Dear Lauren,

Professor Gurgel also referred his granddaughter to me to answer questions about some rather difficult words and concepts from the “Heirs Together . . .” Bible study. He hasn’t changed a bit! He was always perceptive and recognized that human nature, being tainted by sin, likely will resent what is being said just because of who is saying it.

While it’s not right, it seems especially true in areas of what men or women “should” do. Human beings tend to see advice or instruction from the opposite gender as lacking credibility. Our sinful nature thinks that if you “haven’t walked a mile in my high heels, what do you know about my world.” That attitude, even among Christians, seems to be a pretty big stumbling block, no matter who’s doing the talking and who’s doing the listening.

I’ve also noted with interest the consistency among Christians of all cultures when dealing with application of the concepts of gender differences, God’s “order of creation,” helper, head, submission, and calling. Each gender is very good at pointing out the expectations and failings of the other gender. Not wanting to be at all flippant, I need to point out that I bet that God, who made us, knew we’d do exactly that. I bet that’s one reason he made it very clear through Paul’s letter to Titus that instruction, especially of young Christian women, was to be by mature and older Christian women (Titus 2:4,5).

The Lord also made it clear through Paul’s instruction to Timothy that Christian women were not to be exercising authority over, publicly arguing with, or undermining their adult Christian brothers (1 Timothy 2:12). Other men are to do that when it’s necessary! To do otherwise makes it all too tempting to try to remove the speck in our brother’s or sister’s eye while ignoring the plank in our own.

Now then, on to your question. Arguably this is the point at which “the rubber meets the road” in this study. You ask why there seems to be a problem understanding God’s good will and order in the way his children are to interact and work with each other for the good of his kingdom.