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Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible, and What He Wants to Do with You by MacArthur, John
Celebrated for their courage, vision, hospitality, and spiritual giftedness, it's no wonder women were so important to God's plan revealed in the Old and New Testaments. It wasn't their natural qualities that made these women extraordinary but the power of the one true God whom they worshipped and served.In "Twelve Extraordinary Women," you'll learn more than fascinating information about these women, you'll discover-perhaps for the first time-the unmistakable chronology of God's redemptive work in history through their lives. These women were not ancillary to His plan, they were at the very heart of it.Some of the women you'll come to know (Ruth 1-4) Anna (Luke 2:36-38) Martha and Mary, sisters of Lazarus (Luke 10:38-42) Mary Magdalene (Matthew 27:56-61) Sarah (Genesis 11-25) Hannah (1 Samuel 1-2) The Samaritan woman (John 4 Mary, the mother of Jesus (Luke 1-2)You will be challenged and motivated by this poignant and personal look into the lives of some of the Bible's most faithful women. Their struggles and temptations are the same trials faced by all believers in all ages. And the God to whom they were so committed is the same God who continues to mold and use ordinary people today.
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First published January 1, 2005
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About the author
John F. MacArthur Jr.
1,344 books1,933 followersJohn F. MacArthur, Jr. was a United States Calvinistic evangelical writer and minister, noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You and as the editor of the Gold Medallion Book Award-winning MacArthur Study Bible. MacArthur was a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California beginning in 1969, as well as President of The Master’s College (and the related Master’s Seminary) in Santa Clarita, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 502 reviews
July 7, 2023
Before the rest of my review, I would like to defend motherhood as the highest calling. Raising another person and guiding their early steps are the most important thing that anyone could do whether man or woman. It's a universal truth that if there's anything you screw up, you do NOT want parenting to be on the list. ON THE OTHER HAND, I think MACARTHUR's meaning is that it's the ultimate job that every woman should aspire to and THAT is incorrect. And in that sense, I agree with the other ladies who have a bone to pick with MacArthur.
I have concluded that MacArthur rushed this book to the press. A lot of it seems to be fluff, and several parts seem to be... MacArthur's personal pet theories, which isn't exactly a sign of great writing (http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2...). MacArthur kinda clubs you over the head with his favorite points.
MacArthur also has a very funny habit of talking more about the men in the women's lives than about the women themselves. I get the feeling that MacArthur wants his readers to think that he thinks that these are very important women, historically speaking, and set a precedent for Christian women today, but he comes across as saying, "I know that I'm supposed to think that these women are important but I'm not ACTUALLY sure why BUT I have a deadline so I'm just going to say whatever I can think of for now."
He does make good points but only on women that are easy to make good points of. Let's face it. Eve was gullible, Sarah was fickle, and Anna didn't have a lot of lines. Rahab and the Samaritan woman fall somewhere in between because they're like the Jacobs of the group in that they make bad choices but ultimately pick the right team. Ruth is a dear, as are Hannah and no-longer-a-virgin Mary but Mary kinda becomes an excuse for MacArthur to rip on Catholicism instead of a real discussion of her character.
I'm inferring that Twelve Ordinary Men had so many thumbs up that they didn't think he could go wrong and didn't really make him sit in a corner and think long and hard about how he could produce a better piece of writing before publishing this book. I mean, this book is to writing what an MRE is to food. It's something and it works but people shouldn't eat it if they don't have to.
[The following is from my initial review after finishing the Eve chapter.]
- Every time I see the word "exalt" or "extraordinary", I get a strong urge to smash something. For the most part, women are not all that different from men. There are differences in physical strength, hormone levels, and sociology/modes of communication, but it's not so significant such that his pedestal-ization of all women is justified.
- He rips on pagan religions and middle Eastern cultures. While it's true that many of their practices are wrong (such as temple prostitution, human sacrifice, etc.), he crosses the line. If you compare the original intent of, for example, the burqa, it's not all that different from the Christian rules for women in modesty/propriety. How that plays out is not how anybody should judge the culture itself. People claiming to represent the interests of Christianity have also suppressed women. To be consistent, he should also acknowledge this but he doesn't.
