Her Story

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 important she was to Jesus’s inner circle.In fact, Mary of Magdala is the only other woman besides Jesus’s mother who is identified in all four Gospels. In total, she is mentioned twelve times, with her name almost always placed first, underscoring her prominence and importance among Jesus’s followers.Luke’s Gospel identifies Mary’s hometown as Magdala, an affluent Hellenistic city in the Galilee, where Josephus also lived for a time. According to Luke, there were certain women who had been healed of “evil spirits and infirmities,” among whom was “Mary who is called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone forth.” Luke 8:2 (YLT) Evidently, Mary’s earliest encounter with Jesus was as a deeply afflicted woman with a little-understood ailment. As deeply as she was afflicted so profoundly was she freed by Jesus. Imagine the gratitude and love Mary must have had for her Savior.   Mary, along with two other named women, and “many others,” left their homes and traveled with Jesus and the Twelve, as Jesus “was going through every city and village, preaching and proclaiming good news of the reign of God.” Luke 8:1 (YLT)Like the five men called to be disciples at the beginning of John's Gospel, and the woman at the well in Samaria in Chapter 4, Mary of Magdala's story includes all twelve elements unique to Jesus's call.John has put it on record that Jesus called women as his disciples and commissioned them to apostolic ministry just as he did with men, and we can do no less today.To view the original YouTube presentation, click on "Mary of Magdala, a Disciple of Jesus"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

This is a six-part series, and this is the fourth installment, exploring how the calling narrative found in the Gospel of John, chapter 1 is repeated in the story of the Samaritan Woman in John chapter 4, and in Mary of Magdala's story at the end of John's Gospel, chapter 20.There are twelve calling elements to Jesus's call to discipleship and apostolic mission portrayed in the calling of Jesus's first five disciples: Andrew, John, Peter, Phillip, and Nathanael. The synoptic gospels key in on twelve men, eleven of whom became apostles. But there were many more disciples than that, all told 120 women and men who received Jesus's Great Commission and watched him ascend to heaven.This podcast takes a close look at another woman, one who may not have been there for Christ's ascension (but, then again, she may have been, as Luke 8:3 indicates many women traveled with Jesus), who said yes to Jesus's call.To view the original YouTube presentation, click on "The Samaritan Woman, a Disciple of Jesus"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

We don’t often think of Jesus gathering disciples together as a rabbi starting a school, but the shape of what Jesus did very much is the shape of a school. Jesus did depart from the traditional rabbinical model of his day in a few significant ways. For instance, unlike other schools, Jesus kept his table fellowship open to everyone, people in every stratum and sphere of life. And, Jesus chose as his disciples some unexpected people. Apart from the Twelve, there is evidence Jesus had women disciples, some of whom also traveled with him and ministered alongside him and the other disciples. Though evidence for female disciples is found in all four Gospels, it is John's Gospel which provides the most dramatic evidence for Jesus calling women to discipleship and apostolic ministry.To view the original YouTube presentation, click on "The Twelve Marks of Jesus' Call to Discipleship"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

Did Jesus call women into discipleship in the same way Jesus called men? Or did women simply start following Jesus of their own accord, with no formal call? Can we say, for instance, that Mary of Bethany was actually a disciple, or was she simply acting like a disciple when she sat at Jesus’s feet?In the same way, was Mary of Magdala only acting like an apostle to the apostles, as she is sometimes called, or was she actually sent by Jesus as an apostle?Three years ago, as I sat down to read the Gospel of John in Greek, I didn’t know what to expect. I just knew that I had always loved this Gospel, and the Greek employed in all of John’s works is at a level I could read. But as I read, the seeds of understanding about Jesus and women began to grow. I found myself often mulling over the words themselves, and the way they are phrased. I also found myself reading as a Bible student, taking note of the way the writer had arranged his material. The more I read, the more I saw something truly amazing!And that has now become a four-part video series, beginning with this one. So stay tuned, I think this is going to be pretty exciting.To view the original YouTube presentation, click on "Did Jesus Call Women to be Disciples"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

