This upper room "Cenacle (from Latin cēnāculum "dining room", later spelt coenaculum), also known as the "Upper Room" (from Koine Greek anagaion and hyperōion, both meaning "upper room")" experience was the first Christian church according to Catholics. Wholes other denominations believe the first church is the Church of Saint Peter, I. e. After his prophetic preaching on the DAY OF PENTECOST.
My thesis on this holy day is to reiterate that the women's prophetic place and role in The Passion, did not end there. And that the #women still continued in the ministry and appointed place appointed to them by Christ. 1. That the women #STAYED (WAITED) again at the upper room as they had done at The First Upper Room Experience with Christ. 2. That the women stayed at the gathering at mount Olives and were among the disciples commissioned to go and #PREACH the Gospel #Baptizing #ALL human beings in the name of Christ. 3. That the women #waited in Jesrusalem at the upper room for the #POWER OF THE GOD which will enabled them to be "an led #ministers of the Gospel" who must cast out devils, heal the sick, raise the dead, be immune to human and spiritual poisons and to satanic attacks as Christ had commanded and prophesied. 4. That 50 days after the ascension women who were waiting in the upper room were also RECEIVED POWER FROM ON HIGH - SO THRY COULD GO AND PREACH THE GOSPEL - Women were among those who spoke in #tongues and #prophesiedmeaning the received the spiritual capacity to #praise through and #preach though. For this ministry is #spiritual. It is not by power nor by might but by Gods Spirit. We are not chosen to preach based on our gender, sexuality or race. Peter did not preach because he was a man or male. He was able to preach because he received power from on high. This #fearful man who had abandoned and denied Christ received power to be "another man". Like fearful king Saul, he became who God has destined him to be. Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost does not make him the first or founder of the upper room experience but the women. So one would ask why then was it not a woman that preached the first sermon in the upper room. As I earlier on stated, all prophesied, that is all were called as prophets and preachers (see Isaiah calling in Isaiah 1) for fire on their tongue (or tongues of fire) is the sign. As Jews, Peter's preaching is highlighted to affirm to all that he has become "another man" (see king Saul's experience and the experiences of all who God calls to lead his people. There is a divine encounter where there are ensued with God's Spirit and they become "another human". "They who believed l receive #power to become sons and daughters of God".
Why don't we have a biblical account about the women preaching, founding churches as we see in the Acts of the Apostles?
Though the women's ministry are declared as #apostolic by Christ, for example a. The washing of his feet by a woman (Mary?), the anointing of his head by a woman,l (Mary) his Messaianic identification by a woman- Martha, His direct apostolic calling of the woman of Samaria and her identification of him as The expected Messiah, His calling of the Keeners on his way to Golgotha, his calling of women to watch over his church when he hung on the cross, trusting His Church into the hands of a Woman, Mary of Magdala and on their being baptized and affirmed as builders if the Church of Christ - who operate in all the five fold ministry and more- for when he ascended on high He gave gifts to them. Some as Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Teachers, and all the other gifting. Women were there at the mount if Olives where he ascended (though Paul for reasons unknown) do not mention them. Women were at the upper room (thank God they are mentioned even though they are place at the bottom of the list together with the mother of Christ and His biological brothers. What does this tell us? The Theotokos? The bearer of God? The bearer of the Messiah us placed at the bottom of the list of those gathered in the puppet room - the "supposed first church"?
I suggest that this narrative in Acts 1 gives us a clear understand of the ever so much spoken of dispute and ministerial struggle for who is first, head, primate of the Church of Jesus. Thus and Paul account in the letter to the church at Corinth distinctly tell us that women place given to them by Christ as Founders and Matriarch were beginning to be suffocated and their roles were beginning to diminish.
We already have accounts of the struggles between the men disciples at various narratives in the Gospels and in a patriarchal colonized setting of these first century Jews it is more obvious to understand the text and the narratives of women were written from their socio-historic and religious context. All is seen and interpreted from the "law of Moses" by the 12 men Apostles to the rebuke of Christ. For example, it us a male disciple Judas and Simon a Pharisee who criticise Christ for allowing a woman to ordain him by pouring oil on His head and are rebuked. It is his male disciples who are shocked! to see him thrologizing with not just a woman but a Samaritan woman, one despised by the Jews and dusted by their religion. For the Jew, Samaritans are as unclean as a filthy rug (menstrual cloth of a Woman). Here us a double disgust for this woman who Christ is calling in Ministry into her destiny. For them she is nothing but an impure thing to be trampled upon and thrown away. As a woman she is unclean, like a filthy rug. As a foreigner she us unclean, like a menstrual cloth. But for Christ, she is AN APOSTLE TO THE SAMARITAN and the one appointed to lay foundations for the Church in Samarian where Philip goes to Minister.
On this I conclude that as Christ is the corner stone of the church with the Apostles and Prophets as Founders, it us imperative to remember on the day of Pentecost a day of Liberation, to remember and honour and place, role and Ministry of Women in the church and accord them with the due honour deserved.
The instilling of the Holy Spirit all through the biblical narrative is accompanied by the gift if prophecy. In the house of Cornelius all were filled with the Holy Spirit and all prophesied (Acts 9); In Samaria, believers who had not received the Holy Ghost are prayed for and they begin to prophesy as a sign to their being filled with God's Holy Spirit. Yet the gift of prophesy is now divided onto minor and major by many people who describe themselves as Pentecostals. The major ministry is said to be the OFFICE OF THE PROPHET (belonging to men since women are said not to lead they can't be in this office); the minor ministry is associated with the daughters of Philip and the women in the church of Corinth who "prophesied". Thus this "minor" ministry of prophesy is associated with women. The contention follows through to the early century church where the struggle for primacy of the church between Peter and Mary is seen with Othordoxy choosing Peter and the Sessessionist standing for Mary as Founder of the Church. The ministry of the prophesy is major operated by women in the early church and here God uses women like Telchea and many others to bring revival yo the Church so much do that not a few early Fathers like TERTULLIAN joins them and from there is assigned as a Heretic.
On the Day of Pentecost ALL RECEIVED THE HOKY GHIST SND ALL SPOKE IN TONGUES. Thus we have investigated and seen that it means all present at the Upper Room - Women, men and children were confirmed by God as Ministers of the Gospel and enabled with supernatural power to prophesy, preach and pray; each received supernatural gift to operate in their calling as Apostles, Prophets, teachers, pastors, evangelist do that the prophesy in Joel 2:28 where it is written that "both men and women, boys and girls (children) shall become an led ministers and vessels God would use to bring a change in the world was fulfilled. So also was the prophesy on women as an led ministers and leaders of Christ Church was fulfilled ( Psalms 68:11).
"God has given His command and an army if women proclaim the victorious Gospel." Pentecost resound the bell of the Good News - the Gospel of Victory over Satan's enmity against women. Pentecost resound freedom from the shackles of partriarchy and from the chains of male chauvinist hermeneutics and misogynistic exegesis. Pentecost restored the hope for women who have been silenced even "those who carried at home divide the spoil"
HAPPY PENTECOST 2020!
DIANA ADU (Apostle & Theologian)
Photo credit: DAMM| Gospel Fragrance Festival 2010. Other ref. https://en.m.wikipedia.org › wiki
