BibleThinker

By Mike WingerReligion & Spirituality Christianity

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July 18, 2022Pt. 8: Male Headship: Is it REALLY Biblical? - Women in Ministry Series
It's undeniable that the Bible explicitly teaches that a husband is the "head" of his wife. While church history has pretty much always believed this means the husband is the primary leader in the marriage and household, there has been serious pushback against this view from egalitarian scholars in more recent years.
Time Stamps!!
0:00 - Intro
1. 10:33 - Part 1: Medical Claims That "Head" Means "Source"
2. 31:47 - Part 2: Bible Context Claims That "Head" Doesn't Imply "Authority"
3. 54:20 - Part 3: Church History Argument
4. 1:01:10 - Part 4: The Battle of Lexicons; does kephale mean authority?
5. 1:33:33 - Conclusions

Their basic contention is that "head" doesn't mean what you probably think it means when you read it in Scripture as the description of the relationship between husbands and wives. They tend to offer 4 main arguments to support their case:

1) In the Greek speaking world of New Testament times, general medical opinion was that the heart or liver controlled the body while the head was merely the "source" of nutrition. The egalitarians say that we need to factor in this popular medical understanding of "head" or we will mistakenly think the husband is the leader of his wife.

2) Egalitarian scholars say that when you look carefully at Paul's use of the metaphor "head" and the specific context of the passages when it is used, you come to see that Paul is NOT meaning to imply anything about authority, but is speaking of nourishment or source. For instance, they will say that man is the source of woman in the sense that Eve was formed from Adam. Adam was her source.

3) Surprisingly, some Egalitarians will actually share a quote from Chrysostom to show that one of the church fathers understood perfectly well that this term "head" didn't mean to imply authority. Catherine Kroeger, founder of CBE promotes this view, and many echo her.

4) Finally, we get to the biggest one. They will claim that the Greek word translated "head" really means "source" and not "authority." I've found that egalitarians will repeatedly make very similar claims that ancient lexicons do not support the meaning of "authority" and that one very respected lexicon in particular (the LSJ) defends their case.

I'm going to analyze each of these claims to see what the Bible really says about husbands being the head of their wives. This is super important, because it doesn't just impact who is in church leadership, it impacts every single marriage in the body of Christ! I can't overstate the practical impact of getting this topic wrong, so I have spent a ton of time gathering and, more importantly, researching to properly vet and test egalitarian claims about male headship. I'll give you the spoiler here in the description. On every single point they are very wrong, and even putting out blatant misinformation. I'll provide both analysis and evidence to support all this in today's video.‬

After years of being a bit confused about the topic of women in ministry, I set out to spend months researching the topic in great detail to produce this exhaustive teaching series on the topic. This is just part 8.

CLICK HERE for the playlist of ALL the videos in this series (more will be added as I make them).

To get ALL the references, you’ll need to grab my notes (for free) HERE, but here are some quick links relevant to today’s study:
Stephen Bedale’s overly influential little paper on kephale from 1954: Click HERE
Wayne Grudem’s initial survey of over 2000 examples of kephale (he also addresses Bedale’s): Click HERE
Plato’s passage which refutes Payne’s use (use this same link to find 44d, where Plato speaks on this again): Click HERE
Frank Freeman’s article on “Galen’s Ideas on Neurological Function”: Click HERE
Catherine Kroeger’s article chopping up a quote from Chrysostom. Still on CBE’s website: Click HERE
Egalitarians regularly quote Cervin for understanding kephale. His work is suspect but his conclusions don’t actually support their position. Here’s his article, and please don’t miss his conclusion, which supports a generally complementarian position.
Wayne Grudem wrote a response to Cervin and several other critics which is well-worth reading HERE.
World renowned Bill Mounce discusses the relevance of the LSJ lexicon to NT studies HERE.
A final resource from Grudem going over 30 years of debate on kephale: Click HERE.

