Filter results by source database — Scripture Commentary, Theology, Mike Winger, or Pulpit. Click a tab to narrow to one database.

...more
All (421) Scripture Commentary (111) Theology (15) Mike Winger (294) Pulpit (1)
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Key distinction between Deborah and other judges

judges Deborah Barak judges
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Barak's refusal to go without Deborah and his rebuke — 'the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.'

The Barak-Deborah exchange in Judges 4:8-10

Judges 4:8-10 Deborah Barak Sisera
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

The question: is Barak being rebuked for not stepping up as a man? Is God reminding us even with a female judge that a man should have been leading?

Interpretive question about the Barak passage

Judges 5 Barak Jael Judges 5
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Aimee Byrd argues Barak's insistence on Deborah coming was 'wise and full of faith,' not cowardly — Mike disagrees.

Aimee Byrd's reinterpretation of Barak's request

Judges 4:8-9 Barak Aimee Byrd Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Byrd claims Deborah's words about a woman getting the honor are not a rebuke — Barak wasn't after his own glory.

Byrd's spin on the shame element

Judges 5 Deborah Barak Aimee Byrd
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

The biblical context shows glory/credit goes to Jael (not God instead of Barak) — Barak gets one verse while Jael gets a whole section in Judges 5.

Proving the shame element is about Barak vs. Jael, not Barak vs. God

Judges 5:12 Judges 5:6 Judges 5:24-27 Barak Jael Judges 5:12
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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.

Interpreting the shame in the Barak-Jael narrative

Barak Jael male leadership
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Conclusions on Deborah: she was a leader (not priest/king/military leader) but a judge and prophet; she had less leadership than other judges in some ways.

Summary conclusions on Deborah

judges Judges 5 Deborah judges Judges 5
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Theme in Judges 4-5: lack of leadership stepping up; Deborah chastens Barak — egalitarians stretch Deborah, complementarians reach too far in the other direction.

Thematic reading of Judges 4-5

Judges 5 Judges 4 Deborah Barak Judges 5
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Deborah was never rebuked for her role as judge — she served for years, was one of the best judges, and never had a terrible ending like other judges.

Strong point against complementarian minimizing

judges Deborah judges Gideon
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Women in politics with some authority over men doesn't seem ruled out; Deborah is a shining example — application to church eldership will come later.

Application of Deborah for women in political leadership

eldership Deborah women in politics
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Jezebel: one egalitarian argues she ruled with more authority than her husband Ahab, and her role was 'accepted.'

Examining Jezebel as an egalitarian example

1 Kings 21 egalitarianism Jezebel Ahab
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Rebuttal: Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab's name with his seal — proving she did NOT have independent authority; she was a cult leader, not a legitimate example.

Refuting the Jezebel argument

1 Kings 21:8 Jezebel Ahab 1 Kings 21:8
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Athaliah: Belleville says she ruled Israel 842-836 BC as a 'head of state' — but reading 2 Kings 11 shows she was a murderous usurper.

Examining Athaliah as an egalitarian example

2 Kings 11:1-3 Linda Belleville Two Views on Women in Ministry Athaliah
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Esther: a foreign-land example with three issues — she was in a foreign land, followed Mordecai's lead, and had authority only by the king's command.

Examining Esther as an egalitarian example

Esther Esther (book) Esther Mordecai Esther (book)
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

The 'wise woman of Tekoa' (2 Samuel 14) was not an 'advisor to head of state' — she merely memorized and delivered Joab's words to David.

Rebutting Belleville's claim about the woman of Tekoa

2 Samuel 14:3 Linda Belleville Two Views on Women in Ministry David
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

The wise woman of Abel Beth Maacah (2 Samuel 20:16-22) negotiated peace during a siege, representing the whole city — she exercised real political power in crisis.

