Doug wrote: "With all due respect for the Scriptures and the interpretations
of men, what *exactly* is the difference between a woman reading from the
Scriptures (which teach) and (teaching from the Scriptures) as she reads?"
The distinction I'm making is the difference between exercise of the
spiritual gift of teaching in the gathered assembly of the church and the
oral dictation of the Scriptures.   There is no argument when a student is
asked by the teacher to read a passage from a book, the student is hearing
and dictating (and yes, the book teaches).  But there is no question that
the student is not the teacher just because he is reading a passage.  A
woman (or man) for that matter is not exercising the spiritual gift of
teaching just because they are reading a passage.  To make that conclusion
is a far stretch.
The Bible expressly forbids women from teaching men in the gathered assembly
of the church (1Cor 14:34-37; 1 Tim 2:11-15).  The Bible expressly allowed
for women to publicly prophesy and pray in the gathered assembly of the
church (1Cor 11:4ff).  The only principled distinction in the public prayer
that must be made is that women conduct themselves distinctly from men and
men conduct themselves distinctly from women.  The roles must be clearly
distinctive.  In the early church, it was the head covering for women, and
men not have long hair.  If the women are leading all the time (or most of
the time for that matter) in prayer, then there is a serious problem going
on in that church.  But as far as the public dictation of Scriptures or
public prayer of women in the gathered assembly, that is expressly allowed
in Scriptures.
Carlo