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Linda Belleville women apostles Craig Keener

Belleville claims female apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists; Craig Keener agrees women held prominent roles

Mike continues presenting egalitarian scholarly claims.

Linda Belleville Craig Keener synergos

Egalitarian argument: 'fellow worker' (synergos) and 'labor' (kopiao) mean leadership

Mike identifies a major branch of egalitarian argumentation about Pauline terminology.

Acts 18:26 Priscilla Aquila Craig Keener

Craig Keener claims Priscilla and Aquila instructed ministers (plural) and led a house church

Mike examines Keener's specific claims about Priscilla and Aquila.

1 Corinthians 16:19 Priscilla Aquila Craig Keener

1 Corinthians 16:19 does not prove Priscilla and Aquila led a house church

Mike examines Keener's second reference for house church leadership.

Philemon 1-2 Philemon Craig Keener hosting vs. leading Philemon 1-2

Philemon 1-2: church in Philemon's house does not make Apphia or Archippus leaders

Mike examines Keener's third reference.

Priscilla Craig Keener women teaching men

Conclusions on Priscilla/Aquila: Keener overstates, but women can teach men theology

Mike balances his critique with a positive complementarian conclusion.

Romans 16 Craig Keener N.T. Wright Romans 16

Egalitarian argument: letter carriers were expected to teach the letter; Phoebe taught Romans

Mike introduces the letter-carrier-as-teacher argument.

Craig Keener letter carrier as teacher 1 Maccabees 12:23

Keener's sources examined: 1 Maccabees 12:23 does not support letter-carrier-as-teacher

Mike examines Keener's footnoted sources one by one.

Romans 16:7 egalitarianism Craig Keener Romans 16:7

Craig Keener's three arguments for Junia as apostle

Mike introduces egalitarian scholar Craig Keener's case.

Romans 16:7 Galatians 2:9 Craig Keener apostolic authority Romans 16:7

Keener's first argument: Paul never elsewhere appeals to 'the apostles' as a group

Mike evaluates and rebuts Keener's first argument.

Romans 16:7 Craig Keener Romans 16:7 en + dative construction

Keener's second argument: most natural reading of 'among' implies group membership

Mike presents Keener's second argument.

Romans 16:7 John Chrysostom Craig Keener Romans 16:7 John Chrysostom

Keener's third argument: Greek church fathers and modern scholars agree Junia was an apostle

Mike considers this the weightiest of Keener's three arguments.

Romans 16:7 Two Views on Women in Ministry Craig Keener Epaphroditus

Keener's argument: no qualifier on 'the apostles' suggests highest sense

Mike presents Keener's supporting argument from Two Views on Women in Ministry.

Judges Deborah Judges Craig Keener

Craig Keener's argument: Deborah as an Old Testament apostle equivalent

Mike addresses Keener's claim linking Deborah to apostleship.

Craig Keener women in ministry debate cultural acquiescence argument

Egalitarian response: cultural reasons prevented women apostles

Mike presents and critiques the standard egalitarian counter-argument.

eldership Craig Keener prophecy argument

Argument 4 preview: If women can prophesy to the whole church, they can also teach and be elders

Since women prophesied at mixed-gender gatherings and prophecy is a high role involving authority, women should also be allowed to teach and serve as elders.

Craig Keener prophecy argument prophecy and authority

Three egalitarian claims from women prophesying: (1) women could speak publicly, (2) prophecy is similar to teaching, (3) prophecy carries authority rivaling eldership

Mike outlines three sub-arguments egalitarians derive from women prophesying.

Craig Keener influence vs. authority prophecy and authority

Claim 3 analysis: Craig Keener argues prophecy carries authority that rivals eldership

Mike examines the third and strongest form of the prophecy argument.

Deborah Priscilla Mary Magdalene

Pushback on Keener: influence is not the only issue — no complementarian should limit women's influence

Mike argues that the issue is not about influence but about a specific authority role.

2 Samuel 7 David Craig Keener Nathan

Prophecy is passive in nature — the prophet is not supposed to speak beyond what God gave them

Mike cites Craig Keener in support of this point about the passive nature of prophecy.

Craig Keener prophecy and authority Nathan

Keener himself acknowledges prophets had 'no authority outside of their message'

Mike uses Keener's own words to push back on other egalitarians who argue prophecy equals authority.

