Search — Theology Explorer

eldership gender roles egalitarianism

Definition of egalitarianism: equality in both personhood and role, with no limits on what women can do in the church including serving as elders.

Framing the debate — defining key terms

bypassing scripture patriarchy egalitarianism

Mistake #3: Believing it is the 'evils of patriarchy' that must be fought — egalitarians who frame complementarians as patriarchalists use privilege/power language to bypass scripture.

Mistake #3: Evils of patriarchy

bypassing scripture biblical authority Rebecca Merrill Groothuis

Even if Groothuis is right philosophically, her conclusion explicitly blocks Bible reading — she says there can be 'no biblical or theological warrant' for women's submission, which pre-determines what the Bible is allowed to say.

Mistake #4: How Groothuis's argument bypasses scripture

bypassing scripture Philip Payne biblical authority

Both Groothuis and Payne's philosophical arguments kill Bible study by leaving only two options: the Bible supports egalitarianism, or the Bible is wrong.

Mistake #4: Conclusion

bypassing scripture egalitarianism abuse arguments

Abuse can be addressed without proving egalitarians are right — let egalitarians be right because of biblical arguments, not extra-biblical ones. This was probably the biggest reason Mike did not become egalitarian.

Mistake #5: Conclusion

bypassing scripture logical consistency

The reverse would also be invalid: blaming egalitarians for divorce rates and dysfunctional homes would equally bypass scripture.

Mistake #5: Showing the argument works both ways

God's PR department biblical submission intellectual honesty

Three commitments: (3) Mike will not be 'God's PR department' — he will not avoid truths or fail to confront false beliefs to make Christianity palatable.

Three things Mike will NOT do in this series

Mike Winger idea 2022-03-14

Introduction to part 2 of Women in Ministry series, framing it as a month-long research project engaging deeply with egalitarian views.

Series introduction and framing

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2022-03-14

Definition of complementarian and egalitarian positions in the debate over women in ministry.

Framing the two sides of the debate

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2022-04-13

Introduction to the Women in Ministry series part 4

Mike introduces this as part 4 of his exhaustive series on women in ministry, covering everything the Bible says and engaging every egalitarian argument he can find.

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2022-04-13

Complementarian vs. egalitarian views on women's roles summarized

Mike recaps the two major positions before diving into the evidence.

1 Timothy women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2022-04-13

Alternate egalitarian view: occasional women in highest roles, restrictions are cultural not universal

Mike identifies a second egalitarian position in the literature.

women in ministry egalitarianism cultural accommodation

complementarianism egalitarianism women as apostles

Series overview: Were women apostles in the New Testament?

Mike introduces part 5 of the Women in Ministry series, focused on the claim that women were apostles.

1 Timothy 2 1 Corinthians 11 egalitarianism 1 Timothy 2 1 Corinthians 11

Two egalitarian views on women apostles

Mike outlines the two egalitarian arguments that will be addressed in this video.

Romans 16:7 egalitarianism Craig Keener Romans 16:7

Craig Keener's three arguments for Junia as apostle

Mike introduces egalitarian scholar Craig Keener's case.

soft complementarianism Craig Blomberg elder restriction

Soft complementarianism restricts only the elder role to men

Mike defines the soft complementarian position.

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

Introduction: Mike feared he had not heard the best egalitarian arguments

Mike explains why he avoided answering women-in-ministry questions for years — he worried he had not been exposed to strong egalitarian arguments due to his complementarian upbringing.

complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

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.

soft complementarianism complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

Argument 4 introduced: The prophecy argument — if women prophesied, they can teach and be elders

Mike introduces the fourth and one of the more challenging arguments. Women prophesied, prophecy is a high role with authority, therefore women can teach and be elders.

prophecy argument women prophesying

Galatians 3:28 egalitarianism Galatians 3:28 silver bullet argument

Introduction of Galatians 3:28 as the egalitarian 'silver bullet' verse

Mike frames the entire video around a single verse that many egalitarians treat as decisive for their entire case on women in ministry.

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Definition of the two sides: complementarian and egalitarian

Mike defines the two major positions in the women in ministry debate for his audience.

soft complementarianism women apostles

Series recap: Videos 5-6 and complementarians also receiving correction

Mike positions himself as correcting both sides, though more strongly opposing egalitarianism.