Examining a more substantive example of a wise woman

2 Samuel 20:16-22 Joab 2 Samuel 20:16-22 wise woman of Abel Beth Maacah
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Belleville calls the wise woman of Abel an 'advisor to heads of state' — but she's not in a regular position; she took authority spontaneously in crisis.

Correcting the characterization while still drawing a lesson

Linda Belleville wise woman of Abel Beth Maacah crisis leadership
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Women holding political power (judge, queen, town representative) doesn't seem ruled out but does seem limited by example; the question is what the limits are.

Summary on women in political power in the OT

Deborah complementarianism women in politics
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Isaiah 3:12 — 'women rule over them' — used by patriarchalists to argue women as rulers is always bad in God's eyes.

Examining a key patriarchalist proof text

Isaiah 3:12 patriarchalism Isaiah 3:12 women as rulers
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Textual issue in Isaiah 3:12: the Hebrew word for 'women' may actually be 'creditors' — the consonants are identical, only vowels differ.

Textual criticism of Isaiah 3:12

Isaiah 3:12 NET Bible Septuagint Isaiah 3:12
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Isaiah 3:14 may support the 'creditors' reading — wealthy leaders lending money to the poor and keeping them in bondage.

Contextual support for 'creditors' reading

Isaiah 3:12 Isaiah 3:14 Isaiah 3:12 Isaiah 3:14 creditors interpretation
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Even if 'women' is the right reading, it's metaphorical — there were no actual women rulers at the time; Isaiah is calling male leaders 'women' as an insult.

Interpreting Isaiah 3:12 if 'women' is the correct reading

Isaiah 3:12 Isaiah 1:23 Micah Isaiah 3:12 Isaiah 1:23 Micah
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Further evidence for metaphor: infants weren't literally ruling, verse is about current rulers not future replacement, and women are rebuked later in chapter 3 but not for leading.

Building the case that Isaiah 3:12 is metaphor

Isaiah 3:12 Isaiah 3 Isaiah 3:12 metaphor Isaiah 3
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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.

Interpreting why Isaiah uses 'women' negatively even as metaphor

Isaiah 3:12 Deborah patriarchal culture Isaiah 3:12
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

Don't base a view on an unclear passage — Isaiah 3:12 can be explained in either egalitarian or complementarian ways; Mike rejects the Davidic lineage/genetic argument.

Final assessment of Isaiah 3:12

Isaiah 3:12 hermeneutics biblethinker.org Isaiah 3:12
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Transitioning to the priesthood discussion

eldership priesthood pagan priestesses
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Linda Belleville Craig Keener priesthood
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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 women in worship
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

priesthood ceremonial uncleanness male priestly uncleanness
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

egalitarianism priesthood ceremonial uncleanness
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Deuteronomy 23:17 Philip Payne priesthood Deuteronomy 23:17
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

egalitarianism priesthood discernment
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Genesis 2 complementarianism priesthood Genesis 2
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

1 Corinthians 15 Romans 5 typology priesthood 1 Corinthians 15
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

soft complementarianism typology Adam
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

judges Deborah Old Testament women prophetess
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Deborah military leadership kings
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

military leadership physical strength firefighter standards
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

complementarianism priesthood divine command vs. example
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

Deborah complementarianism egalitarianism
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

priesthood Andronicus and Junia apostleship
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

spiritual gifts prophetess women apostles
Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

women in ministry methodology comprehensive biblical view
Mike Winger idea 2022-12-04

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.

appeal to the law law and Christian behavior Andy Stanley
Mike Winger idea 2022-12-04

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.

the law Roman law Jewish oral law
Mike Winger idea 2022-12-04

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.

1 Corinthians 14:21 Isaiah 28:11-12 John 12:34 1 Corinthians 14:21 Isaiah 28:11-12 John 12:34
Mike Winger idea 2022-12-04

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.

John 15:25 Psalm 35:19 Psalm 69:4 law as scripture John 15:25 Psalm 35:19
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
← Prev Page 5 of 9 Next →