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All (54) Scripture Commentary (7) Theology (1) Mike Winger (46)
Scripture Commentary article 2018-04-20

Was God’s Wrath Satisfied in Christ or Paid in Hell?

Was God’s wrath satisfied in Christ? If so then how can sinners suffer God’s wrath in hell? This question is one that is often asked by Calvinists to those who do not hold to the teaching of Calvinism.

1 Corinthians 2:14 Colossians 1:21 Colossians 3:3 Soteriology Calvinism Atonement
Scripture Commentary article 2012-07-29

Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ

Robert Bowman, J. Ed Komoszewski, and Darrell L. Bock — Kindle highlights from 'Putting Jesus in His Place: The Case for the Deity of Christ'. 100 highlights.

1 Cor. 15:24 1 Kings 8:27 1 Thess. 1:3 Trinity Christology Apologetics
Scripture Commentary article 2008-01-20

Gods Woman Is She Needy Of A Representative Priest Part 2

In part one, ( click here to read ) we discussed whether God created the woman as needed or needy. In this continuing discussion we ask whether God has ordained that a woman must have a priest in the home to represent her to God and God to her

1 Peter 3:10 1 Peter 3:11 1 Peter 3:7 Authority & Submission Complementarianism
Scripture Commentary article 2006-11-22

Could The Messiah Have Been A Woman

Since God is neither male nor female, some have suggested that the Messiah could have been born a female. I would respectfully like to differ with that view

1 Corinthians 15:45 1 Samuel 15:23 1 Timothy 2:14 1 Timothy 2 Genesis & Creation Adam & Eve
Scripture Commentary tweet 2025-12-13

@jonathanaplumb Tolerance is good but tolerating idolatry in those who profess to be believers is not. “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel… who teaches and misleads My slaves so that they commit sexual immorality and ea...

@jonathanaplumb Tolerance is good but tolerating idolatry in those who profess to be believers is not. “But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel… who teaches and misleads My s

Re 2:20 debate
Scripture Commentary tweet 2025-10-28

@slc_saint That’s idolatry and pagan rituals. It’s a problem of practice. The Roman Catholic Church also has bad teachings like pergatory, praying to Mary and other deceased people, worship of a piece of wafer, and many other things. And the LDS tea...

@slc_saint That’s idolatry and pagan rituals. It’s a problem of practice. The Roman Catholic Church also has bad teachings like pergatory, praying to Mary and other deceased people, worship of a piece

general
Scripture Commentary tweet 2025-02-12

@graceforprize @ComeBack_Yeshua @Rattle_Resists @michael_ronning Jezebel’s teaching involved encouraging Christians to compromise with idolatry and immorality, likely in connection with the trade guilds in Thyatira, which required participation in pa...

@graceforprize @ComeBack_Yeshua @Rattle_Resists @michael_ronning Jezebel’s teaching involved encouraging Christians to compromise with idolatry and immorality, likely in connection with the trade guil

general
Theology verse entry

Acts 17:30

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis

Acts 17:30 repentance,universal call,Mars Hill,soteriology
Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

Summary of 'maybe' chain problems in Keener's cultural argument

Mike recaps the weakness of Keener's cultural-bowing case.

Craig Keener cultural bowing idolatry as primary accusation
Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

Paul's actual behavior toward persecution shows he didn't strategically accommodate Roman sensibilities

Mike uses Paul's track record to refute the cultural-defense theory.

Acts 19 Acts 17 Emperor Trajan Acts 19 Acts 17
Mike Winger idea 2022-08-15

Christianity was seen as Jewish -- household codes were not the primary cultural threat

Mike adds another historical argument against the cultural-defense theory.

1 Peter 3 Craig Keener Christianity seen as Judaism Plutarch
Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Q&A: apparitions of the Virgin Mary — Mike is skeptical; Catholic Marian devotion (shrines, altars) seems pagan and non-biblical

Viewer question about Catholic Marian apparitions

Catholicism Virgin Mary Marian apparitions
Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Background of 2 Maccabees 12: Judas Maccabeus burying fallen Jewish soldiers who were carrying idolatrous amulets

Historical and narrative context for the passage

idolatry 2 Maccabees 12:38-46 Judas Maccabeus
Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Reading of 2 Maccabees 12:38-46: Judas makes an expiatory sacrifice and prays for the dead soldiers

Full reading of the second key passage

atonement 2 Maccabees 12:38-46 prayers for the dead
Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Second problem: the sin committed (idolatry) is a mortal sin in Catholic theology — which disqualifies them from purgatory

Internal contradiction between the 2 Maccabees passage and Catholic theology on mortal sin

idolatry purgatory 2 Maccabees 12:38-46
Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Catholic apologetic response: the amulets were 'lucky charms' not idolatrous — Jimmy Akin's baseball sock analogy

