Cynthia Hester, DMin

Catalyzing Conversations on Women & the Church

Newsletter Archive

Does Jesus’s Selection of the Twelve Male Apostles Disqualify Female Leaders?

Today’s QQ:  Does Jesus’s Selection of the Twelve Male Apostles Disqualify Female Leaders? Have you ever wondered what you’d ask Jesus if he suddenly appeared while you were walking with a friend as he did with Cleopas on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13­–35)? If that happened to me—after I’d peeled my forehead off the ground and could form words again—I’d ask Jesus about women and the church. I’d query, “What is your ideal for church leadership: Male-female distinctions or complementarity with mutuality in leadership?” In the Bible, multiple stories show that Jesus esteems women. His teaching elevated women’s status, …

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What Results When Women in the Bible Exhort Men?

Today’s QQ: What Results When Women in the Bible Exhort Men? I joined a Facebook accountability group of Christian online course creators a few years ago. Two of my fellow content creators and I live within driving distance, so we arranged to meet for dinner. As we discussed our upcoming online course launches, Julie had a question about her Bible literacy course. She asked, “What do I do if men sign up for my course?”  The foundational question behind Julie’s concern is, “May women exhort men?” How one answers this question reflects their view on how men and women in …

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Reexamining “The Disciples”: Did Jesus Recruit Women Disciples?

Today’s QQ:  Reexamining “The Disciples”: Did Jesus Recruit Women Disciples? This week a Christian woman posted on Instagram that for most of her life she never heard the term “disciple” used to describe a female in the Bible. Does her experience sync with yours? It does with mine. I remember being surprised to learn that when we see “the disciples” in the Bible, we shouldn’t assume it means “the Twelve,” the twelve males Jesus hand-picked (Luke 6:13). Many other disciples also traveled with, learned from, and were sent out by Jesus.Is there evidence that Jesus also recruited female disciples? Yes, …

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Examining Galatians 3:28, does “male and female, one in Christ” have implications for women beyond salvation?

Today’s QQ:  Examining Galatians 3:28, does “male and female, one in Christ” have implications for women beyond salvation? Let’s start with a bit of context. Paul sent a letter to the “churches of Galatia” (1:2), in it he describes the newness of life “in Christ.” No longer under the Mosaic Law, believers become “sons of God” through faith in Christ (vv. 25–26). In other words, each person, male or female, who professes faith in Christ becomes a member of the family of God, a “son,” and is declared a full heir “according to the promise” (v 29). Paul further explains …

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Meet me on the ancient  street in Ephesus to answer the question: “A Safe Place to Learn?”

Today’s QQ: A Safe Place to Learn? Before I explain about today’s Querying Question, let me give you a bit of background.This past summer, my husband Lindsey and I joined a small group of Dallas Theological Seminary graduates, current students, and DTS professor Dr. Sandra Glahn and her husband, Gary, on a one-week Mediterranean cruise. We took excursions to biblical sights in Athens, Patmos, Israel, and Kusadasi, Turkey, the site of ancient Ephesus. Sarah Griffith, a student in the DTS Masters of Theology program, was one of the women in our group. I was introduced to Sarah at a spiritual …

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What Does the Bible Say About the Final Say in Marriage?

Today’s QQ:  What Does the Bible Say About the Final Say in Marriage? Where should we go on date night? What extracurricular activities should our child participate in? Which toilet paper brand is preferable? Who will pay the bills? Week in and week out, husbands and wives must make many decisions. When they disagree, who has the final say?In a recent sermon, megachurch pastor Josh Howerton instructed the women in his church that on a bride’s wedding night, she should “stand where he [husband] tells you to stand, wear what he tells you to wear, and do what he tells you to …

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