Search — Theology Explorer

women in ministry women pastors practical application

Despite being secondary, this issue has massive practical impact on women's ministry, marriage, church choice, and which teachers to follow.

Why this topic matters practically

women deacons Krista Bontrager Jen Wilkin

Exploring the range of practical questions: women as deacons, youth leaders, worship leaders, and non-pastoral teachers like Krista Bontrager and Jen Wilkin.

Scope of practical questions raised by this debate

John Piper complementarianism Nancy Pearcey John Piper

For egalitarians these role questions are easy; for complementarians they require nuance. Examples include women theologians like Nancy Pearcey and the debate over women seminary teachers (John Piper opposes it).

Scope of practical questions raised by this debate

Natasha Crain Faithfully Different women authors

Women as authors and book endorsements — Mike endorsed Natasha Crain's book 'Faithfully Different' and asks whether that endorsement is acceptable.

Scope of practical questions raised by this debate

guest speakers Joni Eareckson Tada Sunday morning teaching

The question of women as guest speakers on Sunday mornings, referencing Joni Eareckson Tada as an example.

Scope of practical questions raised by this debate

complementarianism Alisa Childers women in online ministry

Women bloggers, podcasters, and YouTubers like Alisa Childers raise the same questions — she has more impact than most pastors.

Scope of practical questions raised by this debate

gender roles practical application women in leadership

Additional practical questions: interviewing women, women on church boards, women evangelists, conference speakers, voting for a woman president, women as bosses, stay-at-home dads.

Scope of practical questions raised by this debate

women correcting theology women serving communion soft complementarianism

Can a woman correct a man's theology? Can a woman serve communion? The uncertainty causes women to hold back even from things they could do.

Scope of practical questions raised by this debate

women deacons Junia women apostles

Video 4 will address women in the New Testament: women as apostles, elders, deacons, and teachers, including the Junia question.

Series overview and roadmap

women in ministry pastoral sensitivity false teacher accusation

Direct address to women in ministry: Mike is not questioning their hearts, impact, or calling them false teachers simply because they are women who teach.

Pastoral aside to women in ministry

bypassing scripture calling experience-based theology

Mistake #1: Using life experience to answer what the Bible says — 'I know I'm called' as a bypass of scripture.

Mistake #1: Life experience overriding scripture

Philip Payne bone of my bones 2 Sam 5:1

Mike's rebuttal: 'bone of my bones' denotes familial connection but says nothing about authority being present or absent, shown by 2 Samuel 5:1 and Judges 9:2.

Evaluating Payne's 'bone of my bones' argument

Linda Belleville Gen 2 order and source

Linda Belleville's argument: Genesis 2 speaks of order and source, not authority -- Mike's rebuttal: these aren't mutually exclusive; primogeniture is precisely about order implying authority.

Egalitarian counter-argument from Belleville

Gen 2 false dichotomy naming as authority

Mike's four problems with Ramsey's paper: (1) ignores Genesis 1-2 context, (2) confuses WHY a name was chosen with WHY Adam does the naming, (3) argues against magical naming instead of actual complementarian claims, (4) ignores that namers consistently have authority over the named.

Critique of Ramsey's paper on naming

Gen 3:16 the fall Gen 3:1-20

Reading of Genesis 3:1-20 covering the serpent's temptation, the fall, God confronting Adam first, the curses on serpent/woman/man, and the proto-evangelium.

Genesis 3 text reading

Colossians 4:15 Linda Belleville Nympha Colossians 4:15

Belleville assigns Nympha the title 'overseer' based on hosting; Mike challenges the logic

Mike examines how Belleville gets from 'church in her house' to 'overseer.'

Colossians 4:15 Nympha Colossians 4:15 commentary survey

Mike's survey of 18 commentaries on Nympha's leadership: only 3 of 18 agree

Mike conducts his own commentary survey to test the 'most commentators' claim.

Philippians 4:2-3 Linda Belleville Euodia Syntyche

Euodia and Syntyche: Belleville claims they were among overseers and deacons at Philippi

Mike moves to examining the case of Euodia and Syntyche in Philippians 4:2-3.

