back in the day, men on one side, women on the other: formula for disaster since:
women TALK! hahah. and talk and talk and talk (i know, i am one).
they talk and gossip and stuff, men less.
Paul said the woman should wait til she gets home with her husband to ask questions.
...........
that said, regarding the assembling for services, i don't believe women should be behind the pulpit, nor elders or deacons. and frankly, i wouldn't want to have to answer to the Lord as a pastor: that's the men's responsibility. Judgment begins at the house of God, we know. YIKES!
regarding DISCUSSIONS and informal assembly and missions:
Galatians 3:28
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Paul dealt with Priscilla as an equal. he was not ashamed to name her, and even at times to place her name before her husband's or singularly.
just my 2 pence worth
z
I have experienced this personally! I have a friend, and she's great, but if im sitting next to her in church and the pastor says something that she doesnt understand she asks me what the preacher means and tries to go on a bunny trial to figure it out. As soon as she asks me i stop listening to what the preacher is say and am focused on her, and have had to say quickly what was meant or tell her to keep listening so that i can quickly focus back on the preacher so i dont miss
way more, than my friend intially missed and therefore questioned! Chaotic isnt it. Now imagine that 50 fold - men on one side, woman on the other, my God! no wonder Paul had to address it because it brought disorder - and we all know Apostles are about order! A lot of Pauls teachings were to bring practical order to meetings and relationships because we are meant to be ONE and unified, not disorderly and segregated.
This whole topic is a great topic, but i personally believe just like slavery has been abolished (the bible condones slavery by the way - but there are instructions to the culture of that time that were disigned to keep it Godly and in order) just like slavery, this inequality between men and women is going to be abolished from the body of Christ. I had a friend (and minister) say to me recently that when God created adam and eve, he first created them in the spirit, in the likeness of God, he made them male and female - Gods image is male AND female, he made them equal in His image - and then he fashioned their bodies and breathed his life into them, and assigned function. Now in Christ we are neither male nor female, jew or greek, and Offices and callings are spiritual not carnal and not fleshly. When I look at an Apostle, i dont see male or female, flesh or bone, i see a spiritual being, clothed in power and authority, which just happens to be housed in a natural body which has no bearing on the call or nature of the gifting which is spiritual.