Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church

Would it not be great to read a scholarly book with such accessibility, written in such a conversational tone, that it is almost like being in comfy chairs, talking with the author? What if such a book had the same enjoyability factor as curling up with a novel?What if, right?Except, that is exactly what reading Tell Her Story: How Women, Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church, by Nijay K. Gupta, was like for me.Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I have read almost all of Dr. Gupta’s books. They are probably some of the best creative nonfiction books out there on Greek scholarship and Biblical exegesis, very accessible and conversational, definitely erudite and carefully researched, and so enjoyably written a person hardly realizes they have just received an excellent education when they read that last page and close the book with happy satisfaction.(Man, that sentence is four lines long! Must be I have been reading apostle Paul stuff recently).Tell Her Story begins with Deborah’s narrative, and the extraordinary, unique example she provides at very nearly the beginning of the Bible of women in political and religious leadership. From there, Gupta returns to the foundational passage in Genesis 1-3 to exploring the synoptic accounts of earth’s and humankind’s beginnings. Gupta points out God’s intention of men and women partnering.“The sum is greater than the parts, and together they have the potential to unlock the full vitality of God's creation on earth.“… One human ruling the other that is not an ideal of the garden but an intrusion and an undoing.“… The way back is uniformity this Christ, not hierarchy.”Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story, pp. 26, 26, 29In the next chapter, Gupta describes what life was like for women in the Greco-Roman world of the first century, and how women navigated in both domestic and civic spaces. Gupta tells it like it was, without romanticizing. He begins, “the ancient world was a man’s world” (p. 30). There it is.Taking the reader through a review of patriarchy, social class, and status in that world, we begin to understand how complex, actually, it really was. Being a man or a woman (or an enslaved person, or a eunuch, for that matter) was not the sum total of one’s identity. Wealth, connections, intelligence, skills and talents, education, assets, nobility, you get the picture. There were plenty of occasions when a particular woman might outclass a particular man in a given situation.Though there were certain broad areas of life where women were barred, women had ways to operate in those spaces as well. I was fascinated to learn how!Gupta also did a little myth-busting:• Wives were not always under the authority of their husbands (p. 38).• Women often could and did own property (p. 39).• A woman’s life may have centered in the home, but it was anything but private (p. 40).With ample citations and archaeological evidence, Gupta shows Greek and Roman women were engaged in business, politics and civic benefaction, social associations, and leadership in cultic activities. Jewish women also enjoyed opportunities to be engaged in social life, with a number of high-profile leaders including Queen Alexandra Salome of Judea (76 to 67 BC) (p. 46).Just knowing what Gupta outlined in this chapter changes the lens through which you and I would read the stories of women in Jesus’s life and ministry, the next chapter of the book. He begins with Mary, mother of Jesus, depicting her as the courageous and biblically literate person she was. From there, Gupta shows how women “paved the way” for Jesus (p. 56) and how Jesus mindfully and respectfully engaged with women.Of the many insights Gupta offers, here is one of my favorites:“… there may be a clever thematic link between Acts 1-2 and the beginning of the gospel of Luke. In Luke 1, when the angel Gabriel appears to Mary, she is told that “the Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Lk 1:35). In Luke 3:22, when Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove and rests on him. And in Acts 2 the empowering presence of the Spirit comes down from heaven and fills up the room (Acts 2:2-3). Mary can be seen to be a living link from the incarnation, through the life and ministry of Jesus, and into the ministry of the Spirit-empowered apostles. In these Pentecost paintings, then, she symbolizes the church, the guardian and agent of Christ's gospel, and the work of God from age to age, era to era, testified and confirmed by God's Spirit.Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story, p. 67Then we get to the women leaders in the early church.Gupta again lays the groundwork for understanding how the early church gathered, explaining the structure and habits of synagogues and the early assemblies of believers. He spells out the various New Testament terminology for these gatherings and the people who worked alongside Paul as well as served and ministered in the church.Again, understanding all these things gives a much better template for understanding how women were engaged in Christ’s call as portrayed in scripture.Reading the texts containing women takes care. Words matter, context matters. Here are two quotes that illustrate what I mean.The first example concerns a single sentence from Paul’s letter to Rome:“Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.”Romans 16:6What could a person possibly get from that!?"The prominence of her being named in the early part of the list, combined with the amplifier very (“Mary … worked very hard”), suggests that she was a prominent church leader. Saint 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, p. 101The second example, several pages later, keys in on a significant fact about the text and context of Paul’s mention of a woman in his letter to Colossae.“Greet the brothers and sisters in Laodicea, and Nympha and the church down in her house.”Colossians 4:15We can read that sentence over and over and miss its magnitude. Until it sinks in, remembering Paul’s greetings in other letters."Again, it should reshape how we think about first-century Christianity when we consider that the only named person we know from the Laodicean community is a woman, Nympha. This offers yet another reminder that ministry leadership in the apostolic period was not a man's job. People, both women and men, of skill and gifting, with resources and experience at their disposal, were called on to care for the people of God in Jesus Christ—people like Apphia and Nympha."Nijay K. Gupta, Tell Her Story, p. 111Separate chapters are given to Prisca and Junia, strong leaders in the Lord, followed by a summary of Paul’s support and enthusiastic partnering with women throughout his ministry career.The last section of this book is entitled “What About … ?Yes, what about those biblical passages that seem to indicate just about the opposite of everything Dr. Gupta has just finished telling us about? With his inimical winsome and conversational style, Gupta takes us through 1 Timothy 2 and the so-called household codes scattered throughout the epistles that discuss submission. Throughout, Gupta reminds us of the redemptive trajectory of the apostles’ teaching. Their work has gotten us here, honoring the dignity and worth of all human beings, and the equally loved and respected status of God’s beloved in the Kingdom of Heaven.This book is so worth it!Bonuses, by the way:• For as packed as it is with information and insight, the whole thing is only 200 pages long.• Gupta’s bibliography alone is worth the price of admission.• Every chapter comes with a summary conclusion—if you need to cut to the chase, you can.(Do it! You know you want to. Buy this book, your brain, heart, spirit, and library will thank you.)

