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Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

1 John 5:16-17: sin leading to death likely refers to physical death, not Catholic mortal/venial sin distinction

Q from Sarah Nordberg about the meaning of sin leading to death vs. sin not leading to death in 1 John 5:16-17.

1 John 5:16-17 atonement repentance mortal sin
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

College professors often repeat thin secondhand claims about the Bible; a little research can expose the shallowness

Aside to Folky about the professor making claims about the Bible being borrowed from surrounding cultures.

apologetics Martin Luther Reformation
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Biblical justice requires impartiality; modern social justice errs by elevating group rights over equal standards

Response to viewer Kara Gordon asking whether caring for the marginalized should look different for a Christian than secular socialism or communism.

Exodus 23:2-3 Leviticus 19:15 abortion social justice biblical justice
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

God judged Eli both as a father and as high priest for failing to restrain his wicked sons

Response to Jackie Zaras asking whether God was angry with Eli as a father or as a priest for not restraining his sons.

1 Samuel Eli 1 Samuel priestly accountability
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Denominations — legitimate variety within Christianity vs. counterfeit groups

Question from Leonardo Borges about whether denominations are divisive and whether multiple Christian factions can be legitimate.

denominations ecclesiology heresy
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Attending a same-sex wedding generally expresses affirmation, not merely love — Christians should decline

Q&A from Joel Holmberg about attending a same-sex wedding

Christian ethics same-sex marriage sexual ethics
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

New Testament giving priorities: the poor, the persecuted church, local ministers, and generosity as lifestyle — not limited to 10%

Constructive answer on what Christian giving should look like without a tithe mandate

James 1 Corinthians 9 James 1 Corinthians 9 Christian giving
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

John 3:5 "born of water and the Spirit": Mike defers to Michael Heiser's podcast work placing this in its Jewish context

Question from Jesse Crocus about whether "born of water" in John 3:5 refers to water baptism, physical birth, or something else

John 3:5 Michael Heiser Nicodemus John 3:5
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Physics of Heaven — Bethel/Bill Johnson endorsed book promoting adoption of New Age practices

Question from April Stafford about spiritualism and New Age practices being "rescued" for Christian use

Bethel Church Bill Johnson Physics of Heaven
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Deuteronomy prohibits worshiping God the way pagan nations worship their gods

Old Testament argument against adopting pagan spiritual practices

Deuteronomy Deuteronomy New Age syncretism
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Colossians — New Testament prohibition against borrowing pagan or Old Covenant practices

New Testament argument against adopting New Age spiritual practices

Colossians Paul Colossians New Age
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Root cause of New Age adoption: absence of Holy Spirit necessitates manufactured methods

Theological diagnosis of why Christians turn to New Age practices

spiritual gifts Holy Spirit discernment
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Christian adoption of New Age practices is "a forgery of a forgery"

Conclusion of New Age syncretism argument

spiritual discernment New Age syncretism
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

The Chosen series — artistic interpretation, not Scripture; worth watching with discernment

Question from Dilly Guy about Mike's view on The Chosen

discernment biblical accuracy The Chosen
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Baptism: no required level of knowledge — New Testament pattern is immediate baptism upon faith

Question from Dimitar Bratov about the level of understanding required before baptism

catechesis baptism discipleship
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

Regeneration precedes faith — the core of Calvinism, which Mike rejects

Mike identifies what he sees as the single unifying point underlying all five TULIP points.

Calvinism Arminianism Total Depravity
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

Divine hardening in John's Gospel as a challenge to Calvinist Total Depravity

Mike argues divine hardening is inconsistent with Total Depravity.

Exodus Gospel of John Calvinism Exodus
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

Favorite Bible verses for daily courage — Proverbs 3:5-6 and Psalm 62:8

Q from Eighth Day Adventist about Mike's favorite Bible verse for daily encouragement.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Psalm 62:8 Proverbs 3:5-6 Faith Guidance
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

Parable of the Sower — the four soil ratios do not give a percentage of who is saved

Mike applies the principle about not literalizing parable ratios to the Parable of the Sower.

Matthew 13 Luke 8 parable interpretation Matthew 13 Parable of the Sower
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

God's choices of Jacob, Abraham, Moses, prophets — not favoritism but purposive grace for non-salvific roles

Question from Ryder Ness, a "struggling Calvinist," about divine favoritism in biblical election.

