Search — Theology Explorer

eldership in Christ benefits necessary vs. sufficient conditions

Key principle: whatever is inherent to being in Christ, all believers share — but is eldership inherent?

Mike establishes a test for what Galatians 3:28 covers.

Galatians 2 Galatians 3:24 Galatians 2 justification by faith Galatians 3:24

Sonship benefit #3: Justification by faith

Mike identifies the third element Paul associates with sonship.

judaizers sonship status inheritance rights

The original context: judaizers challenging sonship status of Gentiles, slaves, and women

Mike grounds the passage in its original historical situation.

Galatians 2 eldership Galatians 2 Cynthia Long Westfall

Westfall's 'out-group status' argument: excluding women from eldership communicates they are outsiders

Mike engages Westfall's use of sociological language about out-grouping.

Galatians 2 equivocation fallacy Galatians 2 out-group status

Equivocation in the term 'out-group': from 'not in Christ' to 'not eligible for eldership'

Mike identifies what he sees as a crucial logical fallacy in the egalitarian argument.

Cynthia Long Westfall circumcision representing Christ

Westfall's argument: identity in Christ means Gentiles and women can represent Christ in any function

Mike quotes and analyzes a key extended passage from Westfall.

Galatians 2:11-14 Paul Peter table fellowship

Galatians 2 pushback: Peter's refusal to eat with Gentiles as social discrimination

Mike addresses the strongest egalitarian counter-argument from within Galatians itself.

Galatians 2:11-16 Peter justification by faith Galatians 2:11-16

Peter's withdrawal was about soteriological status, not social discrimination broadly

Mike recontextualizes Galatians 2 to show it supports his reading, not Westfall's.

Galatians 2 Galatians 2 second-class citizenship exclusion from Christ

Galatians 2 is about being treated as outside Christ, not as second-class citizens within Christ

Mike sharpens the distinction between the egalitarian framing and the actual text.

Acts 10 Acts 15 1 Corinthians 7:18-20 Peter Acts 10 Jew/Gentile distinctions

Jew/Gentile distinctions continued after conversion: Jews kept the law, Gentiles did not

Mike demonstrates that the Jew/Gentile pair retained functional differences in the early church.

1 Timothy 2 Titus 1 Timothy 2 Gentile eldership rhetorical challenge

Rhetorical challenge: if 'no Jew or Gentile' means Gentiles can be elders, why can't women?

Mike presents the strongest version of the egalitarian argument and attempts to answer it.

1 Timothy 2 Galatians 3:28 thought experiment 1 Timothy 2 elder qualifications

Hypothetical: if Scripture required Jewish elders, would you accept it?

Mike uses a thought experiment to test whether people are truly following Scripture or presuppositions.

Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

Mark 10:42-45 parallel: Jesus redefines authority as service, not its elimination

Mike uses Jesus' teaching on servant leadership as a hermeneutical key.

Mark 10:42-45 Linda Belleville servant leadership Mark 10:42-45

Mike Winger idea 2022-11-11

Paul uses physis nine times consistently: never means 'custom'

Mike examines all of Paul's uses of physis.

Romans 1:26-27 Galatians 4:8 Romans 2:14 Tom Schreiner physis Romans 1:26-27

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-29

Jesus has influenced the entire world to worship the God of Israel — messianic prophecy fulfilled

Ra's list includes: Messiah must influence the entire world to acknowledge and serve one God

Messianic prophecy Universal worship of God Mission to the Gentiles

Luke 21:20-24 Romans 11 fullness of Gentiles Matthew 3:15 Luke 21:20-24 armies surrounding Jerusalem AD 70 partial fulfillment

Luke 21:20-24 — Jerusalem surrounded by armies: partial fulfillment in AD 70, not the abomination of desolation

Key difference between Mark and Luke: Luke gives a different 'sign' — armies surrounding Jerusalem, which Mike connects to AD 70, not the final abomination.

times of the Gentiles Temple Mount Israel 1948

Temple Mount still controlled by non-Jewish Arabs — possible ongoing 'trampling by Gentiles'

Mike applies the 'times of the Gentiles' concept to the contemporary geopolitical situation.

