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Articles  Dee Alei is a servant used to bring healing, restoration, equipping, release and a revelation of the Father's heart to the Body of Christ. Her ministry thrust is a unique blend of the apostolic and prophetic, ministered with a pastor's heart. She has a passion to see saints experience a new level of intimacy with God, new levels of freedom in Him and a fresh understanding of the authority He has given His Church. She longs to see individuals released into their giftings and callings, fulfilling the plan and destiny God has for their lives. The Lord often uses her to bring hope and encouragement to those who are struggling or those who feel they are disqualified or overlooked in some way, making them unfit to be used by God. Dee attended Fountain Gate Bible College in Plano, TX and served as Director of Missions before leaving to plant a church with her husband in New Mexico. She co-pastored Living Water Community Church with her husband, Dave, for 5 years. To order the book click here Check out Dave and Dee Alei's Lifeline Ministry. Chapter Seven - of From Bondage to BlessingThe Son: Re-expressing the Father's Heart Towards Womenby Dee Alei
Ruth Tucker and Walter Liefeld open the first chapter of their book, Daughters of the Church, with a story out of the gospel of Luke. It is about two contrasting figures who appear at the opening of the Christian era: an old man, Zechariah, and a teenage girl named Mary. They point out that Luke artistically looks at one then the other, contrasting Zechariah's doubt with Mary's faith. Then they make this stunning statement, "The new era, about to be proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, begins with the faith of a woman."[1] Jesus ushered in this new era with a complete departure from the traditions of the time and the commandments of the rabbis concerning women. He was radical. He was infuriating. He paid no attention to the oral law of the rabbis. Instead He listened only to His Father, doing and saying only what the Father told Him to do and say (John 5:19; 8:19,28-29). His attitude towards women was very different from that of His day. While many argue that Jesus preserved the status quo and traditional view of women in failing to force a total break with Greek and Hebrew norms, they fail to acknowledge the radical departures that He did take from such norms. While they might argue that He did not go far enough, it is clear that He went a very long way towards changing the status of women in just 3 short years. We find a parallel in the way Jesus handled the "Gentile question". We know from the Old Testament, even as far back as the Abrahamic Covenant, that God purposed His kingdom to include Gentiles or non-Jews. Yet Jesus did not fully address this issue. The gospel was not preached to the Gentiles until after his death and resurrection (Acts 10:45-11:1). Practical Reasons Why Women Could Not Be Among the Twelve Some traditionalist Church leaders today suggest that women are disqualified from leadership on the basis of gender because Jesus did not choose any women to be one of His twelve disciples. While Jesus had a number of women disciples as we shall see later, this question about why no women were among the twelve needs to be studiously examined. The first and foremost reason is that scholars recognize His choosing of the twelve was a symbolic act to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. [2] He chose 12 men to represent these twelve tribes (ruled by patriarchy) in order to make a statement that Israel was entering into a new day and a new covenant with the Lord. Tucker and Liefeld note that this is why a successor to Judas had to be chosen and why this group would never be accepted among the Jews if one of them was a woman.[3] Secondly, there are a number of practical considerations that would have prohibited a woman from travelling with Jesus and the twelve. This was an intimate group who talked, ate, slept and used the toilet together. Having traveled with a U.S. Forest Service fire crew in my younger years, fighting forest fires across Arizona and California, I can testify to the extreme practical difficulties of a woman travelling intimately with a group of men. My experience was in modern times when it was considered fairly acceptable, and with modern conveniences! Third, although Jesus promoted women as both witnesses and disciples, establishing a woman as one of the twelve would have been a strategic blunder, given the serious prejudice and disdain for women in that day. The twelve were intended to be "official" witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus (Acts 1:15-26) and to be the foundation for the emerging Christian Church ( Acts 1:2-3; Eph 2:20). From a purely practical standpoint, a woman would have been a hindrance to the fulfillment of God's plan because in the culture of the time, women were not considered valid witnesses legally and would not have been accepted as religious teachers or leaders. A foundation had to be laid first. Spencer, in noting that the barrier between Jew and Gentile was not broken until after Jesus' death and resurrection, deftly exposes the weakness of the popular argument which casts women as disqualified from spiritual leadership because the twelve disciples were all men. She says, "If Jesus' choice of 12 male disciples signifies that females should not be leaders in the Church, then, consistently his choice also signifies that Gentiles should not be leaders in the Church."