Search — Theology Explorer

1 Corinthians 10:1 1 Corinthians 12:1 Plutarch agnoeo idiotes

Education View Hinge 1: Why only women? Why not uneducated men too?

Mike presents the first critical hinge point that undermines the education view.

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.

1 Corinthians 11 creation order submission 1 Corinthians 11

Education View Hinge 3: Why is submission an issue if it is about education?

Mike identifies the fatal disconnect between the education view and Paul's mention of submission.

Livy CBE International Bacchus/Dionysus cult

The Bacchus/Dionysus cult clatter explanation from CBE International

Mike examines the view promoted by the Center for Biblical Equality (CBE International) connecting the passage to ecstatic cult practices.

Craig Keener cult of Isis cult of Cybele

Problem 1 with the cult view: these cults were not exclusively or predominantly female

Mike shows that the claim that Bacchus worship was predominantly female is historically inaccurate.

Livy CBE International Bacchus cult demographics

The Livy quote that CBE uses actually describes large numbers of men involved in Bacchus worship

Mike examines the actual Livy passage that CBE cites and finds it undermines their argument.

1 Corinthians 14:35 laleo 1 Corinthians 14:35 questions vs. ecstatic behavior

Problem 2 with the cult view: why are questions forbidden if the issue is screaming?

Mike identifies the disconnect between ecstatic behavior and the passage's content about questions.

1 Corinthians 11:16 Tom Schreiner 1 Corinthians 11:16 women's public prayer and prophecy

Tom Schreiner: Paul encourages women to pray and prophesy in church with proper adornment

Mike quotes complementarian scholar Tom Schreiner against the utter silence view.

1 Corinthians 14 1 Corinthians 11 1 Corinthians 14 1 Corinthians 11 utter silence view rescue attempt

The attempted rescue of utter silence: women can prophesy publicly but should not, and must wear coverings if they do

Mike addresses another attempt to reconcile utter silence with 1 Corinthians 11.

Acts 21:9 Luke 2:36-38 Deborah Miriam Huldah

Additional scriptural examples of women prophesying publicly: Philip's daughters, Anna, Huldah, Deborah, Miriam

Mike cites multiple OT and NT examples of women prophesying publicly before mixed audiences.

1 Corinthians 14:29-36 D.A. Carson 1 Corinthians 14:29-36 structural analysis

D.A. Carson's structural analysis: verse 29 maps the two-part expansion

Mike quotes Carson's explanation of how verse 29 introduces the two topics expanded in what follows.

1 Corinthians 14:32 hupotasso 1 Corinthians 14:32 prophetic self-control

The 'spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets' means self-control, not a hierarchy

Mike interprets verse 32 as a parenthetical about prophets' ability to control themselves.

1 Corinthians 12:10 1 Corinthians 14:1 1 Corinthians 14:39 1 Corinthians 12:10 1 Corinthians 14:1 1 Corinthians 14:39

Problems with the 'other prophets judge prophecy' view

Mike argues against the interpretation that only other prophets test prophecy.

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 3:2 Hebrews 13:17 2 Timothy 2:2 elder qualifications 1 Timothy 3:2 Hebrews 13:17

Hebrews 13:17 and 2 Timothy 2:2 -- elders watch over souls and guard doctrine

Mike cites additional passages showing elders' responsibility to guard what the congregation receives.

Acts 20:28-31 doctrinal guardianship Acts 20:28-31 fierce wolves

Paul's farewell to Ephesian elders (Acts 20:28-31) -- fierce wolves and elders' responsibility

Mike cites Paul's passionate charge to elders to guard the flock.

Mormonism self-validation prohibition Islam

It may not be necessary to decide exclusively who judged prophecy

Mike suggests the identity of the judges may not need to be precisely defined for the view to work.

judging prophecy view submission and questions contextual advantage

The questions prohibition connects to submission -- a unique advantage of the judging prophecy view

Mike explains why the connection between questions and submission only works on the judging prophecy view.

1 Corinthians 14:35 1 Corinthians 14:35 gune (woman/wife) women vs. wives debate

Side issue: Does this passage address women in general or wives specifically?

Mike briefly addresses whether 'women' (gunai) should be translated as 'wives.'

1 Corinthians 14:35 1 Corinthians 14:35 women's education Jewish education debates

Conclusion 2: Women have no restrictions on learning

Mike notes that Paul's instruction actually preserves women's right to pursue knowledge.

