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soft complementarianism complementarianism egalitarianism

Five egalitarian arguments previewed; first two are weak, last three are stronger

Mike previews the five arguments he will cover: persecution, rabbi-training, universal priesthood, prophecy, and spiritual gifts. He says the first two are weak but the last three challenged him and offer corrections for complementarians.

eldership universal priesthood of believers

Argument 3 preview: Universal priesthood of believers means women can hold any ministry role

If all Christians are priests (including women), then women should be able to serve in any ministry role including eldership.

Luke 10:39-42 Mary and Martha women in theological education Luke 10:39-42

Correction for complementarians: no theology is off limits to women

Mike uses the Mary passage to correct complementarians who would limit what theology women can learn.

eldership universal priesthood of believers

Argument 3 introduced: Universal priesthood of believers

Mike introduces the argument: since all NT believers are priests, and priestly functions include teaching and leading, women should be able to be elders.

1 Peter 2:4-5 universal priesthood of believers 1 Peter 2:4-5 spiritual sacrifices

1 Peter 2:4-5 — all believers are a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices

Mike begins building the biblical case for universal priesthood from 1 Peter.

Revelation 1:5-6 universal priesthood of believers Revelation 1:5-6

Revelation 1:5-6 — Jesus made us a kingdom and priests; includes all freed by his blood

Another proof text for universal priesthood.

Revelation 5:9-10 universal priesthood of believers Revelation 5:9-10

Revelation 5:9-10 — those ransomed from every tribe are made a kingdom and priests

Mike continues building the universal priesthood case from Revelation.

Revelation 20:6 universal priesthood of believers Revelation 20:6 millennium

Revelation 20:6 — all who share in the first resurrection are priests and will reign with Christ

Final priesthood proof text: men and women together in rulership and priesthood for the millennium.

universal priesthood of believers clerical priesthood

The Bible never speaks of a second tier of 'extra-priesty' people within the body of Christ

Mike emphasizes there is no second category of priests in the NT beyond the universal priesthood.

Discovering Biblical Equality universal priesthood of believers Stanley Grenz

Grenz: the NT parallel to Levitical priesthood is the church as a whole, not ordained leaders

Grenz argues that the priesthood of all believers means the parallel to OT priests is all Christians, not just clergy.

universal priesthood of believers ETS (Evangelical Theological Society)

Anecdote: Mike challenged a female complementarian scholar at ETS about the universal priesthood problem in her argument

A female egalitarian (corrected: complementarian) scholar argued that priesthood is masculine in character and therefore women cannot hold pastoral positions. Mike asked her about the universal priesthood of believers.

Discovering Biblical Equality universal priesthood of believers Stanley Grenz

Grenz's positive case: whoever is a priest should be able to be an elder

After Grenz dismantles the complementarian argument, he builds his own: women are priests, therefore they can be elders.

headship universal priesthood of believers complementarian correction

Correction for complementarians: the husband is NOT the priest of his home

Mike disagrees with many complementarians, including pastors he has respected, on this point.

1 Timothy 2 1 Timothy 3 Titus 1 1 Timothy 2 1 Timothy 3 eldership qualifications

What was uniquely priestly was the mediating function, which now belongs to all believers

Mike clarifies the distinction between priestly mediation and teaching.

John MacArthur 1 Corinthians 11:16 John MacArthur 1 Corinthians 11:16 church gathering context

Four reasons why 1 Corinthians 11 must be about Christian worship gatherings, not just public places

Mike gives detailed reasons for rejecting MacArthur's reading.

universal priesthood of believers complementarian correction husband as priest

Video summary — Argument 3: Universal priesthood is true but priesthood is not the only factor in eldership

Summary of the universal priesthood argument.

Mike Winger idea 2022-07-18

Philip Payne's claim about Galen is factually false — Galen affirmed the brain controls cognition and willed action

Mike examines Payne's claim that Galen reasserted the primacy of the liver.

Philip Payne Galen Frank Freeman

Mike Winger idea 2022-07-18

26+ Bible translations translate kephale as 'head' or 'authority' — only The Passion Translation (2017) used 'source,' later corrected

Mike surveys Bible translations for how they render kephale.

1 Corinthians 11:3 kephale The Passion Translation 1 Corinthians 11:3

Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

Davids applies different standards to wife commands vs husband commands

Mike identifies a methodological inconsistency in the egalitarian approach.

Peter Davids interpretive double standard

Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

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

Mike summarizes and critiques Keener's chain of reasoning about cultural context.

Craig Keener household codes Roman persecution

Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

Ephesians 5 has transcultural indicators, not cultural-bowing indicators

Mike evaluates internal evidence in the passage itself.

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

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.

1 Corinthians 11:16 1 Corinthians 11:16 universal church practice Roman Catholic

Paul's fifth argument: universal church custom (verse 16)

Mike explains the appeal to all churches practicing head coverings.

1 Corinthians 11:16 1 Corinthians 11:3 1 Corinthians 11:8-9 1 Corinthians 11:16 1 Corinthians 11:3 1 Corinthians 11:8-9

Question 6: What does Paul want women to do? Wear coverings for headship, creation order, and universal custom

Mike applies conclusions to women's instructions.

head covering movement transcultural application Elizabeth Farians

Question 14: How does it apply today? The argument FOR transcultural head coverings (7 points)

Mike seriously engages the pro-head-covering position.

