Search — Theology Explorer

thinking biblically Mike Winger

Mike's stated goal is to teach people how to think biblically rather than just declaring what is true, enabling independent biblical reasoning.

Series introduction — Mike's teaching philosophy

women in ministry women pastors practical application

Despite being secondary, this issue has massive practical impact on women's ministry, marriage, church choice, and which teachers to follow.

Why this topic matters practically

women deacons Krista Bontrager Jen Wilkin

Exploring the range of practical questions: women as deacons, youth leaders, worship leaders, and non-pastoral teachers like Krista Bontrager and Jen Wilkin.

Scope of practical questions raised by this debate

complementarianism Alisa Childers women in online ministry

Women bloggers, podcasters, and YouTubers like Alisa Childers raise the same questions — she has more impact than most pastors.

Scope of practical questions raised by this debate

women in ministry pastoral sensitivity false teacher accusation

Direct address to women in ministry: Mike is not questioning their hearts, impact, or calling them false teachers simply because they are women who teach.

Pastoral aside to women in ministry

bypassing scripture experience-based theology false teachers

Life experience bypasses scripture on both sides: 'A woman pastor ministered to me' (egalitarian) or 'Women have frequently been false teachers' (complementarian).

Mistake #1: Life experience overriding scripture

Rebecca Merrill Groothuis Levites prophets

Groothuis's rebuttal that prophets had more authority than Levites is a red herring — Levites were the regular, widespread spiritual authorities throughout Israel.

Mistake #4: Levite analogy — responding to Groothuis's counter

eldership Philip Payne equality in Christ

Mike's rebuttal to Payne: role differences are about God's calling/assignment, not nature or equality in Christ. Payne's logic would make eldership part of what it means to be Christian.

Mistake #4: Rebutting Payne

authority structures Ed Citronelli church abuse

Extending the analogy: church authority has been abused, boss-employee relationships have been abusive — should we abolish all authority structures?

Mistake #5: Rebuttal via analogy continued

submission cultural assumptions 1 Pet 5:5

Mistake #6: Thinking submission is inherently evil — submission was not a bad word in biblical culture, though it is in modern culture.

Mistake #6: Submission is inherently evil

hermeneutics scripture and culture Southern California

Three commitments: (1) Mike will not submit scripture to culture — neither progressive nor conservative cultural pressure.

Three things Mike will NOT do in this series

Elder, overseer, bishop, and presbyter are all the same biblical role

Mike clarifies terminology before discussing eldership requirements.

overseer episkopos elder

pastor vs. elder vs. deacon church terminology

The term 'pastor' is used in confusing ways; may describe deacon-level work

Mike distinguishes between the biblical office and modern church usage.

women in ministry mutual edification informal teaching

Balance: all believers should be open to learning from one another, including across genders

Mike offers a balanced complementarian application.

women in ministry complementarian overcorrection spiritual gifts

Women gifted for ministry hold back in complementarian churches due to fear

Mike describes a pastoral observation.

pastor vs. elder vs. deacon church terminology deacon authority

Deacons do whatever is needed as official church representatives; the 'pastor' label confusion

Mike completes his deacon definition.

Two Views on Women in Ministry Craig Blomberg deaconess history

Craig Blomberg on early church deaconesses: common for centuries with pastoral care and baptism roles

Mike cites historical support for women deacons.

Discovering Biblical Equality Stanley Grenz priestly character of eldership

Some complementarians argue eldership is priestly in character, therefore reserved for men — Mike rejects this

Mike introduces and then rejects a complementarian argument that the pastoral office is priestly and therefore male-only.

Discovering Biblical Equality universal priesthood of believers Stanley Grenz

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.

universal priesthood of believers ETS (Evangelical Theological Society)

Anecdote: Mike challenged a female complementarian scholar at ETS about the universal priesthood problem in her argument

A female egalitarian (corrected: complementarian) scholar argued that priesthood is masculine in character and therefore women cannot hold pastoral positions. Mike asked her about the universal priesthood of believers.

eldership Levitical priesthood

Arguments that current leadership is priestly in character are bad, but we can learn something from an all-male OT priesthood

Mike rejects the priestly-character-of-eldership argument but says there may still be relevant principles from the all-male Levitical priesthood.

Discovering Biblical Equality universal priesthood of believers Stanley Grenz

Grenz's positive case: whoever is a priest should be able to be an elder

After Grenz dismantles the complementarian argument, he builds his own: women are priests, therefore they can be elders.

1 Corinthians 12:7 Discovering Biblical Equality Stanley Grenz 1 Corinthians 12:7

Grenz argues the Spirit's sovereign call and gifting, not gender, determines who can be an elder

Grenz's more detailed argument: since the Spirit calls believer-priests to ministry, gender cannot be an overriding disqualifying factor.