The debate continues as to whether Scripture endorses, or at least permits, or rather forbids women from certain roles within the Body of Christ. May women be deacons? May women be elders? May women be pastors? May women be bishops? May women teach or lead in church?At stake, of course, is how to live rightly before God, how to do what God has in mind, and to live within the space and the design God has laid out for humankind. And, questions of women's roles—whatever they may be—within the Body of Christ, as experienced in church life and among believers, also touches more broadly on what God may have in mind for women and men in marriages, in families, in communities, in the socioeconomic sphere, and in the political sphere.Years ago, I found a site that gives a basic overview of the various ways Christians have been trying to navigate these questions. These are my summary thoughts based upon that site, Adrian Warnock’s article on "Gender: Complementarian Vs Egalitarian Spectrum," posted on Patheos.This all is by way of an introduction to my four-part series on what I discovered in the Gospel of John about Jesus's call on women to discipleship and apostolic mission.To view the original YouTube presentation, click on "Women Disciples Introduction"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

The story of Jairus’s daughter and the woman who suffered from a bleeding disorder are told together in all three of the synoptic gospels—the gospels that more or less track with each other, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. I am going to be teaching out of Mark’s gospel, who has the most detailed account of these two stories. I believe this to be a true story, but it is a story that also reveals startling truths Jesus was teaching his disciples, revealing to the crowds of people who followed him, and driving home to the religious elite. Through the stories of Jairus's daughter and the woman with the bleeding disorder, we learn that Jesus' response to faith is to release the power of his grace.When you and I feel we are at the bottom of the barrel, Jesus is saying “I have established a new kingdom without ranking systems. I respond to all who came to me in faith.” For Jesus has proven his mighty power over all evil, over every other power, even the power of death itself. Jesus is showing that no person is beyond his tender compassion and no circumstance is beyond his scope. To view the original YouTube presentation, click on "Daughter of Jairus"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

Throughout his ministry, Jesus gathered around him men and women who became a community of 120 people joined in their love for and faith in Jesus. And one of those women was Mary of Magdala. She is mentioned fourteen times, in all four Gospels, and her name is almost always placed first, seemingly implying she was first in service, first in support. However, Mary’s most significant story appears not during Jesus’s ministry, but rather at his resurrection.In this twenty minute talk, we’ll first follow Mary through the years she was a student and supporter of Jesus, then we will spend most of our time in the Garden with Mary at Christ’s empty tomb, and end with a deeper understanding of ourselves as members of the Body of Christ.Mary’s first encounter with Jesus was as a deeply troubled, severely afflicted woman, in the grip of and suffering from seven demons. We can only imagine how desperate her family had become in their desire to see her healed and freed of her affliction.After her first, life-changing encounter with the rabbi and healer, all four Gospel accounts describe Mary’s faithfulness and courage, a major financial supporter and patron of Jesus’s ministry, one of only three remaining with Jesus at the foot of his cross until his death, and among the first to arrive at his tomb the morning of his resurrection.But Mary’s most significant story in scripture comes in her final encounter with Jesus, described in John 20, the day he rose from the dead.I Adherent of the MessiahThe one who is freed from much, loves much.II Apostle to the ApostlesJesus restores the relationships of humankind—to God, to each other, and to the earth.III Among the Body of ChristIf we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another.To view the original YouTube presentation, click on "Mary of Magdala"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

Is the cross a symbol about death or life? defeat or triumph? humiliation or glory? Or all those things?As I searched for answers, I became drawn to how Christians depicted crosses a thousand years ago and more, and that search became this fifteen minute video on the ancient symbols of Christianity.From the eight-hundred-year old Batllo Majsty, now residing in in the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, to the gorgeous Basilica di Sant’Apollinare, Ravenna, Italy, the fifth century, Mausoleum of empress Galla Placida, to Celtic crosses in Ireland, ringed crosses in Israel, and the secret symbols of the anchor, fish, and loaves in the first-century church, this short talk follows believers’ portrayals of the glory of our risen Lord, Jesus Christ.To view the original YouTube presentation, click on "The Cross, Symbol of Victory"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

