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All (7015) Scripture Commentary (3373) Theology (205) Mike Winger (3407) Pulpit (30)

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Advice for young ministers: root out pride continually — comparing yourself to other ministers is a major red flag

Continued advice for Andrej Pollock on young ministry pitfalls

humility preaching methodology ministerial formation

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Hebrews 6:4-6 is the most challenging apostasy passage in the Bible; Mike is not yet ready to give a definitive answer on it

Question from Folky about the warning in Hebrews 6:4-6 regarding those who seem to have experienced salvation but then fall away

Hebrews 6:4-6 eternal security apostasy Hebrews 6:4-6

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Calvinism: regeneration precedes faith — the Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner first, making belief inevitable

Question from Jason Staub about whether faith from a fallen nature is "fruitful" faith, touching on the Calvinist doctrine of regeneration preceding faith

Advice for young ministers: root out pride continually — comparing yourself to other ministers is a major red flag

Hebrews 6:4-6 is the most challenging apostasy passage in the Bible; Mike is not yet ready to give a definitive answer on it

Calvinism: regeneration precedes faith — the Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner first, making belief inevitable

Mike's anti-Calvinist argument: faith is not a work regardless of its source; the Calvinist objection tries to smuggle faith into the "works" category

Non-Calvinist view: God initiates faith through the proclaimed word, but the individual makes the decision to believe

"Slain in the Spirit" is not taught in the Bible and is inconsistent with the Spirit's fruit of self-control

Romans 14: do not violate your conscience — if you cannot do something in faith before God, do not do it, even if it may be permissible

Annihilationism fails because (1) immortality does not mean eternal existence, and (2) Jesus uses the same word "everlasting" for both heaven and hell

Grace Community Church COVID decision: Mike is on the fence — neither fully endorsing nor opposing their refusal to close

Sexual sin is uniquely grave — it is a sin against one's own body in a way other sins are not

Introduction to soul sleep vs. immediate presence with God at death

Future bodily resurrection is distinct from the question of immediate post-death state

2 Corinthians 5 — "absent from the body, present with the Lord" is a summary, not a direct quote

Paul's tension between ministry and being with Christ only makes sense if death means immediate presence

Roman Catholic purgatory interpretation uses Paul as an exception case rather than normative

Memes about Jesus and Christian humor — the danger of making light of holy things

Mike's personal position: premillennial with a real thousand-year millennium and seven-year tribulation

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

Luke's technique of embedding source hints — Herod's household and Pilate's conversation with Jesus

Mark's Gospel shifts eyewitness sources from Peter to named women when Peter departs

Christmas and birthdays — Mike changed his mind about pagan origins of Christmas

Biblical basis for celebrating holidays — God gave Israel feast days; Jesus attended Hanukkah

Thanksgiving as a biblical holiday in practice though not in name

Can raptured believers help loved ones left behind? No biblical basis; Paul implies post-death impact ends

Greek grammar does not support moving the comma — nearly universal translation consensus

Survey of Jesus's use of "today" (semeron) supports the standard reading

The Chosen's depiction of Nicodemus — creative but without historical evidence

Galatians 3:23 — the Law as guardian/nanny: imprisoned under law until Christ

Freedom from the law through Christ — justified by faith, law's penalty absorbed by Jesus

Jesus appearing in the locked room — glorified body explanation from 1 Corinthians 15

"In Jesus's name" is not a required formula but a meaningful expression of mediation

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

Renewing love for God — Revelation 2 letter to Ephesus: remember, return, repeat

Spiritual dryness — returning to first works as the remedy

Leaving Word of Faith — approach departing member's sister with invitation, not condemnation

Persistent prayer vs. vain repetition — the biblical balance

Vain repetition is an insult to God — better to pray less than with empty words

Laziness is a major detriment to teaching ministry — pastors need to study deeply

Serve humbly in any capacity — do not limit ministry to pastoral role; obey calling

Introduction to TULIP as a summary of Calvinist theology

Mike affirms the Five Solas but says they do not make him a Calvinist

Total Depravity defined as "total inability" — Mike rejects it

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

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

Unconditional Election — Mike partly affirms, partly rejects

Corporate view of election and God's foreknowledge conditioned on faith

Limited Atonement — Mike firmly rejects it

Perseverance of the Saints — Mike is unresolved, not firmly opposed

All five TULIP points are ultimately one point: denial of free will

Deutero-Isaiah / multiple authorship of Isaiah — Mike skeptical

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