Search — Theology Explorer

bypassing scripture patriarchy egalitarianism

Mistake #3: Believing it is the 'evils of patriarchy' that must be fought — egalitarians who frame complementarians as patriarchalists use privilege/power language to bypass scripture.

Mistake #3: Evils of patriarchy

complementarianism Rebecca Merrill Groothuis permanent subordination

Groothuis's three qualifications — permanent, comprehensive, ontologically grounded — do not describe what complementarians actually believe or what the Bible teaches.

Mistake #4: Rebutting Groothuis's qualifications

bypassing scripture straw man argument egalitarian rhetoric

Many egalitarians expand male authority to its most monstrous extreme to make it intolerable, causing readers to reject complementarianism before ever reading the Bible.

Mistake #4: Egalitarian rhetorical strategy

Rebecca Merrill Groothuis straw man argument relational submission

Groothuis's argument only works against an extreme form of complementarianism that most complementarians would also reject — it attacks a straw man.

Mistake #4: Straw man critique

bypassing scripture biblical authority Rebecca Merrill Groothuis

Even if Groothuis is right philosophically, her conclusion explicitly blocks Bible reading — she says there can be 'no biblical or theological warrant' for women's submission, which pre-determines what the Bible is allowed to say.

Mistake #4: How Groothuis's argument bypasses scripture

bypassing scripture Philip Payne biblical authority

Both Groothuis and Payne's philosophical arguments kill Bible study by leaving only two options: the Bible supports egalitarianism, or the Bible is wrong.

Mistake #4: Conclusion

domestic abuse complementarianism and abuse story-driven theology

Mistake #5: The argument that complementarianism leads to abuse and is therefore wrong — the most common argument Mike encounters.

Mistake #5: Complementarianism leads to abuse

bypassing scripture domestic abuse story-driven theology

Story-driven theology uses real horrific abuse examples to claim they are the automatic result of complementarianism, which keeps people from reading the Bible.

Mistake #5: Story-driven theology

complementarianism and abuse Beth Allison Barr The Making of Biblical Womanhood

Barr equates complementarianism with abuse — 'you cannot separate the issues' — making the book about stories creating theology rather than understanding scripture in context.

Mistake #5: Critique of Beth Allison Barr's book

story-driven theology Beth Allison Barr The Making of Biblical Womanhood

Barr uses the story of a rude complementarian male student to overrule Russell Moore's distinction between pagan patriarchy and biblical complementarianism.

Mistake #5: Barr's story overruling theological argument

bypassing scripture story-driven theology Beth Allison Barr

Barr's argument: personal stories overrule any theological distinction — 'nice try, tell that to my story' — all nuance and distinction between pagan patriarchy and complementarianism is erased.

Mistake #5: Stories overruling scripture

Discovering Biblical Equality domestic abuse complementarianism and abuse

Discovering Biblical Equality chapter 28 argues complementarianism causes domestic abuse from a social science perspective.

Mistake #5: Academic version of the abuse argument

Discovering Biblical Equality domestic abuse complementarianism and abuse

Quote from Discovering Biblical Equality: complementarianism is 'by definition a system of permanently unequal power distribution' that creates conditions under which abuse flourishes.

Mistake #5: Academic version of the abuse argument

government analogy authority structures logical consistency

Mike's rebuttal: the argument that complementarianism causally relates to domestic violence does not pass the 'smell test' when applied consistently to other authority structures.

Mistake #5: Rebuttal via analogy

bypassing scripture egalitarianism abuse arguments

Abuse can be addressed without proving egalitarians are right — let egalitarians be right because of biblical arguments, not extra-biblical ones. This was probably the biggest reason Mike did not become egalitarian.

Mistake #5: Conclusion

bypassing scripture logical consistency

The reverse would also be invalid: blaming egalitarians for divorce rates and dysfunctional homes would equally bypass scripture.

Mistake #5: Showing the argument works both ways

God's PR department biblical submission intellectual honesty

Three commitments: (3) Mike will not be 'God's PR department' — he will not avoid truths or fail to confront false beliefs to make Christianity palatable.

Three things Mike will NOT do in this series

Mike Winger idea 2022-03-14

Introduction to part 2 of Women in Ministry series, framing it as a month-long research project engaging deeply with egalitarian views.

Series introduction and framing

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2022-03-14

Definition of complementarian and egalitarian positions in the debate over women in ministry.