Of the several influential women in the Bible who are not given names—Job’s wife, comes to mind—the wife of Pilate is perhaps the most shadowy. All that is known of her from the scriptures is her relationship to the Procurator Marcus Pontius Pilate, and the message she sent to him while he was sitting on the Seat of Judgment in the Praetorium the morning Jesus of Nazareth was tried for treason.Yet her message, and its impact, have been felt for the two thousand years since it was delivered, and some arms of the church—the Eastern Orthodox, Coptic, Oriental Orthodox and Ethiopian Orthodox—venerate Pilate’s wife as a saint, and some even venerate Pilate as well.Though the Bible does not give us much information about Pilate’s wife, she does appear in a number of ancient accounts that arose in the first few centuries of Christianity. I Depiction of Claudia ProculaDestiny moves forward one step at a time.II Discernment of Her DreamEarthly decisions can carry eternal consequenceIII Development of Spiritual ImportDivine revelation requires a responseTo view the original YouTube presentation, click on "The Wife of Pilate"The Acts of Paul item comes from "The Acts of Paul: A New Translation With Introduction and Commentary," Richard I. Pervo, Cascade Books, Eugene Oregon, 2014.Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

In the passage just before this one, Mark talked about the scribe who had asked Jesus about the greatest commandment and was impressed with Jesus’ answer. Jesus was also pleased. He told the scribe he was very close to entering the kingdom of heaven. With such a warm endorsement from a scribe, this was a rare teachable moment, the right moment, in today’s passage (Mark 12:35-44), for Jesus to talk about Messiah, and to teach His disciples the difference between a false reading, and a true reading of scripture.To view the original YouTube presentation, click on "The Widow's Mite"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

We don’t know this woman’s backstory at all, whether she was young or old, her culture or clan. Some in our Bible study thought perhaps she was the woman who had committed adultery and was forgiven privately by Jesus after everyone had left (John 8:11). Maybe! We really have no information on her at all but what is given in this text.Back in 591 A.D. Pope Gregory preached an Easter sermon in which he combined the stories of Mary the Magdalene with Mary of Bethany and the woman in this story, which then gave Mary of Magdala the reputation of being a repentant prostitute or a promiscuous woman. But, if you read the passage carefully you see this is not the same event as when Mary of Bethany anointed Jesus at Simon the Leper’s house. And the woman in this story is also not Mary Magdalene, who had been released from seven spirits in a miraculous healing. The woman in this story had lived a sinful life was most likely a prostitute. At the very least, she had a reputation. Whatever her growing up story, there were traumas and soul wounds. Then she met Jesus.Before we get started with this woman’s story, I’d like to say her traditional title of “the sinful woman” is very misleading. In this story, she is portrayed as the devoted-to-Jesus woman, the forgiven-by-Jesus woman, the living-portrait-of-love-sacrifice-and-bold-faith woman. Her sinful past was only noted by the Pharisee sitting next to Jesus. To Jesus, she was one who loved much, and he received her. So, I’d like to reframe her story asI The Forthcoming Woman, Luke 7:36-38II The Favored Woman, Luke 7:39-43III The Faithful Woman, Luke 7:44-47IV The Forgiven Woman, Luke 7:48-50To view the original YouTube presentation, click on "The Sinful Woman"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