I have other references and data in my notes from this series, which you can freely have through my website:
https://BibleThinker.org
1 hr 38 min
July 16, 202220 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 78)
CLICK HERE for the video on Christophanies (appearances of Jesus) in the Old Testament.

CLICK HERE for the FULL series on How to Find Jesus in the Old Testament.

CLICK HERE for Natasha Crain's content that helps parents to disciple their kids.

CLICK HERE for Foundation Worldview which has actual video lessons to help teach your kids a Christian worldview.

CLICK HERE for BibleThinker shirts, mugs, and other stuff. The goal isn't to make money on these, they are just for you, for fun, since we set the profit margin as low as they'll allow us to go.

0:00 - Intro
0:07 {Spiritual but Not Religious?} How should we respond when someone says, “I’m not religious, I’m spiritual”?
23:14 {Who is our “Neighbor”?} “Who, then, is my neighbor?” In Luke 10:25-37, I know the Good Samaritan is me, but who does the "neighbor" he helped represent? I have never met a naked, beaten, and robbed Jew…I don't think.
26:35 {About Mid-Acts Dispensationalism} Can you give some more information on the Mid-Acts Dispensationalism movement? It sounds biblical.
31:11 {Should Ungodly Behavior Cause Doubt?} If I were to doubt Christianity (I don't), it would be because of a lack of holiness. Christians seem to be jerks at the same rate as the world, or more. Why is this, if we have the Holy Spirit?
36:40 {God in the Garden} Who was walking in the garden in Genesis 3:8? Was it Jesus, the Father, the Holy Spirit, or all three?
41:50 {About Anglo/British Israelism} What are your thoughts on Anglo-Israelism or British Israelism? It is the belief that America and the British commonwealth are physical descendants of Israel.
44:41 {Discerning True vs. False Prophecies} How do you test WOF prophecy when it sounds more like insights/encouragements, not foretelling future events? What SHOULD modern prophecy sound like?
48:49 {Is Fear of Hell a Valid Motivator?} Would a death bed conversion work if the main driving factor is the fear of Hell rather than choosing to trust God?
51:58 {Biblical Advice for Parents} What advice can you give to parents in these times to help them raise children who choose to trust and follow Jesus later in life? Can you do a biblical series on parenting?
55:33 {What Should I Do if I Question My Salvation?} If someone is thinking that they might not be saved, seeing their sinfulness, what should they do? “Not sinning” sort of seems like a Band-Aid on the problem.
1:00:07 {Singular vs. Plural Pronouns for God?} Why is it improper to refer to God as "they" instead of "He," since He is three persons? Example of the problem: "He spoke to Job out of the storm" tends to make us think the Father alone is speaking.
1:03:03 {Can Past Sins Disqualify a Man from Leadership?} If a man’s pre-salvation life is especially disgraceful, could he ever truly be “above reproach” (1 Timothy 3:2)? Could old sin, then, even if confessed, disqualify him from being a pastor or elder?
1:09:07 {About the Geneva Bible} In your study of Bible translations, have you ever looked at the Geneva Bible that I believe the pilgrims used? What is its textual basis? Do you think Christians should read it?
1:12:54 {Is there Room in Christianity for Psychedelics?} Given the resurgence of psychedelics for recreation and therapeutic use in Western society, is there room for it in Christianity, or should its use stay separate from spiritual practice?
1:17:59 {What were the “Horns” on the Altar?} Why did the altar in the Tabernacle have the horns? Could you please clarify this?
1:20:20 {What does it Mean to “Share in Christ’s Sufferings”?} When we share in Christ’s sufferings, does that refer only to suffering that comes in opposition to doing God’s will, or can it also include something like suffering through a disease or a loss?
1:24:35 {Is Anyone Presently in Hell?} Is Hell something that is taking place right now, or is that a future reality after the final judgment (Luke 16:19-31)?
1:27:19 {Seminary Suggestions and How to Study Well} I’m currently a Junior in high school and plan to go to a seminary after school to become a preacher. How and where do I start studying the Bible to become a true BibleThinker?
1:30:56 {Are there Multiple “Gods” in Jeremiah?} Why does Jeremiah 46:25 and Jeremiah 51:44 make it seem like there are multiple gods? How can God punish a god that doesn’t exist?
1:35:41 {Should Prayer be a Dialogue or Monologue?} Should prayer be a dialogue or monologue? How should we determine if instances of humans having a dialogue with God in the Bible are to be taken as normative?

