037 April Coffee Chat Bible Questions!

039 God As Mother wtih Elizabeth Berget

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2384822/fan_mail/new] If “God the Father” has been the only picture of God you’ve ever been given, you might not realize how much of Scripture you’re missing, and how much comfort might be locked behind that one doorway. I’m joined by Elizabeth Berget, speaker and author of "Love Like a Mother: How the Sacred Work of Motherhood Reveals the Maternal Heart of God," to explore a biblically rooted and historically grounded idea that can feel both startling and healing: God loves us like a mother. We talk honestly about why “God as Mother” can trigger panic or pushback, especially for people trying to hold tightly to orthodoxy and avoid creating God in our own image. Elizabeth shares why the belief that God has no gender is not a modern invention, and why maternal language is not a replacement for Father language, but an expansion that helps us take the whole Bible seriously. Along the way, we dig into why churches have often ignored these passages, how male-centered perspectives shape preaching and discipleship, and how women are often forced to translate faith through metaphors that never reflect them back. We also get practical and pastoral: how the maternal heart of God speaks to postpartum anxiety, exhaustion, and the pressure to “do it right,” plus how this message lands for people facing infertility, childlessness, loss, estranged relationships, or complicated family stories. If you’ve ever thought, “I just need my mom,” this conversation offers a fresh way to experience God’s gentleness and care. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who needs tenderness, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. Buy Love like a Mother [https://amzn.to/4nTybcr]! (Affiliate link) Follow Elizabeth Berget: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_a_berget/ [https://www.instagram.com/elizabeth_a_berget/] * Threads: https://www.threads.com/@elizabeth_a_berget [https://www.threads.com/@elizabeth_a_berget] * Substack: https://elizabethberget.substack.com/ [https://elizabethberget.substack.com/] * Website: https://elizabethberget.com/ [https://elizabethberget.com/] Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/c/WeWhoThirst] ................... Follow We Who Thirst on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jessicalmjenkins], Threads [https://www.threads.com/@jessicalmjenkins], or YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@womenofthebibleincontext]!  To join Jessica LM Jenkins' mailing list, or access the full research bibliography for this episode visit www.wewhothirst.com/links [https://wewhothirst.com/links] . Thank you for supporting [https://www.patreon.com/wewhothirst]the Women of the Bible in Context podcast, your contributions make this ministry possible!

038 Daughters of Zelophehad: Five Women Who Changed Property Law

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2384822/fan_mail/new] Five women approach Israel’s highest leaders with a simple question that turns into a nation-shaping legal reform: what happens to a household when a father dies with no sons? We walk through the daughters of Zelophehad in Numbers 27 and watch them bring a clear, courageous case to Moses, Eleazar, and the assembly. Then we slow down and read what God actually does with their request, because the ruling is bigger than a one-time exception. It becomes biblical inheritance law for all Israel.  Along the way, we build the backstory from Numbers 26, where the census sets up how land in the promised land will be divided by tribes, clans, and households. That context matters because ancient Israel is not operating with modern individualism or a modern “women’s rights” framework. The household is the core social unit, and land is not just property, it is covenant, legacy, and belonging. We also talk about why a “name” matters so much, how afterlife assumptions shape the fear of being forgotten, and why God’s response points to faithfulness over pedigree.  We also tackle the follow-up in Numbers 36, where tribal leaders raise a real concern about land drifting across tribes through marriage and Jubilee. God’s amendment protects tribal unity without erasing the daughters’ inheritance, and Joshua 17 shows the ruling applied when Israel finally enters the land. If you care about women in the Bible, Mosaic Law, ancient Israel, covenant theology, or how Scripture protects the vulnerable, this story has more depth than most people realize.  Subscribe for more Bible law breakdowns, share this with a friend who loves the Old Testament, and leave a review so more listeners can find the show. What question do you still have about the daughters of Zelophehad? To learn more about the role of Matriarchs: https://youtu.be/OO-E36xt_2E?si=bKp6fpO4BF8VEDim Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/c/WeWhoThirst] ................... Follow We Who Thirst on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jessicalmjenkins], Threads [https://www.threads.com/@jessicalmjenkins], or YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@womenofthebibleincontext]!  To join Jessica LM Jenkins' mailing list, or access the full research bibliography for this episode visit www.wewhothirst.com/links [https://wewhothirst.com/links] . Thank you for supporting [https://www.patreon.com/wewhothirst]the Women of the Bible in Context podcast, your contributions make this ministry possible!

037 April Coffee Chat Bible Questions!

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2384822/fan_mail/new] What do you do when someone’s theology has walls built around it, especially on women preaching and women in church leadership? I’m trying a looser “coffee chat” format and taking your real questions from Instagram DMs and my weekly AMA, answering candidly with the research background I already have and pointing you to better sources when I can.  We start by naming the spectrum of complementarianism (hard, middle, soft) and why hard complementarians often won’t hear egalitarian arguments head-on. My angle is to back up and talk hermeneutics: how we interpret Scripture, how much historical context matters, and how we weigh commands against patterns like women prophets and teachers. I also share a conversation starter that tends to expose hidden assumptions: Scripture tells wives to submit, but where does it explicitly command husbands to lead?  From there, we jump into questions on Mary’s genealogy and why Joseph’s genealogy shows up in the Gospels, including a fascinating scholarly proposal about how first-century people may have understood Joseph’s fatherhood. We also tackle parental estrangement and abuse dynamics, what “honor your father and mother” can mean when contact is unsafe, whether “care for widows and orphans” should include single women today (especially given ancient household economics), the ethical tension in Psalm 51 with Bathsheba, and why “biblical marriage” is not a plug-and-play template for modern romantic choice.  Subscribe so you don’t miss what’s next, share this with a friend who loves Bible interpretation and real-life application, and leave a review telling me which question you want me to tackle next. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/c/WeWhoThirst] ................... Follow We Who Thirst on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jessicalmjenkins], Threads [https://www.threads.com/@jessicalmjenkins], or YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@womenofthebibleincontext]!  To join Jessica LM Jenkins' mailing list, or access the full research bibliography for this episode visit www.wewhothirst.com/links [https://wewhothirst.com/links] . Thank you for supporting [https://www.patreon.com/wewhothirst]the Women of the Bible in Context podcast, your contributions make this ministry possible!

