Search — Theology Explorer

eldership priesthood pagan priestesses

Introduction to the priesthood topic: women were priests in other pagan cultures but forbidden in Israel under the Law.

Transitioning to the priesthood discussion

Linda Belleville Craig Keener priesthood

Egalitarian view #1: women couldn't be priests because of ceremonial uncleanness from menstruation and childbirth (Keener, Belleville).

First egalitarian explanation for the priesthood restriction

priesthood ceremonial uncleanness women in worship

Rebuttal point 1: no Scripture says women couldn't be priests because of monthly cycles. Point 2: women regularly did things unclean people couldn't do.

Refuting the ceremonial uncleanness explanation

priesthood ceremonial uncleanness male priestly uncleanness

Rebuttal point 3: women had periodic uncleanness but could simply not serve at that time; male priests were also periodically unclean and still served.

Further refutation of the uncleanness explanation

egalitarianism priesthood ceremonial uncleanness

Mike fully rejects the ceremonial uncleanness explanation — no merit, no positive verse supporting it, and four-five reasons against it.

Summary rejection of the uncleanness view

Deuteronomy 23:17 Philip Payne priesthood Deuteronomy 23:17

Egalitarian view #2 (Philip Payne): women couldn't be priests to prevent association with cult prostitution (Deuteronomy 23:17).

Second egalitarian explanation for the priesthood restriction

Deuteronomy 23:17 Philip Payne priesthood Deuteronomy 23:17

Rebuttal: Deuteronomy 23:17 prohibits BOTH male and female cult prostitutes — if this prohibition still allows men to be priests, it doesn't explain excluding women.

Refuting Payne's cult prostitution argument

egalitarianism priesthood discernment

Both egalitarian explanations for the priesthood ban seem forced; Mike wanted to become egalitarian but was driven away by poor Scripture handling.

Assessment of egalitarian priesthood arguments

Genesis 2 complementarianism priesthood Genesis 2

Mike's conclusion: the male role of authority seems like the best explanation for why women couldn't be priests, consistent with a complementarian reading especially when adding the NT.

Mike's preferred explanation for the priesthood restriction

1 Corinthians 15 Romans 5 typology priesthood 1 Corinthians 15

Priests were teachers of the law, determined cleanness, mediated between people and God, bore the sins of the people — typologically pointing to Christ.

Functions of the priesthood and typological significance

soft complementarianism typology Adam

Representation and authority: men seem to be the norm for representing their community, fitting a pattern from Adam to Christ to priests.

Theological reasoning connecting representation to authority

judges Deborah Old Testament women prophetess

Summary of what women were in the OT: town representatives, queens with limited authority, one judge for decades, prophets with clear divine approval.

Final summary of women's roles in the OT

Deborah military leadership kings

What women were NOT in the OT: not kings (no positive examples of approved female rule at the highest level), not military leaders.

Final summary of women's absence from certain roles

military leadership physical strength firefighter standards

The physical strength difference between men and women may explain the absence of female military leaders — an analogy to firefighter standards.

Practical consideration for military leadership

complementarianism priesthood divine command vs. example

The priesthood is the ONLY OT role restriction on women that is clearly by God's design rather than by example — consistent with the complementarian view.

Final distinction on the priesthood

Deborah complementarianism egalitarianism

Overall conclusions: egalitarians fail to make a positive case (partly by stretching Scripture); complementarians fail to rule out all women in all leadership.

Final conclusions from the study

priesthood Andronicus and Junia apostleship

The overall OT flow supports men in highest roles (by example and by priestly demand); next week covers women in the NT.

Transition to next video

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

women in ministry methodology comprehensive biblical view

Mike's goal is not a summary of what to think, but a thorough, comprehensive biblical view that navigates all relevant debates.

Closing remarks on methodology

appeal to the law law and Christian behavior Andy Stanley

Style Argument 4: Paul would never appeal to the law to endorse church discipline -- rebutted

Mike addresses the claim that Paul's reference to 'the law' in verse 34 is un-Pauline.

the law Roman law Jewish oral law

What does 'the law' mean in 1 Corinthians 14:34?

Mike addresses the debate over what 'the law' refers to: Roman law, Jewish law, local custom, or the Old Testament.