This is the secret location where I store my searchable database of hundreds of videos.

You can also find me on podcast, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the dreadful TikTok. Just search my name.
1 hr 45 min
July 13, 2022 My MAIN challenge to Flat Earth Proponents
There are several links to additional stuff you might be interested in:

1) An article on "raqia" or the Hebrew word we often see translated as "firmament." The big debate on this word is whether it implies the sky has a hard, solid dome or if it's just talking about an expansive space. I didn't cover it in today's video because it isn't about the shape of the earth. But, people are interested, so CLICK HERE for an article that Cultish put together on the topic.

2) Cultish is a very interesting show which covers lots of fringe topics and a variety of groups from Charles Manson's group, to Masons, to the JW's strange Bible translation, to the "cult of right wing politics." CLICK HERE to visit their YouTube channel.
And CLICK HERE for their website.
You can also find them on whatever podcast app you use.

Allow me to react to some of the kinds of comments I expect to get on this video, since they also came in on the Cultish version of this interview which released earlier, and to make a few requests for those inclined to consider them.

1) "Mike is biased and untrustworthy, disingenuous, and generally bad."
My response: That's a lot of bad stuff about me, but you haven't touched my reasoning or handled the Bible in context in order to demonstrate your position. Please comment below with Bible verses that, when examined in full context, promote your view. And please don't just post a verse, post your interpretation of it, as well, so that we can all understand and learn.

2) "No flat earth proponents use those verses. Mike isn't dealing with the real Bible verses we use."
My response: That's definitely not true. I got these verses from flat earthers, I didn't make them up. However, it's true that many of those who say the Bible supports a flat earth never really get around to offering specific verses that you can examine. They tend to just reference the Bible more vaguely or lean on what someone else says about the Ancient Near East. If you reject these as flat earth Bible verses, then you actually agree with me that those who use them (and plenty do) are misinterpreting the Bible for their purposes. However, if you have OTHER verses that support a flat earth, then please comment below with Bible verses that, when examined in full context, promote your view. And please don't just post a verse, post your interpretation of it, as well, so that we can all understand and learn.

3) "You should have a flat earth proponent on to talk about this stuff for themselves."
My response: No thanks. I don't need to have every single person on my channel who I disagree with. Imagine the apostle Paul inviting Judaizers on tour with him or cowriting Galatians with someone who disagrees with him for, you know, objectivity. That's silly. I can handle views without turning my entire ministry into a debate and interview platform. I read plenty of flat earth literature and looked at plenty of videos from proponents in order to make sure I got Bible verses that were really being used to support that side. This complaint is merely a way of ignoring what I've said and saying I should have done something totally different. I'm not your puppet, and this response ignores careful Bible study instead of considering it. I've got books by Rob Skiba and Dean Odle, and have had a private and long conversation with Dean Odle just to better understand his views.

4) "Mike sees poetry but forgets that even poetry must have some connection to the thing it is describing."
My response: I don't forget that. Let's take the "bars and doors" on the coastline poetry for example. I take it that there are "bars and doors" in the sense that there are limits, but not that there are literal bars and literal doors or anything physical that corresponds to them. It's the effect they have which is the physical correspondence of the poetic symbol, not the presence of something physical that very much acts like a bar or door. Flat earth proponents will likely take the exact same interpretation as me at that point. But when we read, in the exact same passage, that the earth has foundations, they have a very literal view of it in all aspects. I know you hear me saying that a lot of FE verses are poetry, but this isn't a compromise on my part. It's just the case that FE proponents offer up a bunch of Bible verses for their views, and they happen to continually pick poetic ones. The flaw is in the FE verse choices, not those who recognize poetry.