Romans 16 Craig Keener N.T. Wright Romans 16

Egalitarian argument: letter carriers were expected to teach the letter; Phoebe taught Romans

Mike introduces the letter-carrier-as-teacher argument.

letter carrier as teacher ancient letter customs Xenophon

Xenophon's Cyropaedia: Cyrus limits the carrier to the letter's content, not expanding authority

Mike examines the second ancient source.

eldership women deacons deacons

Transition to deacons: eldership is male; deacons are the question

Mike frames the deacon discussion.

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 2022-05-09

Complementarian views on women apostles

Mike summarizes the complementarian positions on the question.

complementarianism elder qualifications missionaries vs apostles

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-09

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 Junia Romans 16:7 Andronicus

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-09

Mike's conclusion: Junia was probably not an apostle; if she was, she was a missionary

Mike states his overall conclusion on the Junia question.

Romans 16:7 Junia women's ministry Romans 16:7

complementarianism egalitarianism

Introduction: Mike feared he had not heard the best egalitarian arguments

Mike explains why he avoided answering women-in-ministry questions for years — he worried he had not been exposed to strong egalitarian arguments due to his complementarian upbringing.

N.T. Wright persecution argument

Wright's claim that women were persecuted 'equally' with men is an overstatement

Mike analyzes Wright's specific wording. While both men and women were imprisoned, we have no data on whether persecution was truly equal in degree or severity.

Acts 22:3 Acts 22:3 sat at the feet Gamaliel

Acts 22:3 — Paul 'at the feet of Gamaliel' does not prove everyone who sat at a teacher's feet became a rabbi

Mike questions whether the phrase necessarily means rabbinical training for every person who used it.

functional eldership women teaching

Important qualifiers: context, frequency, and whether a woman is functionally serving as an elder matter

Mike adds nuance about when teaching from a woman might cross a line.

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.

necessary but not sufficient women teaching realms of ministry

It would contradict clear passages to say women can never lead or teach, but the question is: in what realms?

Mike affirms women have gifts of teaching and leadership based on Scripture and personal observation.

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.

Galatians 3:28 Galatians 3:28 silver bullet argument hermeneutical priority

The central question: Does Galatians 3:28 limit interpretation of other passages?

Mike frames the core question the video will answer.

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.

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.

Cynthia Long Westfall salient identity intersectionality

The egalitarian challenge: stretching sonship status to include eldership

Mike frames the core question the egalitarian position must answer.

eldership scope of application one in Christ

Can egalitarians extend Paul's concerns to eldership status for women?

Mike frames the central challenge for the rest of the video.

presuppositions bypassing Scripture philosophical commitments

The assumption that limiting women inherently wrongs women bypasses Scripture

Mike identifies a presupposition he considers question-begging.

Cynthia Long Westfall salient identity misrepresentation of complementarianism

Critique of Westfall's claim that complementarians make gender the 'salient identity' in the church

Mike responds to a misrepresentation of the complementarian position.

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.

Mike Winger idea 2022-07-18

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 male headship

Mike Winger idea 2022-07-18

Mike's personal journey: initially found egalitarian arguments persuasive before deeper research revealed problems

Mike describes his own research trajectory on the headship question.

research methodology footnote verification

Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

Central question of the video: Does the Bible teach an authority imbalance in marriage?

Mike frames the core question for the entire video, distinguishing it from the simpler question of whether wives should submit.

complementarianism egalitarianism marriage authority

Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

The slavery objection's logic: same reasons for submission = same rules apply

Mike explains the logical structure of the slavery objection.

Craig Keener slavery objection logic same principles test

judges Deborah Barak judges

Deborah differs from every other judge in that she doesn't lead the military — is God deliberately restricting her authority?

Key distinction between Deborah and other judges

Judges 5 Barak Jael Judges 5

The question: is Barak being rebuked for not stepping up as a man? Is God reminding us even with a female judge that a man should have been leading?

Interpretive question about the Barak passage

Esther Esther (book) Esther Mordecai Esther (book)

Esther: a foreign-land example with three issues — she was in a foreign land, followed Mordecai's lead, and had authority only by the king's command.

Examining Esther as an egalitarian example

Deborah complementarianism women in politics

Women holding political power (judge, queen, town representative) doesn't seem ruled out but does seem limited by example; the question is what the limits are.

Summary on women in political power 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