Search — Theology Explorer

pastor vs. elder vs. deacon church terminology

The term 'pastor' is used in confusing ways; may describe deacon-level work

Mike distinguishes between the biblical office and modern church usage.

1 Timothy 5:9-10 Linda Belleville elder presbuteros

Belleville's case for women elders from 1 Timothy 5:9-10 (enrolled widows)

Mike examines Belleville's argument that enrolled widows were functioning as elders.

1 Timothy 3 1 Timothy 3 apostolic doctrine elder teaching role

Elders as official teachers carrying apostolic doctrine

Mike describes the teaching function of elders.

Colossians 3:16 Philip Payne Colossians 3:16 teaching and admonishing

Philip Payne's argument from Colossians 3:16: all Christians should have a teaching ministry -- refuted

Mike addresses another egalitarian argument about women teachers.

Linda Belleville Two Views on Women in Ministry Phoebe

Belleville stretches by claiming women are 'readily labeled deacons' -- pluralizing a single case

Mike critiques Belleville's overstatement about Phoebe.

1 Timothy 3:11 women deacons 1 Timothy 3:11 faithful in all things

'Faithful in all things' as a catch-all summarizing remaining deacon requirements for women

Mike explains why the women's requirements are slightly shorter.

1 Timothy 3:11 church history 1 Timothy 3:11 diakonos

The word 'deaconess' didn't exist yet; Paul used 'gunaikas' because no feminine term was available

Mike explains why Paul didn't use a feminine deacon term.

Two Views on Women in Ministry Craig Blomberg deaconess history

Craig Blomberg on early church deaconesses: common for centuries with pastoral care and baptism roles

Mike cites historical support for women deacons.

1 Timothy 3:11 1 Corinthians 7 women deacons Phoebe 1 Timothy 3:11

Mike's nuanced conclusion: women were functional deaconesses, possibly wives of deacons serving alongside them

Mike states his final position on women deacons.

Romans 16:7 Craig Keener Romans 16:7 en + dative construction

Keener's second argument: most natural reading of 'among' implies group membership

Mike presents Keener's second argument.

1 Corinthians Mary Magdalene apostolic office apostolic commission

The office of apostle involves more than witnessing the resurrection

Mike distinguishes the office of apostle from mere witness.

Luke 7:36-50 Philip Payne anointing by sinful woman Luke 7:36-50

Jesus regularly broke cultural conventions and didn't avoid suspicion

Mike builds his case that Jesus was not concerned with cultural optics.

Philip Payne married disciples women following from Galilee

Payne's argument about married women's family obligations

Mike addresses Payne's second cultural objection.

Junia argument from silence all-male apostolate

All clear references to apostles indicate male gender

Mike addresses the argument that unnamed apostles might have been women.

soft complementarianism female deacons women's roles in NT

Mike's conclusions on women's roles: high view of women but not apostles

Mike begins his summary conclusions for the video.

eldership Craig Keener prophecy argument

Argument 4 preview: If women can prophesy to the whole church, they can also teach and be elders

Since women prophesied at mixed-gender gatherings and prophecy is a high role involving authority, women should also be allowed to teach and serve as elders.

Luke 8:35 sat at the feet Luke 8:35 Gerasene demoniac

Luke 8:35 uses the same phrase 'sitting at the feet of Jesus' for the healed demoniac — who was clearly not being trained as a rabbi

Mike finds a counter-example in the same gospel (Luke), only two chapters away, using the identical phrase.

eldership universal priesthood of believers

Argument 3 introduced: Universal priesthood of believers

Mike introduces the argument: since all NT believers are priests, and priestly functions include teaching and leading, women should be able to be elders.

Revelation 1:5-6 universal priesthood of believers Revelation 1:5-6

Revelation 1:5-6 — Jesus made us a kingdom and priests; includes all freed by his blood

Another proof text for universal priesthood.

universal priesthood of believers clerical priesthood

The Bible never speaks of a second tier of 'extra-priesty' people within the body of Christ

Mike emphasizes there is no second category of priests in the NT beyond the universal priesthood.

1 Corinthians 12:7 Discovering Biblical Equality Stanley Grenz 1 Corinthians 12:7

Grenz argues the Spirit's sovereign call and gifting, not gender, determines who can be an elder

Grenz's more detailed argument: since the Spirit calls believer-priests to ministry, gender cannot be an overriding disqualifying factor.

1 Timothy 2:5 mediation 1 Timothy 2:5 church tradition

1 Timothy 2:5 — one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus

Mike cites this verse as foundational for the doctrine of no human mediators in Christianity.

1 Timothy 2 1 Corinthians 14:34 John MacArthur 1 Timothy 2 1 Corinthians 14:34 John MacArthur

Two key passages used by strong complementarians to deny women speaking publicly: 1 Corinthians 14:34 and 1 Timothy 2

Mike identifies the passages that fuel the opposing view.

1 Corinthians 11:4-5 head coverings women prophesying 1 Corinthians 11:4-5

1 Corinthians 11:4-5 gives parallel instructions for men and women prophesying in the same context

Mike reads the key text: men are told how to prophesy, and in the same breath women are told how to prophesy.

1 Corinthians 14:34 John MacArthur women prophesying Philip's daughters 1 Corinthians 14:34

MacArthur's conclusion quoted and rejected: 'women may have the gift of prophecy but normally are not to prophesy where men are present'

Mike quotes MacArthur's specific position and says the rule 'seems wrong.'