Catholic attempt to neutralize the mortal sin problem in 2 Maccabees

eisegesis Catholic Answers idolatry
Mike Winger idea 2018-10-24

Q&A: Ephesians 5:11 ('unfruitful works of darkness') refers to common sins, not specifically to Halloween or occult rituals

Viewer asks whether Ephesians 5:11 condemns Halloween participation

Ephesians 5:11 Ephesians 5:3-6 Halloween Ephesians 5:11 Ephesians 5:3-6
Mike Winger idea 2018-12-01

Refutation: the only text Jim could be referring to is Jeremiah 10, written 600 years before Jesus — it describes carving a tree into an idol, not decorating a Christmas tree, and has nothing to do with New Testament Christianity or Roman practices

Mike carefully exegetes Jeremiah 10:1–5 to show what the passage actually means

Jeremiah 10 Old Testament exegesis idolatry
Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Jeremiah 10:3-4: The craftsman detail rules out Christmas trees

Verse-by-verse examination of the passage

Jeremiah 10:3-4 Christmas trees Jeremiah 10:3-4 Idolatry
Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Jeremiah 10:5: The passage explicitly calls the object an idol, not a tree

The passage self-identifies what it is describing

Jeremiah 10:5 Idolatry Jeremiah 10:5 Scarecrow analogy
Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Psalm 115 as a parallel passage: idols have mouths but cannot speak

Connecting Jeremiah 10 to a closely parallel text

Jeremiah 10:5 Psalm 115:4-8 Idolatry Jeremiah 10:5 Psalm 115:4-8
Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Jeremiah 10:6-9: The passage continues with explicit idol language, not tree language

Reading further in the passage to confirm the subject

Jeremiah 10:6-9 Idolatry Jeremiah 10:6-9 Pagan religion
Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Jeremiah 10:10-15: The climax of the passage — idols vs. the living God

The passage reaches its theological conclusion

Jeremiah 10:10-15 Idolatry Jeremiah 10:10-15 Living God vs. false gods
Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Other misapplied passages: 'prostituted themselves under every green tree' is about idols under trees, not trees themselves

Preempting another common proof-text used to condemn Christmas trees

Proof-texting Anachronism Idolatry under green trees
Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Christians are not obligated either to have or to avoid Christmas trees — liberty of conscience

Applying the correct conclusion from the exegesis

Christmas trees Liberty of conscience Judging fellow believers
Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

What makes something a pagan custom vs. a neutral one: the test is whether it is meaningfully tied to worship of a false god

Q&A: viewer asks how to distinguish pagan customs from neutral ones

Idolatry Liberty of conscience Judging fellow believers
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-22

Acts 14 -- Paul in Iconium and Lystra heals a lame man; Gentiles try to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods. Paul corrects their polytheism but never mentions the Law of Moses.

Survey of Acts 14, Paul's ministry in Lystra

Acts 14:8-11 Barnabas Paul the Apostle Acts 14:8-11
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-22

Preaching against idolatry is not the same as imposing the law of Moses -- idolatry is condemned universally, not only in the law. Specific Mosaic laws (Sabbath, tithe to Levites, feast attendance) are never mentioned to Gentiles.

Response to Hebrew Roots claim that preaching against idolatry equals teaching Torah

Law of Moses dietary laws feast days
Mike Winger idea 2019-06-13

Jeremiah 2:13: Two evils — forsaking the fountain of living waters and digging broken cisterns

The nature of all sin: turning from God toward inadequate substitutes

Jeremiah 2:13 idolatry Jeremiah 2:13 fountain of living waters
Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Christians worship God, not the cross symbol; cross use is a reminder, not icon worship

Winger clarifies that Christians do not worship the cross as an object. It serves as a reminder of what Christ accomplished. The pagan origin argument for the cross is irrelevant — pagans used Greek before the NT was written in Greek; usage context determines meaning.

atonement idolatry worship
Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Q&A: Is it wrong to wear a cross necklace? No, unless it becomes an idol or icon for protection

A viewer asks whether wearing a cross necklace is sinful. Winger says no in principle, but warns against specific misuses.

atonement Islam idolatry
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

Demon possession: less visible in Western cultures due to secular/medical framing

Q&A question from "Only in Antarctica" about why demon possession seems less prevalent today given population growth.

Satan Paganism Demon Possession
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

1 Corinthians 10 — food offered to idols has different rules depending on marketplace vs. temple context and whether a pagan makes it explicit

Mike addresses the idol food question in 1 Corinthians 10 as related to the Christian liberty discussion.

1 Corinthians 10 1 Corinthians 10:22 1 Corinthians 8 Christian liberty 1 Corinthians 10 idolatry
Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Can a Christian marry a Catholic? — Gospel distinction and the unequally yoked principle

A viewer asks whether a Christian can marry a Catholic.

2 Corinthians 6:14 marriage false gospel Catholicism
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

1 Corinthians 5:11 — not associating with a so-called 'brother' guilty of ongoing sin — targets life-pattern behavioral sins, not theological disagreement; the context is likely the communion/love-feast meal.