Luke 21:25-28 Revelation cosmic signs cosmic signs Luke 21:25-28 second coming in Luke

Luke 21:25-28 — cosmic signs and visible coming after the times of the Gentiles

After the 'times of the Gentiles' pause, Jesus gives the cosmic-sign sequence leading to his coming in Luke 21.

Matthew 10:23 Matthew 11:1 Matthew 10:5 contextual interpretation Matthew 10:23 R.C. Sproul

Matthew 10:23 — 'Son of Man coming' refers to Jesus arriving in the towns during the limited sending mission, not the second coming

Mike addresses the specific verse R.C. Sproul cites as evidence for an expected first-century return.

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-05

Zechariah 9:9 — Ra claims it is not Messianic and requires Gentile conversion and expanded Israeli borders for fulfillment. The text contains none of those requirements.

Ra argues Christians misappropriate Jewish prophecy for Jesus.

Zechariah 9:9 apologetics Jesus Aron Ra

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-16

Romans 2 and conscience: Gentiles do by nature what the law requires, showing the work of the law written on their hearts — grounds their accountability in certain knowledge, not probability

Sye's argument from Romans 2 for the certainty of moral knowledge in all people

Romans 2 Romans 2 accountability general revelation

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Paul's apostolic authority confirmed by Peter and James; 2 Peter calls Paul's writings Scripture

Q&A: question about how Paul went from persecutor to authoritative apostle.

Galatians 1 James (brother of Jesus) 2 Peter Galatians 1 Peter (Cephas) James (brother of Jesus)

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Acts 21:17-26 — Paul participates in a Nazirite vow to demonstrate continued Torah observance as a Jewish believer

Q&A: question about Paul's behavior in Acts 21 and what it tells us about his relationship to Torah.

Romans 14 James (brother of Jesus) Acts 21:17-26 circumcision Nazirite vow Romans 14

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-19

The New Testament is a Jewish book written by Jews about the Jewish Messiah

Mike contextualizes the gospel for Ben as a Jewish person

Romans 11 Torah Tanakh Nevi'im

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-19

Christianity is a Jewish religion; Gentiles are grafted in — not the other way around

Mike speaks directly to the Jewish identity of Christianity

Romans 11 Messianic Judaism grafted in Romans 11

Paul rejection 119 Ministries Rhetorical manipulation

119 Ministries asks "can truth become not-truth?" — Mike identifies this as a misleading question that conflates truthfulness with universal applicability

Mike quotes and critiques a rhetorical question 119 Ministries poses to destabilize the traditional Christian position.

1 John 2:6 Matthew 15:24 1 John 2:6 Matthew 15:24 Jesus's ministry to Israel

Walking as Jesus walked does not mean obeying the OT law — it could equally mean itinerant preaching only to Jews, or staying in Israel, which no one applies literally

Mike challenges the 119 Ministries use of 1 John 2:6 ("walk as he walked") by following the logic consistently.

Leviticus 24:22 Zechariah 14:16 Leviticus 24:22 Zechariah 14:16 Sojourner

Leviticus 24:22 — "same rule for sojourner and native" does not require Gentile Torah-observance; it is case law about judicial fairness in civil punishments

Q&A: questioner asks about Leviticus 24:22 and Zechariah 14:16 as texts allegedly requiring Gentiles to keep OT law.

Zechariah 14:16 Passover Zechariah 14:16 Gentile Torah-observance

Zechariah 14:16 — Feast of Tabernacles observance by nations does not mean those nations are under the law

Follow-up point on the same Q&A question about Gentiles under OT law.

Colossians Colossians 2:16-17 Colossians Colossians 2:16-17 Gentile believers

Colossians recommended as a direct scriptural answer to questions about Sabbath and the fourth commandment for Gentiles

Q&A: questioner asks how Gentiles grafted into the vine should handle the fourth commandment (Sabbath).

