Obedience is not a secondary issue

The article argues that the restriction on women serving as pastors, grounded in 1 Timothy 2:12, is not a secondary or debatable theological issue but a plain obedience issue. The author contends Paul's prohibition is rooted in creation order (not culture), making it transcultural and non-negotiable, and that egalitarian interpretations require "obliterating" what Paul plainly says. The piece ends with a challenge to egalitarians: what does obedience or disobedience to this passage actually look like?

What Winger Presently Gets Wrong: The Head Covering Debates (1 Cor 11)

Response to Mike Winger's Women in Ministry Part 10 on the head covering debates in 1 Corinthians 11

The context surrounding John 6

In explaining the meaning of John 6, we need to pay close attention to the context surrounding John 6 as well as the relevant context from the entire book of John. Here are some verses that are HIGHLY relevant and some questions for you to ponder.

For whom did Jesus die? 13 Biblical witnesses on Christ’s death

For whom did Jesus die? here are two questions of great importance for both Calvinists and non-Calvinists alike. After the two questions and answers, I would like to give a challenge to Calvinists.

All who are drawn come to Jesus? John 6:44

In my last post , I showed that Scripture must not be taken out of context by making the word “draw” mean “drag” in John 6:44.

The Path Of The Last Adam

The path of the last Adam was a path that took Him from Heaven to earth, from the earth to the grave and from the grave to resurrection power on display as our  Lord, Savior and King. But a study in contrast with the first Adam shows us the stark contrast to the faithfulness that the last Adam offer

Can Complementarians Agree To Disagree

I sent a copy of our DVD “Women in Ministry Silenced or Set Free. ” to the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood in February of 2006 and this summer I finally received a response

@BeardedPresby @CherylSchatz Sure says something when you basically quote John 3

@BeardedPresby @CherylSchatz Sure says something when you basically quote John 3:16 and people think it is blasphemy. You need to unravel your Calvinist indoctrination. Believe me, it will make much

@MikeWingerii MikeW (Calvary Chapel)⎯where in the Bible do we find that God gives Adam authority over Eve? According to John the Baptist, "A person can receive only what is given them from heaven." (John 3:27) Where did God give Adam authority over...

@MikeWingerii MikeW (Calvary Chapel)⎯where in the Bible do we find that God gives Adam authority over Eve? According to John the Baptist, "A person can receive only what is given them from heaven." (

Ephesians 5:18-33

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

John 6:37

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

1 John 2:2

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

Hebrews 2:9

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis

John 3:16

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis

John 12:32

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis

Romans 8:28-30

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

Titus 2:11

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis

John 5:18-23

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

John 17:5

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

κόσμος (kosmos)

world, created order, humanity

Winger affirms that the red-letter convention in printed Bibles is an English editorial addition, not a mark of verbatim quotation. Greek manuscripts have no quotation marks. The Gospel writers sometimes paraphrase Jesus, not always quote him directly — but the text faithfully records what Jesus said and intended. The ambiguous boundary between Jesus's words and John's commentary (e.g., John 3) is offered as an example.

John 3:1-3 — Jesus tells Nicodemus (a devout Pharisee) he must be 'born again'

Mike turns to Jesus's own words to a religious Jew as the direct scriptural answer

John 3:6 — born of flesh vs. born of Spirit: the new birth is spiritual, not physical

Jesus explains what 'born again' means to Nicodemus

Q&A: Connection between belief and obedience in John 3:36 — belief leads to obedience; lack of obedience implies lack of faith

Viewer question from Jacob Englet about John 3:36 and James 2:14-26.

1 John 3:4 — "sin is lawlessness" — Hebrew Roots argument: lawlessness = breaking Torah, therefore sin = breaking Torah, therefore obeying Torah is mandatory

Mike walks through the Hebrew Roots syllogism built on 1 John 3:4 in step-by-step form.

Greek term anomia (lawlessness) does not exclusively mean violation of the Mosaic law — it has diverse NT usage

Mike makes a focused philological argument about the Greek word anomia.

Reading 1 John in context: the commandment John has in view is love and faith in Jesus Christ, not the Mosaic law

Mike does a sustained contextual reading of 1 John 2 and 3 to determine what John meant by "commandments."