Q: How should 1 Corinthians 5:11 affect relationships with liberal Christian friends with unbiblical beliefs and practices?

1 Corinthians 5:11 1 Corinthians 5:11 Church Discipline Fellowship vs. Outreach Mode
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

A prayer opening Congress in the name of the Hindu god Brahma is blasphemy — but the appropriate Christian response is not rebellion

Question from Gorilla Christianity about a US Congress session opened in the name of Brahma

idolatry government early church
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-15

Images are not inherently wrong — the biblical prohibition is against images used for worship, not images per se

Question from Jesper about whether Christians can have icons in the home.

Romans 1 Exodus 20:4-5 Romans 1 Idolatry Graven images
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-15

Catholic saint icons carry a superstitious protection function incompatible with biblical worship

Practical application of the icons question to Catholic devotional objects.

Prayer Idolatry Catholic devotional practices
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-29

Was Solomon saved? Ecclesiastes may imply a late-life repentance and return to God despite idolatrous period

Question from Darcy 777 about whether Solomon died worshiping false gods and whether he was saved.

Ecclesiastes 1 Kings 11 repentance salvation apostasy
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

1 Corinthians 10:20 — behind idols are demons: demons impersonate gods but do not possess the actual powers attributed to those gods.

Follow-up on the Exodus 12:12 question — are there actual spiritual entities behind the Egyptian gods?

1 Corinthians 10:20 Idolatry Ra 1 Corinthians 10:20
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Q6: In a futurist view, which country best represents Babylon? Possibly Rome, a future world government, or Iraq

Viewer Randy Loxley asks Mike's thoughts on a modern-day Babylon in futurist eschatology.

Revelation eschatology Revelation futurism
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-19

Deuteronomy 32:16-17 — OT sacrifices to idols are sacrifices to demons

OT theological foundation for demonic reality: those who sacrifice to idols actually sacrifice to demons.

Deuteronomy 32:16-17 idolatry Deuteronomy 32:16-17 demons behind idols
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-04

Accepting Jesus is the only way to heaven, but those who never heard the gospel may be saved through faithful response to lesser revelation — analogous to Abraham.

Question from Jack Bradley about salvation for those who never heard or only heard harmful versions of the gospel.

Abraham Old Testament saints Salvation exclusivism
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-26

Idolatry ancient and modern: literal idol worship still exists; covetousness is idolatry; some Catholic practices parallel ancient idolatry; smartphone use threatens prayer life.

Al Naps asks about modern-day idolatry and whether excessive Christian YouTube consumption is problematic; also asks if Winger worries about being idolized.

Ephesians 5:5 Colossians 3:5 Roman Catholicism prayer idolatry
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Does God have a sense of humor? Yes — Scripture confirms it, and pleasure/humor are good gifts not inherently sinful

Q4 from Silas Abrahamson: Does God have a sense of humor?

Psalm Matthew 7 God's character asceticism humor
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-11

Matthew 4:8 (Satan shows Jesus all kingdoms from a high mountain) — this must be supernatural, not visual. The highest local mountains are ~2,700 ft. Even flat-earthers can't see China from Israel. Satan showed Jesus these things supernaturally. The theological point: Jesus succeeds where Israel failed — resisting idolatry at the "high places" where Israel repeatedly fell.

Satan's temptation on a high mountain — theological, not geographical

Matthew 4:8 temptation of Jesus temptation of Jesus flat earth
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-19

Points 1-2: (1) A sacrificial lamb — Jesus is the lamb offered for us (Hebrews 9:12-14, 10:1-14). OT sacrifices were shadows; Jesus is the reality. He offered himself ONCE vs yearly repetition. (2) Purpose: avoiding punishment for sin — Passover was explicitly a judgment (Exodus 12:12). Israel needed the lamb too because they were also guilty of idolatry (Ezekiel 20:7). The cross saves us from God's wrath.

Points 1-2 — sacrificial lamb and dealing with sin

Exodus 12 Hebrews 9:12-14 Hebrews 10:1-14 wrath of God substitutionary atonement wrath of God
Mike Winger idea 2021-10-15

Is Pledging Allegiance Idolatry?: Is pledging allegiance to a country or flag a form of idolatry?

Q&A question: Is Pledging Allegiance Idolatry?

idolatry
Mike Winger idea 2022-08-13

About Fantasy Entertainment: What is your stance on fantasy entertainment which utilizes pagan/made up religions such as GoT, Lotr, Zelda, Hercules, or Valheim? Isn’t it promoting Idolatry?

Q&A question: About Fantasy Entertainment

Hercules
Mike Winger idea 2023-01-13

How to Tell When Love Has Become Idolatry: Have I made my crush an idol? I’ve found myself crushing on a brother in Christ. I’ve also found that sometimes I prefer thinking about him more than God. I don’t want to do this. Any advice?

Q&A question: How to Tell When Love Has Become Idolatry

idolatry
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