Search — Theology Explorer

John 6 Mark 7:27-28 Lord's Supper Eucharist John 6

Mark 7:27-28 (Syrophoenician woman and children's bread) is not connected to the Eucharist debate

Question from Caleb Lindsey about whether Mark 7:27-28 supports a spiritual (non-physical) view of the Eucharist.

Romans 8:15 assurance of salvation witness of the Holy Spirit Romans 8:15

Witness of the Holy Spirit is mental/spiritual awareness of sonship, not necessarily emotional feeling; love for God is primarily volitional, not emotional

Question from "JW" about not feeling the witness of the Holy Spirit or love for God despite trusting Christ.

1 Corinthians 10 1 Corinthians 10:22 1 Corinthians 8 Christian liberty 1 Corinthians 10 idolatry

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 16:20 hermeneutics cultural hermeneutics 1 Corinthians 16:20

1 Corinthians 16:20 — "greet one another with a holy kiss" is a culturally applied principle, not a universal command

Question from Sarah Taytano about whether the holy kiss is a binding commandment.

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-30

Matthew 8 two demoniacs vs. Mark 5 one demoniac: narrative selectivity, not contradiction

Question from CM (from Germany) about the apparent discrepancy between Matthew 8 and Mark 5.

Matthew 8 Mark 5 inerrancy Matthew 8 Mark 5

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Mark 16:9-20 (the longer ending) is likely not original to the gospel

Responding to a question from Max Bolser about Mark 16:17-18 and signs following believers

Mark 16:9-20 textual criticism biblical inerrancy longer ending of Mark

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

If Mark 16:17-18 is original, signs accompanying believers does not mean every believer at all times

Mike gives a conditional interpretation of Mark 16:17-18 assuming its authenticity

Acts Mark 16:17-18 signs and wonders speaking in tongues Acts

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Snake handling is condemned as tempting God, mirroring Satan's temptation of Jesus using Psalm 91

Mike addresses the serpent-picking clause in Mark 16:18

Mark 16:18 Psalm 91 Matthew 4 Mark 16:18 Psalm 91 Matthew 4

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Mark 10:17-18 — Why does Jesus ask why he is called good? Implicit claim to deity

A viewer asks Mike to explain Mark 10:17-18, the rich young ruler passage.

John 10:11 2 Corinthians 5:21 Mark 10:17-18 John 10:11 Ray Comfort deity of Christ

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Dating the Gospels — pre-70 AD arguments deserve more weight than commonly given

A viewer asks whether most NT historians date all four Gospels to around 70 AD or later.

1 Timothy Mark Luke 1 Timothy textual criticism Mark

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-20

Epistemic humility in teaching: share conclusions only to the degree of confidence you actually possess

Question about how Mike knows when he has read enough secondary literature to teach a topic publicly.

epistemology humility biblical scholarship

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-20

Old Testament believers were saved but lacked the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Question about whether Old Testament believers were born again and could be called children of God.

Acts 2 Psalm 51:11 John 14:17 David Acts 2 Abraham

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-11

The Documentary Hypothesis (JEDP theory) has largely died out in scholarship; the old version attacked in apologetics works like Evidence That Demands a Verdict is mostly obsolete.

Question about the Documentary Hypothesis

Genesis Genesis Elohim Evidence That Demands a Verdict

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-11

Revival is biblical; Mike defines it as significant corporate repentance and walking rightly with God, not primarily as an outpouring of spectacular spiritual gifts.

Question: is revival biblical?

Holy Spirit repentance revival

1 Corinthians 8-10 — Meat Offered to Idols Bethel Music Hillsong Elevation Worship

Refusing to sing Bethel/Hillsong/Elevation music is not legalism, but binding that refusal on others crosses into judgmentalism — this is a conscience matter analogous to Paul's 'meat sold in the marketplace' principle.

Q: Is it too legalistic to refuse to sing Bethel/Hillsong/Elevation music due to the doctrines of those churches?

