Hello LeeB, I think gender it is not about a future status.
This passage from Paul shows an action in the past that now exists in the present: Ga 3:27–29 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.
When Paul was speaking to those of the diaspora, he was dealing with those with the current mindset of Israel regarding the family structure and paternalistic society. His words to them are one thing, but his action speak louder.
In Romans 16:3-4, Paul writes, “Greet Prisca and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I am grateful but also all the churches of the Gentiles….” He also tells us that when he first arrived in Corinth, he stayed with Prisca and Aquila. Prisca and Aquila went with him from there.. Also, this chapter casts this married couple in the role of teachers whose authority is recognized by others. When they heard Apollo speak, they take him aside and “explain to him the Way more accurately.”
Paul commends another woman in Romans 16:1-2 who was a leader in a port city near Corinth. “I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a minister of the Church at Cenchreae, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the holy ones, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a benefactor to many and to me as well”
The word minister (or servant) in modern translations is the Greek word diakonos (deacon). Phoebe is the only woman specifically named a deacon in the New Testament. In the days of Paul’s ministry the role of the deacon was evolving from its first servant status. It involved an official function of some kind, most likely a pastoral one.
In the present context, Paul’s reference to Phoebe is in the form of a letter of recommendation so that she will be welcomed with hospitality when she reaches the Christian community in Rome. He recognized her as a sister in the faith, a deacon or minister whose service is trustworthy, and finally as a “benefactor to many.”
In his commendations in Romans, Paul mentions five other women who are "workers in the Lord" by name: Mary, Junia, Julia, Tryphaena, and Tryphosa. Although the descriptions are brief, the fact that Paul singles them out indicates his respect for their ministry. Julia is merely named as one to be greeted. He noted that Mary “has worked hard for you.” Similarly, Tryphaena and Tryphosa are commended as “workers in the Lord.” Junia and Andronicus are described with more detail as “my relatives and my fellow prisoners; they are prominent among the apostles, and they were in Christ before me”.
The title apostle is used by Luke only to describe “the twelve,” but Paul claims the title for himself (Galatians 1:1, 1 Corinthians 9:1-2).
For Paul, to be an apostle is to have authority, to be sent with the power of the risen Jesus to bring the gospel message to others. For Paul to describe Junia and Andronicus as “prominent among the apostles,” then, implies that they were missionaries empowered to carry the message of Jesus to others.
Paul speaks of his appreciation for the ministry of Euodia and Syntyche in Philippi. “They have struggled at my side promoting the gospel” (Philippians 4:3).
So, is Paul hostile toward women in ministry? 1 Corinthians 14:34-35: “Women should keep silent in tallowed to speak, but should be subordinate, as even the law says. But if they want to learn anything, they should ask their husbands at home. For it is improper for a woman to speak in the church.”
This seems to contradict his acceptance and commendation of women’s leadership. They also directly contradict an earlier passage in this same letter, where Paul assumes that women do both pray and prophesy in the Corinthian community. 1 Co 11:4–5 Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head, but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven.
In his own letters, he does not appear to have any desire to limit their activity. Rather, he commends them for their work as he does their partners Aquila and Andronicus. Perhaps, the transition between societal norms was a complicated one?