1 Timothy 3 soft complementarianism 1 Timothy 3 prophecy argument

The egalitarian move 'prophecy involves teaching, therefore all teaching is acceptable, therefore prophecy equals eldership' blurs God-given distinctions

Mike warns against the slippery-slope reasoning some egalitarians use.

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 1 Corinthians 12:8-11 word of wisdom word of knowledge

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 — speaking gifts (word of wisdom, word of knowledge, tongues, interpretation) seem available to women by analogy with prophecy

Mike examines another gifts list and finds it would be arbitrary to say women can prophesy but not have other speaking gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:7 Philip Payne 1 Corinthians 12:7 common good

Second part of gifts argument: Philip Payne says gifts are 'for the common good' so you cannot restrict who a woman teaches

Mike addresses the more challenging claim from Payne.

Romans 12:6-8 spiritual gifts Romans 12:6-8

Romans 12:6-8 revisited — women were in every gift category except teaching/leading; it is arbitrary to exclude them from those two

Mike restates the argument from Romans 12 more explicitly.

spiritual gifts argument gifts expressed outside eldership

Egalitarian claim that women are 'kept from serving God according to their gifting' is wrong — most gifted teachers are not elders

Mike rebuts the claim that restricting eldership means restricting women's gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:7 Philip Payne 1 Corinthians 12:7 common good

Rebutting Payne's 'for the common good' argument: Paul meant gifts should benefit others, not that all gifts must be expressed Sunday morning in front of everyone

Mike directly addresses Philip Payne's use of 1 Corinthians 12:7.

eldership spiritual gifts argument

Summary of gifts argument: women likely have teaching/leadership gifts, no scripture limits those gifts by gender, but limitations are on who can be an elder specifically

Mike summarizes his conclusions from the gifts argument.

Colossians 3:16 Philip Payne Colossians 3:16 teaching ministry

Rebutting Philip Payne's use of Colossians 3:16 to claim all Christians should have a teaching ministry

Mike addresses Payne's argument that Colossians 3:16 proves every woman should have a teaching ministry.

soft complementarianism secondary doctrinal issue

Mike calls himself a 'soft complementarian' because egalitarian arguments bring needed balance

Mike explains why he uses the term 'soft complementarian.'

Galatians 3:28 egalitarianism Galatians 3:28 silver bullet argument

Introduction of Galatians 3:28 as the egalitarian 'silver bullet' verse

Mike frames the entire video around a single verse that many egalitarians treat as decisive for their entire case on women in ministry.

Deborah priesthood women in Old Testament

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.

soft complementarianism women apostles

Series recap: Videos 5-6 and complementarians also receiving correction

Mike positions himself as correcting both sides, though more strongly opposing egalitarianism.

Discovering Biblical Equality Rebecca Groothuis Ronald Allen

Rebecca Groothuis and other scholars calling Galatians 3:28 the most important egalitarian text

Mike cites multiple egalitarian scholars to demonstrate the verse's centrality to their position.

Galatians 3:28 Genesis 1:27 Galatians 3:28 kai Genesis 1:27

Greek construction difference: 'kai' instead of 'nor' for male and female, alluding to Genesis 1:27

Mike provides grammatical background on the Greek text of Galatians 3:28.

Galatians 3:28 Galatians 3:28 circumcision judaizers

Alternative explanation for the Genesis allusion: women do not need to marry a circumcised man to be fully in Christ

Mike offers what he sees as a better explanation for the male/female and Genesis connection in Galatians.

Galatians 3:26-29 Cynthia Long Westfall Galatians 3:26-29 huioi (sons)

Westfall's translation of Galatians 3:26-29 and 'sonship status' rendering

Mike evaluates Westfall's personal translation of the key passage.

Galatians 2 eldership Galatians 2 Cynthia Long Westfall

Westfall's 'out-group status' argument: excluding women from eldership communicates they are outsiders

Mike engages Westfall's use of sociological language about out-grouping.

Galatians 2 equivocation fallacy Galatians 2 out-group status

Equivocation in the term 'out-group': from 'not in Christ' to 'not eligible for eldership'

Mike identifies what he sees as a crucial logical fallacy in the egalitarian argument.

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 choir robe analogy clothed in Christ

Westfall's choir robe analogy: all differences subsumed under identity in Christ

Mike examines another bridge-building analogy from Westfall.

Cynthia Long Westfall scope of Galatians privilege and authority

Westfall's expansion: no privileges or authority in the church based on ontology of race/gender

Mike addresses another of Westfall's broadening statements.

Galatians 2:11-14 Paul Peter table fellowship

Galatians 2 pushback: Peter's refusal to eat with Gentiles as social discrimination

Mike addresses the strongest egalitarian counter-argument from within Galatians itself.

Galatians 2:11-16 Peter justification by faith Galatians 2:11-16

Peter's withdrawal was about soteriological status, not social discrimination broadly

Mike recontextualizes Galatians 2 to show it supports his reading, not Westfall's.

1 Peter 3:1-7 1 Peter 3:1-7 Sarah Abraham

1 Peter 3 proves full heirship status with continued role distinctions

Mike uses 1 Peter 3 as a decisive counter-example to the egalitarian reading.