Search — Theology Explorer

Genesis 1 Peter 3:5-6 Genesis 1 Peter 3:5-6 Peter Davids

Rebuttal: Every element about Sarah in 1 Peter 3 is found in Genesis

Mike refutes Davids' reliance on extra-biblical sources.

Peter Davids Testament of Abraham E.P. Sanders

Problems with Davids' reliance on the Testament of Abraham

Mike conducts detailed analysis of the extra-biblical source Davids relies on.

Ephesians 5:21-22 Craig Keener Ephesians 5:21-22 husband's submission

Keener and egalitarians find husband's submission in two places

Mike identifies where egalitarians claim to find the husband submitting.

BDAG hypotasso lexical definition

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

Mike appeals to the authoritative Greek lexicon.

Craig Keener Aristotle household codes

Keener gives only one ancient source (Aristotle's Politics) for slavery-marriage connection

Mike investigates Keener's evidence from ancient household codes.

Aristotle Politics (Aristotle) different bases for authority

Aristotle quote: 'the free man rules over the slave after another manner from that in which the man rules over the female'

Mike finds a decisive Aristotle quote that refutes the slavery-marriage parallel.

Craig Keener Kevin Giles NT slavery-marriage parallel

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.

Linda Belleville Two Views on Women in Ministry Huldah

Linda Belleville says Huldah's renown as a religious counselor was such that Josiah's advisors sought her out specifically.

Third egalitarian quote on Huldah

Judges 4:4-5 Deborah Judges 4:4-5 divine appointment

One complementarian source claims Deborah wasn't appointed by God since the text doesn't say so specifically — Mike rejects this as wrong.

Rebutting a fringe complementarian argument

1 Corinthians 15 Romans 5 typology priesthood 1 Corinthians 15

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

women in ministry methodology comprehensive biblical view

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

Philip Payne kephale source meaning

The hairstyle view: Philip Payne's interpretation of 1 Corinthians 11

Mike presents the second of five interpretive approaches.

1 Corinthians 11:11-12 Philip Payne egalitarianism 1 Corinthians 11:11-12

Payne on verses 11-12: Paul repudiates hierarchy of man over woman

Mike presents how Payne makes the passage actively egalitarian.

kephale Craig Keener source meaning

Keener: kephale means 'source' or if 'authority' then only cultural authority

Mike details Keener's handling of verse 3.

1 Corinthians 11:9 Craig Keener translation comparison 1 Corinthians 11:9

Keener translates verse 9 as 'through' instead of 'for the sake of,' absorbing it into verse 8

Mike identifies Keener's handling of the problematic verse 9.

interpolation textual criticism W. Walker Jr.

Question 1: Does this passage belong in the Bible? The interpolation argument

Mike begins addressing the 14 questions, starting with textual authenticity.

Ephesians 5 1 Corinthians 11:11-12 Philip Payne kephale Ephesians 5

Push back on kephale as 'source': even if source, it still implies authority; verses 11-12 prove too much

Mike addresses two independent problems with the source interpretation.

Plutarch Elaine Fantham Valerius Maximus

Plutarch's error about older customs doesn't invalidate his knowledge of his own time

Mike addresses Plutarch's misunderstanding about pre-150 BC customs.

Juvenal Ovid Roman hairstyles

Other ancient sources on hairstyles (Juvenal, Ovid) don't refute head coverings

Mike addresses evidence sometimes cited against head covering customs.

1 Corinthians 11:9 Philip Payne Craig Keener 1 Corinthians 11:9

Egalitarians consistently ignore or absorb verse 9 into verse 8

Mike demonstrates the pattern of egalitarian avoidance of verse 9.

1 Corinthians 11:15 Tom Schreiner doxa 1 Corinthians 11:15

Tom Schreiner's consistent interpretation of glory as 'honor' works for both uses

Mike presents what he considers the best interpretation of glory.

Mark Goodacre Troy Martin peribolaion Mark Goodacre

Martin's two ancient sources for peribolaion meaning testicle: Achilles Tatius and Euripides

Mike examines Martin's evidence for the word meaning.

Mark Goodacre translation comparison Troy Martin peribolaion

Euripides source: all published translations use clothing metaphor, not testicle

Mike examines the second and stronger piece of evidence.

textual criticism Gordon Fee A.C. Wire

The displacement manuscripts likely derive from a single source

Mike explains that the handful of manuscripts with relocated verses may trace back to one scribal change.

manuscript D manuscript F manuscript G

A.C. Wire's analysis showing the displacement manuscripts are connected

Wire demonstrated that every displacement manuscript is either a Greek-Latin bilingual or Latin text with traceable connections.

Craig Keener Paul, Women and Wives education view

Craig Keener's version of the education view

Mike presents Craig Keener's more balanced version of the education interpretation.

Craig Keener Plutarch ancient lecture etiquette

Ancient sources on disrupting lectures with uninformed questions

Mike acknowledges the historical evidence Keener cites about lecture decorum.