Genesis 21:12 Genesis 16:2 Craig Keener Genesis 21:12 Genesis 16:2

Craig Keener's addition: Abraham also 'obeys' Sarah (Genesis 16:2, 21:12)

Mike examines Keener's argument for mutual submission in the Abraham-Sarah relationship.

Ephesians 5:18-6:9 Philip Payne Linda Belleville Craig Keener

Introduction to Craig Keener's analysis of Ephesians 5

Mike introduces the scholar whose work will dominate the Ephesians 5 discussion.

Ephesians 5 mutual submission Craig Keener Ephesians 5

Keener's two-pillar case: mutual submission and cultural bowing

Mike summarizes the foundation of Keener's interpretation of Ephesians 5.

Craig Keener Roman cultural setting women's upward mobility in Rome

Keener's cultural background argument: Romans feared women's advancement threatening social order

Mike presents Keener's case about the Roman cultural setting.

Ephesians 5 Craig Keener Ephesians 5 dual messaging theory

Internal vs external messaging theory: Paul supposedly wrote differently for Romans vs Christians

Mike explains the most provocative aspect of Keener's theory.

Craig Keener household codes Roman persecution

Keener's four steps: household codes, perceived threat, defensive writing, Paul's strategy

Mike summarizes and critiques Keener's chain of reasoning about cultural context.

Craig Keener Josephus Against Apion (Contra Apion)

Keener's only example of defensive household codes: Josephus' Against Apion

Mike examines the sole concrete example Keener offers.

Craig Keener cultural bowing idolatry as primary accusation

Summary of 'maybe' chain problems in Keener's cultural argument

Mike recaps the weakness of Keener's cultural-bowing case.

Craig Keener Paul, Women and Wives Paul's imprisonment

Keener's conclusion: Paul wrote household codes as long-range Roman cultural defense

Mike quotes Keener's concluding summary on the cultural argument.

1 Peter 3 Craig Keener Christianity seen as Judaism Plutarch

Christianity was seen as Jewish -- household codes were not the primary cultural threat

Mike adds another historical argument against the cultural-defense theory.

Craig Keener argument from absence obey/rule terminology

Keener on Paul 'avoiding' the words obey and rule -- argument from absent words

Mike addresses the claim that Paul deliberately avoided stronger terms.

Ephesians 5:21-22 Craig Keener Ephesians 5:21-22 husband's submission

Keener and egalitarians find husband's submission in two places

Mike identifies where egalitarians claim to find the husband submitting.

Ephesians 5:21-22 Craig Keener hypotasso Ephesians 5:21-22

Keener on verb borrowing: verse 22 borrows 'submit' from verse 21

Mike examines a grammatical argument about the Greek text.

Craig Keener redefinition of submit love as submission

Keener redefines 'submit' to mean self-sacrificial service

Mike critiques Keener's redefinition of submission.

Ephesians 5:33 Craig Keener hypotasso Ephesians 5:33

Keener redefines wife's submission as 'only respect' based on Ephesians 5:33

Mike critiques a second redefinition of key terminology.

Ephesians 5 Craig Keener Ephesians 5 space devoted to instructions

Paul devotes more space to husbands loving than wives submitting -- what does this mean?

Mike evaluates the significance of the imbalanced space given to each instruction.

internal contradiction Craig Keener cultural binding

Alternative egalitarian view: Paul meant authority imbalance but only for that culture

Mike addresses the 'cultural binding' interpretation of Ephesians 5.

Craig Keener slavery objection Paul, Women and Wives

Introduction to the slavery objection

Mike introduces the final major egalitarian argument.

Craig Keener slavery objection logic same principles test

The slavery objection's logic: same reasons for submission = same rules apply

Mike explains the logical structure of the slavery objection.

Craig Keener household codes slavery-marriage parallel

Two reasons Keener connects slavery and marriage: ancient codes and NT parallels

Mike identifies the two pillars of the slavery-marriage connection.

Craig Keener Aristotle household codes

Keener gives only one ancient source (Aristotle's Politics) for slavery-marriage connection

Mike investigates Keener's evidence from ancient household codes.

Craig Keener Kevin Giles NT slavery-marriage parallel

Keener claims the NT bases slave obedience on same principles as wifely submission -- but never demonstrates this

Mike addresses the second pillar of the slavery objection.