There are no known writings that chronicle the life of Jesus or his teachings during his lifetime; rather there is an accumulation of written sources that arose decades after his death (Seat 8/25). Originally, Jesus' teachings were passed down orally, but Christians eventually began writing down oral traditions decades after his death, particularly after the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70 AD (See 8/25). As a result, it is important to note that there is a time discrepancy. Jesus died in 30 AD, but it was not until 70 AD that Christians began to write down his teachings; therefore, this time difference has led to different interpretations of his teachings (Sede 9/1). As highlighted by Barbara MacHaffe it is important to note that “our sources of information have been written and interpreted by men, often with unfortunate results” (MacHaffie 1). This means that it is highly possible that the "sources of information" regarding the Jesus movement may have been interpreted in such a way as to diminish the contribution of women to the Jesus movement in the first century. However, as Bonnie Thurston explains, a deeper analysis of the Gospels of Mark and John and the undisputed epistles of Paul demonstrate that women played an active role in spreading the teachings of Jesus. Women in the Gospel took positions of leadership and too often they demonstrated a stronger faith and understanding of the meaning of Jesus than Jesus' own apostles. For starters, in the Gospel of Mark women are described as faithful disciples of Jesus who understand his meaning. It is important to note the egalitarian nature of the term “disciple.” It is typical to associate "discipleship" with a male role, but as Thurston indicates...... center of paper ......significance in comparison to the apostles of Jesus themselves. The Gospel of John demonstrates that women were independent and were leaders in spreading the message of Jesus. And finally, Paul's undisputed epistles demonstrate that women held leadership positions within the Church. Work Cited Ehrman, Bart D. The New Testament: A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. New York, Oxford University Press, 2000.MacHaffie, Barbara J. Her Story: Women in the Christian Tradition. Minneapolis, Fortress Press, 2006. Pederson, Rena. The Lost Apostle: Searching for the Truth About Junia. San Francisco, Jossey Bass, 2006. Seat, Karen. Class lessons. RELI 327: Women and Christianity. Fall semester 2011. Thurston, Bonne. Women in the New Testament: questions and comments. Eugene, Wipf and Stock Editori, 2004.