I think Gill's quite a bit off there - superiority with regard to position does not require, assume, or imply superiority with regard to ability. Certainly I can point to many women who have better reasoning and exegetical skills compared to many men, and who are spiritually more mature. However, God's authority structure doesn't depend on any of those things.

The Son of God is inferior in authority to the Father - the Son submits, the Father decrees and rules. No orthodox theologian would argue that the Son is somehow less in ability or power. Similarly, in the marriage relationship, the man's position of authority derives from God's decree - not from the man's abilities, which may or may not be superior to those of his wife.

The woman's teaching in the church is not a matter of ability or non-ability - but a matter of the order which God approves and teaches us in His word.

__________________
Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


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