Search — Theology Explorer

Romans 16:7 Romans 16:7 translation methodology

When translations disagree, it signals genuine difficulty

Mike offers a hermeneutical principle for Bible readers.

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 apostolos Romans 16:7 semantic range

The word apostolos has a range of meanings in Greek

Mike explains the semantic range of 'apostle' as groundwork for the next argument.

Romans 16:7 Philip Payne apostolos Romans 16:7

Option 2: Junia as missionary/church planter (lower sense of apostle)

Mike explores the second option for interpreting Junia's apostleship.

1 Timothy 2 Junia 1 Timothy 2 egalitarian trump card

The egalitarian 'trump card' of Junia as apostle does not work

Mike's interim conclusion before moving to the Greek syntactical argument.

Romans 16:7 Daniel Wallace Romans 16:7 Michael Burer Daniel Wallace

Burer and Wallace 2001 paper defending exclusive reading of Romans 16:7

Mike introduces a key scholarly paper challenging the consensus.

Jesus speaking Greek Peter Williams scholarly assumptions

Analogy: scholarly assumption that Jesus didn't speak Greek

Mike draws a parallel to another uncritically absorbed scholarly assumption.

Romans 16:7 Romans 16:7 episemos/episemoi inclusive vs exclusive reading

Lexical evidence: episemos can mean either 'well-known among' or 'well-known to'

Mike explains the lexical analysis from the paper.

Romans 16:7 Romans 16:7 Burer-Wallace paper (2001) Greek syntax

Burer-Wallace syntactical argument: dative = 'well known to,' genitive = 'well known among'

Mike explains the core syntactical argument of the paper.

Romans 16:7 Romans 16:7 Michael Burer Burer 2015 paper

Burer's 2015 paper brings 71 new supporting texts

Mike details the new evidence Burer marshals.

John Chrysostom John Chrysostom Michael Burer Richard Bauckham

Burer responds to Bauckham's specific example critiques and addresses Chrysostom

Mike evaluates Burer's defense against Bauckham's objections.

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

There is no select group of priests within the body of Christ in the New Testament

Mike explains that the concept of a special clerical priesthood arose from culture and church history, not from the NT or apostolic teaching.

presbyter priesthood Roman Catholicism

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

Romans 12:6-8 — teaching and leading are listed as spiritual gifts alongside gifts women clearly have

Mike examines the gifts list in Romans 12 to determine whether women can have teaching and leadership gifts.

Romans 12:6-8 spiritual gifts teaching gift leadership gift

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

The English word 'priest' comes from Greek 'presbyter' (elder), not the actual Greek word for priest

Mike explains etymological confusion between priest and elder.

etymology presbyter hiereus

Galatians 3:28 Galatians 3:28 Jew/Greek pair slave/free pair

The text of Galatians 3:28 and its three pairs

Mike reads the full verse for the audience.

Galatians 3:28 Genesis 1:27 Galatians 3:28 kai Genesis 1:27

Greek construction difference: 'kai' instead of 'nor' for male and female, alluding to Genesis 1:27

Mike provides grammatical background on the Greek text of Galatians 3:28.

Galatians 3:28 Galatians 3:28 Cynthia Long Westfall hermeneutical method

Westfall's analytical categories for interpreting Galatians 3:28

Mike outlines Westfall's methodology as presented in her chapter.

Galatians 3:26-29 Cynthia Long Westfall Galatians 3:26-29 huioi (sons)

Westfall's translation of Galatians 3:26-29 and 'sonship status' rendering

Mike evaluates Westfall's personal translation of the key passage.

Galatians 3:28 Craig Blomberg equivocation fallacy Galatians 3:28

Craig Blomberg's refutation: 'heis' (one) does not mean 'equal in all respects'

Mike uses Blomberg's analysis to defeat the argument that 'one' means total equality.

Galatians 3:28 Galatians 3:28 Cynthia Long Westfall Jew/Greek parallel

Westfall's equivalence claim: male/female parallels Jew/Greek in the same ways

Mike engages Westfall's key methodological claim.

