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All (370) Scripture Commentary (122) Theology (17) Mike Winger (226) Pulpit (5)

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-09

Egalitarian response: cultural reasons prevented women apostles

Mike presents and critiques the standard egalitarian counter-argument.

Craig Keener women in ministry debate cultural acquiescence argument

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-09

Philip Payne's argument: traveling with Jesus full-time raised moral suspicions

Mike presents Payne's specific cultural argument.

Philip Payne moral suspicion argument women following Jesus

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-09

Egalitarian contradiction: cultural restriction vs. Junia's early prominence

Mike identifies an internal contradiction in egalitarian reasoning.

Junia cultural accommodation Pentecost

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

Historical chauvinism and negative attitudes toward women have affected the church

Mike acknowledges that negative attitudes toward women exist in complementarian circles, rooted not just in biblical teaching but in broader cultural attitudes historically hostile to women.

Egalitarian response: cultural reasons prevented women apostles

Philip Payne's argument: traveling with Jesus full-time raised moral suspicions

Egalitarian contradiction: cultural restriction vs. Junia's early prominence

Historical chauvinism and negative attitudes toward women have affected the church

There is no select group of priests within the body of Christ in the New Testament

Mike argues for obedience even if God's reasons seem offensive to culture

Westfall's analytical categories for interpreting Galatians 3:28

Why 'sons' should not be translated 'sons and daughters' in Galatians — the sonship status concept

Sonship benefit #1: Being an heir — equal inheritance in the kingdom

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

Westfall's claim: Galatians indicates 'similar scope of change' needed in culture, social practices, and authority structure

The culture would not have read 'no male and female' as abolishing role distinctions

Richard Cervin's article — the source behind egalitarian lexical claims; problematic methodology

Cervin's own conclusion undermines egalitarians: kephale means 'preeminence,' not source — and he connects it to male dominance

Submission involves a 'sense of obeying' but not micromanagement obedience

Wife as precious vessel and co-heir -- equal inheritance in Christ

Threat to husbands: prayers hindered if they fail to honor their wives

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

Marriage grounded in creation (Genesis) and salvation (Christ and church), not culture

Wife has real authority: over home, children, and can make demands on husband

Conclusions: husband's authority is real but limited compared to cultural expectations

Davids sees 'holy women approved by God' as merely cultural approval, which contradicts the text

Kohick's self-contradiction: 'no authority' but also 'don't use domination and power'

Alternative egalitarian argument from silence on Colossians rejected

Keener's cultural background argument: Romans feared women's advancement threatening social order

Keener's four steps: household codes, perceived threat, defensive writing, Paul's strategy

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

Multiple problems with reading Ephesians 5 as cultural defense

Keener redefines 'submit' to mean self-sacrificial service

Red flag: claiming Paul uses a word differently than everyone in his culture understood it

Paul devotes more space to husbands loving than wives submitting -- what does this mean?

Complementarian heart: different roles, unequal authority, equal value, focused on serving Jesus

How Paul IS different from his culture (complementarian distinctives)

How Paul is NOT different from his culture: submit meant authority imbalance to everyone

Both Paul's culture and Paul valued love in marriage and opposed wife abuse

Alternative egalitarian view: Paul meant authority imbalance but only for that culture

Principle: caring about witness doesn't make behavior merely cultural

Introduction to the slavery objection

The slavery objection's logic: same reasons for submission = same rules apply

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

The OT records events in a very patriarchal culture — leaders are almost always men.

God may use male leaders because it reaches the culture, not because He requires it; but the 'culture card' needs textual support.

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

Deborah is a strong case for occasional high-level female leadership in the OT by God's appointment; all other judges are male.

Deborah differs from every other judge in that she doesn't lead the military — is God deliberately restricting her authority?

In their culture it was embarrassing that a woman beat Sisera — glory to Jael, shame to Barak — but this is not God's commentary against women leaders.

Three possible reasons why 'women leaders' is negative in Isaiah 3:12: role distinctions, lack of respect, or lack of training — Mike favors the training/competence explanation.

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

Women's participation in early church was countercultural but distinctly Christian

Paul's first argument: shaving analogy (verses 5-6)

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