Isaiah 6 Romans 9 Genesis 25 election Moses Abraham
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-30

Parachute/airplane illustration: beliefs do not determine outcomes — reality is independent of belief

Mike uses a vivid analogy to show relativism fails when applied to real-world consequences.

evangelism eternal destiny objective truth
Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

All believers are indwelt by the Spirit at salvation, but degrees of Spirit-filling differ among believers

Responding to a question from Sarah P about whether salvation and Spirit baptism are the same event

Acts 6 Acts 2 John 20 Acts 6 Acts 2 Holy Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Noahide Laws conspiracy theory is rooted in anti-Semitism and misrepresents Jewish belief

Responding to John Ernest's question about whether Noahide Laws pose a threat to Christians

conspiracy theory Noahide Laws anti-Semitism
Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

How Mike ended up at Calvary Chapel — left previous church over moral compromise in youth ministry

A viewer asks how Mike ended up at Calvary Chapel in Bellflower.

Calvary Chapel youth ministry church discipline
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's claim that the NT contains anti-Semitic propaganda and forged passages is theologically foolish — it substitutes his personal agenda for textual criticism and makes him the effective authority over Scripture.

Q: What do you think of Shmuley Boteach's claim that the NT has anti-Semitic propaganda Christians should reject as forgeries?

Romans 9-11 Shmuley Boteach Anti-Semitism and the New Testament Romans 9-11
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

The NT is pro-Jewish rather than anti-Semitic: Romans 9-11 teaches the future salvation of all Israel, the gospel goes to the Jew first, and Jesus and all the original apostles are Jewish.

Counter-argument to the anti-Semitism charge against the NT.

Acts of the Apostles Romans 9-11 Romans 1:16 — Jew First Acts of the Apostles Romans 9-11 Jewish Salvation / Two-Covenant Theology
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Advice to a former JW: Do not transfer the JW 'true church' mentality to a new denomination — move from following an institutional governing body to following Christ, and seek genuine (not perfect) Christians.

Q: Former JW, not properly baptized — how to choose a church and who should baptize me? Afraid of being misled.

Calvary Chapel Jehovah's Witnesses Church Selection
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Baptism does not require a perfect or specially credentialed person — find a genuine Christian you respect and be baptized; Jesus saves, not the baptism or the baptizer.

Practical baptism advice for the former JW questioner.

Baptism Sacramentology Salvation — Faith not Ritual
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Mike leans toward classifying the Seventh-day Adventist church as a cult and plans a full dedicated video on the SDA topic in the coming year.

Q: Do you think the SDA is a cult?

Seventh-day Adventism Cults and False Religions
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q6 (wrong week): Advice for someone leaving a cult (JW) and finding a church; overcoming spiritual abuse

Response to question about choosing a church after leaving JW (note: Mike realized partway through this was from a previous week's questions)

spiritual authority Jehovah's Witnesses baptism
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Baptizing children should not be delayed based purely on age — genuine faith at any age is sufficient

Question from April B about baptizing her 8-year-old who has made a genuine profession of faith

baptism salvation faith
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Re-baptism is not prescribed in Scripture but can be appropriate when the original baptism lacked genuine understanding

Question from Andrew Green about whether re-baptisms are biblical

2 Corinthians 2 baptism grace re-baptism
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-15

Acts 2 tongues were real human foreign languages — each person heard in their own native language, not a single universal language

Question from Joel Holberg about whether the apostles in Acts 2 spoke a language everyone understood or each spoke a different foreign language.

Acts 2 Acts 2 Tongues / glossolalia Day of Pentecost
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-15

Adult believers who were baptized as infants should consider being re-baptized — baptism is a ratification of a personal decision to follow Christ

Question from LucyQ (from Finland) who was baptized in the Evangelical Lutheran Church as an infant but came to faith as an adult.

Baptism Infant baptism Re-baptism / believer's baptism
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Q11: Who can perform baptism? Scripture gives no explicit rule but establishes community precedent; a parent can baptize a child

Viewer 'Skirt Bobcat' asks who is authorized to perform baptism and whether a parent can baptize their children.

