The Biblical Role of the Pastor's wife - South African Theological ...

Augustine could declare that “any old Christian woman” was better
educated in spiritual matters than many a philosopher.
Kroeger goes on to speak of the incredibly generous acts of
service for which Christian women were revered. However, many faced
opposition from their families for spending monies helping the poor.
Freedman (1992:960) offers that evidence shows an attempt at
reformation of the patriarchal structure of family and society, a
reformation that took place “in Christ.” This reformation ultimately led to a
greater stability and equality in the marriage structure and to “greater
roles in the church both for married and unmarried women”.
The responsibilities of these women, predominantly female deacons 16
(1 Tim. 3:11) and widows 17 (1 Tim. 5: 1-16) were adapted from directives in 1
Timothy 5, according to Kroeger (1997). The widows, Karras (2005:96-116)
points out, were consecrated women who had certain liturgical functions but
were not ordained members of the clergy. They were responsible for praying
for the concerns of the church. The younger widows, virgins, and those
serving as deacons were given the more laborious tasks. They would be
responsible for visiting, encouraging, serving communion and praying with
other women, the sick, instructing in purity and holiness and ministering to the
poor.
Torjesen (1997) claims that the Didascalia 18 (XV) forbade women to
teach in the church but that, as described in Didascalia (III), the widows,
known as the “altar of God”, who were being taken care of by the church were
responsible to meet the needs of the women in the congregation and to
always be in prayer for the ministers. Older widows involved in preaching and
16 Female deacons were considered to be those women who were quite possibly
unmarried women or widows who were young enough to remarry but took a vow to remain
unmarried (Kohler, 2002:1).
17 Widows were over the age of remarriage and considered ‘legitimate’ widows as indicated
in 1 Timothy 5:1-16, (Kohler, 2002:1).
18 Didascalia is defined by Kohler (2002:1) as a Greek work, in eight books, containing
regulations of Church life. The work is better known under the name of "Apostolic
Constitutions," the full title being "Constitutions of the Holy Apostles [composed] by Clemens,
Bishop and Citizen of Rome—Catholic Didascalia."
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