Search — Theology Explorer

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

John Piper complementarianism Nancy Pearcey John Piper

For egalitarians these role questions are easy; for complementarians they require nuance. Examples include women theologians like Nancy Pearcey and the debate over women seminary teachers (John Piper opposes it).

Scope of practical questions raised by this debate

women deacons Junia women apostles

Video 4 will address women in the New Testament: women as apostles, elders, deacons, and teachers, including the Junia question.

Series overview and roadmap

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

Linda Belleville women apostles Craig Keener

Belleville claims female apostles, prophets, teachers, evangelists; Craig Keener agrees women held prominent roles

Mike continues presenting egalitarian scholarly claims.

Titus 1 John hosting vs. leading Timothy Titus

Additional arguments against host-as-leader: Timothy/Titus appointing elders, reductio ad absurdum examples

Mike piles on counter-evidence to the host-as-leader claim.

1 Timothy 3 1 Timothy 3 apostolic doctrine elder teaching role

Elders as official teachers carrying apostolic doctrine

Mike describes the teaching function of elders.

Phoebe letter carrier as teacher ancient letter customs

No proven ancient custom of letter carriers as teachers; practical challenges to the view

Mike concludes his examination of the letter-carrier argument.

Colossians 3:16 Philip Payne Colossians 3:16 teaching and admonishing

Philip Payne's argument from Colossians 3:16: all Christians should have a teaching ministry -- refuted

Mike addresses another egalitarian argument about women teachers.

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.

women apostles N.T. Wright women prophets

Preview of upcoming topics: apostles, universal priesthood, prophecy, spiritual gifts, NT Wright's arguments

Mike previews what will be covered in part 5.

1 Corinthians 12:28 apostles 1 Corinthians 12:28 kubernesis (administrating)

1 Corinthians 12:28 — 'administrating' (leadership) appears as a gift distinct from the office of teacher

Mike examines another gifts list.

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.

spiritual gifts argument gifts expressed outside eldership

Egalitarian claim that women are 'kept from serving God according to their gifting' is wrong — most gifted teachers are not elders

Mike rebuts the claim that restricting eldership means restricting women's gifts.

1 Corinthians 12:29-30 Philip Payne teaching ministry 1 Corinthians 12:29-30

1 Corinthians 12:29-30 — Paul's rhetorical questions show not everyone is supposed to teach

Mike cites Paul's own words against the idea that all Christians should have a teaching ministry.

Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

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

1 Corinthians 15 Romans 5 typology priesthood 1 Corinthians 15

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 2022-03-28

Preview of NT topics: Were women apostles, elders, deacons, teachers? Do female prophets mean women can be elders? Does God's gifting of women mean no role restrictions?

Preview of upcoming content

spiritual gifts prophetess women apostles

Mike Winger idea 2022-12-04

Education View Hinge 2: Why ALL women in EVERY church?

Mike presses the problem of universal scope for the education view.

Craig Keener universal scope women elders

Mike Winger idea 2022-12-04

Brief refutation of the 'women as teachers' interpretation

Mike quickly dismisses the view that 'keep silent' refers to women teaching.

1 Corinthians 14 context women teaching view 1 Corinthians 14 context

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.

1 Timothy 2:12 1 Timothy 2:12 egalitarian arguments authenteo

Failed egalitarian arguments against Pillar 2

Mike lists and dismisses various egalitarian counter-arguments.

soft complementarianism patriarchalism application spectrum

The big question: how far do we draw the application beyond marriage and eldership?

Mike frames the central application question of the video.

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.

women ministry leaders authority over male workers organic role expansion

Women leading children's/women's ministries with men under them: probably okay but requires wisdom

Mike addresses women overseeing ministries that include male workers.

capacity vs role creational distinctions maleness and femaleness

Role restrictions are NOT based on women's capacity, intelligence, or gifting

Mike rebuts the idea that women are restricted because they're less capable.

Mike Winger idea 2023-11-22

Egalitarian theory: Paul was addressing female false teachers in Ephesus

Mike addresses the argument that 1 Tim 2:12 restricts only women who were teaching false doctrine, not all women.

1 Timothy 2:12 1 Timothy 1:3-4 Titus 1:10-11 1 Timothy 2:12 Ephesus female false teachers theory

Mike Winger idea 2023-11-22

View 4: Saved through proper female roles (Douglas Moo's preferred view)

Mike presents Moo's view that childbearing represents the broader female role, and salvation attends faithful role-fulfillment.