1 Corinthians 9:22 hermeneutical principle symbolic meaning cultural application argument

The cultural view is not arbitrary: five facts support it

Mike defends his position against charges of mere cultural accommodation.

1 Corinthians 14:33b Beth Allison Barr RSV translation 1 Corinthians 14:33b

The RSV does not actually support the quotation-refutation view

Mike argues that the RSV translators were not trying to communicate what Barr claims.

Beth Allison Barr The Making of Biblical Womanhood Livy

The Livy quotation parallel does not hold up under scrutiny

Mike examines Barr's claim that 1 Corinthians 14 echoes a secular quote from Livy.

1 Corinthians 14:33b D.A. Carson 1 Corinthians 14:33b universal scope argument

D.A. Carson: it is not plausible women are silenced because they were uneducated

Mike quotes Carson's response to the education view.

Craig Keener universal scope women elders

Education View Hinge 2: Why ALL women in EVERY church?

Mike presses the problem of universal scope for the education view.

Acts 14:23 Titus 1:5 Acts 14:23 Titus 1:5 elder/overseer/bishop

Elders as the only universal biblical ongoing office with authority

Mike provides scriptural evidence for the elder/overseer role as the primary authority structure in the church.

1 Timothy 3 1 Corinthians 11 Titus 1 1 Timothy 3 1 Corinthians 11 Titus 1

Summary of why the judging prophecy view is superior: answering all four key questions

Mike walks through the advantages of the judging prophecy view over all other views.

Mike Winger idea 2024-03-01

Women as 'sons of God' — Galatians 3:26-28

Mike unpacks the 'sons of God' language as powerful status language for women.

Galatians 3:26-28 inheritance sons of God Galatians 3:26-28

1 Timothy 2:11-15 egalitarianism 1 Timothy 2:11-15 authenteo

Egalitarian overview of the passage

Mike presents the general egalitarian approach to 1 Tim 2:11-15 before diving into specific arguments.

1 Timothy 2:12 apostolic authority 1 Timothy 2:12 Philip Payne

Egalitarian argument: 'I do not permit' is Paul's personal opinion

Mike addresses the claim that epitrepo ('I permit') indicates Paul expressing a personal, non-binding opinion.

1 Timothy 2:12 apostolic authority 1 Timothy 2:12 epitrepo

Rebuttal: 'I do not permit' is apostolic authority, not mere opinion

Mike and scholars like Douglas Moo and Tom Schreiner argue that epitrepo carries full apostolic weight.

1 Timothy 2:12 creation order 1 Timothy 2:12 Tom Schreiner

Present tense of epitrepo: ongoing policy vs. temporary restriction

Mike addresses the egalitarian claim that the present tense indicates a temporary, situation-specific restriction.

1 Corinthians 11:16 1 Corinthians 7:17 1 Corinthians 4:17 Pauline consistency 1 Corinthians 11:16 universal application

Paul's consistent teaching across all churches

Mike argues that Paul's restrictions on women in church leadership were not unique to Ephesus but applied universally.

Ephesus universal application Andrew Bartlett

Bartlett's jurisdiction argument: Paul's authority was limited and temporal

Mike addresses the claim that Paul's restriction was limited to his own jurisdiction and does not apply universally today.

Ephesus Artemis cult Richard Kroeger

The Cult of Artemis argument: egalitarian claim that Ephesian context explains the restriction

Mike addresses the widespread egalitarian argument that 1 Tim 2 responds to the Artemis cult's influence on the Ephesian church.

Genesis 1 Timothy 2:13-14 creation order Genesis 1 Timothy 2:13-14

Conclusion on Artemis cult argument: it fails as an explanation for 1 Tim 2

Mike summarizes why the Artemis cult hypothesis does not explain Paul's restrictions.

authenteo Douglas Moo translation history

English translation history of authenteo and the NIV 'assume authority' rendering

Mike traces how English translations have rendered authenteo from Wycliffe to the present.

1 Timothy 2:12 authentein 1 Timothy 2:12 Andreas Kostenberger

Kostenberger's syntactic study: two infinitives joined by oude

Mike presents Andreas Kostenberger's influential syntactic analysis of 1 Tim 2:12.

1 Timothy 2:12 1 Timothy 1:3-4 Titus 1:10-11 1 Timothy 2:12 Ephesus female false teachers theory

Egalitarian theory: Paul was addressing female false teachers in Ephesus

Mike addresses the argument that 1 Tim 2:12 restricts only women who were teaching false doctrine, not all women.

1 Timothy 2:12-14 creation order 1 Timothy 2:12-14 false teaching interpretation

If Paul meant false teaching, the passage becomes absurd

Mike shows the logical problems with reading 'false teaching' into didasko in 1 Tim 2:12.

1 Timothy 2:12 apostolic authority 1 Timothy 2:12 universal application

Conclusion 3: This is apostolic ruling, not Paul's personal opinion

Mike reaffirms the authoritative nature of the restriction.

1 Timothy 2:12 1 Timothy 2:12 authenteo have authority translation

Conclusion 8: 'Have authority' is the correct translation of authenteo

Mike restates the translation conclusion.