Search — Theology Explorer

Isaiah's wife Luke 2 Acts 21:9 Deborah women prophesying Miriam

Survey of women who prophesied in the Bible: Miriam, Huldah, Deborah, Isaiah's wife, Anna, Philip's four daughters

Mike establishes that women clearly prophesied throughout the Bible, both in the OT and NT.

church governance prophet vs. elder office Bethel Church

Elders govern the church; prophets do not — prophets are not appointed to an ongoing office

Mike contrasts the governing authority of elders with the non-governing nature of prophets.

prophecy and authority testing the man vs. testing the word eldership authority

With elders, you test the man so the teaching will be pure; with prophecy, you test the prophecy because anyone can give one

Mike draws the fundamental distinction in how authority works for elders vs. prophets.

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.

1 Corinthians 12:28 apostles 1 Corinthians 12:28 kubernesis (administrating)

1 Corinthians 12:28 — 'administrating' (leadership) appears as a gift distinct from the office of teacher

Mike examines another gifts list.

Ephesians 4:11-12 offices vs. gifts Ephesians 4:11-12 pastor-teacher

Ephesians 4:11-12 is about offices (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds/teachers) not about gifts applicable to the question

Mike examines Ephesians 4 but determines it is about offices, not gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:29-30 Philip Payne teaching ministry 1 Corinthians 12:29-30

1 Corinthians 12:29-30 — Paul's rhetorical questions show not everyone is supposed to teach

Mike cites Paul's own words against the idea that all Christians should have a teaching ministry.

Mike Winger idea 2022-06-20

Series recap: Videos 3-4 and Mike's assessment of egalitarian scholarship

Continued series overview with editorial commentary on the quality of egalitarian biblical scholarship.

Deborah priesthood women in Old Testament

judges Deborah priesthood Miriam

Overview of today's topics: women in OT leadership positions — Deborah as judge, female prophets, and the priesthood restriction.

Road map for video 3

Numbers 12 Moses Miriam Numbers 12

The Numbers 12 passage is actually about God rebuking Miriam for usurping Moses's authority, not about her valued leadership.

Exegesis of Numbers 12

Numbers 12 Miriam prophetess Numbers 12

Miriam was a prophetess; some incorrectly deny female prophets existed in the Bible.

Affirming the reality of female prophets

prophetess private vs. public prophecy

Mike rejects the claim that female prophets only prophesied privately — Scripture doesn't support this restriction and there are examples of public prophecy.

Pushing back on complementarian minimizing

Miriam prophetess prophetic singing

Mike rejects limiting female prophets to speaking to women only, and rejects limiting Miriam to prophetic singing only.

Final positions on scope of female prophecy

2 Kings 22:14 Linda Belleville Huldah prophetess

Introduction to Huldah the prophetess (2 Kings 22:14) — Belleville emphasizes the king choosing Huldah over other prophets.

Beginning examination of Huldah

Jeremiah Zephaniah Nahum Philip Payne Craig Keener Paul, Women, and Wives

Egalitarian talking point: Huldah was chosen over contemporary male prophets Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk.

Presenting the egalitarian case for Huldah's prominence

2 Kings 22:14 hermeneutics Huldah 2 Kings 22:14

Rebuttal: there is no textual indication they chose Huldah over other prophets; proximity in Jerusalem is a better explanation.

Mike's pushback on the Huldah argument

2 Kings 22:14 hermeneutics Huldah 2 Kings 22:14

Another textual explanation: Huldah's husband was 'keeper of the wardrobe' — a court connection that made access easier.

Additional contextual explanation for choosing Huldah

Huldah prophetess prophetic authority

Still, Huldah was a prophetess sought by the king for direction from God — that's genuinely significant for our study.

Balanced conclusion on Huldah

Prophecy has a passive element: the prophet relays God's instructions but does not have authority to make decisions for God.

Nature of prophetic authority vs. governmental authority

eldership David Nathan

Jeremiah Isaiah Amos Jeremiah Isaiah Amos

Not all prophets are equal: prophets had different scopes and sizes of ministry — being a prophet doesn't mean you did everything every prophet ever did.

