Tell Her Story Quotes

“Deborah is an important answer to the question “Can a woman . . . ?” or “Is a woman allowed to . . . ?” Deborah could. Deborah was. God was behind it; he filled her with prophetic wisdom, and her sung words became part of the Word of God, testifying to the brave and wise woman who brought God’s peace to a troubled people.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“In our modern minds, we quickly jump to her having a string of divorces and is now shacking up with yet another man. But another scenario is possible, even more probable. Her husbands have died, not that uncommon in a world with high mortality, and she very well could be living with her brother or another male relative. In that case, Jesus was not calling her out on her promiscuity; he was attentive to her hard life.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“But there is ample evidence inside and outside the New Testament that women were actively involved in ministry”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“The non-negotiable concern of this writer remains clear: to establish households that embody the ‘new life in Christ’ in a manner that captivates, rather than repels, the residents of the surrounding world.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“So Henderson asks, “Do our homes promote division, discord, and condemnation by ‘promoting self-imposed piety’ (Col 2:23), that reflects the brokenness of our world? Or, alternatively, do they serve as the staging place for the renewal of that ‘old self with its practices’ (Col 3:9), bearing living witness to the reconciling marks of ‘compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience’ (Col 3:12)?”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“We have mentioned in an earlier chapter that women sometimes were not under the direct power of their husbands; that is, their marriage arrangement was sine manu (without the hand of authority of the husband). In that case, the wife remained under the authority of her father (who may have lived elsewhere). By the time of the Roman Empire, sine manu marriage became the norm.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“generous virtues are promoted, including love and gentleness. While Greco-Roman codes tend to focus on obedience, the New Testament codes also reinforce care and compassion.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“Paul believed in separate spheres (women in the home, men at work and leading the church) and genderized roles, he was a living contradiction. He sent Phoebe away from home to do apostolic work on his behalf. He instructed Nympha to take responsibility for having the Colossian letter read (and presumably also obeyed) by her church. He partnered with Prisca and Aquila in city-to-city missionary work, treating them as equals in leadership. In fact, there is good reason to believe she was the more active partner in ministry.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“The church could not be a gentlemen’s club or for citizens only.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“Paul chose Phoebe to safeguard his ministry in Rome, to serve as an apostolic proxy.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“After analyzing hundreds of letters from the Roman world, many dozens of which mention letter carriers, Head concluded that these couriers played a crucial role in “extending the communication initiated by the letter.”29 As an agent of the sender, the letter carrier acted as a kind of proxy, operating on behalf of the sender. On occasion the named letter carrier did function in some way or another to “represent” the sender, to expand on details with the letter, and even to expound and reinforce the primary message of the letter in oral communication.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“John Chrysostom comments on this verse that women carried out many different ministries in the apostolic age—not just Word ministry (teaching, like Priscilla) but also doing ministry in dangerous places, risking poverty, and enduring harsh travel conditions: “For the women of those days were more spirited than lions, sharing with the apostles their labors for the Gospel’s sake.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“Note, for example, how Barnabas is called an “apostle” in Acts (14:14). And in 2 Corinthians we learn of opponents of Paul whom he calls “super-apostles” (2 Cor 11:5; 12:11; cf. 11:13). Sometimes the same Greek word (apostolos) is used for delegates or representatives from various churches who were sent out with a special mission (2 Cor 8:23; Phil 2:25).”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“And the fact that Paul’s letters to individuals were circulated and canonized means that they were not meant to be private correspondences for the upper echelon of leadership alone.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“Again, we are meant to notice the contrast between the disciples’ fog of confusion (when Jesus tells them about his spiritual food of obeying the Father, they are befuddled and say, “Could someone have brought him food?” [Jn 4:33]) and the clearheaded Samaritan woman, who promptly shares about Jesus with her village and gives compelling testimony (Jn 4:39).”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“As Paul engaged with Lydia of Philippi, an independent businesswoman (Acts 16:11-40), what did he think of her? It is not reasonable to imagine that he pressured her, after her baptism, to find a husband and follow his lead. Or that she could not lead a house-church community unless she had a male partner. The impression we get from Luke’s account is that she immediately presents herself to Paul and Silas as a capable person, fully devoted to God, and that when Paul and Silas finally depart from Philippi, they leave the fledgling church in her hands (Acts 16:40).”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“It is often pointed out, and for good reason, that ‘ezer is often used in the Old Testament to refer to God as “helper” and protector of Israel. When Israel is in trouble, they can count on God to “help.”5 He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. (Deut 33:29) You are destroyed, Israel, because you are against me, against your helper. (Hos 13:9) But as for me, I am poor and needy; come quickly to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer. (Ps 70:5) I lift my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. (Ps 121:1)”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

“But ‘ezer is a generic term that refers to someone who contributes to completing a task or accomplishing a goal. The objective here is for the ‘ezer to partner in tending the Eden garden. Genesis does not comment one way or another on whether woman is a minor partner (contributing less than Adam), a major partner (contributing more), or an equal partner. The point of the animal discernment process is to rule out the suitability of lesser creatures.”
― Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church