Filter results by source database — Scripture Commentary, Theology, Mike Winger, or Pulpit. Click a tab to narrow to one database.

...more
All (294) Mike Winger (294)
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Additional contextual explanation for choosing Huldah

2 Kings 22:14 hermeneutics Huldah 2 Kings 22:14
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Balanced conclusion on Huldah

Huldah prophetess prophetic authority
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Isaiah's wife is called a prophetess (Isaiah 8:3) — she likely prophesied in her own right.

Brief note on another female prophet

Isaiah's wife Isaiah 8:3 Isaiah's wife prophetess Isaiah 8:3
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Jeremiah Isaiah Amos Jeremiah Isaiah Amos
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Nehemiah 6:14 Nehemiah Nehemiah 6:14 Noadiah false prophet
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

prophetess frequency of female prophets
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

eldership Deborah prophetess
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Deborah is a strong case for occasional high-level female leadership in the OT by God's appointment; all other judges are male.

Introduction to the Deborah discussion

Judges judges Deborah Judges judges
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

A female leader may indicate preference for male leadership but not exclusion of female leadership; both egalitarians and complementarians stretch Deborah.

Framing the Deborah debate

Deborah complementarianism egalitarianism
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

The role of judges in Israel: military leader, deliverer of Israel, and supreme court for hard cases — operating under God as the true king.

Background on the role of judge in Israel

judges Judges (book) Deborah judges Judges (book)
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Deborah doesn't do everything other judges did — there's something missing from her role compared to other judges.

Noting a distinction in Deborah's role

judges Deborah judges military leadership
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Some complementarians claim Deborah did only private counseling — Mike says this is wrong based on Judges 4:4-5.

Rebutting complementarian minimizing of Deborah

Judges 4:4-5 Deborah Judges 4:4-5 Lappidoth
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Deuteronomy 17 describes the role of judge: deciding hard cases involving homicide, legal rights, and assault — with Levitical priests assisting.

Defining the judge's role from Deuteronomy 17

judges Deuteronomy 17 judges Deuteronomy 17 Levitical priests
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Deborah functioned as a supreme-court type judge handling hard cases — this is public, magisterial authority, not private counseling.

Affirming the public nature of Deborah's authority

Deborah Levitical priests judicial authority
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

One complementarian source claims Deborah wasn't appointed by God since the text doesn't say so specifically — Mike rejects this as wrong.

Rebutting a fringe complementarian argument

Judges 4:4-5 Deborah Judges 4:4-5 divine appointment
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Judges 2:16-18 is a blanket statement that God raised up all the judges — including Deborah.

Establishing Deborah's divine legitimacy

Judges 2:16 Judges 2:18 Deborah divine appointment Judges 2:16
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Deborah's life fits the standard judge pattern (sin, enemy, judge raised, deliverance, peace for lifetime) and she was a rare judge who didn't blow it.

Deborah compared to other judges

judges Judges 5:31 Deborah judges judicial authority
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Deborah gives commands to Barak and the troops as a prophet/leader — egalitarians argue she is 'the leader of leaders.'

Deborah's prophetic commands to military leaders

Judges 4:6-7 Deborah Barak Judges 4:6-7
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Aimee Byrd claims Deborah was 'the word of God to Israel' since they couldn't access Scripture — Mike says this is false; the Levites taught the law throughout the land.

Rebutting Byrd's claim about Deborah

Deborah Levites Aimee Byrd
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Mike's assessment: 'Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood' preaches well but continually distorts the text; egalitarian scholars' handling of Scripture drove him deeper into complementarianism.

Overall assessment of Byrd's book and the egalitarian case

complementarianism egalitarianism Aimee Byrd
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Did Deborah command Barak? She relayed God's command ('has not the Lord commanded you?') but Judges 4:14 shows her using her own words more forcefully.

Analyzing the nature of Deborah's authority over Barak

Judges 4:6 Judges 4:14 Deborah Barak prophetic authority
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Deborah prophetic authority governmental authority
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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 Deborah Barak judges
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Barak's refusal to go without Deborah and his rebuke — 'the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.'

The Barak-Deborah exchange in Judges 4:8-10

Judges 4:8-10 Deborah Barak Sisera
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Judges 5 Barak Jael Judges 5
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Aimee Byrd argues Barak's insistence on Deborah coming was 'wise and full of faith,' not cowardly — Mike disagrees.

Aimee Byrd's reinterpretation of Barak's request

Judges 4:8-9 Barak Aimee Byrd Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Byrd claims Deborah's words about a woman getting the honor are not a rebuke — Barak wasn't after his own glory.

Byrd's spin on the shame element

Judges 5 Deborah Barak Aimee Byrd
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

The biblical context shows glory/credit goes to Jael (not God instead of Barak) — Barak gets one verse while Jael gets a whole section in Judges 5.

