Sunday, December 10, 2006

"Neither male nor female" (9)

SOME CONCLUSIONS

· Scripture teaches the ‘headship’ of a husband in relation to his wife. It does not teach that all men have authority over all women.

· Women are to submit to their own husbands. Scripture does not require them to submit to other men. Additionally, there is to be a mutual submission in marriage with husbands submitting to their wives and, in the sexual relationship, both husbands and wives having equal authority over each other's bodies.

· In public meetings of the Church women can pray and prophesy (i.e. exhort, encourage and proclaim the Word of God). Their full equality with men is because the Edenic curse is being removed as a result of Christ's victory.

· In some situations, where uneducated women were spreading the doctrines of false teachers, they were prohibited from teaching until they had fully learned the truth with a quiet and receptive attitude.

· Paul severely criticised the Corinthians for preventing women from speaking, and demonstrated that the God-given ability to prophesy and speak in tongues was an indication of God's verdict on the matter.

· Women must be acknowledged as having an important and valuable ministry in the Church.

· It is likely that in the churches where women were educated in Spiritual matters they formed part of the ''presbytery" or council of elders.

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