Framing the two sides of the debate

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2022-03-14

Full summary of Genesis 1-3: Genesis 1 = equal image/dominion; Genesis 2 = different roles with husband's limited leadership; Genesis 3 = the fall makes these roles much harder and introduces abuse.

Comprehensive summary of the video's conclusions

complementarianism Gen 2 Gen 3

Mike Winger idea 2022-04-13

Introduction to the Women in Ministry series part 4

Mike introduces this as part 4 of his exhaustive series on women in ministry, covering everything the Bible says and engaging every egalitarian argument he can find.

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2022-04-13

Complementarian vs. egalitarian views on women's roles summarized

Mike recaps the two major positions before diving into the evidence.

1 Timothy women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2022-04-13

Alternate egalitarian view: occasional women in highest roles, restrictions are cultural not universal

Mike identifies a second egalitarian position in the literature.

women in ministry egalitarianism cultural accommodation

complementarianism egalitarianism women as apostles

Series overview: Were women apostles in the New Testament?

Mike introduces part 5 of the Women in Ministry series, focused on the claim that women were apostles.

1 Timothy 2 1 Corinthians 11 egalitarianism 1 Timothy 2 1 Corinthians 11

Two egalitarian views on women apostles

Mike outlines the two egalitarian arguments that will be addressed in this video.

complementarianism elder qualifications missionaries vs apostles

Complementarian views on women apostles

Mike summarizes the complementarian positions on the question.

Romans 16:7 egalitarianism Craig Keener Romans 16:7

Craig Keener's three arguments for Junia as apostle

Mike introduces egalitarian scholar Craig Keener's case.

soft complementarianism Two Views on Women in Ministry Craig Blomberg

Craig Blomberg's soft complementarian view: missionaries with temporary authority

Mike presents Blomberg's nuanced position from Two Views on Women in Ministry.

soft complementarianism Craig Blomberg elder restriction

Soft complementarianism restricts only the elder role to men

Mike defines the soft complementarian position.

complementarianism egalitarian scholarship critique research methodology

Mike's experience researching egalitarian scholarship: layers of confusion

Mike shares his personal intellectual journey through the literature.

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.

soft complementarianism elder restriction

Soft complementarianism is Mike's conclusion from the evidence

Mike names his overall position.

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.

soft complementarianism complementarianism egalitarianism

Five egalitarian arguments previewed; first two are weak, last three are stronger

Mike previews the five arguments he will cover: persecution, rabbi-training, universal priesthood, prophecy, and spiritual gifts. He says the first two are weak but the last three challenged him and offer corrections for complementarians.

prophecy argument women prophesying

Argument 4 introduced: The prophecy argument — if women prophesied, they can teach and be elders

Mike introduces the fourth and one of the more challenging arguments. Women prophesied, prophecy is a high role with authority, therefore women can teach and be elders.

1 Corinthians 14:31 soft complementarianism 1 Corinthians 14:31 prophecy and teaching

Claim 2 analysis: Prophecy is similar enough to teaching that women should be able to teach in mixed gatherings

Mike now analyzes the second egalitarian claim from women prophesying.

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.

soft complementarianism prophecy argument complementarian correction

Conclusion on prophecy: it pushes back against banning women from public speech but does not support removing all eldership restrictions

Mike gives his balanced conclusion on the prophecy argument.

soft complementarianism prophecy argument complementarian correction

Video summary — Argument 4: Women can prophesy in mixed gatherings but prophecy is radically different from eldership

Summary of the prophecy argument.

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.

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Definition of the two sides: complementarian and egalitarian

Mike defines the two major positions in the women in ministry debate for his audience.

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.

soft complementarianism personal testimony

Mike's personal journey: wanted to become egalitarian but became more strongly complementarian

Mike shares his personal bias check and research journey.

Philip Payne Discovering Biblical Equality Cynthia Long Westfall

Decision to focus analysis on Cynthia Westfall's chapter in Discovering Biblical Equality

Mike explains why he chose Westfall's work as the primary egalitarian argument to engage.

1 Timothy 2 Galatians 3:28 1 Timothy 2 Galatians 3:28 hermeneutical method

Galatians 3:28 does not prove complementarianism right either — it is simply about a different topic

Mike qualifies his argument to avoid overreach.

internal egalitarian disagreement cultural argument status in Christ

Internal contradiction between egalitarian camps: cultural restrictions vs. status-in-Christ arguments

Mike identifies a tension within egalitarianism.

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.