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“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

Those outside the Christian faith (especially those hostile toward it) are often heard saying that the Bible holds women in an inferior view, which plays into the “patriarchy” that currently holds women under the thumbs of men. But this is pure ignorance, as nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, God makes it clear from Genesis to Revelation, women are valuable and valued. The Bible is filled with strong heroines. And, contrary to the norms of society back then—and no doubt shocking to the original readers and hearers—God’s Words elevate women, show them as positive examples, and give their words and actions credence. This topic could (and does) fill volumes of study material. But here’s just a handful of Biblical truths to remind us how much our amazing God loves us all.

• Men and women are both created in God’s image. See Genesis 1:27.
• The Old Testament tells the amazing story of two different women—neither of whom are Jews, and one who was a prostitute—to beautifully illustrate God’s redemptive plan for all people. Not only that, but both these women are listed in the New Testament as being in the direct genealogy of Jesus. That’s pretty astounding. Check out Joshua 2-6 and the book of Ruth.
• Twice the Bible tells of women who fully understood who Jesus was (even when His closest buddies were still clueless), each one anointing Him with oil and tears of appreciation of His forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Read of the unnamed sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50, as well as Mary of Bethany in Matthew 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:1-8.
• Jesus was close friends with Mary and Martha, and their faith is given as an example to us, which you can read about in Luke 10:38-42 and John 11.
• The Bible tells us that women were part of Jesus’ closest circle, supporting and taking care of Him and His 12 disciples during Jesus’ earthly ministry. See Luke 8:1-3.
• The Bible records that the women who loved Jesus stayed for his execution when His disciples fled. See Matthew 27:55-56.
• It was a group of faithful women who first arrived at the tomb of Jesus and were the first to be witnesses to His resurrection. In and of itself, this gives historicity and veracity to this account, because at that time, women were not considered credible witnesses in court—so if someone wanted to fabricate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, they certainly would not have recorded women as the first witnesses. See Luke 24:1-12; Mark 16:1-11; John 20:1-18.

Sadly, some religions view women as less than men and of little more value than cattle. The world’s narrative about God’s view of women is pervasive and damaging. But it is based on lies, because Satan is the god of this world—and he is the father of lies. The True and Living God, however, loves and values men and women, having sacrificed His Son to redeem us all.

“Lord, thank You that I am precious in Your sight. I am made in Your image and have been made heir to Your kingdom by the blood of Jesus.

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life