- He says that women are "subjected to grueling physical labor once reserved for men." I understand that a mother's duty is to her children but when she doesn't have children or when her children don't need as much attention, what is she supposed to do, twiddle her thumbs? If she administers to her home, that involves physical work, even with the help of modern appliances. If she HELPS her husband in the fields (the author himself points out the helper-companion role while talking about Eve, and helper-companions do not spend most of their waking hours in separate spheres), she must do physical labor. The only case in which she would not have to do physical labor is if she is in a society where there is employment that does not involve physical labor. Sojourner Truth addresses this all too well in her Ain't I A Woman speech. Also, women are pretty much just as prone to obesity as men, so they're designed, on average, to engage in physical work, if insignificantly less than men.
-edit 1/20/23-After watching Netflix's Flavorful Origins, I just wanted reiterate this now that I've seen it in action. In the episode on meatballs, the men tenderize the meat with clubs and pull out the connective tissue, then the women use mortars to mash the meat until it's the right consistency, requiring a lot of arm muscles, CONTROLLED arm muscles to maintain steady consistent pressure, and both parties are doing physically tiring work. Teamwork makes the dream work!
- That one paragraph. Chronology of Satan's fall. I just... I can't. It's neither relevant nor important, with the exception of the last sentence, but honestly, you could cross out the entire paragraph except the last sentence, and it would make more sense.
- I do like his point that even if people complain that it's unfair to be labeled sinners from birth, the fact that people sin is enough to condemn us, anyway.
Working conclusion: He does have his insights, but he doesn't really get around to them until after the reader has waded through reams of muck, ranging from biased portrayal to unfounded statements.
I have concluded that MacArthur rushed this book to the press. A lot of it seems to be fluff, and several parts seem to be... MacArthur's personal pet theories, which isn't exactly a sign of great writing (http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2...). MacArthur kinda clubs you over the head with his favorite points.
MacArthur also has a very funny habit of talking more about the men in the women's lives than about the women themselves. I get the feeling that MacArthur wants his readers to think that he thinks that these are very important women, historically speaking, and set a precedent for Christian women today, but he comes across as saying, "I know that I'm supposed to think that these women are important but I'm not ACTUALLY sure why BUT I have a deadline so I'm just going to say whatever I can think of for now."
He does make good points but only on women that are easy to make good points of. Let's face it. Eve was gullible, Sarah was fickle, and Anna didn't have a lot of lines. Rahab and the Samaritan woman fall somewhere in between because they're like the Jacobs of the group in that they make bad choices but ultimately pick the right team. Ruth is a dear, as are Hannah and no-longer-a-virgin Mary but Mary kinda becomes an excuse for MacArthur to rip on Catholicism instead of a real discussion of her character.
I'm inferring that Twelve Ordinary Men had so many thumbs up that they didn't think he could go wrong and didn't really make him sit in a corner and think long and hard about how he could produce a better piece of writing before publishing this book. I mean, this book is to writing what an MRE is to food. It's something and it works but people shouldn't eat it if they don't have to.
[The following is from my initial review after finishing the Eve chapter.]
- Every time I see the word "exalt" or "extraordinary", I get a strong urge to smash something. For the most part, women are not all that different from men. There are differences in physical strength, hormone levels, and sociology/modes of communication, but it's not so significant such that his pedestal-ization of all women is justified.
- He rips on pagan religions and middle Eastern cultures. While it's true that many of their practices are wrong (such as temple prostitution, human sacrifice, etc.), he crosses the line. If you compare the original intent of, for example, the burqa, it's not all that different from the Christian rules for women in modesty/propriety. How that plays out is not how anybody should judge the culture itself. People claiming to represent the interests of Christianity have also suppressed women. To be consistent, he should also acknowledge this but he doesn't.
- He says that women are "subjected to grueling physical labor once reserved for men." I understand that a mother's duty is to her children but when she doesn't have children or when her children don't need as much attention, what is she supposed to do, twiddle her thumbs? If she administers to her home, that involves physical work, even with the help of modern appliances. If she HELPS her husband in the fields (the author himself points out the helper-companion role while talking about Eve, and helper-companions do not spend most of their waking hours in separate spheres), she must do physical labor. The only case in which she would not have to do physical labor is if she is in a society where there is employment that does not involve physical labor. Sojourner Truth addresses this all too well in her Ain't I A Woman speech. Also, women are pretty much just as prone to obesity as men, so they're designed, on average, to engage in physical work, if insignificantly less than men.