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.

Mike Winger idea 2024-03-01

What surprised Mike most: how bad egalitarian arguments are

Mike shares his biggest surprise from the research project.

scholarly methodology egalitarian arguments historical reconstruction

Mike Winger idea 2024-03-01

Analogy to overturned German scholarship on the Gospels and Greek myths

Mike argues that entire schools of scholarly thought can be wrong and get overturned.

German scholarship Gospel origins anti-Semitism in scholarship

Mike Winger idea 2024-03-01

Ephesians 5:23 — headship extends to all marriages, not just Adam and Eve

Mike shows NT application of headship to marriage in general.

Colossians Ephesians 5:23 1 Peter 3:1 kephale headship mutual submission

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Three sources of prophecy in Scripture: from God, from Satan (false prophets), and from the prophet's own heart — the third type is what characterizes most Bethel prophecy

Mike introduces a biblical taxonomy of prophetic sources from Jeremiah and Ezekiel

Jeremiah 23:16 Ezekiel 13:2 prophecy false prophecy Jeremiah 23:16

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Jeremiah 23:16 — prophets prophesying 'a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord'

Mike cites the specific Jeremiah text that establishes the third category of prophecy

Jeremiah 23:16 Jeremiah 23:25-26 prophecy false prophecy Jeremiah 23:16

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Ezekiel 13:2 — 'prophesy against the prophets who prophesy out of their own heart'

Mike cites a second OT prophet condemning heart-sourced prophecy

Ezekiel 13:2 prophecy false prophecy Ezekiel 13:2

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-31

Unlike the Book of Mormon (golden plates taken away), the Book of Abraham papyri CAN be tested — this is unique

The Book of Abraham as a uniquely testable LDS truth claim

translation comparison Joseph Smith testability of religious claims

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-31

LDS apologist argument #2: the 'Long Scroll Theory' — a different, longer, lost scroll within the same collection contained the real Book of Abraham source

Second main LDS apologetic response

Book of Abraham Great Chicago Fire Joseph Smith Papyri

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-21

The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses — eight men — functions as an authoritative, controlling body that issues binding rules for all JWs worldwide.

Mike introduces the Governing Body as the source of the blood transfusion doctrine, explaining the organizational structure of the JW movement.

Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower Governing Body

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-21

The allowance of fractions proves the Governing Body is a man-led organization doing damage control rather than applying consistent biblical interpretation.

Mike argues the logic of permitting fractions while banning their source components exposes the arbitrary, human origin of the policy.

Governing Body blood fractions doctrinal hypocrisy

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-21

Conservative estimate based on four New Zealand hospitals (2016): approximately 1,200 JW deaths per year from blood transfusion refusal — about 3 per day.

Mike cites a specific published estimate to give concrete scale to JW transfusion-refusal deaths.

ajwr.org Advocates for Jehovah's Witness Reform on Blood JW blood transfusion death toll

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

Q&A: Is Revelation linear? Where do the Two Witnesses fit in the timeline?

Question from William Toy.

Revelation premillennialism Revelation Two Witnesses

Joseph Smith King Follett Sermon prophetic inspiration

The King Follett Sermon: delivered April 7, 1844 at a funeral with ~20,000 present; Joseph Smith claimed to speak under inspiration to 'all ye ends of the earth.'

Mike introduces the King Follett Sermon as the primary documentary source for Mormon theology about the nature of God.

Book of Abraham creation by organization ex nihilo creation

Mormon view: matter is eternal; God only organized pre-existing matter. The Book of Abraham uses 'organized' rather than 'created.'

The Mormon doctrine of creation directly contradicts ex nihilo — in LDS theology, God is not the source of matter itself.

hermeneutics Joseph Smith creation ex nihilo

Joseph Smith's claim that 'bara' means 'organize' is inaccurate; traditional Jewish and Christian scholarship has consistently supported ex nihilo creation.

Mike briefly rebuts Smith's Hebrew argument, pointing to the scholarly consensus and encouraging viewers to research it themselves.

Joseph Smith evidence-based faith epistemology

Strategy for reaching Mormons: question the reliability of the 'burning in the bosom' as a source of truth, then lead them toward evidence-based epistemology.

Mike describes his personal approach to engaging Mormons who are emotionally committed to their 'testimony.'

Mormon cosmology infinite regression divine infinity

Philosophical Q&A: Why is infinite regression of gods illogical but an infinite God is not? — because infinite regression refers to an infinite series of events, not to God's nature.

Viewer question: 'Why is infinite regression illogical but an infinite God is not?'

infinite regression Hilbert's Hotel philosophy of religion

Hilbert's Hotel: a philosophical thought experiment demonstrating the impossibility of an actual infinite series — recommended as a resource.

Mike points viewers to Hilbert's Hotel as a philosophical demonstration of why infinite regression is impossible.