Paul the Apostle church authority baptism
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-19

Wise rule: pastor should live roughly at the level of his congregation

Mike's practical guideline for appropriate pastoral compensation.

church leadership pastoral ethics pastoral compensation
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-04

Baptism of the Holy Spirit as a post-salvation experience with mandatory tongues is not supported by Scripture; authentic gifts are preferred over formulaic fake ones.

Question from Lauren Breon about whether the baptism of the Holy Spirit as a separate experience with prayer language is scriptural.

1 Corinthians 12 Cessationism Baptism of the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 12
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-22

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young: channeled content, demonic origin, pastoral danger

Rachel joined a church prayer group using the devotional Jesus Calling and found concerning content.

discernment false teaching church discipline
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-22

Oneness Pentecostalism and baptism: standing firm on Trinitarian faith with grace

Reagen Bechtold's family are Oneness Pentecostals who wanted him/her to be re-baptized in their formula after already being baptized in a Trinitarian church.

James White Trinity baptism church history
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Non-negotiable Christian doctrines — essentials vs. secondary issues

DJ Diner asks what doctrines Christians should plant their flag on and never back down from.

Mormonism biblical inerrancy Trinity
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-26

The Kalam Cosmological Argument and responses to atheist objections about eternal energy and quantum vacuums.

Colin asks how to respond to atheist objections that energy could be infinite (eternal) and that quantum fluctuations could create a universe.

apologetics atheism William Lane Craig
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-26

Matthew 19:28 — the promise of 12 thrones for those who followed Jesus does not necessarily include Judas; Matthias' replacement and the symbolic nature of the number 12 both resolve the tension.

Robo King asks whether Judas still has a throne since Jesus promised 12 thrones to the Twelve in Matthew 19:28.

Acts 1 Matthew 19:28 Luke 22:28-30 eschatology Judas Iscariot Acts 1
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Why was Zechariah punished for his question about John's birth, but Mary was not punished for asking the same type of question?

Question from Terry Defilo about Luke 1:18 (Zechariah) vs. Luke 1:34 (Mary) and the apparent inconsistency.

John the Baptist Luke 1:18 Luke 1:34 Mary John the Baptist Luke 1:18
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-23

Hebrews 12:6 uses "scourges" (from the Septuagint of Proverbs 3:12) to describe God's fatherly discipline; the intensified language is contextually appropriate fatherly correction, not brutal punishment.

Q6 from Stephanie: Hebrews 12:5-6 quotes Proverbs 3:11-12 but ends with "scourge" — why does it imply God brutally whips every believer?

Hebrews 12:5-6 Proverbs 3:11-12 Septuagint (LXX) Hebrews 12:5-6 Proverbs 3:11-12
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-23

Classical nudity in art is not morally distinct from pornography; artistic quality does not transform the moral character of nude imagery.

Q11 from Wolfpack: how should Christians approach classical art with nudity (e.g., Michelangelo's David)? Is it okay to like it or make similar art?

sexual ethics pornography nudity in art
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Plato's influence on Christianity: limited and often overstated due to caricatures of ancient thought

Q2 from Tony Oshikonlu: What does Plato have to do with Christianity? Was Plato as influential on Christianity as the Bible?

John 1 Plato Philo of Alexandria John 1
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Was Christianity guilty of impeding science and critical thinking? No — authentic Christianity supports scientific inquiry

Q3 from Adidam Ayaji: Was Christianity guilty of impeding critical thinking and exploring the cosmos and natural world?

creation faith and reason natural law
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Re-baptism: Acts 19 supports being baptized again after receiving fuller gospel understanding; LDS baptism is invalid

Q5 from Stephanie Morse: Are there biblical examples of people being baptized more than once? She was baptized LDS and wants to be re-baptized.

Acts 19 John's baptism Apollos Holy Spirit Acts 19
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Church COVID restrictions and pastoral imprisonment: uncertain whether it qualifies as persecution, but it feels like it

Q12 from Crystalline Sloan: Can you define persecution and speak to whether pastors imprisoned for defying public health orders are being persecuted?

conscience persecution COVID-19
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

Baptism: biblical basis and urgency; no reason to delay

Listener Kenneth asks how to explain the importance of baptism to a new Christian who has not yet been baptized.

Acts 2:38 Acts 8:36-38 Hebrews 5 Philip the Evangelist Ethiopian eunuch Acts 2:38
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