Search — Theology Explorer

David Hume Christopher Hitchens Miracles

David Hume's confirmation bias: he used the prior improbability of miracles to refuse even examining the evidence

Mike connects Hume's philosophical approach to the confirmation bias critique (Problem 3).

David Hume Christopher Hitchens Miracles

Hume's anti-evidential stance is the philosophical ancestor of New Atheist ridicule tactics

Mike traces the intellectual lineage from Hume to modern internet skepticism.

Existence of God Prior probability New Testament reliability

Adding corroborating evidence: reasons to believe God exists and Scripture is reliable further overcome any prior improbability

Mike adds to the cumulative case by connecting evidence for God and Scripture to the prior probability question.

Apologetics Atheism Motivation for anti-religion

Q&A: Have you asked atheists why they even care what people believe about God?

Question from Sadie Mayo.

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

N.T. Wright's New Perspective on Paul: Winger is mildly opposed but has not read enough Wright to engage substantively

Response to question about N.T. Wright's view on Paul's epistles

N.T. Wright Pauline theology New Perspective on Paul

Matthew 5:17 hermeneutics Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:17

Matthew 5:17 must be read pre-New Covenant: Jesus is speaking to Jews before the cross

Key hermeneutical frame for interpreting the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:18 Pharisees Matthew 5:18 iota and tittle

Matthew 5:18 (not a jot or tittle will pass) is about how the Law will not be stripped piecemeal, not about its perpetual applicability

Exegesis of Matthew 5:18 against the Hebrew Roots reading

Matthew 5:19 Pharisees Jewish audience of Jesus Matthew 5:19

Matthew 5:19 (relaxing commandments) is anti-Pharisee polemic, not a universal command to keep the Mosaic Law

Contextual reading of Matthew 5:19 in its Sermon on the Mount setting

Matthew 5:20-48 Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:20-48 antitheses

Matthew 5:20-48 shows Jesus intensifying the Law (anger=murder, lust=adultery) to reveal how far short everyone falls

Winger's reading of the antitheses in the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 2:22 Josephus Herod Antipas Antiquities of the Jews

Extra-biblical corroboration: Herod Archelaus and Matthew 2:22

McLatchie gives Josephus as extra-biblical corroboration explaining Matthew's otherwise puzzling reference to Herod Archelaus.

John the Baptist Mark 10:2-12 Josephus John the Baptist Herod Antipas

Extra-biblical corroboration: Mark 10 — why Jesus taught about divorce in that context

McLatchie uses Mark 10's divorce passage to show Josephus provides context explaining why the teaching is historically plausible.

John the Baptist Luke 3:14 Josephus John the Baptist Herod Antipas

Extra-biblical corroboration: Luke 3 — soldiers on active duty near John the Baptist

McLatchie presents a subtle corroboration between Luke 3's soldiers and the specific military situation in the region during John the Baptist's ministry.

Numbers 23:19 Deuteronomy 21:23 resurrection deity of Christ Justin Martyr

Unlikely origin of the disciples' belief in the deity of Jesus — fifth argument

McLatchie introduces the argument that the disciples' belief in Jesus's deity is historically inexplicable without the resurrection, given the Jewish context.

Jonathan McLatchie biological fine-tuning intelligent design

Doug Axe's research — probability of functional proteins

McLatchie cites Douglas Axe's research on the ratio of functional to non-functional protein sequences.

biological fine-tuning intelligent design Antony Flew

Antony Flew's conversion from atheism due to biological complexity

Winger cites Antony Flew as a historical example of someone persuaded by biological complexity to abandon atheism.

natural theology Jonathan McLatchie cosmic fine-tuning

Bayesian approach: fine-tuning evidence favors theism over atheism

McLatchie articulates a Bayesian argument: the fine-tuning evidence is far more expected on theism than on atheism.

Acts 1 James the brother of Jesus John 7:5 Josephus resurrection of Jesus Acts 1

James the brother of Jesus — conversion from skeptic to martyr

McLatchie presents the conversion and martyrdom of James, Jesus's brother, as particularly strong evidence for the resurrection.

Acts 6:10-14 Stephen Law of Moses Acts 6:10-14

Stephen is falsely accused of speaking against Moses and the law -- the witnesses are explicitly called false (Acts 6:13), meaning Stephen is not actually teaching against the law

Survey of Acts 6, Stephen controversy

Acts 8:1 Acts 1:8 Acts 8:1 Acts 1:8 progressive revelation

Acts 8:1 -- Saul's persecution scatters the church throughout Judea and Samaria, fulfilling the Acts 1:8 progression

Survey of Acts chapter 8

Acts 11:20 Luke (author) Gentile mission Acts 11:20 Antioch (Syria)

Acts 11:20 -- some men of Cyprus and Cyrene begin speaking to Greeks (Gentiles) in Antioch, preaching the Lord Jesus. Luke narrates this only after establishing how Gentiles can be saved.

Survey of Acts 11:20, first Gentile outreach from scattered believers

Acts 11:22-26 discipleship Barnabas Torah observance

Barnabas and Saul spend a full year discipling the Antioch church; disciples are first called Christians there. This extended discipleship with no mention of Torah observance is a key data point.

Survey of Acts 11:22-26, Antioch discipleship

Acts 13:14 Paul the Apostle fulfillment theology Acts 13:14

Paul preaches in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14) -- his standard method is synagogue first, then the broader city. His message presents Jesus as fulfillment of the law and prophets.

