Search — Theology Explorer

James Linda Belleville Two Views on Women in Ministry hosting vs. leading

Belleville's defense: patronage of a house church was an authoritative role in Greco-Roman times

Mike reads Belleville's argument from Two Views on Women in Ministry (p. 37).

Linda Belleville hosting vs. leading scholarly methodology

Wayne Meeks (The First Urban Christians) -- Belleville's own source refutes her position

Mike traces Belleville's scholarly source for the host-as-leader claim.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 overseer elder qualifications able to teach

1 Timothy 3:1-7: elder requirements are distinctly masculine

Mike reads the definitive passage on elder qualifications.

1 Corinthians 16:15-18 Linda Belleville diakonia 1 Corinthians 16:15-18

Belleville's footnote 61 sources examined: 1 Corinthians 16:15-18 -- no women deacons found

Mike checks Belleville's first footnoted verse for her 'readily labeled' claim.

1 Timothy 3:11 1 Timothy 3:8-13 women deacons 1 Timothy 3:11 1 Timothy 3:8-13

1 Timothy 3:8-13: deacon requirements with the key question of verse 11 -- wives or women deacons?

Mike turns to the definitive passage on deacon qualifications.

Mike Winger idea 2022-06-20

Westfall's expansion: men cannot have primogeniture status over women based on creation order

Mike critiques Westfall's application of Galatians 3:28 to inter-human relationships.

1 Timothy 1 Corinthians 7 Ephesians primogeniture 1 Timothy 1 Corinthians 7

Mike Winger idea 2022-06-20

Did NT Christians still practice primogeniture? Wives submitting to husbands?

Mike tests the egalitarian logic against practical NT realities.

Ephesians 5 marriage submission inheritance practices Ephesians 5

Mike Winger idea 2022-07-18

Egalitarian rescue: 'mutual submission' from Ephesians 5:21 — to be addressed in the next video

Mike previews the mutual submission argument he will tackle later.

Ephesians 5:21 mutual submission Ephesians 5:21 household codes

headship submission definition head-body analogy

What submission DOES mean according to Mike Winger

Mike provides his positive definition of submission.

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.

household codes Josephus Against Apion

Josephus' household code actually supports complementarian view, not egalitarian

Mike argues the Josephus example backfires on the egalitarian case.

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.

Acts 19 Acts 17 Emperor Trajan Acts 19 Acts 17

Paul's actual behavior toward persecution shows he didn't strategically accommodate Roman sensibilities

Mike uses Paul's track record to refute the cultural-defense theory.

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.

Ephesians 5 Ephesians 5 cultural bowing Josephus parallel

Multiple problems with reading Ephesians 5 as cultural defense

Mike lists remaining issues with the cultural-bowing interpretation.

Ephesians 5:21 1 Timothy 3:4-5 Ephesians 6:1-9 mutual submission Ephesians 5:21 household codes

Mutual submission fails when applied consistently to all three household code groups

Mike's main argument against the mutual submission interpretation.

Ephesians 5-6 household codes personal responsibility Ephesians 5-6

Ancient household codes typically told men what BOTH spouses should do; Paul doesn't

Mike highlights a genuine innovation in Paul's approach.

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.

Proverbs on discipline Ephesians 6:1-4 wives-children parallel Proverbs on discipline Ephesians 6:1-4

Better parallel is wives and children, not wives and slaves

Mike suggests a more appropriate comparison.

1 Timothy 5:14 1 Timothy 5:14 oikodespoteo household management

Three areas of women's authority: (2) managing the household — 1 Timothy 5:14

Mike identifies household management as a domain of women's authority.

1 Samuel 25 Acts 5:29 David Abigail 1 Samuel 25

Abigail in 1 Samuel 25 — a positive example of a wife righteously subverting her husband's authority

Mike uses Abigail as a biblical example showing limits on female submission.

Luke 8:1-3 Proverbs 31:16-24 Acts 16:14 Lydia Priscilla Aquila

Proverbs 31 woman, Lydia, Priscilla, and women sponsors of Jesus as examples of women working

Mike gives biblical examples of women working outside the home.

summary of application three spheres marriage

Summary of how far to extend the boundaries: marriage, ministry, and rest of life

Mike provides a concise summary of application in all three spheres.

Mike Winger idea 2023-11-22

Weaknesses of View 4: teknogonia as synecdoche is unsupported and singleness tension

Mike identifies the main problems with Moo's proper female roles interpretation.

1 Corinthians 7 1 Corinthians 7 Douglas Moo teknogonia

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-12

Zahnd claims the Bible contradicts itself and that the Psalms/Prophets argue against the Torah — both claims are false

Winger examines Zahnd's step three: neutralizing the Bible's authority by claiming it is not univocal and contains internal theological debates.

Psalm-40 Hosea-6-6 Hebrews-10 hermeneutics apologetics false-teaching

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-20

Q&A: Titus and 1 Timothy pastoral qualifications — "husband of one wife" and "having children"

Q&A on elder/bishop/pastor qualifications in the Pastoral Epistles.

1 Timothy 3 Titus 1 1 Timothy 3 husband of one wife Titus 1

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

Undesigned coincidence within Luke: women from Galilee thread through Luke 8, 23, and 24

McLatchie presents an intra-Gospel undesigned coincidence within Luke demonstrating the authentic, non-fabricated character of the resurrection narrative.

Luke 8:2-3 Luke 24:10 Luke 23:55 Luke 8:2-3 Mary Magdalene Joanna

infant baptism paedobaptism believers baptism

Introduction and five-part outline for analyzing infant baptism biblically

Mike Winger opens the livestream by laying out the structure of his biblical analysis of infant baptism, listing the five areas he will cover.

Acts Acts infant baptism paedobaptism

Part 2: Introduction to the household baptism argument for infant baptism

Winger presents the paedo-baptist household baptism case charitably before critiquing it.

Acts 10:2 Acts 10:33 Acts 10:44 Cornelius Holy Spirit infant baptism

Acts 10-11: Cornelius's household — all feared God, heard, received the Spirit, and spoke in tongues, excluding infants

Detailed exegesis of the Cornelius household baptism narrative.

Acts 16:31-34 faith infant baptism household baptism

Acts 16:31-34: Philippian jailer's household — all heard the word, believed, and rejoiced, excluding passive infants

Exegesis of the Philippian jailer conversion and household baptism.

Acts 16:15 Acts 16:14 Lydia Acts 16:15 Acts 16:14

Acts 16:15: Lydia's household baptism — likely no infants present given her context as a traveling businesswoman

Examination of the Lydia household baptism passage and contextual clues.

1 Corinthians 1:16 1 Corinthians 16:15 Stephanas infant baptism household baptism

1 Corinthians 1:16 and 16:15 — Stephanas's household: all converts who devoted themselves to service, not infants

Examination of the Stephanas household baptism reference in Paul's Corinthian correspondence.

John 4:53 Acts 18:8 Philippians 4:22 faith infant baptism John 4:53

Three additional passages show "household" belief language does not imply infants: John 4:53, Acts 18:8, Philippians 4:22

Winger broadens the argument to show that household believing/greeting language consistently excludes passive infants.

biblical inspiration infant baptism believers baptism

Conclusion on household baptisms: infant baptism has no examples or instructions in the NT; household passages fall short

Winger summarizes his findings from Part 2 before moving to the circumcision argument.