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 disposal had this story, in its usual position.Ambrose of Milan, and Augustine confirmed Jerome’s report, and Augustine, in 403 AD, wrote “…certain persons of little faith, or rather enemies of the true faith, fearing I suppose, lest their wives should be given impunity in sinning, removed from the manuscripts the Lord’s act of forgiveness toward the adulterous, as if He who had said, ‘sin no more’ had granted permission to sin…”We also have the Didascalia Apostolorum, circa 200–250 AD, which alludes to this incident, but the earliest possible mention comes from Eusebius, who wrote his Eccliastical History in the early 300’s, and quoted Papias, circa 110 A.D. in reference to a story about Jesus and a woman who was “accused of many sins.” Papias had said this story could be found in the Gospel of the Hebrews, which is lost to us today.Sukkot – Festival of TabernaclesJohn chapter 7 provides the context of the events surrounding the woman caught in adultery, which seems to have taken place during the last year of Jesus’ ministry. It was the Feast of Tabernacles, the best loved of the yearly festivals.Jewish families throughout the known world would return to Jerusalem and the surrounding area, build temporary shelters out of leafy boughs and flowers, and live in them for a week to celebrate Sukkot, the Feast of Booths. Jesus was also in Jerusalem, though it seems he and his disciples and followers were camping on the Mount of Olives.Sukkot commemorates God’s provision during the exodus, when the Israelite tribes wandered for forty years in the wilderness. It lasts seven days, beginning with the Feast of Ingathering, celebrating the harvest from all their fields, orchards, and vineyards, the months of toil on their threshing floors, and in their winepresses and olive presses.Considered a Sabbath, the Feast of Ingathering is a joyful thanksgiving of God’s largesse. It also symbolizes God’s salvation to all people one day, when God will gather in all nations to the Lord. In Jesus’ time, was the people’s favorite holiday, full of feastBrought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

Herodias’ story is introduced in both Matthew’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 prophet, like one of the prophets of old.' But when Herod heard of it, he said, 'John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.'"Mark 6:14-16 (NRSV)In spite of others’ reassurances to him about Jesus, Herod was sure it was John the Baptist risen from the dead—the implication being, in haunting judgment of having been executed by Herod.And so the dark and dreadful tale begins of intrigue, seduction, manipulation, and murder, all swirling around the Hasmonean princess and Judean noble, Herodias.Listen in on this twenty minute tale that explores the world of Herodias, how she came to be who she was, and how the Lord was also at work. We’ll look at Herodias’ story in four parts:I Background and AmbitionsII Bitter RageIII Blocked Goals and Unfulfilled DesiresIV Blessing LostAlong the way, we’ll hear from Moses, James, and Jesus, who teach us that“The Lord is slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving”Restoration begins when we“Welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls.”The sobering truth made plain in Herodias’ life is that, in God’s judgment, God will often allow sin to run its course, but there is always a path that leads back to God, to restoration and life, for:Those who lose their life for Jesus’ sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it.To view the original YouTube presentation, click on "Herodias"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

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 absent from Persian sources, move many scholars to suggest Esther is a dramatized story.That said, I am going to treat the story as it is presented. Whether this is dramatized history, or historicized drama, the author was seeking to convey something important about the grand narrative of heaven and earth. Haman is the depiction of evil, Esther and Mordecai portray the best of God’s own people. Vashti is the dignity of the surrounding nations, and Xerxes displays the dangers of worldliness and power.We are going to see that God prepares Esther for a pivotal role in saving the nation in Esther 1-2. Then, we will watch the development of Haman’s evil plot and Esther’s wise plan in Esther 3-7. We will end with the first joyful festival of Purim in Esther 8-10I God Prepares Esther, Esther 1-2II Haman’s Plot, Esther’s Plan, Esther 3-7III Purim, Esther 8-10Through Esther’s story, we learn that true beauty is found in a humble spirit, that God’s deliverance, though sure, involves taking risks of faith, and that the Lord is faithful to keep to keep God’s covenant with God’s peopleTo view the original YouTube presentation, click on "Esther"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