I gave the book 5 stars because I like the author’s writing style and the book’s accessibility. The book is written from an egalitarian perspective. It uses (mostly) Bible stories to address how women in the Bible answered God’s call to serve Him and others and, in doing so, challenges those who say “women can’t…” by showing how “women did…” in the Bible. The book is divided into three sections, and each section contains enough information to adequately address the subject while not overwhelming readers who are new to this important topic. I would recommend this book to those searching for a starting point for this course of study; however, I have read over 100 books on this topic and found it informative and fun to read!

Reading Level: Medium (Approx. Grade 7)Most content within the book would be considered an 'Easy' read (Grade 4), however, some of the terminology used may be new to readers not well-versed in Christian academia. Although the terms are explained within the text (generally), it may still give pause to the reader and slow the process of engagement.Faith Engagement Level: Easy to Digest (Written to Believers, practical for all)While some of the terminology is difficult to absorb, the book is written in a very approachable manner. Faith wise, the author immediately addresses difficult content with authority and compassion.Reader Age Recommended: Teens and UpContent references some *difficult* aspects of history (especially in relation to the vulnerability of women in prison systems/Roman Temple practices). Comprehension may be difficult for younger audiences.Before I dive into the full review, I want to disclose that I am a part of the launch team for this book. That being said, I never recommend a book without believing that it might transform someone's life and faith experience. While I have been given advance access (and a t-shirt),​my review reflects my own opinions of this work.WHY SHOULD I READ THIS BOOK? Many of us grow in faith without ever seeing the women of Scripture as important - even central - figures to the narratives of what God is accomplishing in His Kingdom. In some cases, we are taught to actively dismiss the roles of these individuals as outliers, or even mistranslations of Scripture.The author, Dr. Nijay Gupta, was raised in a tradition that did not invite the participation of women in ministry - nor did it have a high view of women in the Scriptures. He openly admits that among his first papers written during his Christian higher education, was a paper dismissing and diminishing the role of women in the church. In the book, he explains "No, seminary didn't turn me liberal" (pg. 3), but that his shift towards inclusion of women in ministry and recognition of women participating in God's Kingdom came as a direct result of his encounters with Scripture.Unlike Dr. Gupta, I grew up in a tradition that teaches that women can actively serve in all ministries. I was raised to understand that women could be pastors - but still I found myself wondering in college if that was true as I wrestled with my own calling. Why? Despite all the acknowledgements of empowerment and inclusion, so few leaders had bothered to teach about the women of Scripture who served as vibrant members of the Kingdom of God that I wondered if our denomination was right.I really appreciated that the general experience of this book was what I would consider to be 'approachable academia.' As someone with a handful of degrees and titles, I was stimulated and challenged intellectually. As a pastor, these are not always the kinds of books I immediately pass along to my congregation - who generally read very infrequently and find academia about the faith difficult to engage. However, I would pass this book along and feel confident that members of my congregation could benefit from the wisdom it holds.This book was a meeting in the middle of academia and the average person. While we would read it from different lenses, both those who have little engagement with this world and those of us who thrive in the richness of learning about the world of Scripture can learn a tremendous about. Academically-inclined readers will find the footnotes enthralling, but the main text of the book will engage and challenge all readers to explore the Scriptures with the same contagious level of passion presented by Nijay in this work.I will note that there may be points where readers will need to step back to digest the book - as some parts can be a bit dense for readers to fully absorb. While you may want to sit and read it in one go, this is not a book you will want to rush through, as it challenges and stretches the reader deeply. I typically read books in 1-2 days, but I took 3 weeks on this one and read a chapter or two at a time because of how rich it was. This book was a bit like eating a deliciously rich cheesecake - if you eat too much at once, it can become overwhelming.WHAT DID THIS BOOK CHALLENGE ME TO DO?This book called out that I don't always think about the way that I address the inclusion of others.The perspective of this book was non-threatening, and shared with vulnerability. It was not confrontational towards individuals who still espouse that women don't belong in church leadership - but simply addressed the common concerns of Scripture surrounding that perspective.