Sweeping dismissals will not be sufficient in the same way that verses with interpretations supported by the greater context of those verses will be. That's my challenge to you. Give a BIBLE study that supports your view. I don't think it can be done.

My website: https://BibleThinker.org
2 hr 8 min
July 11, 2022 One UNbiblical belief that will kill your marriage.
I know it can feel oppressive to constantly hear that we have such a high calling to self-sacrifice and self-examination. But it's only oppressive to our flesh. And if you don't kill that sinful selfishness, it will kill everything else.
My website: https://BibleThinker.org
11 min
July 08, 2022 Yes, spouses should join their finances, unless…
You know, there's one benefit of sharing bank accounts that I never mentioned in this video. It's the reality that you can't hide things as easily when you both can see what the money is being spent on. This inability to hide expenses is a good thing since grievous sins are often nurtured in the dark.

Thank you to Lisa Laizure, of “Women’s Bible Study” for organizing and hosting this event. Her ministry website is HERE.

My website https://BibleThinker.org
2 min
July 05, 2022 Church rewrites worship song to be pagan... yes, literally.
The service this video is from is actually a pro-choice preaching, as well. You can find the whole Open Worship video HERE.
Special thanks to Woke Preacher Clips for finding and sharing this content.
You may be wondering why I am bothering to respond to this sort of thing. The bottom line is that this kind of stuff isn't as rare or hidden away as many of us think. Where there is false teaching, there needs to be true teaching. My hope is that some will see this video and it will wake them up and bring them out of such false teachings. Another hope is that believers who are rather unaware of the true situation of churches in our communities will be stirred up to be more active, thoughtful, and biblical while trying to positively impact those they can.
My website: https://BibleThinker.org
10 min
July 02, 202220 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 77)
0:12 {People we Shouldn’t Pray For?} My father believes that there are people we do not (or should not) pray for. He backs it up with John 17:9, saying that it may even be a sin to pray for people we shouldn’t pray for. I would love to hear your thoughts!
8:22 {Truth in Love when Family is in Sin} My fiancé's sibling is transgender. I'm scared our future children will think it is a good thing and that it’s right. His family accepts this lifestyle unquestionably. I don't want to cut them out of our lives, but I don't know what else to do to protect our family. How can I be obedient to God and still be loving to his sibling and the rest of the family?
12:43 {Spiritual vs. Political Progressivism} Isn't Progressive Christianity simply the outcome of forcing progressive/leftist ideology onto Christianity? Should we even make the distinction between politically & religiously progressive beliefs?
19:04 {Witnessing to a Dying Loved One} My grandpa is dying, and doesn't have long. He has dementia/Alzheimer’s now and has never been a Christian. Is it too late to share the Gospel with him? If not, how do I do it effectively?
23:32 {About House Churches} What do you think of the house church movement (Francis Chan)?
29:04 {About Levirate Marriages} Why did God endorse levirate marriage? Isn’t it wrong to pressure a man to marry someone he doesn’t want to? And since marriage will supposedly end in Heaven, is love not a factor for God?
35:08 {Must Pastors be Married?} Does 1 Timothy 3:2 mean that I must have a wife to be a pastor? What about a man who doesn’t have a wife?
40:56 {Are Illusionists’ Tricks Sinful?} Is there anything wrong with learning sleight of hand magic or using it in evangelism?
46:16 {About Marriage in Heaven} In Matthew 22:23-29, Jesus rebukes the Sadducees for trying to trap Him, saying they don’t know the Scriptures. Where in the Scriptures is this topic of marriage in Heaven mentioned?
51:03 {About the Census: Luke 2} Is there any extrabiblical evidence for the census in Luke 2? I heard it would be a pretty dumb idea to send people to their place of birth if you later want them to pay taxes from their current home.
57:46 {About Jesus’ Divinity Upon His Death} Was Jesus still fully God when He died? What happened to His divinity between God "turning His face away" and the resurrection?
1:01:37 {Navigating Marital Struggles} What should a Christian wife do if her husband doesn't want to work on their marriage, expects her to do almost everything when it comes to responsibilities, and doesn't provide enough for her needs?
1:06:09 {Overcoming Self-Consciousness} Mike how can we be less self-aware or self-conscious? It stops me from preaching to anybody because my thoughts tell me I'm being disingenuous.
1:09:00 {Ideas for What to Pray About} I have issues praying every day because I feel like I don’t have anything to pray about. What would you suggest, to help with this?
1:10:49 {Is Islam an “Abrahamic Faith” that Saves?} How do I defend the Christian faith with my family when they always bring up Genesis 22:18, arguing that Islam can also lead to salvation because it's an Abrahamic faith?
1:16:01 {Should I Correct my Christian Boss?} I work for a company that is owned by a professing Christian. He makes inappropriate jokes. I don't know if rebuking or correcting my boss is proper or not. How do I go about this?
1:20:08 {Catholic vs. SDA School for Children?} Would it be better to send my children to a Catholic School or a 7th Day Adventist school? We are looking to take our children out of public schools, and these are the two options available to us.
1:22:28 {Guiding a Wayward Teen} How do I respond to my 17 year old daughter who is persistent in being with her boyfriend who is an unbeliever and has fallen into sexual immorality?
1:25:48 {Can Fathers “Veto” Who their Daughters Marry?} We moved and are visiting a new church. The Pastor is teaching on marriage. He used 2 Corinthians 11:2 (KJV) to say that fathers can “veto” who their daughters marry. Is this a biblical view?
1:29:48 {Was Jesus ever Naughty as a Child?} Maybe a bit of a silly question, but do you think Jesus was an average naughty child or was He perfect as a child, too?

