If “apostle” simply means one who is “sent” to share the gospel, then of course every Christian is an “apostle”. But if “apostle” is interpreted against the whole matrix of the New Testament, then every Christian is most certainly not an apostle.

One of the glorious and beautiful truths of—and legacies of—biblical Christianity is Christianity’s effect in history of ameliorating the various sufferings seen in the world. as Tom Holland has recounted in his one-volume church history, Dominion, Holland was somewhat surprised at how Christianity changed the world into which it arrived. Christianity led to the amelioration of much of the suffering and brutality of the ancient world. A beautiful and serendipitous discovery indeed by Holland. And Christians should rejoice at how Christianity—from its earliest moments—encouraged (indeed commanded Christians to treat woman with love, especially as seen in the husband-wife relationship, where husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church, and gave himself for her (Ephesians 5:25). So, we should not be surprised to see in the pages of the New Testament women right there alongside men in numerous passages.

McNutt’s and Peeler’s Christianity Today essay, “The First Apostle,” was intriguing to read. When I was asked to write a response to the essay, I was happy to do so. The more I have read the essay in writing a response, I have had to work at the best way to respond. I should say, Jennifer Powell McNutt is a friend, while I don’t believe I know Amy Beverage Peeler. The difficulty of writing a response is for two related reasons: (1) I think there are actually two essays (or theses) here; (2) I think there is something of an equivocation or ambiguity in how the word “apostle” is being used. The “Mary” being considered here is Mary Magdalene, and not Mary the mother of Jesus, or any of the other myriad “Marys” in the New Testament.

Here is what I take to be the essays/theses to be:

• Mary Magdalene is a blessed woman, had the honor of being close to Jesus and to being one of the first persons to see the risen Jesus, was told by Jesus to share the news of his resurrection/ascending, and was able share the good news of the resurrection of Jesus.
• Mary Magdalene should be considered the “first apostle”.

Few (no?) Christians would quibble about the thesis “a.” If one reads the four gospels, Mary Magdalene appears at a number of places—including at the death of Jesus, as well as coming to the tomb and being told by Jesus to go share that he has risen (or “is ascending”—Jn. 20:17) (Matt. 28:5-10; Mk. 16:1, 6; Lk. 23:55-56, 24:4-10; Jn. 19:25; 20:1-18).

But many persons would wonder if it is necessary, or wise, or accurate to affirm thesis “b”: that Mary Magdalene should be considered the “first apostle”.

These two oscillating theses I think can be seen in relation to the second main issue of concern I have: something of an equivocation or ambiguity about the term “apostle”. What is an apostle? In the New Testament, the criteria for being an apostle appear to be two-fold:

Read More

[Eikon] Editor’s Note: The following article is Part III of a response to Christianity Today’s April 2024 cover story on gender and appears in the Spring 2024 issue of Eikon. Parts I and II can be read here and here.