Search — Theology Explorer

Judges 4:4-9 Deborah,judge,prophetess,woman leader,Barak,Israel,egalitarian

Judges 4:4-9

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

Colossians 3:18-19 household code,submission,love,fitting in the Lord,mutual obligation,egalitarian

Colossians 3:18-19

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

Romans 12:4-8 spiritual gifts,charismata,body of Christ,teaching,leading,proistemi,no gender restriction,egalitarian

Romans 12:4-8

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

1 Corinthians 14:26 universal participation,worship,gifts,edification,no gender restriction,each one

1 Corinthians 14:26

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

John 6:43-45 soteriology,drawing,teaching,irresistible grace,Calvinism,provisionism,taught by God

John 6:43-45

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis

John 6:44 soteriology,drawing,irresistible grace,helko,inability,Calvinism,provisionism

John 6:44

Sections: debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

John 10:27-28 soteriology,predestination,election,free will,Calvinism,provisionism,shepherd and sheep

John 10:27-28

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis

Matthew 23:37 resistible grace,God's desire,human will,Jerusalem,soteriology

Matthew 23:37

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis

Exodus 15:20-21 miriam,prophetess,worship leader,women leadership,song of the sea

Exodus 15:20-21

Sections: exegesis

2 Kings 22:14-20 huldah,prophetess,women leadership,josiah,book of the law

2 Kings 22:14-20

Sections: exegesis

Joel 2:28-29 prophecy,Spirit outpouring,daughters,women prophets,Pentecost,egalitarian,Joel,Acts 2,Peter sermon,last days

Joel 2:28-29

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

Numbers 12:1-15 Miriam,Aaron,tsaraat,prophetess,female leadership,WIM,egalitarian,Moses unique mediator,Deborah,Huldah,Micah 6:4

Numbers 12:1-15

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

1 Corinthians 15:28 eschatology,subjection,Son,Trinity,EFS,mediatorial kingdom,subordinationism,hypotasso

1 Corinthians 15:28

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

διακρίνω (diakrino)

to discern, to evaluate, to judge

ὑποτάσσω (hypotassō)

to subject, to submit, to place under

διδακτοί (didaktoi)

taught [by God], instructed

ποιμαίνω (poimaino)

to shepherd, to tend a flock, to pastor, to rule

יִנָּבְאוּ (yinnābe'û)

they will prophesy (niphal imperfect 3mp of נָבָא)

προφητεύσουσιν (prophēteusousin)

they will prophesy (future active indicative, 3rd plural)

נְבִיאָה (nĕbî'āh)

prophetess (feminine of נָבִיא)

Mike Winger idea 2022-03-07

Groothuis's rebuttal that prophets had more authority than Levites is a red herring — Levites were the regular, widespread spiritual authorities throughout Israel.

Mistake #4: Levite analogy — responding to Groothuis's counter

Rebecca Merrill Groothuis Levites prophets

Mike Winger idea 2022-04-13

Belleville claims female apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists; Craig Keener agrees women held prominent roles

Mike continues presenting egalitarian scholarly claims.

Linda Belleville women apostles Craig Keener

Mike Winger idea 2022-04-13

Preview of upcoming topics: apostles, universal priesthood, prophecy, spiritual gifts, NT Wright's arguments

Mike previews what will be covered in part 5.

women apostles N.T. Wright women prophets

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-09

Jesus is the new Moses, not the apostles

Mike rebuts the Moses-apostle equivalence.

Deuteronomy 18 Moses Jesus as new Moses Deuteronomy 18

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-09

Better equivalence: women prophets in OT lead to women prophets in NT, not women apostles

Mike argues the egalitarian logic fails on its own terms.

hermeneutical methodology OT-NT equivalence women prophets

Isaiah's wife Luke 2 Acts 21:9 Deborah women prophesying Miriam

Survey of women who prophesied in the Bible: Miriam, Huldah, Deborah, Isaiah's wife, Anna, Philip's four daughters

Mike establishes that women clearly prophesied throughout the Bible, both in the OT and NT.

church governance prophet vs. elder office Bethel Church

Elders govern the church; prophets do not — prophets are not appointed to an ongoing office

Mike contrasts the governing authority of elders with the non-governing nature of prophets.

prophecy and authority testing the man vs. testing the word eldership authority

With elders, you test the man so the teaching will be pure; with prophecy, you test the prophecy because anyone can give one

Mike draws the fundamental distinction in how authority works for elders vs. prophets.

Craig Keener prophecy and authority Nathan

Keener himself acknowledges prophets had 'no authority outside of their message'

Mike uses Keener's own words to push back on other egalitarians who argue prophecy equals authority.

1 Corinthians 12:28 apostles 1 Corinthians 12:28 kubernesis (administrating)

1 Corinthians 12:28 — 'administrating' (leadership) appears as a gift distinct from the office of teacher

Mike examines another gifts list.

Ephesians 4:11-12 offices vs. gifts Ephesians 4:11-12 pastor-teacher

Ephesians 4:11-12 is about offices (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds/teachers) not about gifts applicable to the question

Mike examines Ephesians 4 but determines it is about offices, not gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:29-30 Philip Payne teaching ministry 1 Corinthians 12:29-30

1 Corinthians 12:29-30 — Paul's rhetorical questions show not everyone is supposed to teach

Mike cites Paul's own words against the idea that all Christians should have a teaching ministry.

Mike Winger idea 2022-06-20

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.

Deborah priesthood women in Old Testament

judges Deborah priesthood Miriam

Overview of today's topics: women in OT leadership positions — Deborah as judge, female prophets, and the priesthood restriction.

Road map for video 3

Numbers 12 Moses Miriam Numbers 12

The Numbers 12 passage is actually about God rebuking Miriam for usurping Moses's authority, not about her valued leadership.

Exegesis of Numbers 12

Numbers 12 Miriam prophetess Numbers 12

Miriam was a prophetess; some incorrectly deny female prophets existed in the Bible.

Affirming the reality of female prophets

prophetess private vs. public prophecy

Mike rejects the claim that female prophets only prophesied privately — Scripture doesn't support this restriction and there are examples of public prophecy.

Pushing back on complementarian minimizing

Miriam prophetess prophetic singing

Mike rejects limiting female prophets to speaking to women only, and rejects limiting Miriam to prophetic singing only.

Final positions on scope of female prophecy

2 Kings 22:14 Linda Belleville Huldah prophetess

Introduction to Huldah the prophetess (2 Kings 22:14) — Belleville emphasizes the king choosing Huldah over other prophets.

Beginning examination of Huldah

Jeremiah Zephaniah Nahum Philip Payne Craig Keener Paul, Women, and Wives

Egalitarian talking point: Huldah was chosen over contemporary male prophets Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Nahum, and Habakkuk.

Presenting the egalitarian case for Huldah's prominence

2 Kings 22:14 hermeneutics Huldah 2 Kings 22:14

Rebuttal: there is no textual indication they chose Huldah over other prophets; proximity in Jerusalem is a better explanation.

Mike's pushback on the Huldah argument

2 Kings 22:14 hermeneutics Huldah 2 Kings 22:14

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

Additional contextual explanation for choosing Huldah

Huldah prophetess prophetic authority

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

Balanced conclusion on Huldah

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

Jeremiah Isaiah Amos Jeremiah Isaiah Amos

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

Nehemiah 6:14 Nehemiah Nehemiah 6:14 Noadiah false prophet

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

prophetess frequency of female prophets

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

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

eldership Deborah prophetess

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