-edit 1/20/23-After watching Netflix's Flavorful Origins, I just wanted reiterate this now that I've seen it in action. In the episode on meatballs, the men tenderize the meat with clubs and pull out the connective tissue, then the women use mortars to mash the meat until it's the right consistency, requiring a lot of arm muscles, CONTROLLED arm muscles to maintain steady consistent pressure, and both parties are doing physically tiring work. Teamwork makes the dream work!
- That one paragraph. Chronology of Satan's fall. I just... I can't. It's neither relevant nor important, with the exception of the last sentence, but honestly, you could cross out the entire paragraph except the last sentence, and it would make more sense.
- I do like his point that even if people complain that it's unfair to be labeled sinners from birth, the fact that people sin is enough to condemn us, anyway.
Working conclusion: He does have his insights, but he doesn't really get around to them until after the reader has waded through reams of muck, ranging from biased portrayal to unfounded statements.
October 22, 2012
MacArthur spends the first chapter using the story of Eve to formulate his theological ideals for women, many of which I do not agree with. Throughout the books it was evident that he saw quietness, submission, and motherhood the highest traits for women to aspire to (all good, biblical traits, but not necessarily the ONLY, or even most important ones), and wove these ideals in and out of his storytelling.
His personal voice was evident. For instance, in the chapter about Anna, he describes her as a "quiet" and "prayerful" woman. That she was prayerful is not in doubt. The Bible says she prayed and fasted all the time. However, "quiet" is not how I would describe her. First of all, she was a prophetess (a fact that MacArthur barely alludes to), and once she saw the Messiah, she continually spoke of the experience to every one she met. This hardly describes a "quiet" woman, in my book.
However, the stories were told in a compelling way, reminding me of these great characters. Furthermore, his treatment of Hannah, describing her deep longing and pain, was very moving.
I liked it for what it was - an entertaining reminder of biblical stories and characters. Anything beyond that, and it doesn't hold up.
His personal voice was evident. For instance, in the chapter about Anna, he describes her as a "quiet" and "prayerful" woman. That she was prayerful is not in doubt. The Bible says she prayed and fasted all the time. However, "quiet" is not how I would describe her. First of all, she was a prophetess (a fact that MacArthur barely alludes to), and once she saw the Messiah, she continually spoke of the experience to every one she met. This hardly describes a "quiet" woman, in my book.
However, the stories were told in a compelling way, reminding me of these great characters. Furthermore, his treatment of Hannah, describing her deep longing and pain, was very moving.
I liked it for what it was - an entertaining reminder of biblical stories and characters. Anything beyond that, and it doesn't hold up.
August 17, 2007
An interesting idea... MacArthur seems to esteems meekness, humility, and submission above all other traits. He glossed over the sins of the women he covered, making their mistakes appear to be hicks-up and tried to show that even when someone did not trust God, what she really was doing was showing her ultimate faithfulness to Him by being patient.
It didn't work in a lot of ways, and I found myself wanting to reach for Bad Girls of The Bible (a very excellent read p.s.) and I don't think that Sarah's attempts to take life into her own hands, or Rahab being a prostitute, or Eve eating the apple are situations that should be ignored or sugar covered. Sometimes people defy God, and you have to call it that - and then use the consequences of their decisions to show how they came back to him.
The glitch comes in because the values MacArthur (and our grandparent's generation) chooses to uphold are not the ones that my generation would select. And I think my generation is much better at not idolizing, or trivializing the aspects of these women's lives that are somehow less than ideal.
Ultimately I don't agree with the attributes MacArthur chose to esteem, I don't agree with his list, and I don't agree with his interpretation of events. I do however think this would be an interesting Bible study book because it definitely will lead to discussion.
So who would my 12 be?