[4] One must conceed she makes an excellent point! How Jesus Affirmed Women Jesus called Himself the "Son of Man", the Greek anthropos meaning humankind, male and female. In doing so, He established Himself as the coming Messiah, Savior and Redeemer for all human beings - male or female. During His 3 years of ministry on earth, He challenged the cultural and religious norms of the day and modeled something completely different. He laid a foundation for the liberty of women from the consequences of the fall which would be built upon after the new covenant was sealed in His blood. Jesus Intended His Teachings for Both Men and Women The four gospel accounts show us that Jesus frequently used women as examples in his parables and teaching stories. This was unusual for His culture.[5] He taught using numerous parallel examples of both a man and a woman. For example, in Luke 15 Jesus first spoke of the parable of the lost sheep in which a man figures as the central character. Then He tells the parable of the lost coin, to illustrate the same truth, using a woman as the central character. This balance reveals Jesus' heart to give equal importance and place to men and women. It also shows that, unlike other rabbis, His teaching was intended for both men and women. He was careful to use situations and characters in His parables that both groups could relate to and thereby understand the spiritual truth He was illustrating. The enormity of this is not clear until we recognize the fact that women were not normally allowed to be taught the Scriptures or to receive religious teaching or training under a rabbi. They were not considered worthy of it. He revealed in no uncertain terms that His teaching was for both men and women. It is also important to note that His depictions of women were always positive. He sometimes presented men in a negative light in His parables and teachings - as harsh, cruel, unmerciful, foolish, arrogant, etc (for example: Luke 12:13-21; Matt. 18:21-35; Matt. 21:33-44; Luke 18:9-14). However, He never presented women in a negative light. As Swidler notes, "This was in dramatic contrast to his predecessors and contemporaries"[6] Jesus affirmed the Value and Dignity of Women by Healing Them Today, we think nothing of a woman being healed by God. But in that time and in that culture, a woman was considered to be inferior, unworthy, inconsequential and not important. The attitude was, "Why bother? It is only a woman." Yet Jesus flew in the face of the cultural attitudes towards women by responding to their cries for help and attending to their needs with love and compassion. He healed Peter's mother-in-law who was sick in bed with fever (Mark 1:29-31). He healed Jairus' 12 year old daughter by raising her from the dead (Mark 5:21-43). Of note here is that He ignored the laws concerning uncleanness by touching the corpse, which was considered unclean. On the way to heal Jairus' daughter, Jesus healed the woman with the issue of blood, again flaunting the laws about ritual uncleanness (Lev. 15:19-30). According to the law, a woman with a discharge, whether menstrual or not, was considered unclean. Also, anyone or anything she touched was considered unclean. Jesus did not care and showed it publically. He was more concerned with the woman than He was with the letter of the law. When He got the whole story from the woman who lay trembling at His feet, His response to her was simply, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction" (Mark 5:34. He also went out of His way to heal a woman on the Sabbath (a definite no-no), right in front of the leader of the synagogue! He was willing to risk the difficulties it brought for Him because He cared so much for the poor woman who had been bent over double for 18 years. This account is found in Luke 13:10-17. Several things are significant about this passage. First, He called to the woman, inviting her to come to Him. Men did not speak to women publically, even their own wives.[7] Secondly, He risked a stir by healing her on the Sabbath. Thirdly, He called her a "Daughter of Abraham." This was an unusual expression. Men were called "Sons of Abraham" to show they were part of God's chosen people, but women were considered to have no part in the inheritance or covenant blessings of Abraham. By a subtle twist of words, Jesus made it clear that from God's perspective, women had an equal part in His covenant with Israel.[8] Finally, Jesus healed the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman by delivering her from a demon (Matt. 15:21-28). This case was unique because Jesus actually stepped beyond the boundaries of his prescribed ministry ("I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel") to heal a young woman, and at the request of another woman! Though the woman was a Gentile, and Jesus told her He was not sent to the Gentiles, her tenacity and faith caused Him to move on her behalf. Although Jesus could have rebuked this woman for being "pushy", He instead praised her "great faith" and granted her request. Jesus Put Men and Women on Equal Footing in Marriage "Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" " What did Moses command you?" he replied. They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."" (Mark 10:2-12, NIV) To understand how powerful a statement Jesus was making here, we must be reminded that divorce was allowed, but only the man could initiate it. He could rid himself of his wife if she displeased him in any way. According to Tucker and Liefeld, some rabbis considered the size of the woman's bosom or bad breath to be allowable considerations in a man's desire to divorce.[9] She could also be divorced if she spoiled his dinner, talked loudly or was not pretty enough.[10] She was considered a "possession" of a man along with his oxen and home, per the rabbis' interpretation of the Tenth Commandment (Deut 5:21).[11] Also, under Jewish law, a man was never considered as having committed adultery against his wife. But if the wife committed adultery, it was against her husband.