Bill Johnson Discernment / Heresy Worship Music and Discernment

Bethel's primary export is false revival — fake gifts, prophecy, healings — mixed with genuine-sounding worship music that ranges from theologically neutral to theologically dangerous.

Mike's own view on Bethel, offered after establishing the meat-in-marketplace frame.

1 Corinthians 8-10 — Meat Offered to Idols 1 Corinthians 8-10 — Meat Offered to Idols Christian Liberty / Conscience Worship Music and Discernment

Worship leaders bear collective responsibility to their congregations: presenting music in corporate worship is like preparing a meal for everyone — songs known to cause stumbling should be avoided.

Application of the meat-in-marketplace analogy to congregational worship leading.

Romans 9-11 Shmuley Boteach Anti-Semitism and the New Testament Romans 9-11

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?

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q7: Daniel prayed without a temple — praying toward the temple as access to God (OT parallel to praying in Jesus' name)

Response to question about Mark 11:22-25 and temple-based prayer

Mark 11:22-25 Daniel 1 Kings 8 prayer temple indwelling Holy Spirit

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Closing: upcoming content — Mark series, Douglas Moo on Passion Translation Romans, next Q&A

Closing remarks

Romans Psalm 110 Mark Douglas Moo Romans Psalm 110

prayer Bible study methods Lord's Prayer

The Lord's Prayer is an excellent structured guide for prayer when used as a launch pad, not as a rote formula to repeat

Positive application of the Lord's Prayer and recommendation for daily devotional practice

Mark 8:24 Jesus Mark 8:24 healing

The blind man in Mark who saw "men like trees walking" knew what trees were despite being blind — blind people have extensive non-visual knowledge

Question from Angela about how a man born blind could know what trees look like (Mark 8:24)

2 Corinthians 2 baptism grace re-baptism

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

Proverbs Craig Blomberg wisdom Proverbs

Proverbs recommended as the antidote to the lack of wisdom on both political extremes

Closing remarks

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-15

Hillsong's explosive growth is driven by an extra layer of intense positivity — the "Happy Meal" model of Christianity

Continued analysis of Hillsong's ministry model.

Hillsong Prosperity gospel / positivity gospel Ministry success metrics

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-29

Introduction: channel milestone of 200,000 subscribers and format of the 20 Questions Friday livestream

Opening remarks before questions begin. Mike Winger celebrates reaching 200k subscribers and explains the Q&A format.

Mike Winger online ministry ministry perseverance

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-29

False signs and wonders: miracles do not authenticate a religion; Satan has real but limited supernatural power

Question from 'spazzy jazzy' about a Japanese friend who believes a false religion because of a miraculous healing her mother received.

Exodus 7 Mark 13:22 discernment evangelism Exodus 7

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-29

Leaven of Herod (Mark 8:15) -- ungodly ambition, desire for worldly approval, and yielding to wickedness

Question from Mark H about the leaven of Herod in Mark 8:15, and why it is named separately from the leaven of the Pharisees.

Mark 8:15 1 Corinthians 5:8 Herod Mark 8:15 1 Corinthians 5:8

resurrection of Jesus debate preparation livestream format

Mike introduces the livestream as an informal Q&A format, explains he is preparing for an upcoming debate on the resurrection of Jesus Christ against an atheist on Thursday.

Opening remarks and format explanation

Mark 14:51-52 Mark the Evangelist Peter Mark 14:51-52 Gospel of Mark

Mike identifies the naked young man fleeing in Mark 14:51-52 as likely the author Mark himself, explaining this was a common ancient biographical convention of embedding the author’s presence discreetly in the narrative.

Response to viewer question about the identity of the young man in Mark 14:51-52

apologetics resurrection of Jesus debate

Mike wraps up after about an hour, promoting his upcoming Thursday debate on the resurrection against an atheist named Paul from Paulogia on the Non-Sequitur Show, and instructs viewers to enable YouTube notifications.

Closing remarks and debate promotion