Um, let's see - Eve, The 5 women of the genealogy, Hagar, Deborah, Mary (mother of Jesus), Martha, Hannah, and Miriam. But that's just today, tomorrow that list might change :-)
It didn't work in a lot of ways, and I found myself wanting to reach for Bad Girls of The Bible (a very excellent read p.s.) and I don't think that Sarah's attempts to take life into her own hands, or Rahab being a prostitute, or Eve eating the apple are situations that should be ignored or sugar covered. Sometimes people defy God, and you have to call it that - and then use the consequences of their decisions to show how they came back to him.
The glitch comes in because the values MacArthur (and our grandparent's generation) chooses to uphold are not the ones that my generation would select. And I think my generation is much better at not idolizing, or trivializing the aspects of these women's lives that are somehow less than ideal.
Ultimately I don't agree with the attributes MacArthur chose to esteem, I don't agree with his list, and I don't agree with his interpretation of events. I do however think this would be an interesting Bible study book because it definitely will lead to discussion.
So who would my 12 be?
Um, let's see - Eve, The 5 women of the genealogy, Hagar, Deborah, Mary (mother of Jesus), Martha, Hannah, and Miriam. But that's just today, tomorrow that list might change :-)
April 4, 2015
I read this book as research on how general Protestantism views certain women in the Bible. In some places it is insightful, and in others it is a bit shallow. Unfortunately, every now and then his bias against women shows through despite his effort to demonstrate "how God shaped women in the Bible and what He wants to do with you", especially during his two and a half page tangent trying to justify his own view that women never realized the gift of prophecy despite numerous women named as prophetesses and the Bible clearly saying that "your sons and daughters will prophesy" in Joel 2. In fact, though he goes through the life of various Biblical women, he rarely provides guidance on how learning about these women's lives can help your own life today. Overall, though an easy, quick read, I would take this as simply one man's opinion, an opinion that does not always line up with the clear reading of Scripture.
November 17, 2009
Using this book as a guide for our Wednesday morning Bible study has blessed my soul. To think that God used women who were living in sin,
women who previously rejected Him as well as women of prayer and women who sought his Holy Name as vessels to glorify the name of Jesus! To any woman who is downtrodden or pondering their faith, I recommend this book. To any woman who wants to know more about how God used women in a positive way, I recommend this book. I learned that Eve was a counterweight, not subserviant to Adam, that Anna waited/prayed over 80 years to see the Promised Son of God appear, that Rehab claimed His Name and helped save her family, that Hannah was passionate persistent and patient waiting to become pregnant with Samuel, that Mary Magdalene was possessed by 7 demons until she was saved through the grace of Jesus, that Mary the Mother of Jesus never was boastful or prideful about giving birth to Jesus, and so much more.
women who previously rejected Him as well as women of prayer and women who sought his Holy Name as vessels to glorify the name of Jesus! To any woman who is downtrodden or pondering their faith, I recommend this book. To any woman who wants to know more about how God used women in a positive way, I recommend this book. I learned that Eve was a counterweight, not subserviant to Adam, that Anna waited/prayed over 80 years to see the Promised Son of God appear, that Rehab claimed His Name and helped save her family, that Hannah was passionate persistent and patient waiting to become pregnant with Samuel, that Mary Magdalene was possessed by 7 demons until she was saved through the grace of Jesus, that Mary the Mother of Jesus never was boastful or prideful about giving birth to Jesus, and so much more.
May 24, 2022
I guess it's really more like 1.5. This book was lent to me by a girl at church so I kinda feel bad for not liking it but I just couldn't get behind this man's interpretation of these amazing women. For some of the women he focused more on their bad qualities (Rahab) and just barely mentioned the good. Or he tries to lower the position of some of them to make their position in life seem lesser than they really were. He twists their stories to fit his own agenda and that irked me. I will probably not be reading this again or recommending it to anyone else.
-2022 Edit-
I still haven't reread this book or recommended it but I would like to note that this was probably the first book I read about Biblical Women/Womanhood, whatever, and I hated it so much that I thought there had to be better books out there than this. I went searching and 7 years, and many books, later I'm a Christian Feminist who believes women should be in every position in the church. Thank you John MacArthur.
-2022 Edit-
I still haven't reread this book or recommended it but I would like to note that this was probably the first book I read about Biblical Women/Womanhood, whatever, and I hated it so much that I thought there had to be better books out there than this. I went searching and 7 years, and many books, later I'm a Christian Feminist who believes women should be in every position in the church. Thank you John MacArthur.
