In the years following Jesus' death, the Apostle Paul recognized the contributions of women working with him as ministers and apostles. Paul made a profound and vigorous assertion of equality between men and women as God's children in Christ in his letter to the Galatians. The letter suggested that gender was dissolved through baptism in Christ. The words he uses in the letter are from a baptismal formula belonging to the Jewish Christian “church” that he had joined.

Paul participated in the Christian fellowship meetings that took place in private homes. In his letters in the New Testament, Paul often began his letters with a greeting to his hosts. It was not unusual for him to recognize the contributions of women, and it seems, since women ruled over the domain of the home, that women provide the food and drink for these religious/social gatherings. All who had an interest or desire to participate could join in sessions of fellowship and prayer.

In the Gnostic Christian fellowship gatherings, all were encouraged to participate. Women and men drew lots to choose who would serve as prophet, priest, or bishop. But by the second century in the literalist Christian churches, Jesus' pattern of gender equality changed. Women, after Jesus' death, had claimed spiritual power and served as spiritual leaders. They had baptized, healed, shared discourse, and performed exorcisms, according to a polemic against them by second-century church father Tertullian, who called them “audacious,” “without modesty,” and “bold.” With the apostolic hierarchical structure firmly in place and vigorous verbal and written attacks mounted against the Gnostics by the orthodox dominant group of Christians, the religious roles for women receded.

In Paul's letters to the churches that he had established in various communities, he singled out women for greetings and praise. Christian women leaders in his epistles include:

• Apphia: a leader in a house church along with Archippus and Philemon.

• Chloe: a wealthy woman with some stature in her Christian community, where she was possibly a leader of a Corinthian church.

• Euodia and Syntyche: missionaries who were equal with Paul in the work they did.

• Mary: one of Paul's workers.

• Persis: a woman who worked hard for the faith and for whom Paul felt an especially deep fondness. He commended her for her efforts.

• Junia: wife of Andronicus; they were a missionary couple. Paul called her “outstanding among the apostles,” which clearly shows that the early Christian church had female apostles. He said she was imprisoned.

• Phoebe: a high-class woman, likely a patron of Paul's that he singled out as a helper. She may have provided financial assistance to him in his missionary work as well as done some preaching and teaching as the diakonos, or leader, of one of his churches.

• Prisca: wife of Aquila, who served as leader with her husband of house churches in Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome. They were a missionary couple that risked their lives for Paul. He accorded her a superior position to her husband by regularly mentioning her name before his.

• Typhaena and Tryphosa: possibly sisters and workers in the faith.

• Nympha: a hostess and leader of a house church, possibly a widow.

Like Paul, the Gnostics argued for gender equality and supported the right of women to lead services, prophesy, and preach.