It would appear that the order is not important to Paul. After that time, various writers and translators of the Bible resorted to deceptions in order to suppress her gender. The reference to them both being men does not appear in the original Greek text. Again, it was probably inconceivable to the translators that Paul would recognize a woman as an apostle. Female Leaders Mentioned in Early Christian Writings There are many Gospels and other early Christian writings that never made it into the official canon.
Gnostic texts show that women held senior roles as teachers, prophets and missionaries.
They conducted rituals such as baptism and the Eucharist. They performed exorcisms. The Gospel of Philip , was widely used among early Christian congregations. It portrayed Mary Magdalene as the companion of Jesus, in a position of very high authority within the early Christian movement. The Gospel of Mary described Mary Magdalene as a leader of Jesus' disciples.