The New Testament identifies a number of women followers of Jesus.

The four gospels differ in the number, names, and roles of such female disciples. Even greater variation is found in the noncanonical gospels.

A disciple (not to be confused with an apostle) is widely held to refer to "one who follows a person's moral teachings", more commonly called a "student".

Women feature prominently in accounts of Jesus' crucifixion and in reports of his resurrection and at the Pentecost. In all four gospel accounts, women were the first to receive a sign of Jesus' resurrection and to report it to others (the "Good news").

Authorship of one of the apocryphal gospels, the Gospel of Mary, is attributed to this most famous of Jesus' female apostles. And in Pistis Sophia Chapter 96, Christ says;"Where I shall be, there will be also my twelve ministers. But Mary Magdalene and John, the virgin, will tower over all my disciples and over all men who shall receive the mysteries in the Ineffable. And they will be on my right and on my left. And I am they, and they are I."

The Sophia of Jesus Christ’ begins: After he rose from the dead, his twelve disciples and the seven women continued to be his followers and went to Galilee onto the mountain called “Divination and Joy”

In the apocryphal 'Pistis Sophia', Christ calls upon Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Martha and Salome to answer his questions concerning an exegesis of scripture and the Gnostic mysteries to create the Greater Soul. These women discourse at great length amongst the male disciples which vexes Peter. He protests when Mary Magdalene answers again and wants the women to be excluded. Pistis Sophia 146 Peter said: "My Lord, let the women cease to question, in order that we also may question." But Christ gently corrects Peter's error and calls upon Martha next.

And Peter protests the inclusion of Mary Magdalene in the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas 114: Simon Peter said to them, "Let Mary leave us, for women are not worthy of life."

But according to the 1st Apocalypse of James, James says, "I am satisfied [...] and they are [...] my soul. Yet another thing I ask of you: who are the seven women who have been your disciples? And behold all women bless you." This text, however, reveals four of these women's names, when Jesus speaks to James: "When you speak these words of this perception, encourage these four: Salome and Mariam and Martha and Arsinoe."

From these texts a list may be culled:

Mary Magdalene
Mary, the mother of Jesus
Mary Salome
Martha, sister of Lazarus
Miriamne, sister of Phillip
Arsinoe
But the name of the 7th female apostle can only be conjectured from the known list of female disciples. Perhaps Susanna  or Joanna are more likely to be the 7th woman apostle as they travelled with Christ and Mary Magdalene who was called the Apostla Apostolorum.

2 Thimmes wrote, "it is significant to note that Hippolytus, bishop of Rome (c. 170-235) [...] was the first to grant to Mary Magdalene the title 'Apostola Apostolorum' (apostle to the apostles). In his commentary on Canticle of Canticles he associates her with the bride and with the Bride of Christ, a symbol of the Church" (220-21). According to Lucy Winkett, "The ancient tradition of Mary of Magdala as Apostola Apostolorum ('apostle of the apostles') was also mentioned by Pope John Paul II."

We talked earlier about Tabitha(Dorcas) being a Disciple(Acts 9-vs-36-43)

36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

Within the books actually included in the Bible, as part of Christian scriptures (the word of God - the Holy Bible), female disciples are often mentioned.

Luke 8:1-3: "Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their means."

Another prominent woman at the time of Christ is Mary of Bethany. Since her sister Martha is one of the Seven Women Apostles called by Christ as noted in the Apocryphal 1st Apocalypse of James and in the Gnostic Pistis Sophia of Christ, and because Mary and Martha are often mentioned together in the New Testament, this makes Mary of Bethany a probable 7th female apostle.

Although the apocryphal texts of Christ and James enumerate seven women apostles only Junia is called an apostle in the New Testament. Paul says,

Romans 16:7 "Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was."

But we do not know if Junias was one of the Seven Women called by Christ or if she was a Disciple after his Ascension. Paul calls himself an apostle to the apostles and he did not walk with Christ nor was he called to be a messenger by Christ, so Paul might ascribe to a broader definition of the term apostle.

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  • Ne'eman women should not sit down the bible prove that they play a great deal in reaching the people praise God for WOG.

  • Amen Apostle Trina Davis to the women Disciples being the first to spread the good news. Simon Peter said women are not worthy of life, for Lord called on women as well.

    Apostle Trina Davis said:

    The four gospels ~ In all four gospel accounts, women were the first to receive a sign of Jesus' resurrection and to report it to others (the "Good news"). In other words these women were the first to preach, the resurrection of Jesus Christ...

    Terminology: "disciples" and "apostles" A disciple is a follower. All Christians are called to be disciples of Christ. An apostle is one who is called by Christ and sent out by Christ as an evangelist messenger~ The Great Commission declares;"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe (obey) all things that I have commanded you...." [Matt. 28:19–20a]

    The New Testament identifies a number of women followers of Jesus~Female disciples identified in the New Testament~Mary Magdalene~Mary, the mother of Jesus, ~ Mary Salome~ Mary ~ Martha of Bethany ~Joanna~ Susanna~ Priscilla~ Tabitha/Dorcas~ Miriamne, Arsinoe… I did a word search on google’s and found some more names..

  • this is good

  • I thank God for women in Christ Jesus and in the body of Christ.

    Great helpers and builders and administers, organizers. Women are the church. the head and not the tail

    Good is good to the women in the body of Christ Jesus with Great Ministries  Amen!.

    Peace and Love;

    Prophetess Carolyn A. Bighum

  • Rare information
  • My God.  This information is so powerful.  As a woman of God, I love studying women in the Bible.  I enjoy learning about these women purpose.  So oftentimes, woman are made to feel irrelevant in terms of Bible and the church.  All my life, I have attended various Baptist churches in the south.  I grew up Baptist, and yet, most Southern Baptist preachers would fight to the end saying that women have no place in pulpit or body of Christ.  In the body of Christ today, I believe that this is part of my calling, my ministry...it's to teach the importance and role of women in the Bible.

  • I agree with Prophetess Sonseeahray 100%

    Prophetess Sonseeahray M. Foster said:

    This information right here should be taught in the church at a high volume. This will destroy the myth that women can't be call to be an  Apostle. I enjoy the knowledge, and wisdom behind this teaching.

  • This information right here should be taught in the church at a high volume. This will destroy the myth that women can't be call to be an  Apostle. I enjoy the knowledge, and wisdom behind this teaching.

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