June 3, 2018
Some of this book is well written and I enjoyed the Biblical accounts of most of the women the author speaks about.
Sadly he is very anti Catholic and the chapter on the Blessed Mother made me very sad. Mr. MacArthur has obvious deep seated misunderstandings that he can't leave off the pages when He speaks of the Church and Mary.
He "knows" that Catholics "worship" Mary (we don't).
He "knows" that Catholics put Mary on the same level as Christ (we don't).
He has so many things wrong in here that he thinks are actual Church teachings that it is obvious He has not spoken to many Catholics or done real research into our faith.
Very sad because he was pretty good at bringing the virtues of the other women he writes about to life.
I couldn't finish the chapter on Mary but I did finish the book.
Not on my "recommend" list. Very disappointing.
Sadly he is very anti Catholic and the chapter on the Blessed Mother made me very sad. Mr. MacArthur has obvious deep seated misunderstandings that he can't leave off the pages when He speaks of the Church and Mary.
He "knows" that Catholics "worship" Mary (we don't).
He "knows" that Catholics put Mary on the same level as Christ (we don't).
He has so many things wrong in here that he thinks are actual Church teachings that it is obvious He has not spoken to many Catholics or done real research into our faith.
Very sad because he was pretty good at bringing the virtues of the other women he writes about to life.
I couldn't finish the chapter on Mary but I did finish the book.
Not on my "recommend" list. Very disappointing.
May 19, 2020
I'm sorry to be disappointed in this book. The author quoted a lot of scripture, which is a good thing but, I felt a condescending and patronizing attitude from this well known author.
I felt he hypothesized and assumed a lot based on the few lines of scripture about each woman. He also talked more about the men around each woman than the woman in many chapters.
I expected insight into each woman's character and spiritual journey but instead found chauvinism and even legalism as to a woman's "place".
I felt he hypothesized and assumed a lot based on the few lines of scripture about each woman. He also talked more about the men around each woman than the woman in many chapters.
I expected insight into each woman's character and spiritual journey but instead found chauvinism and even legalism as to a woman's "place".
June 23, 2021
*apparently the audio version is abridged
September 16, 2021
It has been some time since I had the opportunity to read Biblical character studies. Finding one that studied all women characters from Old Testament and New Testament had me eager to pick it up and especially since I've wanted to read this author's books for a while.
I appreciated the author choosing to set up historical and cultural context as well as focus on key character traits demonstrated by the individual women. Obviously, the ones like Eve and Sarah from ancient times were somewhat of a challenge in that respect, but there were still insights into their daily living that juxtaposed their ordinary against the extraordinary demonstrations of faith they showed. The author focused on their strengths, but didn't neglect to choose women who came from a variety of walks of life including a prostitute, a foreigner, a demon-possessed woman, a business woman, and a prophetess. Some were married, some widowed, and some single. Some young and some quite old. Many were in the direct line of Christ including his mother.
Each woman's life inspired introspection and was a good learning experience for me. I also appreciated the studyguide and source list at the end of the book. It was an all-round satisfying reading experience. I'll have to read more of his work especially his other character-study series. He wrote well and the book had good connection to his theme. It was not a deep dive, but still provided a good teaching experience.
I appreciated the author choosing to set up historical and cultural context as well as focus on key character traits demonstrated by the individual women. Obviously, the ones like Eve and Sarah from ancient times were somewhat of a challenge in that respect, but there were still insights into their daily living that juxtaposed their ordinary against the extraordinary demonstrations of faith they showed. The author focused on their strengths, but didn't neglect to choose women who came from a variety of walks of life including a prostitute, a foreigner, a demon-possessed woman, a business woman, and a prophetess. Some were married, some widowed, and some single. Some young and some quite old. Many were in the direct line of Christ including his mother.
Each woman's life inspired introspection and was a good learning experience for me. I also appreciated the studyguide and source list at the end of the book. It was an all-round satisfying reading experience. I'll have to read more of his work especially his other character-study series. He wrote well and the book had good connection to his theme. It was not a deep dive, but still provided a good teaching experience.
