Search — Theology Explorer

Luke 10:39 N.T. Wright Luke 10:39 Mary and Martha

Argument 2 preview: Jesus training women to be rabbis, not just disciples

The claim that Mary sitting at Jesus's feet (Luke 10) is a technical phrase meaning rabbinical training, implying Jesus intended women for eldership-level leadership.

Discovering Biblical Equality universal priesthood of believers Stanley Grenz

Grenz: the NT parallel to Levitical priesthood is the church as a whole, not ordained leaders

Grenz argues that the priesthood of all believers means the parallel to OT priests is all Christians, not just clergy.

typology Stanley Grenz Levitical priesthood

Mike partially agrees with Grenz but warns against pushing the OT-NT priesthood parallel too far

Mike agrees that some functions of the Levitical priesthood transferred to all believers, but not everything transfers perfectly.

eldership Levitical priesthood

Arguments that current leadership is priestly in character are bad, but we can learn something from an all-male OT priesthood

Mike rejects the priestly-character-of-eldership argument but says there may still be relevant principles from the all-male Levitical priesthood.

Discovering Biblical Equality universal priesthood of believers Stanley Grenz

Grenz's positive case: whoever is a priest should be able to be an elder

After Grenz dismantles the complementarian argument, he builds his own: women are priests, therefore they can be elders.

eldership qualifications necessary but not sufficient

Priesthood is necessary but not sufficient for eldership

Mike proposes replacing 'irrelevant' with 'insufficient for' in Grenz's claim.

1 Timothy 3 Titus 1 1 Timothy 3 Levitical priesthood eldership qualifications

Anticipated objection: if women could not be OT priests but are NT priests, why can't they hold the highest roles?

Mike addresses the challenge to his view: if women's exclusion from OT priesthood was about gender, and now they are priests, doesn't that prove they can have any role?

Galatians 3:28 creation order Galatians 3:28 interpretive framework

Cynthia Long Westfall's use of Galatians 3:28 as an interpretive rule

Mike introduces Westfall's argument as representative of how egalitarians leverage the verse.

Genesis 1:27 creation order Genesis 1:27 Stendahl

Egalitarian leverage of the Genesis allusion: new creation obliterates creation-order role differences

Mike explains how some egalitarians use the Genesis 1:27 allusion to argue for abolition of gender roles.

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.

Galatians 3:26 sonship status Galatians 3:26 inheritance rights

Why 'sons' should not be translated 'sons and daughters' in Galatians — the sonship status concept

Mike explains the cultural significance of 'sons' language in the passage.

judaizers sonship status inheritance rights

The original context: judaizers challenging sonship status of Gentiles, slaves, and women

Mike grounds the passage in its original historical situation.

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.

Galatians 3:28 Galatians 3:28 role distinctions sonship status

Final conclusions: what Galatians 3:28 does and does not mean

Mike provides his summary conclusions.

hermeneutics clear interprets unclear topical relevance

Hermeneutic principle: look at passages that actually teach on the topic

Mike states the final hermeneutical takeaway.

Southern Baptist Convention women in leadership debate contemporary relevance

Contemporary relevance: SBC debate on women in leadership

Mike notes the timing of his series coincides with a major denominational debate.

Philip Payne Linda Belleville scholarly engagement

Invitation to scholars: Mike welcomes pushback from Linda Belleville, Philip Payne, and others

Mike extends an open invitation for egalitarian scholars he critiques to respond.

Ephesians Ephesians Rufus of Ephesus voluntary nerves

Rufus of Ephesus (c. 100 AD): voluntary nerves from the brain carry out all activities of the body

Mike cites a medical authority from the very city and time period Paul wrote to.

Philo of Alexandria head as master limb citadel of the king

Philo of Alexandria: the head is the 'master limb,' the 'chief' part, like a citadel where the sovereign mind dwells

Mike cites Philo, a Jewish contemporary of Paul, on the function of the head.

Ephesians 5:22-24 submission mutual submission Ronald Pierce

Pierce and Groothuis strangely ignore Ephesians 5:22-24, which explicitly links headship with submission

Mike points out that egalitarian authors skip the most relevant passage.

kephale Septuagint LEH Septuagint Lexicon

LEH Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint (2003): kephale means 'leader' — no mention of source

Mike surveys the LEH Septuagint lexicon.

Linda Belleville Wayne Grudem The Meaning of Kephale: A Response to Recent Studies

Wayne Grudem's response articles — thorough rebuttal of egalitarian lexical claims

Mike recommends Grudem's scholarly responses.

Mark 10:42-45 Linda Belleville servant leadership Mark 10:42-45

Mark 10:42-45 parallel: Jesus redefines authority as service, not its elimination

Mike uses Jesus' teaching on servant leadership as a hermeneutical key.

Ephesians 5:18-6:9 Philip Payne Linda Belleville Craig Keener

Introduction to Craig Keener's analysis of Ephesians 5

Mike introduces the scholar whose work will dominate the Ephesians 5 discussion.

love in ancient culture love as command wife abuse in ancient world

Both Paul's culture and Paul valued love in marriage and opposed wife abuse

Mike corrects the misconception that love and non-abuse were Paul's innovations.