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 Huldah listed as well.It is a strange choice, to leave her out of Judah’s timeline, as she was perhaps the most influential prophet of her day. The fate of her people, her nation, and her king hung on the oracle she would deliver. In telling her story, we will look first at her background, then at the words God gave her to speak, the impact of those words on the final generation of people who lived until Judah’s exile, and the enduring importance of Huldah’s ministry, to this day.I Huldah, the Woman Prophet, 2 Kings 22:14II Huldah’s World, 2 Kings 22:1-13III Huldah’s Word to the Nation, 2 Kings 22:15-17IV Huldah’s Word to the King, 2 Kings 22:18-20V Huldah, an AfterwordTo view the original YouTube presentation, click on "Huldah"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

Just the word “jezebel” evokes a whole evil, erotic, seductive mystique, doesn’t it? I looked “jezebel” up in the dictionary, and here’s what Webster-Merriam has to say: “an impudent, shameless, or morally unrestrained woman.” According to other definitions,A jezebel is a wicked, evil, scheming female who is manipulates her victims into giving her wealth, status and power. She is often beautiful and knows it, using her looks to her advantage to “lure in” her preyShe very much has to be the center of attention but also doesn’t have many real friends because of how shallow she is. She will do anything and will use anyone to get what she wants.In some Christian circles, having a Jezebel spirit means being all of the above, disruptive, seductive, insinuating, contriving, dangerous to the Body of Christ.Added to that deeply embedded cultural and religious meme is the Jezebel found in John’s Revelation, "But I have this against you: you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet and is teaching and beguiling my servants to practice fornication and to eat food sacrificed to idols."Revelation 2:20Wow, right? But who was the original Jezebel? We’ll trace her history as a Phoenician princess nearly three thousand years ago who became one of the most powerful queens found in the Bible.We’ll read about her devotion to Baal, her strategies for getting what she wanted, and her untimely end. Is this a story about a powerful and ambitious person who was vilified because she was a woman? Or of another culture? Or was there something more sinister that lurked within her?I Phoenician Princess, 1 Kings 16II Priestess of Ba'al, 1 Kings 18III Pillage of Israel, 1 Kings 21IV Publicly Pilloried, 2 Kings 9And we will learn that God’s judgment is both righteous and just, and that God shows mercy wherever it is possible.To see the original YouTube presentation, click on "Jezebel"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

Bathsheba had grown up admiring the handsome, charismatic king David. It had been an exhilarating time in Israel’s history, and her dad Eliam, one of David’s might men, had been all wrapped up in the thick of it, close with David ever since the young shepherd had been on the lam, running from King Saul. Her grandfather, the godly and spiritual Ahithophel, was one of David’s most trusted advisors, whose godly wisdom was deeply valued. What must that have been like for those young families, living in tents, the air crackling with anticipation, watching the mighty men as they gathered around in their recon missions, talking through their strategies.Year after year these battle-hardened men went to war, consolidating the Promised Land into the nation of God, ridding the land of Canaanite people groups, and always pushing the Philistines back. It’s no surprise that, as this young beauty reached maturity, Bathsheba’s father would marry her to another one of the mighty men, David’s close friend and a member of his royal guard. His name was Uriah the Hittite. Most likely he had converted to Judaism, and had certainly shown great loyalty to David, and to Israel.There is not doubt Bathsheba was able to enjoy being with her husband the first year they married, for God had instructed all Israel that“If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him. For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.”Deuteronomy 24:5But when the following spring came, that all changed.King David sent his army—including Uriah—with General Joab, off to war, while the king stayed home.So the story begins. Was Bathsheba a seductress? Was she innocent? Was this an affair or a rape? Or neither, since the mores of that time were different than our own today?And what did God think of all this--the man identified as one after God's own heart, and the woman identified as a lamb?To see the original YouTube presentation, click on "Bathsheba"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