[12] He further had the right to send her away, but she could never leave him.[13] In the above passage of Mark 10:2-12, Jesus brings equality into marriage for the first time, giving the wife equal rights and responsibilities that she did not have before. He did this first by eliminating the idea of divorce completely, except for unfaithfulness (Matt. 19:9). He then brought further equality by introducing the concept that a man could commit adultery against his wife. He introduced the idea that she was not an object or possession to be used and abused, but another valuable human being who could be sinned against. Finally, He promoted equality by suggesting that the woman had the same right to divorce her husband that the man had. He covered an option that in reality did not exist at the time, just to affirm the status of women. Jesus Encouraged Women Disciples In the gospel accounts, we find recorded an amazing fact - Jesus had women disciples who traveled with Him! Do you know I was a Christian for over 20 years before I discovered this? "After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod's household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means." (Luke 8:1-3, NIV) "Some women were watching from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. In Galilee these women had followed him and cared for his needs. Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were also there." (Mark 15:40-41, NIV) These women had left the shelter of their homes and families, and left all convention behind to travel around with Jesus, support Him financially, and minister to His needs. In a society where a woman could be divorced for speaking to a man publically, this was unheard of! Further, Jesus allowed it! Swidler reveals that variant renderings of Luke's gospel from the early 2nd century and from the 4th century speak of Him leading women astray in chapter 23. He concludes that these renderings "support the notion that Jesus was a feminist, was widely known to be a feminist, was despised by many for being a feminist, and was politically denounced as a feminist." He goes on to say they suggest that Jesus' feminism was perceived as a capital crime.[14] While I think it a bit much to suggest He was crucified because He restored dignity, value and freedom to women, it is possible that His revolutionary attitude towards women contributed greatly to His plummeting popularity with the religious leaders of the day! In all three passages which speak of these women who traveled with Jesus (Luke 8:1-2; Mark 15:40-41 and Matt. 27:55-56), the Greek diakoneo is used. This is the word from which we get the word "deacon". Swidler cites three apocryphal sources which corroborate that the early Christians thought of and referred to these women as "disciples".[15] Tucker and Liefeld ask the questions, "What does it mean that these women 'ministered' to Jesus? ... Could the women be called ministers?" They conclude that this might be overstating what was meant by diakoneo.[16] But my own thoughts on this are thus: "Ministry" in the biblical sense is service and our ulimate ministry is to the Lord. If we are worthy to serve Him, certainly we are worthy to serve others! These women disciples were faithful to Jesus to the very end. While the male disciples fled (Matt. 26:56; Mark 14:49-50), whether out of discouragement or fear remains a mystery, the women risked their lives to stay with Him. Luke 23:27 records that they met Him on the Via Dolorosa as He was carrying the cross. Matthew and Mark speak of their standing a distance away as He hung on the cross (Matt. 27:55; Mark 15:40). And John shares that several of them came up to the cross and spoke with Jesus before He died (John 19:25-27). As Tucker and Liefeld observe, "in spite of their grief, the fact that Jesus had been executed as a criminal, and the danger from the hostile crowds and officials that all the disciples felt, these women identified themselves as Jesus' followers ..."[17] It is intriguing to note that by the time of Jesus' death, the women were accepted by the twelve as part of the larger group of disciples. Luke refers to them in 24:22 as "certain women of our company." They were definitely included! Mary of Bethany was another woman who moved beyond the social norm of the time to conduct herself as a disciple in a way that was acceptable only for men. And Jesus clearly encouraged her in it! As Martha served, Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to His teaching. The picture presented is that of a disciple sitting at her Master's feet receiving instruction, not of worship as is commonly taught.[18] Even when Martha complained about it, Jesus applauded Mary's choice saying that she had chosen the better part (Luke 10:38-42). Mary related to Jesus in a special way that even His closest disciples could not. Unlike the men, she seemed to have a special sensitivity and understanding of His heart. John , Mark and Matthew each relate the story of Mary barging in on a dinner party in Bethany (again, a scandalous act) with an alabaster jar of costly anointing oil (John 12:1-8; Mark 14:3-9; Matt. 26:6-13). She began to anoint Jesus with it, pouring it on His head and anointing His feet, then wiping His feet with her unbound hair (another scandalous act!). Jesus did not resist her or rebuke her, though everyone else at the dinner table was probably in absolute shock. In fact, He commended her to the others for her beautiful act of worship and said that she would be honored for it in the years to come. Earlier in Luke 7:36-50, another woman had come to Jesus with a flask of oil and done something similar. I've found that various commentaries and study Bibles sometimes