April 25, 2017
We engaged in this Bible study this semester. Oh, girls! You really need to read about these women who were not known because of their husbands, but because of their extreme faith and commitment to God! What a crazy concept back then, when women were second class citizens without a voice! Read about Hannah, Ruth, Rahab, Lydia, and even some you may not know. The book alone is a good read, but the workbook adds other dimensions. And, of course, group discussions add even more. The ladies of FUMC Vidor feel like we've had a fabulous experience!
March 12, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. It was really interesting to delve deeper into some women in the Bible; the well-known ones and especially the ones we don’t know much about. 10/10 recommend for any Christian, but especially girls. 🙂
September 22, 2022
You will learn about the different women along with how they dealt with different situations In the Bible. One of my favorites was the one written about Eve!
June 13, 2022
Hypocrite, anti-woman. He makes stuff up that isn't anywhere in scriptures.
This is the misogynist ass who told well respected pastor Beth Moore to "Go home" at a conference. He further stated "There's no case that can be made biblically for a woman preacher." If I had bought this book, I'd use it to line the bird cage. (I checked it out from my library).
MacCarthur goes so far to say no woman has had direct prophetic revelation.
This is the misogynist ass who told well respected pastor Beth Moore to "Go home" at a conference. He further stated "There's no case that can be made biblically for a woman preacher." If I had bought this book, I'd use it to line the bird cage. (I checked it out from my library).
MacCarthur goes so far to say no woman has had direct prophetic revelation.
October 24, 2017
FANTASTIC! Everything about this book is amazing. The writing was well done, the choice of subjects was appropriate, and overall the content was just mindblowingly incredible. I especially liked the Introduction and the chapters in Eve and Hannah. Highly recommended for all women of all ages!
August 13, 2022
Studied this book with my sisters. It was valuable. Learned a lot. Definitely recommend.
June 13, 2011
I think the author chose some great women for this book. Maybe not the ones I would have chosen, but I was really surprised by some of the chapters. I know to take Bible opinion-as-truth with a grain of salt, but I feel the author did a fantastic job of telling these women's stories. It made me dig into the Bible more than I normally would for info on Eve or Sarah, which are ones most people feel they know a lot about. I appreciate that.
I enjoyed how the author made no attempt to cover up any of their flaws. The epilogue firmly states that their imperfection paved a way for God's perfection. It just reminds us that no one is perfect, but we can still be used for great things. Striving to be perfect was not their strong point, but striving to have a relationship with the Living God was. Each of these women came to God through faith. Whether prostitute or life-long priestess, their ultimate faith in the promise of a Messiah made the difference.
Also, MacArthur says on more than one occasion that the women he chose were in no way extraordinary because of who they married or who their family was. He does a great job of showing the many facets of a woman's virtue and how they can act independently of husband and children. These women were chosen by God because of their person, not their gender-specific roles. Even, Sarah or Hannah, who were desperately pleading for children, were noted for their imperfections that turned to devout faith and devotion. He also praises these women for their roles as wives, mothers and leaders and how their values of hospitality or humility played a part. Roles that no man could fill in these specific instances. I enjoyed the balance of the two.
This book was a quick read, but I chose to take it slowly and really study each section. I'm so glad I did. I will be keeping this around to pick up again and again.
I enjoyed how the author made no attempt to cover up any of their flaws. The epilogue firmly states that their imperfection paved a way for God's perfection. It just reminds us that no one is perfect, but we can still be used for great things. Striving to be perfect was not their strong point, but striving to have a relationship with the Living God was. Each of these women came to God through faith. Whether prostitute or life-long priestess, their ultimate faith in the promise of a Messiah made the difference.
Also, MacArthur says on more than one occasion that the women he chose were in no way extraordinary because of who they married or who their family was. He does a great job of showing the many facets of a woman's virtue and how they can act independently of husband and children. These women were chosen by God because of their person, not their gender-specific roles. Even, Sarah or Hannah, who were desperately pleading for children, were noted for their imperfections that turned to devout faith and devotion. He also praises these women for their roles as wives, mothers and leaders and how their values of hospitality or humility played a part. Roles that no man could fill in these specific instances. I enjoyed the balance of the two.
This book was a quick read, but I chose to take it slowly and really study each section. I'm so glad I did. I will be keeping this around to pick up again and again.
