Search — Theology Explorer

Titus 2:3-5 Titus 2:3-5 women's ministry women teaching

Titus 2:3-5 — older women are to teach younger women; a biblical case for women's teaching ministry outside eldership

Mike provides a scriptural example of women teaching in appropriate contexts.

Colossians 3:16 Colossians 3:16 teaching gift necessary but not sufficient

Not everyone who teaches is an elder — an elder must be able to teach, but ability to teach does not require eldership

Mike makes the logical distinction between necessary and sufficient conditions.

Colossians 3:16 Priscilla Apollos Colossians 3:16

Colossians 3:16 — mutual teaching applies to all believers including women; Priscilla corrected Apollos

Mike argues that general mutual teaching and admonishing in the church includes women teaching men.

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.

necessary but not sufficient women teaching realms of ministry

It would contradict clear passages to say women can never lead or teach, but the question is: in what realms?

Mike affirms women have gifts of teaching and leadership based on Scripture and personal observation.

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 12:4-6 Stanley Grenz gifts expressed outside eldership 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Grenz presumes (1) teaching and leadership can only find true expression in eldership — Mike disagrees

Mike identifies the first false premise in Grenz's argument.

1 Timothy 3 Titus 1 1 Timothy 3 Stanley Grenz eldership qualifications

Grenz presumes (2) gifts are the ONLY requirement for eldership — Scripture clearly gives additional requirements including gender

Mike identifies the second false premise.

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.

spiritual gifts argument eldership qualifications gender-based restriction

Why gifts do not translate to eldership: (1) one can teach and lead outside eldership; (2) the restriction is gender-based, not gift-based; (3) gifting alone cannot be sufficient for appointment

Mike gives three reasons why the gifts argument fails to establish women as elders.

Colossians 3:16 1 Corinthians 14:26 Tom Schreiner Apollos Colossians 3:16

Tom Schreiner quote: complementarians should not give the impression women are unintelligent or lack teaching ability

Mike quotes a fellow complementarian to correct unhealthy attitudes toward women's teaching.

women teaching gender bias

Bias against women's teaching comes from women too, not just men

Mike points out that the attitude that women cannot correct men is held by some women as well.

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.

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.

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.

eldership spiritual gifts argument women teaching

Video summary — Argument 5: Women can teach and lead but should find expression outside the role of elder

Summary of the gifts argument.

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.

Galatians 3:26 Galatians 3:26 in Christ justification by faith

Sonship benefit #2: Full participation of being in Christ — equal standing regardless of background

Mike identifies the second element of Paul's sonship teaching.

Galatians 4:6-7 circumcision Galatians 4:6-7 Holy Spirit

Sonship benefit #4: Internal relationship with God through the Holy Spirit

Mike identifies the fourth and final element of Paul's sonship teaching.

logical consistency eldership authority

Does the silver bullet argument challenge the very idea of eldership itself?

Mike presses the egalitarian position to its logical conclusion.

servant leadership eldership pastoral theology

Church leadership is service, not a prize for personal fulfillment

Mike addresses a pastoral concern about how leadership is framed in the debate.

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.

1 Corinthians 14 Galatians 3:28 1 Timothy 2:11 1 Corinthians 14 Galatians 3:28 Cynthia Long Westfall

Revisiting Westfall and F.F. Bruce quotes on Galatians 3:28 as an interpretive override

Mike re-presents key quotes to drive his point home.

hermeneutics clear interprets unclear topical relevance

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

Mike states the final hermeneutical takeaway.

Mike Winger idea 2022-07-18

Clinton Arnold: Rufus's views were well-known in Asia Minor, famous for advanced medical schools

Mike cites Clinton Arnold on the significance of Rufus's teaching in Asia Minor.

Ephesus Clinton Arnold Asia Minor medical schools

1 Peter 3:1-7 1 Peter 3:1-7 hypotasso ESV translation

Teaching through 1 Peter 3:1-7 - wives told to be subject to husbands

Mike reads and begins teaching through the first main passage.

