What if some of Jesus’ most powerful pictures of discipleship are found in the experiences and stories of women?

In this episode of “What’s the Fuss? Women in Christian Ministry,” Dr. Melisa Ortiz Berry and Dr. Lynn Cohick explore how women appear in Jesus’ teachings, parables, and the Gospels and why these stories are not simply lessons for women, but pictures of faithful discipleship for the whole church.

Dr. Lynn Cohick is Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Houston Christian University. A New Testament scholar and prolific author, she has written numerous books and commentaries, including works on Ephesians and Philippians and Women in the World of the Earliest Christians: Illuminating Ancient Ways of Life. She also founded the Visual Museum of Women in Christianity and letHERlead and hosts The Alabaster Jar podcast.

In this episode, Melisa and Lynn explore:

• Women in Jesus’ Parables: How Jesus uses women and their everyday experiences to communicate truths about God, faith, and discipleship – and why these stories speak to the whole church.

• Reading Women as Disciples: How women such as Mary and Martha, the persistent widow, and the woman suffering from chronic bleeding reveal dimensions of faith, persistence, courage, and discipleship.

• The Parable of the Ten Virgins: What this story reveals about preparedness and faithful discipleship rather than being a teaching intended primarily for women.

• Women in the Ancient World: How understanding the historical and cultural realities of women’s lives can help modern readers see details in the biblical text they might otherwise overlook.

• Seeing Women in Early Christianity: How art, archaeology, and material history—including the Dura-Europos fresco—can broaden our understanding of women and their place within the early Christian world.

• Reading Beyond Our Assumptions: Why paying attention to women’s experiences in Scripture can challenge familiar interpretations and deepen the way the entire church reads the Bible.

This conversation is an invitation to notice the women and feminine imagery woven throughout Jesus’ teaching and to recognize that these stories are not side notes in the biblical narrative. They illuminate what faithful discipleship can look like for every follower of Jesus.

Video Chapters:

00:00 Introducing Dr. Lynn Cohick and Her Biblical Journey

04:00 Unpacking Everyday Life Through Women in Jesus' Parables

06:20 Unveiling the Significance of the Woman and the Leaven

09:27 Reinterpreting Martha's Hospitality and Mary's Discipleship

15:46 Female Disciples as Models for the Whole Church

18:38 Jesus Uses Childbirth to Illustrate Discipleship's Pain and Joy

26:19 Preparedness and Faithful Discipleship in the Ten Virgins

30:39 Challenging Assumptions About Women's Roles in the Ancient World

36:25 A Concluding Blessing for All Disciples

Guest Links:

Lynn Cohick’s Website: https://www.lynncohick.com/

Leadership Without Apology Substack: Meet Dr. Lynn H. Cohick

letHERlead: https://www.letherlead.com/

Dura-Europos, ca. 232 CE Fresco: Procession of Women

Podcaster Bio and Material:

Melisa Ortiz Berry, PhD, is a Bible teacher, author, and advocate for women in ministry. Drawing from her extensive study of ancient languages and biblical history, she offers nuanced insights for believers seeking biblical clarity on gender roles in church leadership. Dr. Melisa Ortiz Berry has designed this podcast series, or “PodClass,” like one of her own Bible classes. Go to www.melisaortizberry.com for more study questions, links, and resources for this continuing education PodClass!

Follow Melisa on social media:

Instagram: @drmelisaortizberry

Facebook: @drmelisaortizberry

Website: https://crownoflifediscipleship.com

Join Melisa’s ministry newsletter: https://drmelisaortizberry.substack.com/

Melisa’s New Book: God Has Named You: 25 Spiritual Identities to Reveal Who You Are