1 Timothy 5:14 1 Timothy 2:15 1 Timothy 5:10 1 Timothy 5:14 Douglas Moo Tom Schreiner

Mike Winger idea 2023-11-22

Conclusion 4: It is not about a particular problem in Ephesus

Mike summarizes the dismissal of all Ephesus-specific interpretations.

1 Timothy 2 1 Timothy 2 Artemis cult Ephesus-specific theory

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Avoiding guilt by association: Bill Johnson and Benny Hinn sharing a stage does not make them the same

Mike discusses how to be fair when evaluating someone who has associated with controversial figures

Bill Johnson discernment methodology Benny Hinn

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-14

Q&A — Recommended teachers for biblical thinking: James White, Michael Brown, RC Sproul, John MacArthur, Leighton Flowers, Greg Koukl

Q&A question from Judah Matthews

John MacArthur James White John MacArthur RC Sproul James White

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-31

Upcoming video topic: exposing false teaching within charismatic Christianity — abuse of the spiritual gifts framework

Preview of future content on charismatic abuse

Mike Winger spiritual gifts apologetics

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-07

Mike's overall assessment of Todd White: likely sincere, likely a genuine believer, but raised under teachers who are 'off' — inheriting theological distortions from his spiritual mentors.

Personal evaluation of Todd White's character and spiritual state.

discipleship Todd White spiritual mentorship

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-07

Public teaching warrants public accountability — Matthew 18's private confrontation model applies to private sins, not to public doctrinal errors published on the internet.

Justifying the public critique of Todd White.

Matthew 18:15 discernment ministry ethics Matthew 18:15

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

Reason 5: Predictors earn our trust by sounding knowledgeable — authority transferred from person to prediction without scriptural verification

Fifth reason people fall for false predictions.

sola scriptura apologetics authority fallacy

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Christian monotheism: 'there is only one God' — meant literally. Mormon missionaries and teachers claim to affirm this, but use a different definition.

Fourth vocabulary comparison: the phrase 'only one God.' Mike recounts personal conversations with Mormon missionaries and seminary teachers in Utah.

Christian-Mormon dialogue monotheism Mormon polytheism

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-22

CoG leaders may be self-deceived rather than consciously lying — self-deception is possible and does not eliminate moral culpability

Q&A: question from Tim G about whether CoG leaders know they are deceiving people.

Joo-Cheol Kim false teachers self-deception

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-22

The simplest test for distinguishing true from false teachers is the identity of Jesus (who is he?) and the means of salvation (how am I saved?) — 1 John and Ephesians 2:8-9

Q&A: question from Zipa Duck about how new Christians can identify false vs. true teachers.

1 John Ephesians 2:8-9 1 John Ephesians 2:8-9 Christology

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-22

Exposing false teaching is inherently evangelistic — all evangelism involves correcting wrong beliefs about Jesus and salvation

Q&A: Naomi King asks whether one should actively expose false teaching to save others.

evangelism apologetics discernment

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-12

Zahnd's three-step method for dismantling orthodox Christianity and replacing it with his own version

Winger maps out the structural argument Zahnd uses in his book 'Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God.'

discernment apologetics false-teaching

Mike Winger idea 2019-01-30

119 Ministries chosen as the representative case study for this video because they engage actual scripture

Mike explains his research methodology and why he selected 119 Ministries as his primary dialogue partner.

1 Corinthians Ephesians Colossians 1 Corinthians Ephesians Colossians

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-20

Four categories of worthy sources in Papias's framework

Mike breaks down what Papias considered authoritative sources for Jesus tradition.

Richard Bauckham Papias eyewitness hierarchy

1 Peter 1 Peter False prophets Prosperity gospel

Prosperity preachers and false prophecy: prophets whose utterances focus on wealth and success are false prophets.

Question from "First Last" about whether God wants believers to be wealthy and whether to trust wealth-focused prophets.

Bible study methodology Commentaries Critical thinking in theology

How to use commentaries well: seek their reasoning, not their conclusions; read multiple commentaries.

Continuing Bible study methodology advice.

Women in ministry Complementarianism Calling vs. capability

Difference between ability/capability and calling: women may be skilled teachers but are not called to the pastoral role.

Addressing the emotional objection that restricting women from pastoral roles implies lesser capability.

Bill Johnson False teachers Bethel Music

Using materials from false teachers: distinction between promoting a false teacher's work vs. using theologically sound songs/content from a problematic source.

Question about whether to stay in a church that uses materials from false teachers.