Search — Theology Explorer

Junia cultural accommodation Pentecost

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

Mike identifies an internal contradiction in egalitarian reasoning.

soft complementarianism female deacons women's roles in NT

Mike's conclusions on women's roles: high view of women but not apostles

Mike begins his summary conclusions for the video.

soft complementarianism elder restriction

Soft complementarianism is Mike's conclusion from the evidence

Mike names his overall position.

1 Timothy 3:8-13 1 Timothy 3:8-13 deacon qualifications female deacons

Pushback from previous video on female deacons and 1 Timothy 3:8-13

Mike responds to viewer objections about women as deacons.

1 Timothy 3:11 Romans 16:1 1 Timothy 3:12-13 Phoebe husband of one wife 1 Timothy 3:11

Verses 12-13 are about men, verse 11 is about women — not gender neutral

Mike clarifies the structure of the 1 Timothy 3 passage on deacons.

Pliny the Younger Emperor Trajan Pliny's letter to Trajan

Pliny's letter to Trajan: early evidence of female deaconesses (c. 110 AD)

Mike provides extra-biblical historical evidence for female deacons.

spiritual gifts prophecy argument priesthood of all believers

Preview of next video: prophecy argument, gifts arguments, universal priesthood

Mike previews the topics for part 6 of the series.

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

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.

eldership universal priesthood of believers

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

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

Mike explains that the concept of a special clerical priesthood arose from culture and church history, not from the NT or apostolic teaching.

presbyter priesthood Roman Catholicism

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

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.

Discovering Biblical Equality universal priesthood of believers Stanley Grenz

Mike Winger idea 2022-06-20

Series recap: Videos 3-4 and Mike's assessment of egalitarian scholarship

Continued series overview with editorial commentary on the quality of egalitarian biblical scholarship.

Deborah priesthood women in Old Testament

1 Corinthians 11:3 Ephesians 5:23 kephale BDAG 1 Corinthians 11:3

BDAG lexicon (2000): kephale denotes 'superior rank,' cites 1 Cor 11:3 and Eph 5:23; no mention of 'source'

Mike surveys the most respected NT lexicon first.

kephale Word Study Dictionary of the NT chief/subordinate

Word Study Dictionary of the NT (1993): kephale means 'head, chief one to whom others are subordinate'

Mike surveys the second lexicon.

Ephesians 5:23 kephale hierarchy Ephesians 5:23

Exegetical Dictionary of the NT (1990): kephale refers to 'hierarchy of God, Christ, man, woman' — sovereignty in Eph 5:23

Mike surveys the EDNT.

kephale Greek-English Dictionary of the NT lord/superior rank

Greek-English Dictionary of the NT (1993): kephale means 'lord, head of superior rank'

Mike surveys the GED.

kephale Septuagint LEH Septuagint Lexicon

LEH Greek-English Lexicon of the Septuagint (2003): kephale means 'leader' — no mention of source

Mike surveys the LEH Septuagint lexicon.

1 Corinthians 11:3 kephale 1 Corinthians 11:3 Analytical Lexicon of the Greek NT

Analytical Lexicon of the Greek NT (2000): kephale means 'first or superior rank' — cites 1 Cor 11:3

Mike surveys the Analytical Lexicon.

kephale Pocket Lexicon of NT Greek ruler/lord

Pocket Lexicon of NT Greek (1917): kephale means 'head, ruler, or lord' — cites 1 Cor 11:3

Mike surveys the oldest lexicon in his sample.

kephale TDNT determinative member

TDNT (1964): kephale means 'first, supreme, prominent, outstanding, determinative'; acknowledges source for rivers but includes subjection

Mike surveys the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament.

Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

BDAG lexicon definition of hypotasso: 'to cause to be in a submissive relationship, to subject, to subordinate'

Mike appeals to the authoritative Greek lexicon.

BDAG hypotasso lexical definition

Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

Two reasons Keener connects slavery and marriage: ancient codes and NT parallels

Mike identifies the two pillars of the slavery-marriage connection.

Craig Keener household codes slavery-marriage parallel

Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

Keener claims the NT bases slave obedience on same principles as wifely submission -- but never demonstrates this

Mike addresses the second pillar of the slavery objection.

Craig Keener Kevin Giles NT slavery-marriage parallel

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 2022-12-04

Manuscript 88 is a 12th-century copy and carries little weight

Mike addresses the outlier manuscript 88 which does not fit the same connected manuscript tradition.

textual criticism manuscript 88 A.C. Wire

Mike Winger idea 2022-12-04

D.A. Carson: every NT use of this particle in analogous constructions reinforces what precedes it

Mike presents Carson's comprehensive conclusion about the Greek particle.