1 Timothy 2:12 1 Timothy 2:12 egalitarian arguments authenteo

Failed egalitarian arguments against Pillar 2

Mike lists and dismisses various egalitarian counter-arguments.

1 Timothy 3:2 elder qualifications 1 Timothy 3:2 husband of one wife

1 Timothy 3:2 — 'husband of one wife' means only men can be elders

Mike argues the elder qualifications confirm male-only eldership.

1 Timothy 2:12 Proverbs 31 1 Timothy 2:12 Proverbs 31 church context

Boss teaching employees confirms 1 Timothy 2:12 is specifically about church/elder context

Mike uses the boss example to confirm the limited scope of 1 Timothy 2:12.

Michael Heiser non-elder teaching Bible college teaching

Teaching Christian doctrine at conferences and Bible colleges — probably permissible

Mike addresses women teaching theology outside Sunday services.

1 Timothy 2:8-15 Timothy church order Ephesus

Overview of 1 Timothy 2:8-15 in full context

Mike reads through the full passage and establishes the broader context of 1 Timothy as a letter about church order.

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 Corinthians 7 Mark 5:13 Acts 21:40 1 Corinthians 7 epitrepo word study

Word study on epitrepo (permit) across the New Testament

Mike examines every NT use of epitrepo to determine whether it carries authority or merely expresses personal preference.

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.

1 Timothy 2:11 1 Timothy 2:11 women's education ancient Judaism

Let a woman learn: the revolutionary positive command

Mike emphasizes that 1 Tim 2:11 ('let a woman learn') is a radical affirmation of women's right to theological education.

1 Timothy 2:11-12 creation order Andrew Bartlett 1 Timothy 2:11-12

Andrew Bartlett's argument: verse 11 contrasts with verse 12

Mike addresses the egalitarian argument that the positive command to learn (v.11) contrasts with and limits the restriction in v.12.

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.

1 Timothy 2:11-12 gyne aner church governance

Wives vs. women debate: does gyne mean 'wives' or 'women'?

Mike addresses the egalitarian argument (promoted by Cynthia Long Westfall) that 1 Tim 2 is about husbands and wives, not men and women generally.

1 Timothy 2:11-12 2 Thessalonians 3:12 1 Timothy 2:2 1 Timothy 2:11-12 hesychia hesychios

Hesychia: 'silence' vs. 'quiet/peaceable' semantic range

Mike examines what hesychia means in 1 Tim 2:11-12 — total silence or a peaceable disposition.

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.

authenteo Philip Payne Richard Kroeger

Critique of the Kroegers' 'I Suffer Not a Woman'

Mike provides detailed scholarly critique of the Kroegers' influential but problematic book.

Ephesus Artemis cult feminist Ephesus claim

S.M. Baugh's research on women in Ephesus

Mike presents Baugh's historical work demonstrating that Ephesus was not a feminist city.

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.

1 Timothy 2:12 1 Timothy 2:12 authenteo hapax legomenon

Introduction to the authenteo debate: the most contested word in the passage

Mike begins the massive section on authenteo, the word translated 'have authority' or 'exercise authority' in 1 Tim 2:12.

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 2:12 Philip Payne Cynthia Long Westfall

Egalitarian responses to Kostenberger's syntactic argument

Mike addresses attempts to refute the Kostenberger syntactic pattern.

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 1 Timothy 1:3 1 Timothy 6:3 1 Timothy 2:12 word study didasko

Didasko (teach) word study: Paul always uses it positively when unqualified

Mike examines the NT usage of didasko to determine whether it could mean 'false teaching' in 1 Tim 2:12.

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 2:11-12 Lydia Priscilla gender-based restriction

Education-level argument: women were uneducated so Paul restricted them temporarily

Mike addresses the claim that Paul restricted women because they lacked education, and once educated, the restriction would lift.

Genesis 2 1 Corinthians 11:8-9 1 Timothy 2:13 creation order Genesis 2 1 Corinthians 11:8-9

Adam and Eve appeal: creation order argument (1 Tim 2:13)

Mike examines Paul's use of 'For Adam was formed first, then Eve' as the basis for his restriction.

1 Timothy 2:13 creation order 1 Timothy 2:13 Artemis cult

Egalitarian responses to the creation order argument

Mike presents and evaluates egalitarian attempts to neutralize the creation order appeal.