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

2 Corinthians 11:24-28 — Paul's own catalog of sufferings as direct first-person evidence of his willingness to endure persecution for Christ

Paul's own testimony as evidence of sincerity

2 Corinthians 11:24-28 Paul the Apostle apostolic martyrdom apostle sincerity

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

Psalm 22 predicts specific details of the crucifixion centuries before crucifixion existed, and implies resurrection and worldwide Gentile conversion; ancient Jewish sources also viewed it as messianic

Third example of compelling prophecy for skeptics

Psalm 22 apologetics resurrection crucifixion

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

The Sabbath is Saturday; Gentile Christians are free to observe or not observe it; the Sabbath did not move to Sunday; early church gathered on both days for different reasons

Response to question about whether the Sabbath is Saturday or Sunday and whether it matters for Gentiles

Colossians Romans 14 Colossians Romans 14 Christian freedom

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

The word 'law' in 1 John 3:4 does not specifically mean the Mosaic law but any law or command God has revealed; Gentiles had moral law before Moses

Response to question about whether Christians must keep the Mosaic Sabbath since sin is the transgression of the law

Romans 2 1 John 3:4 Hebrew Roots movement Romans 2 sin

Matthew Hebrew Roots movement Matthew Law of Moses

Central question: Does Jesus want Gentile Christians to obey the Law of Moses today?

Opening framing of the video

Hebrew Roots movement Sabbath Torah observance

Hebrew Roots movement defined: a scattered, loosely organized group seeking to practice the Law of Moses

Background on the movement being critiqued

Hebrew Roots movement sola fide grace alone

119 Ministries praised for affirming grace-alone salvation while still holding Torah-observant views

Winger acknowledges 119 Ministries responded to his previous video

Acts 15 Matthew 5 Matthew 28 Acts 15 Hebrew Roots movement Matthew 5

Series structure announced: Matthew teachings today, then Acts, then Epistles

Winger lays out his multi-part teaching plan

Matthew 28:18-20 Matthew 5:17 Great Commission Matthew 28:18-20 119 Ministries

The Hebrew Roots argument: Matthew 5 + Matthew 28 = all nations must obey the Law of Moses

Winger presents the 119 Ministries interpretive framework before critiquing it

Matthew 10:5 Matthew 28:18-20 Matthew 5:17 hermeneutics Matthew 10:5 Matthew 28:18-20

Matthew 5 and Matthew 28 are from entirely different contexts and cannot be simply combined

First critique of the Hebrew Roots interpretive move

Deuteronomy 5:2 Galatians 3:17 Abraham Deuteronomy 5:2 Galatians 3:17

Big picture point 1: The Law had a beginning—it did not exist for Adam, Noah, Abraham, or Cain and Abel

First of three foundational contextual claims about the Law

Deuteronomy 5:2 Genesis 26:5 Abraham 119 Ministries Deuteronomy 5:2

Genesis 26:5 does not prove Abraham kept the Law of Moses

Response to a Hebrew Roots proof text about Abraham

Deuteronomy 4:8 Gentiles and the Law Mosaic covenant Deuteronomy 4:8

Big picture point 2: The Law was given exclusively to Israel, not to all nations

Second foundational contextual claim

Exodus 12:49 Hebrew Roots movement Gentiles and the Law Exodus 12:49

Exodus 12:49 does not teach that all Gentiles were under the Mosaic Law—it refers to resident aliens within Israel

Response to a Hebrew Roots proof text about Gentiles and the Law

Romans 2:12 Gentiles and the Law Romans 2:12 conscience and natural law

Romans 2:12 establishes that some people were never under the Law of Moses; Gentiles are accountable through conscience

Biblical evidence for different accountability standards for Jews and Gentiles

Amos Amos 1-2 Jonah Amos Gentiles and the Law Amos 1-2

OT prophets (Amos, Jonah) judged Gentile nations on moral grounds, not Mosaic Law violations

Additional evidence that Gentiles were never under the Mosaic Law

Jeremiah 31:31-34 Hebrews 8:13 New Covenant Jeremiah 31:31-34 Hebrews 8:13

Big picture point 3: The Law was always heading toward replacement—Jeremiah 31 predicts a New Covenant unlike the old

Third foundational contextual claim: the Law had a built-in expiration point

Hebrews 9:9-10 dietary laws Hebrews 9:9-10 Levitical law

Hebrews 9:9-10 describes Mosaic regulations as a placeholder "until the time of reformation"

Further development of the Law's built-in temporality

Matthew 5:17 hermeneutics Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:17

Matthew 5:17 must be read pre-New Covenant: Jesus is speaking to Jews before the cross

Key hermeneutical frame for interpreting the Sermon on the Mount