HERE is the video on the senior pastor who said God is pro-choice.

HERE is the link to an article on how "Progressive Christians" are more political.

This is the book by Craig Blomberg on the reliability of the Gospels. He has a section on the census and Quirinius in it.

Here's me on Instagram.

This is the secret location where I store my searchable database of hundreds of videos.
1 hr 35 min
July 01, 2022 Lead Pastor Tries and Fails to Quote the Bible for Pro-choice Legislation
Reading the Bible in context is all it takes to solve most of these bad teaching issues. This is Senior Pastor Mike Thomas, from Radiant Church in Seattle, Washington. Original video can be found HERE.

Thank you to Woke Preacher Clips for making these sorts of clips available for needful discussion.

Here's me on Twitter.

My website, with hundreds of hours of free content helping you learn to think biblically about everything: https://BibleThinker.org
17 min
June 27, 2022 Who cares about the real Jesus? Give us "Meme Jesus!"
There's a popular, fairly progressive Christian meme that has made the rounds online. It pretends to refute a "colonizer Jesus" and to support a "historical Jesus." But it turns out to just be another piece of poorly thought out propaganda. Proving once again that lots of people care very little about understanding Jesus and care very much about claiming that Jesus is supportive of their agenda.
You all said that I should walk through this popular progressive meme and unpack it. We aren't going to shoot for talking points or picking sides here, unless the "side" is Jesus' side. This will be a thoughtful analysis of each point in this popular meme.
1 hr 34 min
June 24, 202220 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 76)
0:24 {The “What is a Woman?” Bandwagon} Do you think that the now famous question "What is a Woman?" is a relevant area of focus for biblical Christians? Doesn't the Gospel naturally address these issues we face today?
18:54 {Helping Friends be Biblical} Most of my friends claim to be Christians, but they support “pride month.” It depresses me that they encourage gay marriage which the Bible clearly says is a sin. How do I talk to them about this?
25:16 {Friends vs. Servants of Christ?} In John 15:15, Jesus tells the apostles, “No longer do I call you servants, but friends.” How do we properly approach our position as “friends of Jesus” while not neglecting to still serve Him?
29:01 {Is John 1 about the Bible?} What does John 1:1-4 say about the importance of the Bible? Should we worship the Bible? Some say they won't read the Bible, but at the same time say they are Christian.
34:37 {Are there Sins we Really Can’t Help Doing?} How can I reconcile 1 Corinthians 10:13 after decades of struggling with sloth, bad work ethic, sin at work, etc.? I’m praying for forgiveness, but was recently diagnosed with ADHD. I now see I can’t help it without meds.
41:26 {Was the Bible Written w/Chapters & Verses?} Since the Bible wasn't written with chapters and verses, how should that impact our reading of the current translations?
43:40 {Why Don’t the Jews Believe?} What is your understanding as to why the Jews don’t believe in Jesus and are waiting on someone else to come?