Proving the shame element is about Barak vs. Jael, not Barak vs. God

Judges 5:12 Judges 5:6 Judges 5:24-27 Barak Jael Judges 5:12
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

In their culture it was embarrassing that a woman beat Sisera — glory to Jael, shame to Barak — but this is not God's commentary against women leaders.

Interpreting the shame in the Barak-Jael narrative

Barak Jael male leadership
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Conclusions on Deborah: she was a leader (not priest/king/military leader) but a judge and prophet; she had less leadership than other judges in some ways.

Summary conclusions on Deborah

judges Judges 5 Deborah judges Judges 5
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Theme in Judges 4-5: lack of leadership stepping up; Deborah chastens Barak — egalitarians stretch Deborah, complementarians reach too far in the other direction.

Thematic reading of Judges 4-5

Judges 5 Judges 4 Deborah Barak Judges 5
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Deborah was never rebuked for her role as judge — she served for years, was one of the best judges, and never had a terrible ending like other judges.

Strong point against complementarian minimizing

judges Deborah judges Gideon
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Women in politics with some authority over men doesn't seem ruled out; Deborah is a shining example — application to church eldership will come later.

Application of Deborah for women in political leadership

eldership Deborah women in politics
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Jezebel: one egalitarian argues she ruled with more authority than her husband Ahab, and her role was 'accepted.'

Examining Jezebel as an egalitarian example

1 Kings 21 egalitarianism Jezebel Ahab
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

1 Kings 21:8 Jezebel Ahab 1 Kings 21:8
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Athaliah: Belleville says she ruled Israel 842-836 BC as a 'head of state' — but reading 2 Kings 11 shows she was a murderous usurper.

Examining Athaliah as an egalitarian example

2 Kings 11:1-3 Linda Belleville Two Views on Women in Ministry Athaliah
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Esther Esther (book) Esther Mordecai Esther (book)
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

The 'wise woman of Tekoa' (2 Samuel 14) was not an 'advisor to head of state' — she merely memorized and delivered Joab's words to David.

Rebutting Belleville's claim about the woman of Tekoa

2 Samuel 14:3 Linda Belleville Two Views on Women in Ministry David
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

The wise woman of Abel Beth Maacah (2 Samuel 20:16-22) negotiated peace during a siege, representing the whole city — she exercised real political power in crisis.

Examining a more substantive example of a wise woman

2 Samuel 20:16-22 Joab 2 Samuel 20:16-22 wise woman of Abel Beth Maacah
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Belleville calls the wise woman of Abel an 'advisor to heads of state' — but she's not in a regular position; she took authority spontaneously in crisis.

Correcting the characterization while still drawing a lesson

Linda Belleville wise woman of Abel Beth Maacah crisis leadership
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Deborah complementarianism women in politics
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Isaiah 3:12 — 'women rule over them' — used by patriarchalists to argue women as rulers is always bad in God's eyes.

Examining a key patriarchalist proof text

Isaiah 3:12 patriarchalism Isaiah 3:12 women as rulers
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Textual issue in Isaiah 3:12: the Hebrew word for 'women' may actually be 'creditors' — the consonants are identical, only vowels differ.

Textual criticism of Isaiah 3:12

Isaiah 3:12 NET Bible Septuagint Isaiah 3:12
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Isaiah 3:14 may support the 'creditors' reading — wealthy leaders lending money to the poor and keeping them in bondage.

Contextual support for 'creditors' reading

Isaiah 3:12 Isaiah 3:14 Isaiah 3:12 Isaiah 3:14 creditors interpretation
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Even if 'women' is the right reading, it's metaphorical — there were no actual women rulers at the time; Isaiah is calling male leaders 'women' as an insult.

Interpreting Isaiah 3:12 if 'women' is the correct reading

Isaiah 3:12 Isaiah 1:23 Micah Isaiah 3:12 Isaiah 1:23 Micah
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Further evidence for metaphor: infants weren't literally ruling, verse is about current rulers not future replacement, and women are rebuked later in chapter 3 but not for leading.

Building the case that Isaiah 3:12 is metaphor

Isaiah 3:12 Isaiah 3 Isaiah 3:12 metaphor Isaiah 3
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Three possible reasons why 'women leaders' is negative in Isaiah 3:12: role distinctions, lack of respect, or lack of training — Mike favors the training/competence explanation.

Interpreting why Isaiah uses 'women' negatively even as metaphor

Isaiah 3:12 Deborah patriarchal culture Isaiah 3:12
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Don't base a view on an unclear passage — Isaiah 3:12 can be explained in either egalitarian or complementarian ways; Mike rejects the Davidic lineage/genetic argument.

Final assessment of Isaiah 3:12

Isaiah 3:12 hermeneutics biblethinker.org Isaiah 3:12
← Prev Page 2 of 6 Next →