February 21, 2011
Great book we used in Sunday school. It was a close look at Eve, Sarah, Rahab, Ruth, Hannah, Mary, Anne, The Samaritan Woman, Mary and Martha, Mary Magdalene, and Lydia. You gotta watch MacArthur on Lordship salvation, but he's a very good story-teller. There was quite a bit of new information for me about women I thought I knew well. Here are some 'new' facts: Abraham and Sarah came from an urban environment, so life on the road was something Sarah had to learn to embrace; Rahab is not a lesson in how to better ourselves through self-improvement, but a reminder that God by His grace can redeem even the most horrible life; The 'scandal motif' in Christ's lineage was no accident; Mary had to learn to submit to Jesus as her Lord rather than trying to control Him as His mother; Anna immediately understood what was going on and who Christ was; Jesus chose the Samaritan woman to be the one to whom he first explicitly told that He was the Messiah; Mary and Martha show that God uses all kinds of people; Mary Magdalene was not the Mary from Bethany, but had probably been set free from demons, so she was not merely reformed, but transformed; In order to start a synagogue in any community, Jewish custom required a quorum of at least ten Jewish men. But Jewish women could pray together in groups. A favorite observation from the book was the dedication of MacArthur to his nine granddaughters.
March 10, 2016
Chapter one was about Eve. This had me view the fall of mankind and why the blame was placed on Adam as his sin and the consequences for generations to come...........................................................Chapter two was about Sarah, Would I have been as faithful, waiting all those years for a promise of a son? She had to be a strong woman of faith and had to love her husband to give up a home and spend the rest if her days moving and living in a tent. Chapter 3-Rehab if you had asked me about her before I read the chapter, I could not have told you. So learned much in this chapter. Chapter 4 Ruth. Chapter 5 Hannah. I know much more about her now. It had to be hard to take Samuel to the temple and leave him. Chapter 6 Mary mother if Jesus. I like how this chapter points out that Mary was humble and never let being chosen to give birth to the Son of God go to her head. Many pray to her as if she has the power of God, but Mary gave God all the credit, admitted she was so blessed considering the sinful person she was. Chapter 8 the Samaritan woman, this chapter really speaks to me. We are all sinners and can not hide anything we have done from God, but Jesus loves and died so that we have forgiveness and salvation. I am almost finished and have greatly enjoyed the book. I have Twelve Ordinary Men ordered and look forward to reading it.
January 31, 2020
I will admit that I went into this slightly prejudiced against the author after hearing about some comments he had made.
That being said, there were a couple points in there that I thought were excellent and I definitely shifted my perspective on a few concepts.
BUT I was unimpressed with much of the content. It’s so harmful to say that motherhood is a higher caller than another for a woman. What about women that cannot conceive? Additionally, each chapter had a tendency to focus more on why a woman was significant based on her relationship to a man instead of the significance of her individually. Add in the fact that the author seemed to cherry pick “good christian women” (Rahab being the exception). But why not talk about the bravery of Esther? Or the leadership of Deborah? Or the creativity and integrity of Tamar? Instead, only women who were meek, mild and thrived in the traditionally allowed roles were explemplified
That being said, there were a couple points in there that I thought were excellent and I definitely shifted my perspective on a few concepts.
BUT I was unimpressed with much of the content. It’s so harmful to say that motherhood is a higher caller than another for a woman. What about women that cannot conceive? Additionally, each chapter had a tendency to focus more on why a woman was significant based on her relationship to a man instead of the significance of her individually. Add in the fact that the author seemed to cherry pick “good christian women” (Rahab being the exception). But why not talk about the bravery of Esther? Or the leadership of Deborah? Or the creativity and integrity of Tamar? Instead, only women who were meek, mild and thrived in the traditionally allowed roles were explemplified
April 10, 2023
We read this in a women's small group of people in their early to mid20s. While we did find some good topics to discuss in this book, we did feel his tone was generally misogynistic. He seems to believe women are extraordinary only if they are quiet, mothers, and subservient to the men around them. I found the Rahab chapter to be specifically uncomfortable as he makes a lot of assumptions about her life as a prostitute without having research or history to back up that point of view. He seems to do that often throughout the book when he is attempting to provide historical context. All in all, I think we would have been better off just reading the stories from the source itself and talking about what we thought we could learn from them today.