It is refreshing to read a book that highlight women in ministry from a Biblical perspective, and highlighting the lives of women in the early church. This is a fantastic book that provides insight, depth and clarity around the topic of women in ministry.We often skim over the names listed in the Bible that aren't as familiar to us, but throughout these chapters, the stories of women are told and expanded upon, bringing them off the page and giving each woman a story to go with her name.This book will challenge misconceptions or assumptions that have been made while reading the bible through a patriarchal lens and shows the richness of the early church and how women were a driving force within the church.Parts one and two lay a base and then highlight various women. At the end of the book, there is also a section that addresses passages of scripture that have often been used to argue against women in leadership.A well researched and thoughtful book that is easy to read but rich in its content.

This is book to read - and reread (I also listened to the author reading the book on Audible).It is a thorough treatment of the role of women in the early church, set in the broader context of the role of women in the broader Greco-Roman world. It was an absolute eye-opener for me. I was impressed by the easy way that Nijay Gupta shared the results of his research.Anyone who is serious about finding a balanced view of the role of women in the modern church needs to read this book.

"Tell Her Story" enters the world of debate about women's place in the church by looking at the stories of what women in the Bible actually did. "Tell Her Story" picks up threads of the lives of women named in the Bible - some of whom (Mary, the mother of Jesus) you have likely heard about, and some of whom (Damaris) might be new introductions (though their stories have been there for us all along) - and weaves a tapestry of the rich and varied things that women actually did in the New Testament.This book is very readable, and sheds light beyond the traditional debates you may have heard by pulling out treasures from the lives of the women who lived, worked in ministry, taught, took risks, suffered, served, and led for the sake of the gospel of Jesus. I highly recommend this book!

"Tell Her Story" is a call to pay attention, a call to pay attention to what has always been there.Gupta does not write a new story, but—as Barr says in her foreword—chips away at the paint, exposing the stories of women obscured by history. When we look carefully, we see the names and hear the stories of countless women who loved Jesus and were loved by Jesus, who were ministered to by Jesus and who ministered to Jesus. In his conclusion, Gupta wisely comments, "... we can talk theory and theology all day, but I find it incredibly clarifying to look at specific people in God's good news story, and how the biblical writers actually reflect on those people" (153). The stories found in our Bibles ought not only to inform our theory and theology, but to ground them.If you're looking for a book that will present the facts in black and white, this book is not for you; yet, I would suggest that no book has or ever will accomplish such a feat. The conversation pertaining to Women in Ministry is complex; it demands that we dance in the gray and come forward with open hands. Gupta is humble in his approach; he openly acknowledges where the facts end and the hypotheses start. At the same time, he allows what he knows to inform what he does not know.If you're new to the conversation, "Tell Her Story" is a great place to start. It's an accessible and easy read grounded in excellent scholarship. If you're familiar with the conversation, "Tell Her Story" is a great place to pick back up. Gupta's voice is one worth listening to.

This book is such an easy read, and so important… walk thru stories of amazing women of the Bible, and hear how women are valued and apart of God’s plan, in all the ways that the modern patriarchy of fundamentalist tell you they shouldn’t.