Hebrews 6:19 Roman Catholicism mediation Hebrews 6:19

No special group of Christians should serve as a bridge to God's grace for other Christians

Mike argues against any form of priestly mediation within Christianity.

headship universal priesthood of believers complementarian correction

Correction for complementarians: the husband is NOT the priest of his home

Mike disagrees with many complementarians, including pastors he has respected, on this point.

1 Timothy 3 Titus 1 1 Timothy 3 Levitical priesthood eldership qualifications

Anticipated objection: if women could not be OT priests but are NT priests, why can't they hold the highest roles?

Mike addresses the challenge to his view: if women's exclusion from OT priesthood was about gender, and now they are priests, doesn't that prove they can have any role?

Ephesians 4:11-12 offices vs. gifts Ephesians 4:11-12 pastor-teacher

Ephesians 4:11-12 is about offices (apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds/teachers) not about gifts applicable to the question

Mike examines Ephesians 4 but determines it is about offices, not gifts.

women teaching practical ministry application

Women gifted in teaching should use that gift — find ways that honor biblical limitations

Mike counsels pastors on how to handle gifted women in their churches.

Calvary Chapel youth ministry gifts expressed outside eldership

Mike's personal example: he served as youth pastor for 13 years and never functioned as senior pastor, yet his gifts were not limited

Mike uses his own ministry experience to show that gifts can be fully expressed outside the senior elder role.

Colossians 3:16 Colossians 3:16 teaching gift necessary but not sufficient

Not everyone who teaches is an elder — an elder must be able to teach, but ability to teach does not require eldership

Mike makes the logical distinction between necessary and sufficient conditions.

ministry philosophy shaping roles around gifts

Ministry positions should be shaped around people's gifts, not forcing people into existing roles

Mike offers a practical ministry philosophy digression.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 Stanley Grenz gifts expressed outside eldership 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Grenz presumes (1) teaching and leadership can only find true expression in eldership — Mike disagrees

Mike identifies the first false premise in Grenz's argument.

etymology presbyter hiereus

The English word 'priest' comes from Greek 'presbyter' (elder), not the actual Greek word for priest

Mike explains etymological confusion between priest and elder.

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Church leadership is service, not a prize for personal fulfillment

Mike addresses a pastoral concern about how leadership is framed in the debate.

servant leadership eldership pastoral theology

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Definitions of egalitarian and complementarian positions.

Setting up key terms for the discussion

complementarianism egalitarianism elder

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Warning: head coverings can be a gateway into cults and weird teachings

Mike offers a pastoral warning to the head covering movement.

head covering movement cult dangers secondary issues

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Cultural pushback: eldership is not a bucket list item or self-fulfillment role

Mike addresses the Western cultural tendency to view pastoral ministry as a personal entitlement.

church order pastoral ministry as entitlement Western cultural bias

women in ministry eldership application

Overview of application questions this video will address

Mike introduces the video as the culmination of his 2+ year Women in Ministry project, listing specific questions about women's roles.

complementarianism egalitarianism pastoral accountability

Why Mike avoided the women in ministry topic for years

Mike shares the personal background of why he refused to address this topic for years, instructing his assistant Sarah to not send him questions about it.

eldership complementarianism image of God

Definition of complementarianism as the second position

Mike defines complementarianism and its spectrum.

scholarly methodology egalitarian arguments historical reconstruction

What surprised Mike most: how bad egalitarian arguments are

Mike shares his biggest surprise from the research project.

egalitarian denominations scholarly influence liberal theology

How egalitarian ideas spread through churches: scholars to pastors to congregations

Mike describes the pipeline of egalitarian influence.

women in ministry church roles elder definition

Transition to detailed guidelines for women in ministry — defining church roles

Mike shifts to the church ministry application section.

Ephesians 4:11 pastor title church role confusion Ephesians 4:11

Confusion of 'pastor' title across churches — example of 8 different pastor titles

Mike shows how the word 'pastor' has become muddied in modern church usage.

Ephesians 4:11 1 Peter 2:25 Hebrews 13:20 Ephesians 4:11 1 Peter 2:25 Hebrews 13:20

Definition of pastor: a shepherding/caretaking leadership term synonymous with elder

Mike defines how he uses the word 'pastor' based on scripture.

1 Timothy 3 Titus elder 1 Timothy 3 deacon

Only two ongoing official positions in NT: Elder and Deacon

Mike argues for a simpler church structure.

slippery slope title confusion church terminology

Using pastor as catch-all title creates a slippery slope toward egalitarianism

Mike warns about the practical consequences of loose terminology.

Recommendation: use Elder and Deacon as church titles, or Pastor synonymous with Elder

Mike gives practical church governance recommendations.

elder deaconess deacon

1 Timothy 2:12 1 Timothy 2:12 Billy Graham Greg Laurie

Stage evangelism (Billy Graham style) overlaps into elder function — applies 1 Timothy 2:12

Mike distinguishes casual evangelism from large-scale public proclamation.