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Mike Winger idea 2021-03-26

Christians can and should serve in government; Romans 13 and Romans 12:17 are not contradictory — private morality and governmental justice operate on different principles.

The Brunette Family asks whether a Christian can be a governing authority given Romans 13:1 alongside Romans 12:17 ("repay no one evil for evil").

Romans 13:4 Romans 13:1 Romans 12:17 Romans 13:4 Romans 13:1 Romans 12:17

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

What is a local church and is planting under an existing church a biblical mandate?

Question from Droopy's Dad about church definition and whether church plants must be authorized by an existing church.

Ecclesiology Church planting Local church

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

The Canaanite genocide: why God commanded Israel to kill rather than drive out or convert

Question from Lindsey Kelso about the moral difficulty of God commanding Israel to kill thousands of Canaanites.

Deuteronomy / Joshua conquest texts Theodicy Children and salvation Canaanite conquest

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Son of Man in Mark's Gospel: Jesus clearly uses the title self-referentially

Question from Skeptic Reviews claiming Jesus used "Son of Man" in the third person to refer to someone other than himself.

Mark 2:10 Mark 8:31 Mark 9:9 Christology Transfiguration Son of Man

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Mandating church traditions as biblical commands is wrong; Proverbs 22:28 and Matthew 18:18 do not support it

Q8 from John Doe: A church mandates women wear dresses and men be clean-shaven using Proverbs 22:28 and Matthew 18:18 — is it biblical to mandate adherence to tradition?

Proverbs 22:28 Matthew 18:18 church authority spiritual abuse tradition vs Scripture

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

Introduction: Friday Q&A format and purpose

Mike Winger opens the livestream, explaining the format of the Friday Q&A (formerly Tuesday). He positions himself not as an authority but as a fellow observer of Scripture.

Christians can and should serve in government; Romans 13 and Romans 12:17 are not contradictory — private morality and governmental justice operate on different principles.

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.

What is a local church and is planting under an existing church a biblical mandate?

The Canaanite genocide: why God commanded Israel to kill rather than drive out or convert

Son of Man in Mark's Gospel: Jesus clearly uses the title self-referentially

Mandating church traditions as biblical commands is wrong; Proverbs 22:28 and Matthew 18:18 do not support it

Introduction: Friday Q&A format and purpose

John 21:24-25 does not support Orthodox/Catholic oral tradition

How to determine transcultural vs. culturally-bound biblical instructions

Psalm 82 gods (elohim) most likely refers to earthly rulers ironically addressed as divine beings, not literal supernatural deities.

Mark 5 demoniac: Jesus was not tricked by the demons; the swine destruction may have been demonic sabotage that God repurposed for good.

The youths mauled by bears in 2 Kings 2 were not small children but likely young adult men mocking Elisha's prophetic authority.

The JW blood transfusion example actually comes from Watchtower proclamations, not biblical interpretation. John notes the Bible's manuscript tradition makes it more reliable than modern media like video. Even supernatural direct knowledge could still be questioned by skeptics.

The unridden colt symbolizes Jesus' transcendent, non-derivative authority — unlike kings who rode conquered rulers' mounts to claim their power, Jesus' authority is wholly his own.

Mark 11:27-33 reveals a striking parallel between the Sanhedrin's authority claims and modern Roman Catholic magisterial claims — not as a "hypocrite" jab, but as a pattern Jesus addresses.

The chief priests, scribes, and elders = a delegation from the Sanhedrin (Jewish supreme court, ~70 members). This is a significant escalation — Jesus is now on their turf in Jerusalem, confronting the highest authority in Israel.

The Sanhedrin's question is for intimidation and ammunition, not information. Jesus's counter-question about John's baptism is a standard rabbinic technique that embeds his answer while denying them usable ammo.

Jesus's two options — "from heaven or from men" — establish a "sola heaven" principle: heavenly authority doesn't need earthly institutional approval. John didn't get Sanhedrin permission; neither does Jesus.

The Sanhedrin's three authority claims (succession from Moses, Moses's seat, oral tradition) are structurally identical to the Catholic magisterium's claims (apostolic succession, chair of Peter, sacred tradition).

Jesus's response pattern gives us a template: acknowledge the legitimate role (responsibility to teach) while rejecting the authority claims. The papacy has responsibility to teach God's Word but not the authority to determine truth.

Christians must have spines — courage of conviction — when facing cultural pressure. Not angry Christians, but Christians who speak truth clearly and wisely. The persecuted church's lesson: when you know you're following God's revealed Word, you don't need man's permission.

Psalm 118:22-23 (rejected cornerstone) is quoted by the crowd entering Jerusalem AND by Jesus to the Sanhedrin — the "builders" (scribes/scholars in rabbinic literature) reject the stone, but God establishes it anyway. The "others" who receive the vineyard are the leaders of the Christian church.

Christians should pay taxes even to corrupt governments that use money for immoral purposes — Jesus said to pay taxes to Rome, which would use that money to crucify him. Romans 13:1-7 teaches we OWE government obedience, taxes, fear, and honor.

Honor the office even when you despise the officeholder — "salute the rank, not the person." Christians who only honor leaders they agree with are operating from party affiliation, not biblical integrity.

Jesus redirects from taxes to the image of God — you bear God's image, so you belong to God. For the Christian, there is no separation between religion and politics; being a Christian IS the lens through which you engage all of life.

Biblical framework: impartiality in judgment (no favoritism for rich or poor), all humans of one blood in God's image, individual sin/accountability, Scripture as the authority over lived experience. CRT is incompatible with Christianity on every core tenet.

The death penalty is clearly supported by Scripture. Genesis 9:5-6 — given to ALL humanity (not just Israel) — establishes capital punishment for murder based on the image of God: "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed."

Progressive Christians are the modern counterpart of the Sadducees — not atheists, but religious liberals who call themselves Christians while rejecting resurrection, judgment, hell, the supernatural, and biblical authority.

Jesus agreed with the Pharisees on 4 points (supernatural worldview, resurrection, Scripture authority, messianic focus of OT) but disagreed on 3 (traditions as doctrine, authority claims, works-righteousness). Jesus agreed with the Sadducees on NOTHING.

The Salvation Army replacing water baptism with wearing a uniform and not practicing communion is a serious mistake — baptism and communion are commanded by Jesus, not optional denominational choices.

1 John 3:4 ("sin is lawlessness") doesn't mean Christians must keep the Mosaic Law — "lawlessness" means rebellion against God's moral authority, not specifically violating Torah commands. The New Testament redefines how we relate to God's moral standards.

Do Pastors Have Authority over Believers?: A lot of people in my circle talk about being under the "covering" and authority of their pastor and elders. Is this a thing?

Understanding the Trinity: How should we understand the "power dynamic" within the Trinity specifically as it applies to "sending" (filioque clause in mind)? Does the Father have a sort of "sending" authority over the Son & the Spirit?

Winger affirms husband-wife roles are equal in value but different in role, calling this 'irrefutably taught' in the NT. He rejects the word 'rule' as misleading in modern English but affirms husbands have a higher position of authority.

Should we Command People to be Healed?: Should we command for someone to be healed, or ask God for someone to be healed (Acts 3:6)? Do we have the very same authority of the Apostles to perform miracles (Mark 16: 17-18)?

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