49:59 {About Receiving the Spirit} If we are to believe that you receive the Holy Spirit when you believe, why does there seem to be a separation from believing and receiving in Acts 19:1-2?
52:12 {Are Cards Inherently Sinful?} Are playing cards wrong? My parents think they are wrong even if I’m not playing Poker or anything like that. They think that there is some kind of evil in the card itself.
56:40 {Will We Fall into Sin in Heaven?} If Satan was able to disobey and sin against God in Heaven (along with him persuading others to sin), how do we know we will not sin against God when we are home with Him? I’m struggling with this question.
1:01:07 {Should Christians be Organ Donors?} I am wondering how Christians should think about organ donation? Is there a clear answer in Scripture?
1:03:43 {Loving God vs. Fearing Punishment} I find that I fear Hell rather than love God. Prayer and Bible reading feel like selfishly avoiding Hell more than devotedly pursuing God. How do I stop my fear from getting in the way of my relationship with God?
1:08:37 {Marriage in Heaven?} Since Jesus says that wives will be had in Heaven in Matthew 19: 29, why do most Christians say marriage won't exist in Heaven?
1:13:42 {Mental vs. Spiritual Health Struggles} When I talk to some people about my mental health struggles, they suggest that the cause is a spiritual issue. How do I explain that being a faithful Christian doesn't mean I can't struggle?
1:17:42 {What is an Apostate?} What is an apostate? Can they come back to God?
1:19:32 {About Elisha & the Bears} How can we explain 2 Kings 2:23-24 in context? it involves Elisha and a group of young mockers who then get killed by 2 bears.
1:26:58 {Should Immoral Things Be Illegal?} Should biblically immoral mean illegal? Surely if sin harms the community, then all legal sin harms society and should be against the law.
1:29:28 {Fellowshipping as an Introvert} I am worried that being an introvert is keeping me from congregating in the church. Does this mean that I'm truly not saved? Where is the joy that I'm supposed to have in the Lord? Please help.
1:33:05 {Was Elihu in Job Correct?} In Job 32:7-9, the Lord tells Job’s 3 friends to sacrifice burnt offerings because they haven’t spoken truth, but the Lord didn’t mention Elihu. Does that mean Elihu was correct in his speech?
1:35:03 {Saved while Believing Heresy?} Can someone be saved without affirming certain correct propositions? If someone holds a believe that is heretical (to believe it would prevent salvation) but they are ignorant, are they saved?

JWs die every year because of what they are taught about blood transfusions. Here's what they teach, why it's wrong, and how the Governing Board has abused JWs on this topic: CLICK HERE

CLICK HERE for the good and bad stuff the Bible says about alcohol.

CLICK HERE for my video on dealing with depression.

CLICK HERE for my playlist of teachings going verse-by-verse through the book of Romans.

CLICK HERE for the teaching in the Gospel of Mark where I explain why not all mental issues are demonic.

Here's me on Instagram.

Me on TikTok.

BibleThinker.org
1 hr 43 min

About BibleThinker

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Learn to think biblically about everything! Teaching theology, apologetics, and verse-by-verse Bible studies. Mike Winger teaches with clarity, doesn't shy away from controversial topics, and always…