1 Corinthians 14:21 Isaiah 28:11-12 John 12:34 1 Corinthians 14:21 Isaiah 28:11-12 John 12:34

Paul uses 'the law' to refer to all of scripture, not just the Pentateuch

Mike argues that 'law' in Paul's usage can mean the Old Testament generally, citing 1 Corinthians 14:21.

John 15:25 Psalm 35:19 Psalm 69:4 law as scripture John 15:25 Psalm 35:19

Jesus also uses 'law' to refer to Psalms, not just the Pentateuch

Mike provides additional evidence that 'the law' was used broadly in the NT.

Mike Winger idea 2024-03-01

Additional evidence: Titus 1:6, male-only apostles, biblical rules about NT prophecy

Mike stacks additional scriptural evidence for Pillar 2.

1 Corinthians 14 Titus 1:6 1 Corinthians 14 apostleship Titus 1:6

Mike Winger idea 2023-11-22

Paul's love of OT typology supports a typological reading of childbearing

Mike provides one more example of Paul's typological interpretation of the OT.

1 Corinthians 10:1-4 Pauline typology 1 Corinthians 10:1-4 OT typology

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Bill Johnson: 'It is theologically immoral to allow an Old Testament revelation of God's nature to surpass the manifestation found in Jesus Christ'

Direct quote from Bill Johnson establishing his hermeneutical hierarchy

Bill Johnson hermeneutics christocentrism

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Bill Johnson: 'Jesus is perfect theology' — any revelation about God that contradicts what you see in Jesus must not be allowed to shape your theology; 'what storms did Jesus bless?'

Mike plays a third Johnson video reinforcing the hermeneutical pillar and unpacks its practical implications

Revelation 2:23 Exodus 3 Bill Johnson hermeneutics christocentrism

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-31

Canonical closure argument: the New Testament closes the canon — there is no room for a new book of scripture

Theological argument against the LDS claim to new scripture

Jeremiah 31 Mormonism Islam Book of Abraham

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-21

Mike plans a future series on 'Jesus in the Old Testament' after completing his Romans series, and the next week's livestream will respond to Ricky Gervais's atheism arguments.

Closing announcements about upcoming content.

Romans atheism Ricky Gervais Jesus in the Old Testament

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-07

Biblical standard for prophecy: if you speak in the name of the Lord you must be right — a high accuracy rate, not 50% or even 30%, is required. Mike references his Sunday night verse-by-verse studies.

Theological grounding for critiquing Todd White's prophetic/word-of-knowledge claims.

Deuteronomy 18 Deuteronomy 18 prophecy word of knowledge

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

David Mead's third Scripture abuse: Genesis 7:4 'seventeenth day of the second month' read as the year 2017

Mead takes Noah's ark entry date from Genesis 7 and treats it as a numerological code predicting the year 2017.

Genesis 7:4 false prophecy David Mead numerology

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

Reason 2: Future prophecy is extremely challenging — Revelation requires knowledge of the whole Old Testament

Second reason people are vulnerable to false predictions.

Revelation Isaiah Jeremiah hermeneutics Old Testament prophecy interpretation

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Christian and Mormon concepts of God are mutually exclusive — not just different perspectives but contradictory definitions of what God is.

Mike wraps up the 'God' vocabulary section by emphasizing the incompatibility is categorical, not merely a difference of emphasis.

Mormonism vs. Christianity doctrine of God blasphemy

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

First problem with 2 Maccabees: the book is not accepted by the Jews, not part of Jesus's or Paul's Bible

Canon-based objection to using 2 Maccabees as proof of purgatory

Paul Jesus Apocrypha

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-29

Messianic prophecy: Messiah must 'come to the temple,' not rebuild it — Malachi 3:1

Ra claims Messiah must rebuild the Jewish Temple and Jesus did not

Daniel 9 Malachi 3:1 Daniel 9 Messianic prophecy Malachi 3:1

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-29

Ancient rabbinical tradition: entire Old Testament is about the Messiah

Continuing discussion of Matthew's typological use of Hosea

Jesus in the Old Testament Ancient rabbinical interpretation Typology

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-11

Reason 5 affirmed and answered: Fulfilled prophecy is the correct test for biblical inspiration, and the Bible passes it

The skeptic argues that an inspired Bible would contain specific, verifiable prophecies — but calls biblical prophecies 'feeble in the extreme.'

