Expert: Griff Ruby - 5/2/2011

Question
Galatians 3:28 (body of Christ, neither male nor female) seems to indicate that St. Paul considered women equal with men.  So much of his other writings ("I do not permit a woman to teach ...", a wife should be "subordinate" to her husband) indicates that he thought women should have a subserviant role.  Is this a contradiction?

Answer
There is no connection between any claim that one holding a lesser or lower or "subservient" or submissive role is by virtue of that claim in any way inferior to the greater, as a being.  One finds this even rooted in the very nature of the Godhead in which the Son is obedient to the Father, but is not an inferior sort of being from that of the Father but rather the same substance and nature (divinity).  The same goes even for such worldly situations as that of slaves and masters.  The slaves must serve their masters loyally and diligently (and are encouraged to earn, if possible, their freedom such that their master willingly grants it), but the servant is in no way any inferior person to the master (else freedom ought not even be sought or desired), yet he is obliged to serve the master and not the other way around, so long as he remains a servant.  (Read Bible book of Philemon, one very short chapter.)
So in the same vein, a woman is no less a creature than a man but equal ("neither male nor female") as a being despite her role of being in subjection to a husband and to Church authority.
Hope this helps!