Of course every Christian is a servant of God and of Christ. But service in every house is different, one may be a butler or a scullion boy. There is moral authority in a gift. Official authority is another thing. If I have the word in power, I shall have authority in the consciences of those to whom it is addressed. The word shows distinctly the relationship in which we stand to this moral authority: 1 Cor. 16:15, 16; 1 Thess. 5:12, 13; Heb. 13, where "they that have the rule" is the same word as "chief men" in Acts 15:22. 1 Cor. 11:5 applies to no meeting of sisters. It might be in their father's house, without any formal meeting at all, as Philip's four daughters. It refers to inspiration, not to teaching. A woman is not suffered to teach.
April 28th, 1874.