Women as First Witnesses to the Resurrection (Luke 24:1-26)

Complementarian objection: Jesus chose only twelve male apostles, proving God restricts leadership to men. Egalitarian response: Jesus chose male apostles as legal witnesses to the unbelieving world, where only men were considered credible. But he deliberately sent women as the first witnesses to the church — commissioned by both angels and by Jesus personally (Matt 28:10, John 20:17). The disciples' refusal to believe the women was rebuked by Jesus as foolishness (Luke 24:25). The twelve apostles were witnesses to the world; women were witnesses to the church. God's people were to accept women's testimony without the world's prejudice. Jesus was not prejudiced against women — the world was.