Ezekiel Matthew 24 fulfilled prophecy Ezekiel Matthew 24

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-11

Reason 6 addressed: Scientific foreknowledge in the Bible — prophecy is superior to scientific insight as apologetic evidence

The skeptic argues an inspired Bible would contain scientific knowledge humans couldn't have had (e.g., quantum mechanics, germ theory). Mike largely treats this as a restatement of Reason 5.

Genesis 1 Hebrews 11:3 Genesis 1 inspiration tests scientific foreknowledge

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-11

Q&A: Matthew 2:23 — which prophet foretold Jesus would be called a Nazarene?

Viewer question about a fulfilled prophecy citation in Matthew that has no clear Old Testament source.

Isaiah Matthew 2:23 fulfilled prophecy Isaiah Matthew 2:23

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-25

Mark 13:1-4 — the disciples' question is bigger than just the temple's destruction

Opening the Mark 13 study; Mike notes the scope of what the disciples are actually asking.

Mark 13:1-4 Mark 13:1-4 temple destruction Olivet Discourse

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-25

Abomination of desolation: Old Testament origin in Daniel and Antiochus Epiphanes as partial fulfillment

Point 1 and the partial/total fulfillment analysis of the abomination of desolation.

Daniel 9:27 Daniel 11:31 Daniel 12:11 partial and total fulfillment abomination of desolation Daniel 9:27

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-22

Kim selectively applies Old Testament law — takes Sabbath but ignores everything else in the same passage (Ezekiel 22:26)

Kim quotes Ezekiel 22:26 as proof that disregarding the Sabbath profanes God. Mike shows the verse also mentions distinctions between holy/common and clean/unclean — the entire Levitical system.

Ezekiel 22:26 proof-texting Joo-Cheol Kim Sabbath

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-05

Ra's appeal to Quranic prophecy is self-refuting: the Quran's 'best' examples either copy Old Testament passages Ra already called invalid, or are too vague (Donald Trump in Surah 68).

Ra attempts to relativize biblical prophecy by arguing the Quran has equally valid (or better) fulfilled prophecy.

Ezekiel 26 Isaiah 53 Psalm 22 Islam apologetics Bible prophecy

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-16

Q: Does God killing babies make it okay for humans? Winger dismisses the question as absurd; Sye says context of OT law must be applied and God has prerogative over life

Audience challenge question; ethical objection to Old Testament

divine sovereignty Old Testament ethics God's prerogative over life

Exodus 22 sin Old Testament law penalty

Old Testament law assigns different penalties to different sins, which itself demonstrates that God does not treat all sin the same.

Mike begins his Old Testament survey by pointing to the differentiated penal codes in the Mosaic law.

Exodus 21 sin Old Testament law eye for an eye

The 'eye for an eye' passage (Exodus 21:22) establishes proportional justice, not revenge, and further proves that sins are not equal in God's legal framework.

Mike unpacks the lex talionis principle, which is commonly misquoted as a license for personal revenge.

Deuteronomy 25 sin Old Testament law hierarchy of sin

Deuteronomy 25 provides a catch-all principle: punishment is to be 'in proportion to the offense,' explicitly grounding proportional justice in God's law.

Mike examines a general sentencing passage in Deuteronomy to show that the proportionality principle is not limited to specific crimes but is a foundational legal principle.

Hebrews 2:2 hermeneutics Old Testament law hierarchy of sin

Hebrews 2:2 confirms that Old Testament punishments were morally just retributions, not merely symbolic — validating the OT penal code as a genuine moral revelation.

Mike anticipates a possible objection that the OT law was purely symbolic and therefore its differentiated penalties do not reveal moral truths about sin.

1 Kings 16:25 hierarchy of sin 1 Kings 16:25 Omri

1 Kings 16:25 — Omri 'did more evil than all who were before him,' implying qualitative, not merely quantitative, differences in wickedness.

Mike moves from the law to narrative descriptions of individuals to show that Scripture uses qualitative language about degrees of evil.