Mary Magdalene Was Not A Prostitute And The Bible Already Told Us So

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2384822/fan_mail/new] Forget the legend. Meet the woman the Gospels actually introduce: Mary Magdalene, a named disciple from Magdala who funds the mission, follows Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem, stands at the cross, and becomes the first herald of the resurrection. With Rev. Dr. Jennifer McNutt, we unravel centuries of conflation and let Scripture lead the way back to clarity. We start by dismantling the most persistent myth: Mary as a penitent prostitute. Dr. McNutt walks us through how Western harmonizations, editorial subheadings, and art fused unnamed figures with named women, especially the “sinner” of Luke 7 and Mary of Bethany. Then we return to Luke 8, where Mary is named first among the women who traveled with Jesus and supported his ministry from their resources—evidence of status and agency in a world where female patronage was real and consequential. That single chapter reframes discipleship itself and exposes how much we miss when we skip it. From there, we trace Mary’s narrative arc across all four Gospels to the garden of John 20, where the risen Christ commissions her to announce the good news to the disciples. We explore why that moment satisfies New Testament criteria for apostolicity, how Junia and Joanna reinforce the pattern, and how translation choices have often dulled the force of Mary’s proclamation. Dr. McNutt also addresses modern portrayals—from The Chosen’s strengths and missteps to the long shadow of The Da Vinci Code—and situates the Gospel of Mary within its Gnostic context, contrasting it with the embodied, eyewitness testimony the canon preserves. This is a thoughtful, text-first exploration for listeners who want scholarship without the jargon and history without the haze. If you’re ready to trade the composite caricature for the faithful witness the evangelists intentionally highlight, press play. Then share this conversation with someone who still thinks Mary Magdalene’s story is small. Subscribe, leave a review, and tell us: what did you relearn about Mary today? Dr. McNutt's website: https://jenniferpowellmcnutt.com/ McNuttshell substack: https://substack.com/@jenniferpowellmcnutt The Mary We Forgot: https://amzn.to/4cGpUoE (affiliate link) Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/c/WeWhoThirst] ................... Follow We Who Thirst on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jessicalmjenkins], Threads [https://www.threads.com/@jessicalmjenkins], or YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@womenofthebibleincontext]!  To join Jessica LM Jenkins' mailing list, or access the full research bibliography for this episode visit www.wewhothirst.com/links [https://wewhothirst.com/links] . Thank you for supporting [https://www.patreon.com/wewhothirst]the Women of the Bible in Context podcast, your contributions make this ministry possible!

Jesus had Female Disciples, and the Text Makes that Clear

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2384822/fan_mail/new] A simple question from a five-year-old—“Why didn’t Jesus have female disciples?”—opened a door we couldn’t close. We follow the text, not the artwork, and uncover a larger circle of disciples that includes women who learned at Jesus’ feet, funded His ministry, and stood fast when fear scattered others. The aim isn’t to add something modern to the Bible; it’s to remove what tradition and illustration have taken away. We start by clarifying language. Luke 6 shows Jesus calling many disciples and selecting twelve apostles from among them. When He points to His disciples and says “whoever does the will of my Father… is my brother and sister and mother,” He draws a family that includes women as disciples. Luke 8 then names Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Susanna—patrons who provided out of their own resources. In the ancient world, patronage meant influence, networks, and public honor. These women weren’t background help; they were mission-critical partners who likely outranked many men socially. In Bethany, Mary chooses learning and Martha serves; Jesus affirms discipleship as the better portion while dignifying diakonia as real ministry. From there, we widen the lens at the cross and the tomb. Collating the Gospels reveals a cluster of named women—Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, Salome, Joanna, Mary the mother of Jesus, her sister, possibly Mary of Clopas—and “many other” women from Galilee. Even allowing for overlapping names, the group is larger than the standard two or three in most art. They are last at the cross and first at the empty tomb, entrusted with the first proclamation of the resurrection to apostles who struggle to believe. Their courage, patronage, and attentive faith reshape how we picture the movement of Jesus. We also confront how children’s Bibles and church platforms can normalize women’s invisibility, teaching absence as if it were Scripture. Restoring the women the Gospels name is not cosmetic; it forms how our daughters and sons imagine calling, learning, service, and witness. We close with practical tools—readings, visuals, and resources—to help families, pastors, and teachers show the mixed company that truly followed Jesus. If this conversation challenged your mental picture, share the episode, subscribe for upcoming interviews with leading scholars on Mary Magdalene and Jesus’ female disciples, and leave a review to help more people meet the women the text refuses to forget. Support the show [https://www.patreon.com/c/WeWhoThirst] ................... Follow We Who Thirst on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/jessicalmjenkins], Threads [https://www.threads.com/@jessicalmjenkins], or YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@womenofthebibleincontext]!  To join Jessica LM Jenkins' mailing list, or access the full research bibliography for this episode visit www.wewhothirst.com/links [https://wewhothirst.com/links] . Thank you for supporting [https://www.patreon.com/wewhothirst]the Women of the Bible in Context podcast, your contributions make this ministry possible!