Search — Theology Explorer

Resurrection of Jesus Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence Evidence dismissal

Summary: the Twitter examples reveal the slogan creates unreasonable expectations to dodge evidence

Mike wraps up the Twitter survey analysis.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence Existence of God Epistemology

Problem 3: The slogan results in rejecting any claim you want — confirmation bias

Third of five critiques of the slogan.

Moral argument for God Existence of God Prophecy

Evidence for God's existence: design, morality, prophecy; God as necessary being

Mike briefly asserts a positive case that God's existence is not extraordinary but expected.

Resurrection of Jesus Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence Special pleading

Problem 4: The slogan results in ignoring good evidence via double standards and special pleading

Fourth of five critiques.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence Carl Sagan Miracles

The slogan formalized as a syllogism — and why it fails at premise 4

Mike reconstructs the argument in syllogistic form, attributed to critics of Sagan's argument ("argumentum Sagani").

Epistemology Prior probability Human probability estimation

Problem 5: The slogan misapplies prior probability — humans are bad at estimating probabilities

Fifth and final critique, focused on the prior probability dimension.

Resurrection of Jesus Miracles Prior probability

The prior probability of the resurrection cannot be assessed by counting how many people have naturally risen — category error

Mike drills into the specific error of applying natural-process probability to a theistic miracle claim.

Resurrection of Jesus Richard Swinburne Prior probability

Richard Swinburne has done serious academic work on the prior probability of the resurrection

Mike cites a scholar who has engaged the probability question rigorously.

Resurrection of Jesus Epistemology Prior probability

Evidence can overcome even extremely low prior probabilities — the question is "did it happen?" not "what are the odds?"

Mike's positive epistemological alternative to the slogan's approach.

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.

Epistemology Prior probability Confirmation bias

Practical illustration: reliable coworker Jeff missing work — evidence overcomes prior probability

Mike uses an everyday scenario to illustrate how evidence should override prior probability.

James the brother of Jesus Paul the Apostle Resurrection of Jesus James the brother of Jesus

The cumulative case for the resurrection: what evidence we actually have

Mike assembles the positive evidence for the resurrection after dismantling the slogan's objections.

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.

Resurrection of Jesus Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence Epistemology

Mike's positive replacement for the slogan: evidence makes a claim believable when data is better explained by the hypothesis being true

Mike offers a rigorous epistemological alternative to the slogan.

Romans 1 Romans 1 Hardened heart Apologetics and spiritual condition

Intellectual clarity requires spiritual health — Romans 1 on the connection between spiritual state and clear thinking

Mike adds a theological qualifier to the apologetics discussion.

Apologetics Evangelism Limits of apologetics

Apologetics is useful and important but should not be overstated — it works differently for different people

Mike's pastoral qualification on the limits of apologetics.

Capturing Christianity Tim McGrew Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence

Recommendation: Tim McGrew discussion on Capturing Christianity channel for deeper philosophical analysis of the slogan

Mike directs viewers to further study.

Q&A begins; note on busyness and the importance of deliberate margin in life

Transition to live Q&A.

Christian living

Youth ministry Discipleship Pastoral ministry

Q&A: Tips for young first-time pastor doing outreach to youth/college-age in a congregation of older saints

Pastoral question from a viewer.

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.

Greg Koukl Evangelism Tactics (book)

Q&A: Tips for evangelizing to peers before military training — Greg Koukl's Tactics recommended

Viewer heading to military training asks about evangelism strategies.

Christian living Church accountability Pastoral correction

Q&A: Is it wrong to approach a pastor who taught something theologically unsound?

Viewer question about church accountability.

Isaiah 53 Psalm 22 William Lane Craig Isaiah 53 Psalm 22

Q&A: How to deal with coworkers who want proof of God's existence — resources recommended

Viewer (law enforcement officer) asks how to engage atheist coworkers.

Luke 10:23-24 Hardened heart Apologetics and spiritual condition Luke 10:23-24

Q&A: Is a particular heart condition needed to see the reliability of evidence? — Luke 10:23-24 discussed

Viewer asks about the relationship between spiritual state and ability to assess evidence.

Evangelism Apologetics and spiritual condition Conversion

Former atheists: some came to faith through argumentation, others through experiential transformation first

Part of the answer about heart condition and evidence.

Resurrection of Jesus Historical evidence Fire-breathing dragon analogy

Q&A: Fire-breathing dragon analogy — why the resurrection is not analogous to fantastic claims

Viewer tests the slogan with a car vs. dragon analogy.

Resurrection of Jesus Jesus mythicism Historical Jesus

Jesus-as-myth parallels to dragon analogy — internet claims of mythological foundations are "hokum"

Mike briefly addresses the mythicist position.

