βIf the purpose of water baptism was to make the Jews a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:6), did women have to be baptized?β
Itβs true that Jewish men were baptized because priests had to be baptized (Ex. 29:4), and only men could be priests. But water baptism wasΒ alsoΒ βfor the remission of sinsβ (Mark 1:4; Acts 2:38), so women needed to be baptized under Godβs kingdom program for Israel for that reason. Thatβs why we read,
βBut when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of Godβ¦ they were baptized,Β both men and womenβ (Acts 8:12).
Donβt forget, when the Bible says things like, βGodβ¦ will have allΒ menΒ to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truthβ (1 Tim. 2:4), the Greek word for βmenβ there isΒ anthropos, from which we get our wordΒ anthropology, the study ofΒ mankind, both men and women. Be sure to keep that in mind when you read Paul say to βlive peaceably with all menβ (Rom. 12:18), βdo good unto all menβ (Gal. 6:10), βabound in loveβ¦toward all menβ (1 Thes. 3:12), βbe patient toward all menβ (1 Thes. 5:14), and βmake all men see what is the fellowship of the mysteryβ (Eph. 3:9). source