Survey of Acts 13:14, Paul's first missionary journey

Acts 13:38-39 Paul the Apostle justification Law of Moses

Acts 13:38-39 -- Paul: forgiveness is proclaimed through Jesus, and through him everyone who believes is freed from all things from which they could not be freed through the law of Moses

Paul's synagogue sermon in Pisidian Antioch

Acts 14:8-11 Barnabas Paul the Apostle Acts 14:8-11

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 15 Acts 15 Torah observance salvation vs. sanctification

Three arguments that Acts 15 addresses sanctification, not just salvation: (1) text never limits it to salvation; (2) if future Torah teaching was expected, why not clarify here; (3) they gave four specific sanctification commands, not the whole law

Winger's three-part argument that Acts 15 covers sanctification as well

Acts 15 Acts 13 discipleship Acts 15 Torah observance

Hebrew Roots response to Acts 15: it was only temporary, with full Torah teaching coming later. Winger demolishes this by pointing to the years of prior discipleship at Antioch.

Response to the Hebrew Roots 'temporary decree' argument for Acts 15

Acts 18:13 Paul the Apostle Law of Moses fulfillment theology

Acts 18:13 -- Paul accused of persuading men to worship God contrary to the law. Again just an accusation, paralleling the pattern with Jesus: fulfillment misread as abolishment.

Survey of Acts 18:13

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-05

Romans 6:15 refutes 119's interpretation of Romans 6:14 by context

Contextual argument using the immediately following verse

Romans 6:14 Romans 6:15 Law of Moses under the law Romans 6:14

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-05

Paul's two caveats in 1 Cor 9:20-21: not under the Law of Moses, but also not lawless — under the law of Christ

Distinguishing freedom from the law vs. antinomianism

1 Corinthians 9:20-21 Law of Moses law of Christ fulfillment theology

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-05

The law is not abolished but fulfilled in Christ; the Spirit replaces the external law as the mode of obedience

Positive theological statement of Winger's view

Galatians 5 fruit of the Spirit Law of Moses walking in the Spirit

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-30

Even granting the Calvinist reading of 2 Cor 5:14, it only affirms Jesus died for the elect — it does not deny he died for others

Winger grants the Calvinist interpretation hypothetically to show it still does not prove limited atonement.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 limited atonement 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 fallacy of negative inference

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-30

1 John's own usage of 'world' across multiple verses defines the term as the ungodly — not scattered believers

Winger grounds the interpretation of 'world' in 1 John 2:2 by examining how the same author uses the word elsewhere in 1 John.

1 John 3:1 1 John 3:13 1 John 4:3-5 kosmos 1 John 3:1 1 John 3:13

Steven Anderson biblical gospel media platforming of fringe teachers

Mike explains why he is doing a video to refute Steven Anderson

Introduction to the video

false teaching Steven Anderson biblical gospel

Anderson's teaching is antithetical to the full biblical gospel, not merely imperfect

Framing the critique

Leviticus 1 Timothy 1:8 hermeneutics Leviticus Steven Anderson

Anderson misuses the Old Testament law by applying it selectively to one group

Critique of Anderson's theological method

Galatians 4:21 Galatians 4:21 Steven Anderson law and gospel

Galatians 4:21: Those who want to be under the law do not understand the law

Paul's argument against misapplying the law

James (brother of Jesus) Josephus James (brother of Jesus) Antiquities of the Jews

Josephus mentions Jesus twice: Antiquities 18.63 (disputed) and Antiquities 20.200 (virtually undisputed)

Explaining the two Josephus passages

Josephus Origen Antiquities of the Jews

The Testimonium Flavianum (Antiquities 18.63) was interpolated by a Christian, but most scholars think an authentic Josephus reference to Jesus underlies it

Scholarly consensus on the interpolation question in Josephus

argument from silence oral tradition historicity of Jesus

Lack of contemporary accounts of Jesus is explained by low literacy rates (~10%), oral transmission culture, and early Christian expectation of imminent return

Responding to the objection that no writings about Jesus exist from his lifetime

scholarly consensus historicity of Jesus

The consensus extends well beyond a minimal "one man named Jesus died by crucifixion" — substantial historical data about Jesus is agreed upon

Qualifying the extent of the historical consensus on Jesus

scholarly consensus Richard Carrier Jesus mythicism

Only a handful of bona fide scholars deny Jesus's existence — Carrier said there were seven including himself, none widely respected in their disciplines

Quantifying the scholarly minority who deny Jesus's historical existence

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Rebuttal: the inscripturation claim for prophecy and knowledge is unsubstantiated; New Testament prophets generally did not produce Scripture.

First major exegetical objection to the Masters Seminary argument. Winger demonstrates that NT prophets were not primarily Scripture-writers.

Acts 21:9 Acts 11 Acts 21:9 cessationism prophecy

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

1 Corinthians 15 confirms: "the perfect" is the resurrection state — imperishable bodies, the last trumpet, being changed — not the completion of the Bible.

Winger appeals to 1 Cor 15 (same letter, shortly after ch. 13) as the definitive referent for "when the perfect comes."

1 Corinthians 15 cessationism 1 Corinthians 15 eschatology

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Winger's church practice: open to Spirit-prompted words but does not structure services around spiritual gifts; anti-normative posture.

Q&A response about how gifts function in his church.

continuationism church order spiritual gifts

Isaiah 45:7 semantic range Isaiah 45:7 ra

Hebrew word ra — range of meaning includes calamity, distress, harm, not only moral evil

Mike examines the Hebrew word translated "evil" in Isaiah 45:7 using multiple lexicons

Modern translations render ra in Isaiah 45:7 as calamity/disaster, not evil — English has shifted

Mike explains why the KJV uses "evil" and why modern translations differ

Isaiah 45:7 ESV NASB NIV

Q&A: If God gave us a wicked heart, can we blame him? — Shaking fist at God is foolish

Audience question on whether God bears responsibility for human sinfulness

salvation sin free will