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The Dubious Disciple

Book Reviews and Theological Rants of a Liberal Christian

The Dubious Disciple

Book Reviews and Theological Rants of a Liberal Christian

John 4:28-29, The First Evangelist

October 21, 2012November 21, 2012

Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ?”  

//This woman is sometimes called the “first evangelist” in the New Testament. Do you recognize who she is?

The story comes from John’s Gospel. She is, of course, a woman … hardly what you would expect of a respected news-bringer. A woman’s word in the first century counted for little; they were not even allowed to offer testimony in a court of law.

She is also a Samaritan, a people hated by the Jews of Jesus’ time. The Samaritans were once Israelites, but they became polluted by intermarriage with other nations (primarily the conquering Assyrians) and thus were considered half-breeds.

She is slow to understand. It seems impossible for her to grasp the idea of living water. 

And she is disreputable, having had five husbands, and now living with a man who was not her husband.

Yes, the person selected by Jesus to first carry his message is the anonymous “woman at the well.” Who’d a thunk?

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Comments (12)

  1. mothibeli says:
    July 19, 2014 at 7:23 am

    Dear Sir
    Can u pls help me with the following:

    a) Are we still under the Moses law?Why?
    b Do we have female pastors in the bible? Why?
    Kind regards,
    Tshepo

    1. Lee Harmon says:
      July 19, 2014 at 12:17 pm

      Your opinion would be appreciated as well. My take is this:

      a) We are if we wish to be. But Jesus brought a higher law, for a better world.

      b) We clearly have female leaders in the Bible, but one wonders if Jesus had any such church leaders in mind…male OR female. See http://www.dubiousdisciple.com/2014/04/galatians-111-12-paul-contradicts-jesus-part-i-of-iii.html

    2. Name says:
      November 17, 2016 at 2:16 pm

      Some people think its ok as women to be pastors

    3. Name says:
      September 22, 2017 at 2:49 pm

      We have female leaders n the Bible I don’t think anyone was called a pastor until Paul’s wrote I’m Ephesians about the ministry & the administraton of the gifts of the spirit for the edification the building up the church

    4. Name says:
      March 18, 2018 at 3:43 pm

      where in the bible did it say she was a evangelist give me chapter and verse please and if you can’t give chapter and verse stop lying

  2. Le.bebe2013@gmail.com says:
    May 19, 2017 at 10:17 pm

    Thank god for his spirit in man woman boy and girl that we may witness and evangelize in his nane

  3. Name says:
    November 12, 2017 at 2:39 pm

    She was not Evangelist!because she went back and Testify About Jesus she is now a Evangelist! No were in the bible did Jesus declare any women a Pastor or Evangelist??????scripture please thanks!

    1. Danyelle GrowingA now Generation says:
      March 3, 2022 at 12:02 pm

      Priscilla and Aquila had one of the 1st churches in the Bible;
      Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned by name six times in the New Testament, always together as a couple (Acts 18:2-3, Acts 18-19, Acts 26; Rom 16:3-5; 1Cor 16:19; 2Tim 4:19). They exercised leadership among the fledgling churches and were held in high.

      Thank you very much.

  4. Priscilla Ugwute says:
    May 22, 2018 at 2:02 am

    When it comes to Kingdom business no gender selection. The command is go and preach the gospel to all nations. The CHRIST we are following came for kingdom sake and not for church administration.

  5. Miyom arop says:
    June 24, 2018 at 1:24 am

    Yeah its ok for a woman to be pastor

  6. dauda says:
    August 22, 2019 at 3:31 pm

    who is the first evangelst in the bible

  7. senait ogubasilassie says:
    March 15, 2022 at 6:13 am

    luk;2;36 she is hana san of fanueal

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