confuse (in different ways) the four gospel accounts and the woman involved. However, it seems clear to me that John, Matthew and Mark all refer to the same event, even though there are some differences (as there always are with eyewitness accounts). All three accounts record the event as taking place a few days before Passover and in Bethany. The same words about the value of the spikenard are attributed to Judas or the disciples in each one. The account in Luke is quite different altogether, however. It appears to have occurred much earlier in the ministry of Jesus, before the 12 and the 70 were sent out. It occurred in the home of a Pharisee, not a leper. The woman in the Luke account is of a somewhat different background than Mary of Bethany and the discussion recorded is quite different. "Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee's house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, "This man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner." And Jesus answered and said to him, "Simon, I have something to say to you." So he said, "Teacher, say it." "There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. "And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?" Simon answered and said, "I suppose the one whom he forgave more." And He said to him, "You have rightly judged." Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little." Then He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Then He said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace."" (Luke 7:36-50) This was a woman with a "bad name" (probably a prostitute). As with Mary, He did not resist or rebuke her for her actions. In fact, He spoke with her and let her touch Him and kiss Him - all in front of a Pharisee and his friends! If Jesus' disciples were scandalized when innocent Mary of Bethany did such a thing, this Pharisee and his friends were probably having apoplexy when Jesus let a prostitute unbind her hair, speak to Him and touch Him. He had no regard for their rabbinical laws, religious traditions, or attitude towards women. In fact, He chastised them for not honoring Him as she did. Rather than putting her down and ridiculing her with loathing as the religious leaders of the day would have done, He lifted her up as an example for them to follow. He not only treated her with compassion, but gave her honor, dignity and blessing. Jesus Revealed Himself To Women and Released Them to Share In John 4:1-42 is recorded the account of Jesus and the woman at the well. This woman was a Samaritan who came to the well to draw water. Jesus was waiting there for his disciples while they were off getting food. Jesus again flaunted convention by striking up a conversation with a woman, and a Samaritan woman at that. Then He got a drink from her. That was equally shocking because as a Samaritan she was considered ritually unclean. But His interest and care for her overrode all traditions and custom. Next, He initiated a theological discussion with her! In this lengthy discussion, Jesus revealed Himself as the Messiah for the first time - to a woman. After His disciples arrived (in shock), she left her waterpots and took off into the city to tell everyone about Jesus. Verse 39 records that "many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified ..." (emphasis added). The wording here in the Greek is almost identical to Jesus' words in the Greek in John 17:20, where Jesus prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word."[19] The Samaritan woman shared the good news, directing people to Jesus, and they believed in Him. This is evangelism. Thus, John 4 records the first evangelist in the New Testament, and it was a woman! We also find that Jesus revealed Himself to Martha, the sister of Mary, in a way that He did not to the others. He uniquely revealed Himself to her as "the resurrection". As Swidler points out, "Jesus here revealed the central event, the central message, in the Gospel - the resurrection, His resurrection, his being the resurrection - to a woman!" He also notes that Martha made exactly the same public profession word for word (in the original Greek) of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God in John 11:27 as Peter is recorded to have made in Matt. 16:16.[20] Much has been made in Church circles of Peter's divine revelation of who Jesus was, but few realize that a woman had exactly the same revelation, and spoke it in exactly the same words. This spoken revelation was a "prophetic word" in that it testified of Jesus (Rev. 19:10), and revealed the mind and heart of God. Another woman who received a prophetic word concerning the identity of Jesus as the Messiah was Anna (Luke 2:36-38). She was a recognized prophetess and intercessor, a widow who lived in the temple, serving God "with fasting and prayers night and day." When Jesus was taken to the temple as a baby to be dedicated to the Lord according to Jewish law, the Holy Spirit sent a man called Simeon to the temple at the same time for a divine appointment (Luke 2:25-35). This was a devout man that the Lord had spoken to concerning the coming of the Messiah, and as he saw the child Jesus, he gave a prophetic word over Jesus revealing His identity. Just as he finished, Anna walked in. She also was given a revelation of His true identity and echoed prophetically what Simeon had just said about Jesus as the Redeemer. Earlier we had mentioned how Jesus used parallel stories with both men and women as the central characters, to bring balance and equality of value and importance to women. Here, at the opening of the new age that dawned with the coming of the Messiah, the Father orchestrates the very same thing! A man and a woman both receive a revelation of Jesus' true identity and destiny, and both prophesy publically over the baby as He is dedicated to the Lord. Also, the testimony of two or three witnesses was required to verify a fact (Deut. 19:15; Matt. 18:16). The testimony of women, however, was not considered legally valid.