Philip Payne Discovering Biblical Equality Cynthia Long Westfall

Decision to focus analysis on Cynthia Westfall's chapter in Discovering Biblical Equality

Mike explains why he chose Westfall's work as the primary egalitarian argument to engage.

internal egalitarian disagreement cultural argument status in Christ

Internal contradiction between egalitarian camps: cultural restrictions vs. status-in-Christ arguments

Mike identifies a tension within egalitarianism.

circular reasoning critical theory presuppositions driving conclusions

Critical theory lens produces egalitarianism because that is what it starts with

Mike summarizes the causal relationship between presuppositions and conclusions.

kephale egalitarianism male headship

Introduction: The Bible clearly states husbands are the head of their wives

Mike introduces the topic of male headship, stating this is a deeply researched video on whether husbands being the head of their wives is truly biblical.

kephale egalitarianism headship

Egalitarian tactic: redefine 'head' (kephale) to mean something other than authority

Mike explains the egalitarian strategy regarding kephale in the headship debate.

egalitarianism authority in marriage marriage and ministry connection

Egalitarians avoid discussing marriage implications of their women-in-ministry position

Mike argues that egalitarian views on church leadership necessarily affect marriage theology but proponents often avoid the marriage discussion.

kephale complementarianism egalitarianism

Egalitarian claim: kephale means 'source' only, not authority; complementarian claim: it includes authority

Mike lays out the two positions in the debate.

research methodology footnote verification scholarly accountability

Mike's research journey: initially open to egalitarianism, checking footnotes revealed bad information

Mike describes the process that solidified his complementarian position.

complementarianism egalitarianism marriage authority

Central question of the video: Does the Bible teach an authority imbalance in marriage?

Mike frames the core question for the entire video, distinguishing it from the simpler question of whether wives should submit.

egalitarianism mutual submission cultural accommodation

Three main egalitarian arguments against husband authority in marriage

Mike outlines the egalitarian case before presenting his own view.

egalitarianism cultural influence on theology

Egalitarian view of marriage gaining popularity primarily in westernized First World countries

Mike notes the cultural context of the debate's popularity.

Ephesians 5 self-sacrificial love Ephesians 5 Paul's cultural distinctiveness

How Paul IS different from his culture (complementarian distinctives)

Mike distinguishes Paul's teaching from both Roman culture and egalitarianism.

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Introduction to part 3 of the Women in Ministry series, covering an exhaustive study on all the Bible teaches on the topic.

Series introduction and framing

complementarianism egalitarianism elder

Definitions of egalitarian and complementarian positions.

Setting up key terms for the discussion

Linda Belleville complementarianism egalitarianism

The worst complementarian approach is to ignore OT women; egalitarians tend to maximize and stretch the data, exemplified by Linda Belleville.

Critique of both sides' handling of OT evidence

Linda Belleville Tom Schreiner Two Views on Women in Ministry

Linda Belleville's view on Miriam from the Two Views on Women in Ministry book.

Presenting the egalitarian case for Miriam

Deborah complementarianism egalitarianism

A female leader may indicate preference for male leadership but not exclusion of female leadership; both egalitarians and complementarians stretch Deborah.

Framing the Deborah debate

complementarianism egalitarianism Aimee Byrd

Mike's assessment: 'Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood' preaches well but continually distorts the text; egalitarian scholars' handling of Scripture drove him deeper into complementarianism.

Overall assessment of Byrd's book and the egalitarian case

1 Kings 21 egalitarianism Jezebel Ahab

Jezebel: one egalitarian argues she ruled with more authority than her husband Ahab, and her role was 'accepted.'

Examining Jezebel as an egalitarian example

egalitarianism priesthood ceremonial uncleanness

Mike fully rejects the ceremonial uncleanness explanation — no merit, no positive verse supporting it, and four-five reasons against it.

Summary rejection of the uncleanness view

egalitarianism priesthood discernment

Both egalitarian explanations for the priesthood ban seem forced; Mike wanted to become egalitarian but was driven away by poor Scripture handling.

Assessment of egalitarian priesthood arguments

Deborah complementarianism egalitarianism

Overall conclusions: egalitarians fail to make a positive case (partly by stretching Scripture); complementarians fail to rule out all women in all leadership.

Final conclusions from the study

1 Corinthians 11 complementarianism egalitarianism 1 Corinthians 11

Goals: understand major and minor debates, hear points for and against each view

Mike frames the video as part of his Women in Ministry series addressing complementarian vs. egalitarian views.

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 headship decisive argument

The kephale question is decisive: if it implies authority, egalitarianism cannot hold for this passage

Mike states his definitive conclusion on question 3.