Search — Theology Explorer

Romans 16 Junia women apostles Mary Magdalene

NT Wright's egalitarian argument: women as apostles to the apostles

Mike plays a clip from NT Wright presenting the egalitarian case for women leaders.

Luke 9:1-5 hosting vs. leading Luke 9:1-5 apostles

Luke 9:1-5 refutes host-as-leader claim: apostles stayed in strangers' homes

Mike tests the host-as-leader claim against the biblical text.

Titus 1 John hosting vs. leading Timothy Titus

Additional arguments against host-as-leader: Timothy/Titus appointing elders, reductio ad absurdum examples

Mike piles on counter-evidence to the host-as-leader claim.

Acts 6 apostles Acts 6 deacon definition

Acts 6: the seven men as proto-deacons; deacons do everything that isn't eldership

Mike discusses the origin of the deacon role.

Romans 16:7 Junia Mary Magdalene N.T. Wright

Two egalitarian claims: Mary as apostle to the apostles, and Junia in Romans 16

Mike previews the two main egalitarian arguments he will address.

Romans 16:7 Junia Romans 16:7 Andronicus

Romans 16:7 text and the translation debate on Junia

Mike reads the ESV translation of Romans 16:7 and introduces the translation controversy.

Romans 16:7 Romans 16:7 scholarly consensus NIV

Scholarly consensus favors inclusive reading (Junia as apostle)

Mike acknowledges the current state of scholarly opinion.

Romans 16:7 Romans 16:7 Bible translations NKJV

Translation survey: inclusive vs. exclusive renderings of Romans 16:7

Mike surveys how various English translations handle the phrase.

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.

Galatians 2:9 James John Galatians 2:9 Paul's apostleship James

Galatians 2:9 as counterexample to Keener's first argument

Mike argues Paul does appeal to apostles as a group elsewhere.

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.

Romans 16:7 Galatians 2 Junia Romans 16:7 Andronicus

Counterargument: 'well-known among the apostles' proves too much given their obscurity

Mike offers a significant rebuttal to the highest-sense reading.

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.

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.

Romans 16:7 Romans 16:7 episemoi en tois apostolois inclusive reading

Key distinction: inclusive vs. exclusive reading of episemoi en tois apostolois

Mike clarifies the two interpretive options.

Romans 16:7 NET Bible Romans 16:7 ESV

Burer-Wallace conclusion: 'almost certainly' means well known to the apostles

Mike quotes the paper's strong conclusion.

Romans 16:7 Linda Belleville Romans 16:7 Michael Burer

Michael Burer's 2015 response paper with new evidence

Mike introduces a third round of scholarly debate that he thinks is underappreciated.

Romans 16:7 Mary Magdalene N.T. Wright Romans 16:7

N.T. Wright's claim: Mary Magdalene as 'apostle to the apostles'

Mike introduces and plays a clip from N.T. Wright's lecture.

Mary Magdalene N.T. Wright equivocation fallacy

Mike identifies equivocation in Wright's argument about apostle

Mike charges Wright with a logical fallacy.

1 Corinthians Mary Magdalene apostolic office apostolic commission

The office of apostle involves more than witnessing the resurrection

Mike distinguishes the office of apostle from mere witness.

Deuteronomy 18 Moses Jesus as new Moses Deuteronomy 18

Jesus is the new Moses, not the apostles

Mike rebuts the Moses-apostle equivalence.

Craig Blomberg elder restriction the Twelve

Negative data: all twelve apostles were men

Mike presents the complementarian argument from the composition of the Twelve.

Luke 8:1-3 Mary Magdalene Joanna Susanna

Luke 8:1-3: Women traveled with Jesus like the apostles but were not apostles

Mike cites a key passage showing women's proximity to Jesus.

1 Corinthians 9:5 Cephas/Peter all-male apostolate 1 Corinthians 9:5

1 Corinthians 9:5 implies all apostles were male with wives who were not apostles

Mike cites a passage he thinks is overlooked in this debate.