Distinguishing degrees of prophetic ministry

Nehemiah 6:14 Nehemiah Nehemiah 6:14 Noadiah false prophet

Noadiah the prophetess (Nehemiah 6:14) was a false prophet hired against Nehemiah — she should not be used to establish frequency of female prophets.

Brief note on another OT prophetess

prophetess frequency of female prophets

There were probably more female prophets than those listed in the Bible, but they seem infrequent; multiple possible explanations exist.

Speculating on frequency of female prophets

God doesn't rule out women being prophets; female prophets existed when good men were available (Miriam, Huldah), refuting the 'no good men' argument.

Key conclusion on female prophets

Miriam Huldah prophetess

eldership Deborah prophetess

Preview: next week will address whether female prophets prove women can be elders — transitioning now to women in other roles and the priesthood.

Transition to Deborah and priesthood topics

Deborah prophetic authority governmental authority

Deborah as prophet relays God's instructions but doesn't make the strategic decisions — her leadership is different from governmental leadership.

Distinguishing prophetic leadership from governmental leadership

1 Kings 21:8 Jezebel Ahab 1 Kings 21:8

Rebuttal: Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab's name with his seal — proving she did NOT have independent authority; she was a cult leader, not a legitimate example.

Refuting the Jezebel argument

judges Deborah Old Testament women prophetess

Summary of what women were in the OT: town representatives, queens with limited authority, one judge for decades, prophets with clear divine approval.

Final summary of women's roles in the OT

spiritual gifts prophetess women apostles

Preview of NT topics: Were women apostles, elders, deacons, teachers? Do female prophets mean women can be elders? Does God's gifting of women mean no role restrictions?

Preview of upcoming content

1 Corinthians 14:28 1 Corinthians 14:32 hupotasso Pauline style 1 Corinthians 14:28

Two more key terms: 'en ekklesia' and 'hupotasso' found throughout the context

Mike continues demonstrating the passage's consistency with its surrounding context using Greek terms.

judging prophecy view flow of argument prophecy section

Style Argument 2: The passage interrupts the flow of instructions about prophets -- rebutted

Mike addresses the claim that these verses break the flow of the prophecy discussion.

submission Anthony Thiselton marriage authority

The scenario of a wife judging her husband's prophecy illustrates the authority problem

Mike illustrates why judging prophecy creates a specific submission/authority issue.

1 John 4:1 1 Corinthians 12:10 1 John 4:1 testing prophecy 1 Corinthians 12:10

Judging Prophecy Hinge 1: Was testing prophecy a real practice in the early church?

Mike establishes that testing/judging prophecy was indeed a regular church practice.

1 Corinthians 14:29 1 Corinthians 14:6-28 1 Corinthians 14:29 1 Corinthians 14:6-28 structural parallel

Judging Prophecy Hinge 2: The passage's structure mirrors tongues/interpretation with prophecy/judging

Mike shows how 1 Corinthians 14's structure supports the judging prophecy view.

1 Corinthians 14:29-36 D.A. Carson 1 Corinthians 14:29-36 structural analysis

D.A. Carson's structural analysis: verse 29 maps the two-part expansion

Mike quotes Carson's explanation of how verse 29 introduces the two topics expanded in what follows.

1 Corinthians 14:32 hupotasso 1 Corinthians 14:32 prophetic self-control

The 'spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets' means self-control, not a hierarchy

Mike interprets verse 32 as a parenthetical about prophets' ability to control themselves.

1 Corinthians 14:29 eldership Craig Keener 1 Corinthians 14:29

Debate over who judges prophecy: prophets, elders, or everyone?

Mike addresses the objection that it was prophets, not elders, who judged prophecy.

1 Corinthians 12:10 1 Corinthians 14:1 1 Corinthians 14:39 1 Corinthians 12:10 1 Corinthians 14:1 1 Corinthians 14:39

Problems with the 'other prophets judge prophecy' view

Mike argues against the interpretation that only other prophets test prophecy.