Apologetics Evangelism Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence

Closing: five diagnostic questions viewers can use in conversation to expose the slogan as confirmation bias

Mike wraps the livestream with practical application.

Bart Ehrman Biblical manuscripts Textual criticism

Bart Ehrman acknowledges we probably have what the originals said, despite popularizing text-critical skepticism

Mike's nuanced engagement with a prominent skeptical scholar on textual transmission.

1 Corinthians James the brother of Jesus 1 Corinthians Paul the Apostle Resurrection of Jesus

Paul and James as enemy/skeptic witnesses to the resurrection — more powerful than Pilate would be

Mike argues we already have the category of evidence (non-follower witnesses) that skeptics demand.

Scripture authority spiritual discernment near-death experiences

Near-death experience books should be tested against Scripture and not used to supplement or replace it; the danger is NDE narrators becoming gurus with insider knowledge

Response to a question about the theological accuracy of books like 23 Minutes in Hell and 90 Minutes in Heaven

Luke apostolic authority apostolos Barnabas

Modern-day apostles: the original apostles were unique authoritative founders whose authority is now held in the NT canon; the movement claiming ongoing apostolic offices is unbiblical, though the lowercase term can refer to missionaries

Response to question about whether modern-day apostles are biblical

Genesis 1 hermeneutics Genesis 1 demythologization

Biblical cosmology should not be assumed to match ancient Near Eastern flat-earth cosmology just because surrounding cultures believed it; Genesis radically demythologizes creation compared to the Enuma Elish

Response to question about Hebraic cosmology and the flat-earth interpretation

conscience stumbling block worship music

Worship songs with questionable original contexts may be acceptable in personal use but congregational use requires sensitivity to the consciences of all present

Response to question about whether it is okay to sing a song that in its original context is questionable but which people would interpret as worship to God

Matthew 26:39 atonement Matthew 26:39 Gethsemane

The necessity of Christ's atonement is biblically defensible; Jesus's Gethsemane prayer implies there was no other way to redeem fallen humanity

Response to question about whether God needed Christ's sacrifice in order to cleanse us for indwelling by the Holy Spirit

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

Q&A: Those who never hear the gospel — Winger says the way is narrow but defers to his dedicated teaching on the topic

Classic theological question about the unevangelized

Matthew 7:14 Matthew 7:14 universalism unevangelized

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

Q&A: Winger has not fully responded to Digital Hammurabi's rebuttal of his Tyre prophecy video — discusses the two main counter-points

Apologetics discussion about Ezekiel's Tyre prophecy

Ezekiel apologetics Ezekiel biblical prophecy

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 Suffering Servant substitutionary atonement messianic prophecy

Isaiah 52:13-53:12 as messianic prophecy — full reading

McLatchie reads and introduces the Suffering Servant passage of Isaiah 53 as the premier example of messianic prophecy.

Islam divine inspiration Quran

Why unity argument doesn't work for Islam — Quran vs. Bible authorship

Cameron Bertuzzi's question: if unity of Scripture argues for divine inspiration, why doesn't it work for the Quran?

John 6:5 John 12:21 Luke 9:10 undesigned coincidences Jonathan McLatchie John 6:5

Undesigned coincidence: why Jesus addressed Philip at the feeding of the 5,000

McLatchie's first example of an undesigned coincidence involving John 6, John 12, and Luke 9.

John 12:1 Mark 11-14 triumphal entry undesigned coincidences Jonathan McLatchie

Undesigned coincidence: John's Passover timeline and Mark's narrative calibrate perfectly

McLatchie's second Gospel-based undesigned coincidence — the precise synchronization of John 12 and Mark 11-14.

Jonathan McLatchie intelligent design homochirality

Homochirality problem — origin of life obstacle

McLatchie raises the chirality problem as a further challenge to naturalistic origin-of-life scenarios.

1 Corinthians 15 James the brother of Jesus Luke 24:34 Peter 1 Corinthians 15 resurrection of Jesus

Criterion of restraint — no narratives of private resurrection appearances to Peter and James

McLatchie introduces the "criterion of restraint" as further corroboration of the resurrection's historicity.

Luke 8:2-3 Luke 24:10 Luke 23:55 Luke 8:2-3 Mary Magdalene Joanna

Undesigned coincidence within Luke: women from Galilee thread through Luke 8, 23, and 24

McLatchie presents an intra-Gospel undesigned coincidence within Luke demonstrating the authentic, non-fabricated character of the resurrection narrative.

apologetics Jonathan McLatchie Apologetics Academy

Closing remarks and resources — Apologetics Academy

Winger and McLatchie wrap up the livestream with closing remarks and resource recommendations.

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 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 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