Cynthia Long Westfall cultural change entitlement and discrimination

Westfall's claim: Galatians indicates 'similar scope of change' needed in culture, social practices, and authority structure

Mike engages another broadening claim from Westfall.

kephale series preview male headship

Preview of next video: husband/wife roles and the meaning of kephale (head)

Mike previews the next installment in the series.

kephale egalitarianism male headship

Introduction: The Bible clearly states husbands are the head of their wives

Mike introduces the topic of male headship, stating this is a deeply researched video on whether husbands being the head of their wives is truly biblical.

kephale egalitarianism headship

Egalitarian tactic: redefine 'head' (kephale) to mean something other than authority

Mike explains the egalitarian strategy regarding kephale in the headship debate.

The debate centers on one specific thing: the meaning of kephale

Mike narrows the focus of this video to the definition and usage of kephale.

kephale lexical debate

video structure medical argument church history argument

Four sections of the video: medical argument, church history argument, Bible study argument, Greek/lexical argument

Mike outlines the four egalitarian arguments he will address.

medical argument ancient Greek medicine head-body metaphor

Medical argument introduced: ancient Greeks believed the heart, not the head, controlled the body

Mike introduces the first egalitarian argument — the medical claim.

kephale lexical argument battle of the lexicons

Greek/lexical argument introduced: kephale means 'source' in Greek, not authority — the 'battle of the lexicons'

Mike introduces the fourth and largest egalitarian argument — the Greek lexical claim.

kephale medical argument Stephen Bedale

Stephen Bedale's 1954 article: the origin of the 'head means source' argument

Mike traces the medical argument back to its scholarly origin.

Philip Payne medical argument Plato

Philip Payne claims ancient Greek thought regarded the heart, not the brain, as the control center

Mike presents Philip Payne's version of the medical argument.

Philip Payne Rebecca Groothuis popular ancient belief

Payne also claims most people in Paul's day believed the heart controlled the body

Mike addresses Payne's broader claim about popular belief in the ancient world.

Colossians 1:18 BDAG Colossians 1:18 proteuon

Colossians 1:18 — Christ as head of the body, the firstborn, having preeminence in all things

Mike examines Colossians 1:18, another passage egalitarians cite.

kephale Discovering Biblical Equality Lynn Cohick

Lynn Cohick claims seeing authority in headship 'violates Paul's intention in metaphor'

Mike presents Lynn Cohick's argument from Discovering Biblical Equality.

kephale Lynn Cohick lexical argument

Lexical claims introduced: Lynn Cohick says lexicons in the 19th-20th centuries suggested 'source' but not 'leader'

Mike introduces the final and largest section — the lexical/Greek argument.

1 Corinthians 11:3 Ephesians 5:23 kephale BDAG 1 Corinthians 11:3

BDAG lexicon (2000): kephale denotes 'superior rank,' cites 1 Cor 11:3 and Eph 5:23; no mention of 'source'

Mike surveys the most respected NT lexicon first.

1 Corinthians 11:3 kephale 1 Corinthians 11:3 Louw-Nida

Louw-Nida lexicon: kephale means 'one of supreme or preeminent status in view of authority to order or command'

Mike surveys the Louw-Nida semantic domain lexicon.

kephale Greek-English Dictionary of the NT lord/superior rank

Greek-English Dictionary of the NT (1993): kephale means 'lord, head of superior rank'

Mike surveys the GED.

kephale Septuagint LEH Septuagint Lexicon

LEH Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint (2003): kephale means 'leader' — no mention of source

Mike surveys the LEH Septuagint lexicon.

1 Corinthians 11:3 kephale 1 Corinthians 11:3 Analytical Lexicon of the Greek NT

Analytical Lexicon of the Greek NT (2000): kephale means 'first or superior rank' — cites 1 Cor 11:3

Mike surveys the Analytical Lexicon.

kephale Pocket Lexicon of NT Greek ruler/lord

Pocket Lexicon of NT Greek (1917): kephale means 'head, ruler, or lord' — cites 1 Cor 11:3

Mike surveys the oldest lexicon in his sample.

kephale Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon

Intermediate Greek-English Lexicon (1888): supports 'source' literally for rivers but metaphorical meanings don't apply to Paul

Mike surveys an 1888 lexicon.

BDAG Wayne Grudem Richard Cervin

Richard Cervin's article — the source behind egalitarian lexical claims; problematic methodology

Mike identifies Richard Cervin as the key source behind egalitarian lexical arguments.

Plato Wayne Grudem Richard Cervin

Cervin uses only author-specific lexicons (Plato, Thucydides) from much earlier periods of Greek — not Koine Greek

Mike critiques Cervin's substitution of classical Greek lexicons for NT lexicons.