March 10, 2020
This is a fantastic book rich with solid theology and great lessons to be gleaned from the lives of these extraordinary women. I highly recommend this book for both men and women readers alike. For men because it helps put things into perspective, and for women because it is immensely encouraging and edifying. I like John MacArthur’s writing style as well.
February 16, 2024
To make women of the Bible into a frivolous bore is truly a feat.
July 28, 2024
I really enjoyed the depth and theology throughout this book! MacArthur is extremely thorough, and the thing I appreciated most was his utilization of scripture. He’s clear on what the Bible says and does not say, using history and what we know to back up what God’s Word says. I’d love to read this again with a group of other women to see how the Lord speaks to them through the pages.
August 24, 2023
This was a pretty solid book. Although it took me a while to get through, I really enjoyed unpacking the stories of 12 amazing women in the Bible. MacArthur eloquently and clearly explains the cultural significance and importance of each woman while seamlessly connecting their stories back to Christ. Would definitely recommend to anyone who’s interested in women in ministry.
September 22, 2015
The title of this book needs to be changed to "11 Extraordinary Women of the Bible and One Less Than Ordinary Woman." While the first half of the book was good, once I got to the chapter on Mary (in the middle of the book) I was completely surprised and disappointed at the turn to negativity. The author seems to take particular pleasure in pointing out how less than ordinary Jesus' mother Mary is. It seems as though his entire focus throughout the chapter is on scolding those who believe Mary is indeed extraordinary! Why even include Mary in the book if you feel this way? I get the impression that pointing out the insignificance of Mary may have even been his main focus for writing this book (he spends 3 pages on a chart analyzing Mary's Magnificat). I kept reading the chapter hoping there would be some sort of redemption, but sadly there was none. It's too bad that the author chose to magnify the differences in people's beliefs rather than sticking to the topic. This negativity tainted the entire book for me. At that point I couldn't keep reading.
August 4, 2008
I didn't love this book. It took too much license for me. It made many assumptions to make points. I don't like that, especially with Biblical issues. On the other hand, it offered good context for some of the "characters" lives and "stories." I also recognize that I don't give the author enough credit for perhaps being really in-tune with God when writing; perhaps these assumptions are inspired.....I'm not an easily trusting person. A wise, dear friend tells me I may want to pray for a more teachable spirit. :) She's right, so take my review with a grain of not always salty enough salt.
Oh, I should add that my Bible Study did the companion workbook. This I enjoyed. I get much from anything that has me delving into the scriptures, even if it's to prove that "it doesn't say that!" I could recommend the workbook, just not crazy about the book.
Oh, I should add that my Bible Study did the companion workbook. This I enjoyed. I get much from anything that has me delving into the scriptures, even if it's to prove that "it doesn't say that!" I could recommend the workbook, just not crazy about the book.
May 31, 2010
My husband Scott gave this book to me for mother's day. He had read John MacArthur's book Twelve Ordinary Men and really enjoyed it and thought I would enjoy this book about Twelve Extraordinary Women in the Bible and he was right! I love the way that John MacArthur sites where in the Bible he is referencing when he writes. My goal is to go through this book again paragraph by paragraph and read the Bible references after reading each chapter. I also think that this would be a wonderful book study for women. The book has a study guide in the back and I would LOVE to read this with other Christian women to get their insights, wisdom and discernment regarding women referenced in this book and the Bible. It was an encouraging book and a great reminder that God uses the ordinary for His extraordinary work.
July 26, 2020
MacArthur’s 12 Extraordinary Women is an excellent, detailed exposition of select women in scripture, as well as of the passages they are mentioned in. His thorough historical and contextual background of the text was helpful in understanding the character of these women. He emphasizes that despite their sins and failings, their faith in Christ and the Lord’s transformative work in their lives is what makes them extraordinary. Their faith produces exemplary character and virtue, such as Anna’s faithful witness, the Samaritan women’s eager response to the gospel, Sarah’s steadfast hope, and Martha and Mary’s worship and service. I learned a lot about well known women, as well as those lesser known.
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