Matthew 20:15 D.A. Carson e/eta (disjunctive particle) Thayer's lexicon

Mike Winger idea 2023-11-22

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

Mike Winger idea 2023-11-22

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 1 Timothy 2:12 authenteo hapax legomenon

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Bill Johnson misinterprets Acts 2:42 — 'the Apostles' teaching' — to mean fresh contemporary apostolic revelation, not the New Testament

Mike analyzes a specific Bill Johnson teaching on Acts 2:42 and its theological implications

Acts 2:42 Bill Johnson hermeneutics Acts 2:42

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Revelation 2:22-23 — Jesus threatens to cast a false teacher into a sick bed and kill her followers: direct scriptural refutation of Johnson's 'God cannot give sickness' claim

Mike cites a key New Testament text to disprove Johnson's theology from within the very Jesus-focused framework Johnson uses

Revelation 2:22-23 Bill Johnson healing theology Revelation 2:22-23

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-31

Canonical closure argument: the New Testament closes the canon — there is no room for a new book of scripture

Theological argument against the LDS claim to new scripture

Jeremiah 31 Mormonism Islam Book of Abraham

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

David Mead's third Scripture abuse: Genesis 7:4 'seventeenth day of the second month' read as the year 2017

Mead takes Noah's ark entry date from Genesis 7 and treats it as a numerological code predicting the year 2017.

Genesis 7:4 false prophecy David Mead numerology

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

The Second Coming is by design unexpected; Christians differ from the world not in knowing the date but in being ready

Mike draws the practical theological conclusion from 2 Peter 3.

Second Coming eschatology thief in the night

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

Reason 2: Future prophecy is extremely challenging — Revelation requires knowledge of the whole Old Testament

Second reason people are vulnerable to false predictions.

Revelation Isaiah Jeremiah hermeneutics Old Testament prophecy interpretation

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Christian and Mormon concepts of God are mutually exclusive — not just different perspectives but contradictory definitions of what God is.

Mike wraps up the 'God' vocabulary section by emphasizing the incompatibility is categorical, not merely a difference of emphasis.

Mormonism vs. Christianity doctrine of God blasphemy

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Luke 7:29 — tax collectors 'justified God' proves 'justified' can mean vindicated/validated, not salvifically made righteous

Key proof text showing non-theological use of 'justified' in the New Testament without needing Greek knowledge

Luke 7:29 semantic range dikaioo justification

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Q&A — Why didn't God send each country a Bible in their own language to prevent mistranslation?

Follow-up question on biblical reliability and translation

hermeneutics biblical inerrancy Bible translation

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Q&A — How to approach a Catholic on purgatory: make salvation and justification the main issue, not purgatory

Practical apologetics advice for engaging Catholics

justification by faith sola fide purgatory

resurrection alternate theories conspiracy theory (resurrection)

Conspiracy theory: the disciples deliberately stole or fabricated the empty tomb story

Seventh alternate theory — described as the oldest, going back to first-century opponents of Christianity

resurrection crucifixion post-resurrection appearances

Swoon theory refuted by facts A, I, and V: the description of crucifixion, the nature of post-resurrection appearances, and the disciples' bold willingness to die

Systematic refutation of the swoon theory using the ALIVE facts

New Testament resurrection historical method

Response to 'you can't use the Bible': the Bible is actually 66 documents by multiple authors over hundreds of years and is treated as historical documents by secular historians

Common objection addressed — that the resurrection case is circular because it relies on the Bible

apostolos the Twelve New Testament

The word 'apostle' has two meanings in Scripture: one who walked with Jesus, and the broader sense of a sent-out missionary

Q&A — response to George Cook's question about which apostles met Jesus in person

Markan priority New Testament Gospel origins Markan priority

Which Gospel was written first — Mike defers to scholarly consensus and warns of the 'house of cards' nature of Gospel dating arguments

Q&A — Cam Spears's question about Gospel authorship dates

Hebrews authorship New Testament Paul the Apostle Pauline authorship

Question from 'Pine Creek Doug': do you accept the scholarly consensus that six of Paul's letters are forgeries? — Mike does not accept this

Q&A — atheist YouTuber Doug from 'Pine Creek' asks about Pauline authorship

Hebrews authorship Hebrews New Testament Paul the Apostle Hebrews authorship

Hebrews is not attributed to Paul by Mike; all other epistles he considers genuinely Pauline

Mike's personal view on Hebrews authorship within the Pauline authorship discussion

New Testament Gospel historicity

Mike answers 'no' when asked whether any factual claim in the Gospels probably didn't occur

Q&A — Cam Spears's question about Gospel historicity