John 3:13 — "No one has ascended" does not necessarily contradict Elijah's translation

Viewer asking about John 3:13 and its apparent contradiction with Elijah ascending

The word 'law' in 1 John 3:4 does not specifically mean the Mosaic law but any law or command God has revealed; Gentiles had moral law before Moses

Response to question about whether Christians must keep the Mosaic Sabbath since sin is the transgression of the law

Q&A: 1 John 3:4 — "sin is lawlessness" refers to transgression of God's commands broadly, not specifically the Law of Moses

Response to a Hebrew Roots proof text

1 John's own usage of 'world' across multiple verses defines the term as the ungodly — not scattered believers

Winger grounds the interpretation of 'world' in 1 John 2:2 by examining how the same author uses the word elsewhere in 1 John.

Matthew 11:28 and John 3:16-17: Jesus's actual advice — come to me; God sent Son to save not judge

What Jesus would actually say to sinners

Verse-by-verse: v. 12 — "face to face" and "know fully even as I am fully known" point to the eschatological vision of God, not completion of Scripture; confirmed by 1 John 3:2 and 1 Cor 8:3.

Winger's positive exegesis of v. 12, identifying "the perfect" with the second coming/resurrection state. He cross-references 1 John 3:2 and 1 Cor 8:3.

Objection 2 answered: Jesus did not fail — his goal was to die for all so that whoever believes is saved

Mike rebuts the "failure of the Son" argument.

1 John 3:1 and 3:13 — "world" in the same letter refers to those who do not know God

Mike surveys other uses of kosmos in 1 John to establish the author's usage.

Q&A: Does God have divine hatred? — Yes, Scripture affirms it, alongside God's love

Viewer question from Johnny

Assurance of salvation can fluctuate but does not determine a Christian's actual standing before God

Q&A: personal and pastoral reflections on assurance of salvation

A Christian can struggle with addiction and still be born again; Christians struggle with sin

Q from Christian Liang about whether an addiction sufferer can be born again and saved.

Being saved, having eternal life, and entering the kingdom of God are all part of the same package (John 3:3)

Part of the same question from Christian Liang asking whether one can be saved and have eternal life but not enter the kingdom.

1 John 3:19-20 — God is greater than our condemning heart and knows everything

Additional passage addressing the fear and self-condemnation of the questioner

Anxiety about the afterlife hinders prayer and joy; confidence before God enables effective prayer

Pastoral application of the 1 John 3 text

John 3:5 "born of water and the Spirit": Mike defers to Michael Heiser's podcast work placing this in its Jewish context

Question from Jesse Crocus about whether "born of water" in John 3:5 refers to water baptism, physical birth, or something else

1 John 3:6 — "keeps on sinning" does not mean Christians reach sinlessness

Q from Nat Atheist about Christians who use 1 John 3:6 to argue for progressive sinlessness/perfectionism.

John 3 born-again analogy: the Calvinist 'you don't choose to be born' argument is overextended

Question from Chris Glynn about whether John 3's born-again analogy implies no human choice in regeneration.

Many ways to interpret the Bible — but the most important truths are plainly clear

Continuing Q14 on Bible interpretation and despair

Q16: Bart Ehrman's claim that John 3 "born again" wordplay couldn't have occurred in Aramaic — Jesus spoke Greek

Response to viewer citing Bart Ehrman's argument about John 3 and language

Nicodemus likely spoke Greek to Jesus for secrecy — eliminating the Ehrman problem

Concluding Q16 on John 3 and Greek

1 John 3:20-21 — God is greater than our condemning heart; confidence before God is the mature Christian posture

Mike continues the fear-of-death answer, noting many Christians are condemned not by actual rebellion but by vague fear.

John 3:16-18 — condemnation precedes unbelief; unbelief leaves you in existing condemnation

Scriptural support for the pit analogy.

How can God love the world and also hate sinners? Psalm 5:5 and Proverbs 6:16-19

Fly Serve Disciples asks how God can love the whole world (John 3:16) while Psalm 5:5 says God hates evildoers.