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

Acts 8:1 — all believers scattered except the apostles, showing persecution targeted non-leaders

The persecution resulted in everyone fleeing Jerusalem except the apostles. If persecution targeted leaders, the non-leaders should have stayed.

Acts 8:1 persecution argument Acts 8:1

Mike Winger idea 2022-06-20

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.

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

Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

Principle: caring about witness doesn't make behavior merely cultural

Mike draws the general principle from the Titus 2 analysis.

Matthew 5:16 witness and transcultural commands Matthew 5:16

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Bill Johnson considers himself an apostle, though he never explicitly claims the title — the structure and vibe of Bethel communicates it implicitly

Mike examines the apostolic self-understanding of Bill Johnson

Bill Johnson Kris Vallotton apostle

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Bill Johnson misinterprets Acts 2:42 — 'the Apostles' teaching' — to mean fresh contemporary apostolic revelation, not the New Testament

Mike analyzes a specific Bill Johnson teaching on Acts 2:42 and its theological implications

Acts 2:42 Bill Johnson hermeneutics Acts 2:42

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Q&A — Did Jesus ever say no to healing? Mike: Not in the three-and-a-half years of recorded ministry, but Jesus did say no through Paul's thorn and other NT instances

Q&A question from Elizabeth Hernandez

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 2 Timothy 4:20 Acts of the Apostles 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 healing theology 2 Timothy 4:20

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

Preview of next livestream: How long did Jesus expect it would be until his return? Examining parables and Second Coming teachings

Mike closes the main presentation and previews the follow-up topic.

Matthew 24 Mark 13 Second Coming eschatology Matthew 24

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

Q&A: Can someone who made false prophecies be restored to vocational ministry after genuine repentance?

Question from Ryan Tanner.

church leadership false prophecy repentance

resurrection William Lane Craig historical method

Five historically-accepted facts about the resurrection summarized as the acronym ALIVE

Mike introduces his mnemonic framework for presenting the resurrection evidence

apostles resurrection apostolic martyrdom

Fourth fact (V): Violence endured by the Apostles — dramatic transformation from hiding to dying for their message

Fourth point of the ALIVE acronym

James brother of Jesus resurrection Paul the Apostle James brother of Jesus

Fifth fact (E): Enemies of Christ converted — specifically James the brother of Jesus and Paul the Apostle

Fifth point of the ALIVE acronym

resurrection empty tomb wrong tomb theory

Wrong tomb theory refuted by facts I, V, and E: independent appearances, violence endured, and enemy conversions cannot be explained by a navigational error

Systematic refutation of the wrong tomb theory

resurrection apostolic martyrdom missing body theory

Missing body and conspiracy theories both fail to explain facts I, V, and E; conspiracy adds knowingly dying for a lie

Systematic refutation of the missing body and conspiracy theories

1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15 resurrection Paul the Apostle

Carrier teaches that in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul describes events that occurred in outer space — a cosmic/celestial resurrection rather than an earthly one

Carrier's interpretation of the Pauline resurrection kerygma

apostolos the Twelve New Testament

The word 'apostle' has two meanings in Scripture: one who walked with Jesus, and the broader sense of a sent-out missionary

Q&A — response to George Cook's question about which apostles met Jesus in person

1 Corinthians 15 James brother of Jesus Cephas/Peter 1 Corinthians 15 resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 is the earliest resurrection record — within five years of the crucifixion and agreed upon by over 90% of scholars

Q&A — response to George Cook's question about the earliest scriptural record of the resurrection

Hebrews authorship New Testament Paul the Apostle Pauline authorship

Question from 'Pine Creek Doug': do you accept the scholarly consensus that six of Paul's letters are forgeries? — Mike does not accept this

Q&A — atheist YouTuber Doug from 'Pine Creek' asks about Pauline authorship