Preaching, Leading, Teaching—Women Have Always Done It

In this insightful clip from episode #4171 of Day1, Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime sits down with Dr. Paula Gooder, Canon Chancellor of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, to discuss the biblical foundation for women in ministry. Dr. Gooder, a renowned theologian and New Testament scholar, passionately unpacks the significant roles women played in the early church, from Mary Magdalene to Phoebe, and addresses common misconceptions about Paul’s teachings on women in leadership.

This conversation is a powerful reminder of how Scripture affirms women’s roles in ministry and leadership, offering a fresh perspective on passages often misunderstood.
 

Watch the Clip

Rev. Dr. Katie Givens Kime
Where do you see the clearest scriptural support for women in ministry, and how would you build a biblical argument for women serving in leadership roles today within the church?

Dr. Paula Gooder
Well, for me, the clearest scriptural argument for women in ministry is the women who were in ministry in the New Testament. As simple as that. One of the things that I've become more and more passionate about is that the more I read Paul, the more I read Acts, and actually, the more I read the Gospels, the more I see the number of women who are there, faithfully ministering.

You've got the followers of Jesus, named and unnamed, who are there. But let's pause for a moment and think about people like Mary Magdalene and Joanna, who supported Jesus's ministry. You've got the handful of Marys—depending on how you identify them—who were faithfully there at the cross and then at the resurrection. You've got Mary Magdalene being the first person sent out to tell the good news, as well as the other women who were there.

You've got all the people in the Pauline early Christian communities who were women leading. So you've got Priscilla and Aquila—Priscilla, married to Aquila, was a fundamental part of the earliest Pauline communities and even corrected Apollos when he went wrong in his theology.

You've got Phoebe, who we know brought the Letter to the Romans to Rome and quite possibly was the first ever exegete of one of Paul's letters. It is possible, in fact, that she was. You've got Junia—I know there's lots of debate about Junia—but Paul describes her as being one of the most prominent of the apostles.

You've got Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians, who, though having fallen out, were still doing the work of the Lord alongside Paul. So, therefore, they were working with Paul. You've got Nympha, who had a church in her house. I could go on and on. But for me, the really important thing is that there are so, so many women.

And the key thing is, neither Jesus nor Paul tell them they're not allowed to do what they're doing. The actual women carry on doing what they're doing, ministering faithfully. And then you have these passages—the passages about which people will talk extensively—1 Corinthians 11, 1 Corinthians 14, and 1 Timothy 2, which apparently put boundaries around what women can do.

But what is really interesting to me is that they are all general passages, not specific passages. Paul never says, "I wish Phoebe would stop," or "I wish Euodia and Syntyche would not be co-workers together with me." In the Gospel, he simply allows them to minister.

And then he comes up with these very particular strictures. Were we to have much more time, I could talk you through them, but I won’t. But I think, in a way, they should be understood not as something that actually restricts women's ministry, but as very specific comments in very specific contexts. And you need to understand them as that.
 

REFLECTION

Dr. Paula Gooder’s insights serve as yet another reminder that the Bible is packed with examples of women who weren’t just present in the early church—they were leading it. Mary Magdalene was the first witness to the resurrection, not an afterthought. Phoebe likely carried and explained Paul’s Letter to the Romans, not just a footnote in history. Junia? Paul called her prominent among the apostles, not questionable or controversial—until later interpreters tried to erase her.

This clip challenges us to reconsider how we’ve been told to read Paul’s writings on women in leadership. Instead of treating passages like 1 Corinthians 14 or 1 Timothy 2 as universal, across-the-board prohibitions, Dr. Gooder reframes them as context-specific instructions that shouldn’t overshadow the bigger biblical picture. The evidence is there—women were called, gifted, and sent. Maybe the real question is, why do we keep pretending they weren’t?

As we reflect on this conversation, consider:
- How can we move beyond mere acknowledgment and actively celebrate and support women in leadership?

- What assumptions about Scripture need reexamining in light of its full narrative?

- How do the stories of women like Phoebe and Junia call you to step into your faith with boldness?

 

Explore Dr. Paula Gooder’s full sermon from episode 4171 >>>