Abigail’s story begins during a traditionally joyful time, the sheep shearing festival. Many guests had gathered, and there was much feasting. Abigail was well-known for her gracious hospitality, and all the tables were generously supplied.As the celebration wore into the evening, ten plainly dressed men entered the pavilion and came to address Nabal. Would he be willing to share some of the festival food with a fellow Judahite, David? For David, along with his 600 warriors, had not only protected Nabal’s herds from marauders and wild animals all throughout the year, he had made sure Nabal’s property and servants were also protected.What they asked was well within the cultural ethos of their day. Tribes took care of their own, and both David and Nabal were of the tribe of Judah. What’s more, David’s father was also a wealthy and well-respected landowner and herdsman. But even if this were not so, God’s Law was clear."If there is among you anyone in need, a member of your community in any of your towns within the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. You should rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be."Be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought . . . and therefore view your needy neighbor with hostility and give nothing; your neighbor might cry to the Lord against you, and you would incur guilt."Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake."Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, 'Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.'”Deuteronomy 15:7-11 (NRSV)There was only one possible answer Nabal could have given—a warm welcome and a generous sweep of his hand, come join us in the feast.But that is not what happened.To see the original YouTube presentation, click on "Abigail"Brought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

Embedded within the story of David, Israel’s most beloved king, and of whom the Lord said was a man after God’s own heart, is the tragic story of Michal, a Benjamite princess and daughter of king Saul.Her story begins in Late Bronze Age Canaan. The twelve tribes of Israel were still in the throes of coalescing into a kingdom, beleaguered by battle after battle with the powerful Philistines, until representatives from across the tribes came to the prophet Samuel and insisted a king be found to lead them to victory. King Saul was a hot success! But the war with Philistia waged wearily on, until finally Goliath came forward with his famous challenge, In response, Saul produced a challenge of his own, saying “The king will greatly enrich the man who kills him, and will give him his daughter and make his family free in Israel.”1 Samuel 17:25 (NRSV)David took up that challenge, but not for wealth nor the hand of a princess. Rather, he fought for the honor of God’s name, in the might of God’s divine power. And all Israel could not help but fall in love with this young, handsome, fiery shepherd, musician, and courageous warrior. Including, it seems, Saul’s youngest daughter, Michal.In Michal’s story we meet a young women in love, who soon becomes courage itself in her quick-witted rescue of her husband. But as the years go by, she becomes an abandoned wife given to another man, then a political pawn and finally the outraged and rejected queen.Where was God in all this? Had God rejected Saul’s family on Saul’s behalf? Or is there a whisper of hope in an otherwise bleak tale of objectification and abuse?I A Princess in Love, I Samuel 18:17-30II A Parting in Haste, I Samuel 19:8-17, 25:39-44III A Political Pawn, 2 Samuel 3:12-16IV No Prospect of Honor, 2 Samuel 6:11-23To view the YouTube presentation, click here: MichalBrought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...

Probably the main point of the story, and why it was included in King Saul’s narrative, is to show how truly far he had sunken. At one point, King Saul is depicted in a dead faint of hunger, weakness, and terror, with the Witch of Endor stooping over him urging him to get up and eat.  But this unnamed woman could teach you and me a thing or two about what it means to give sacrificial love.  The juxtapositions are striking: • The king of all Israel cowering in terror while a lowly subject tries to help him up. • Someone who was once anointed by God, who had once prophesied while swept up in the Spirit, now consulting a spiritist in direct transgression against God’s express command.• A tall and well-built man, now led by a woman who most likely was not even an Israelite.Still, on second and third read, intriguing possibilities and perplexing questions arise.I SpiritismGod requires faith from the people of God.II Saul’s Downward SpiralGod’s word prevails in every context.III Spirit of LoveThe greatest evidence and power of God is love for people. To view the YouTube presentation, click here: The Witch of EndorBrought to you by Grace and Peace Joanne, LLCGrace and Peace Joanne on YouTubeEach podcast is designed to offer background scholarship on the topic, including setting, culture, original language, and archaeology, as well as a theological study. Grace and Peace, Joanne WebsiteBiblical exegesis from an equalitarian point of viewBooks by Joanne"Broken, Searching, Trusted, Powerful""Love Feast"Forty FreebiesIf you would like a set of forty Bible studies on Women in the Bible, complete with fifteen study questions, commentary, a bibliograp...