Ephesians 5:21-24 headship Christ and church analogy Ephesians 5:21-24

Ephesians 5:21-24 -- instructions to wives including headship analogy

Mike teaches through the major passage on marriage.

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 Craig Keener Ephesians 5 dual messaging theory

Internal vs external messaging theory: Paul supposedly wrote differently for Romans vs Christians

Mike explains the most provocative aspect of Keener's theory.

Craig Keener Paul, Women and Wives Paul's imprisonment

Keener's conclusion: Paul wrote household codes as long-range Roman cultural defense

Mike quotes Keener's concluding summary on the cultural argument.

1 Peter 3 Craig Keener Christianity seen as Judaism Plutarch

Christianity was seen as Jewish -- household codes were not the primary cultural threat

Mike adds another historical argument against the cultural-defense theory.

Ephesians 5:31-32 Ephesians 5:31-32 transcultural indicators creation grounding

Ephesians 5 has transcultural indicators, not cultural-bowing indicators

Mike evaluates internal evidence in the passage itself.

Ephesians 5 self-sacrificial love Ephesians 5 Paul's cultural distinctiveness

How Paul IS different from his culture (complementarian distinctives)

Mike distinguishes Paul's teaching from both Roman culture and egalitarianism.

Titus 2:1-10 word of God not reviled Titus 2:1-10 cultural vs transcultural

Titus 2 as test case: 'that the word of God may not be reviled' doesn't make things merely cultural

Mike provides extended analysis of whether evangelistic purpose equals cultural binding.

hermeneutics examples vs. teaching culture

Warning: OT data consists mostly of examples, not direct teachings, making it difficult to derive rules.

Hermeneutical framework for OT examples

hermeneutics priesthood comprehensive biblical view

The NT has direct teaching; the OT must be harmonized with it for a comprehensive view.

Hermeneutical framework for OT examples

hermeneutics Deborah priesthood

Counter-cultural examples like Deborah are strong evidence; but clear teaching (like on priests) is even better.

Hermeneutical hierarchy: examples vs. teaching

Deborah Levites Aimee Byrd

Aimee Byrd claims Deborah was 'the word of God to Israel' since they couldn't access Scripture — Mike says this is false; the Levites taught the law throughout the land.

Rebutting Byrd's claim about Deborah

complementarianism egalitarianism Aimee Byrd

Mike's assessment: 'Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood' preaches well but continually distorts the text; egalitarian scholars' handling of Scripture drove him deeper into complementarianism.

Overall assessment of Byrd's book and the egalitarian case

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

1 Corinthians 11:2-16 NASB 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

Full reading of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 without commentary

Mike reads the entire passage from the NASB translation to establish familiarity before analysis.

refutation view reputation view Corinthian quotations

The refutation/reputation view: Paul is quoting and refuting the Corinthians

Mike presents the third interpretive approach.

1 Corinthians 11:2-16 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Katherine Bushnell Alan Padgett

Seven problems with the refutation/reputation view

Mike systematically dismantles the refutation view.

kephale Craig Keener source meaning

Keener: kephale means 'source' or if 'authority' then only cultural authority

Mike details Keener's handling of verse 3.

1 Corinthians 6:12-13 Corinthian quotations Katherine Bushnell Alan Padgett

Question 2: Is Paul refuting rather than teaching? Examples of Corinthian quotations

Mike evaluates the refutation view more carefully.

Ephesians 5:22-24 1 Corinthians 11:8-9 Ephesians 5:22-24 1 Corinthians 11:8-9 cultural hermeneutics

Evidence that headship is transcultural: creation order, Ephesians 5, and the danger of cultural relativism

Mike builds his case that headship is not culturally bound.

1 Corinthians 11:9 1 Corinthians 11:11 1 Corinthians 11:9 1 Corinthians 11:11 egalitarian failure

Verse 9 is the weak spot for egalitarianism: no decent interpretation exists

Mike draws his conclusion on the decisive question.