[21] Their word did not count for anything. Yet here, the Father establishes women as valid witnesses contrary to the religious thinking and tradition of the time, by allowing a woman to be one of the two witnesses to the identity of His Son. Finally, Jesus revealed Himself as the risen Lord first to Mary Magdalene and then gave her a commission to tell the others the good news of the resurrection (John 20:11-18). Separately, the whole group of women who came to the tomb were commissioned by an angel to tell the rest of the disciples the good news (Mark 16:1-8). Interestingly enough, both these accounts invoke the literal meaning of the Greek word apostolos, one which we call an "apostle". It means "a delegate, a messenger, or one sent forth with orders". A number of different sources mention that the early Church gave Mary Magdalene the title Apostola Apostolorum, meaning Apostle of the Apostles. One such source also sagely points out that these accounts must have their basis in fact because any story based on the word of a woman was highly unlikely to have been fabricated.[22] The Lord literally chose women as apostles! He also chose women to be the first witnesses to the resurrection. This again defied Jewish law and custom. As mentioned earlier, the testimony of a woman was not considered acceptable as a witness. This whole event, probably more than anything else, showed God's heart and intent to redeem women from their captivity and release them into a place of equality, dignity and importance in the kingdom of God. Summary Jesus continually broke with the traditions, religious law and attitudes of the time regarding women. He continually affirmed women, honoring them, encouraging them in their faith, giving them dignity, equality, value and lifting them up to the men as positive examples. Jesus showed compassion for the women's needs, even risking the hostility of the religious leaders on numerous occasions to receive their ministry to Him and to minister to them. He encouraged them as disciples, even allowing women to travel with Him (though not as intimately as the twelve). He revealed things about Himself to women, often before He revealed these same things to the men. Variant renderings of Luke's gospel suggest that one reason Jesus was executed was because His "feminist" tendencies were leading women astray. The synoptic gospels not only reveal Jesus' unique attitude towards women and distinctive relationship with them, but also the emerging pattern of God's release of women into liberty and even into ministry. The first evangelist recorded in the New Testament was a woman with whom He struck up a theological discussion. The first to whom Jesus revealed Himself as "the resurrection" was a woman. The first at the tomb were the women and they were allowed to be the first witnesses to the resurrection. The first person He revealed Himself to as the risen Savior was a woman. He personally sent her as an apostle to the others to share this news. Jesus' words and actions leave no doubt as to His position regarding women. He laid a sure foundation during the three years of His ministry on the earth for their release as valued witnesses, teachers and leaders in the emerging Christian Church. Notes_________________ 1. Ruth A. Tucker and Walter Liefeld, Daughters of the Church (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1987), p. 19. 2. Leonard Swidler, Biblical Affirmations of Woman (The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1979), p. 289. 3. Ruth A. Tucker and Walter Liefeld, Daughters of the Church (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1987), p. 47. 4. Aida Besancon Spencer, Beyond the Curse (Hendrickson, Peabody MA, 1985), p. 45. 5. Leonard Swidler, Biblical Affirmations of Woman (The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1979), p. 164. 6. Ibid. 7. John Temple Bristow, What Paul Really Said About Women (HarperCollins, San Francisco, 1988), p. 19. 8. Leonard Swidler, Biblical Affirmations of Woman (The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1979), p. 182. 9. Ruth A. Tucker and Walter Liefeld, Daughters of the Church (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1987), p. 62. Ruth A. Tucker and Walter Liefeld, Daughters of the Church (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1987), p. 62. 10. Lorna Simcox, "The Woman's Relationship to Her Home and Family", Israel My Glory (August/September 1996), p. 9. 11. John Temple Bristow, What Paul Really Said About Women (HarperCollins, San Francisco, 1988), p. 18-19. 12. Leonard Swidler, Biblical Affirmations of Woman (The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1979), p. 175. 13. Lorna Simcox, "The Woman's Relationship to Her Home and Family", Israel My Glory (August/September 1996), p. 9. 14. Leonard Swidler, Biblical Affirmations of Woman (The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1979), p. 276-277. 14. Ibid., p. 195. 15. Ruth A. Tucker and Walter Liefeld, Daughters of the Church (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1987), p. 38. 16. Ibid. 17. Ibid., p. 26. 18. Leonard Swidler, Biblical Affirmations of Woman (The Westminster Press, Philadelphia, 1979), p. 190. 19. Ibid., p. 216. 20. Ruth A. Tucker and Walter Liefeld, Daughters of the Church (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, 1987), p. 26. 21. Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince, The Templar Revelation, (Bantam Press, Great Britain, 1997), p. 79
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