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Rhoda compared to Mary Madeleine

Rhoda, the slave girl in Acts, can be closely compared to the well-known woman who was at the tomb at the time of Jesus’ resurrection, Mary Magdalene. In the book A Feminist Companion to the Acts of the Apostles, Kathy Chambers makes the statement “But if Rhoda’s voice—the voice of the woman and the slave—is now, like the voice of the women at the tomb, to be treated with respect”. When Rhoda heard the initial knock at the door and gained the knowledge that it was indeed Peter, the other people within the house did not believe her. Mary Magdalene was one of the three women at the tomb when Jesus miraculously rose from the dead. Mary Magdalene then proceeded to run back to the disciples and tell them that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. They, just as the people in the house with Rhoda, denied Mary Magdalene of what she had initially told them. These are two instances, in the bible, where one can see the acts of prophecy displayed by a woman, and a slave in the case of Rhoda.

Both women are similar in the sense that their voices were taken away by the act of being denied. Both women were well aware of the truth that they were speaking of. Rhoda and Mary Magdalene both have voices begging to be heard in each of their stories but are pushed to the side by the others around them. These women both lived in a patriarchal society where women were seen as inferior. In both situations their voices eventually were shown importance. “The good news for those seeking liberate readings from Acts 12 is that Rhoda’s appearance confirms the importance of the voice of women and slaves”