom has attached unscriptural meanings to many Scriptural terms, and these ideas have been popularized and accepted by the masses. But this has led to much confusion. Having our minds colored by these unscriptural thoughts makes it difficult to learn the true meaning of a passage.
In the example before us, it is a mistake to think that a “minister” is a clergyman (a so-called pastor who leads a congregation of Christians). Within the meaning of Scripture, a minister is a person (male or female) who carries out a service for the Lord in either spiritual (Acts 6:4; 1 Peter 4:11) or temporal things (Matt. 10:41-42; Acts 6:2-3; 13:5; 19:22; 1 Tim. 3:10). Since a sister, according to the order in Scripture, is not to minister from the Word of God publicly in the assembly, Phebe must have ministered to the assembly in temporal things. Another states in his translation footnote that the word can be translated “deaconess,” which is a servant who serves in temporal things. She may have swept the floor of the meeting room where the saints met in Cenchrea, or something like that. She would not have been in the official office of a deacon because that was to be filled by men (1 Tim. 3:8-13). Since Paul states that she was “a helper of many,” she may have had the gift of “helps” (1 Cor. 12:28).
S. B. Anstey
Phebe
Phebe’s name (spelled Phoebe in the JND translation) is mentioned only once in the Word of God, but we learn quite a bit about her from the comments that Paul makes in connection with her. Evidently she was commissioned, as a servant of the church in Cenchrea, to carry the Epistle to the Romans with her to Italy. The epistle also served as her letter of commendation to those gathered in Rome. The epistle was written from Corinth, and Cenchrea was close to Corinth, although probably a much smaller place. From the content of Romans 16:1-2, we learn at least four things about Phebe.
Four Things
First of all, Paul refers to her as “our sister.” Even though she was from Cenchrea, she evidently enjoyed real fellowship with Paul and others during his stay in Corinth. No visit by Paul to Cenchrea is recorded in Scripture, yet Paul must have known her well, and she was doubtless an encouragement to him.
Second, it is recorded that she was a servant “of the assembly which is in Cenchrea” (Rom. 16:1 JnD). The details of what she did are not recorded, but she was clearly one who put the interests of others above her own and who was ready to take the low place, as a servant. In this she exemplified the character which was praised by our Lord Jesus, who said, “He that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. ... I am among you as He that serveth” (Luke 22:26-27). How valuable such saints are in the local assembly!
Third, she is spoken of as “a succorer of many” (Rom. 16:2). The word “succor” means to help, but perhaps with the added meanings of comforting, supporting and providing relief. Without question, her help must have been felt among those gathered in the assembly in Cenchrea, and perhaps in other assemblies as well, but the expression “succorer of many” would perhaps lead us to believe that her help extended outside the ones known as saints. Scripture tells us to “do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). Is it reading too much into the phrase “of many” to assume that her help and comfort was for “all men”?
But then the last phrase in this connection is a very personal touch, and gives us a fourth quality we learn about Phebe. Paul says “she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself also” (Rom. 16:2). Paul was a single man all his life, although none had a higher view of women than he. Phebe was probably single as well, and the Lord used her to help and encourage Paul, who had no wife to supply what only a woman can do, in times of difficulty. As another has said, “In such seasons of difficulty for Paul and with ‘the care of all the churches’ on his heart, who would be more quick to apprehend, more skillful to soothe, than one with the rich, varied experience and the womanly instincts of Phebe?” How Paul must have appreciated her!
Again, there is not much said about Phebe, but what is recorded speaks loudly. Her example has surely encouraged many women to emulate her!
W. J. Prost
The Example of Timothy's Mother
We see another case of the importance of a godly mother in connection with Timothy. I was surprised when I read that his grandmother was Lois, that his mother was Eunice, and that Eunice was married to a Greek. I thought, “What a sorrow this must have been to Lois, when her daughter married a Gentile!” Perhaps she might have thought, “It is all over now, because she has married a Gentile. What blessing can I expect in the home?” Well, it seems that in the ways of God, Eunice was very faithful, and she sought to bring up her children to please the Lord. We are not told whether or not Timothy’s father was a man of faith, but we see how the importance of the mother comes out. And may I say to parents here, that perhaps you have seen one of your children make a mistake and marry someone that very much disappointed you: Keep on praying...keep on praying. The Lord came in for that mother and this child. Timothy was born and he turned out to be a wonderful person in the New Testament—one to whom Paul wrote two epistles and one who walked in a great measure of godliness. How wonderful are the ways of God! How He delights to bless, in spite of our failure. But we are told about this faith that dwelt first in Lois, and then in Eunice, and it was also in Timothy.
G. H. Hayhoe (adapted)
Whose Faith Follow …
They are each sketched so very lightly,
These sisters dear from centuries past;
Touching scenes with time have not faded;
Loving deeds and devotedness last.
Join the mourners weeping for Dorcas,
Admiring coats and garments she’d sewn;
Visit Phebe preparing to journey
On an arduous voyage to Rome.
Could I visit awhile with Mary?
She might share what she gleaned at His feet!
Or drop in on Priscilla in Corinth…
In her home where the Christians all meet?
Lydia kneels and prays by the river,
In a city of idols and strife;
We’re encouraged by Lois and Eunice,
For their faith worked in Timothy’s life.
Each displays a meek, gentle spirit,
Sisters going their various ways …
Unaware how much they’d encourage
Us—in twenty-first-century days!
cph