Search — Theology Explorer

healing false prophecy pastoral care

When a Christian falsely promises healing and the person dies, address the false prophet privately in love; be present for the sick person without making promises

Question from Alex M about how to speak to someone dying of cancer whose hope was falsely raised by another Christian claiming God said the cancer would not return.

discipleship personal testimony pastoral ethics

Mike declines to share his full personal testimony out of love for family members whose failures would be exposed publicly

Question from ZZ asking Mike to share his testimony and struggles as a new believer.

Galatians hermeneutics Galatians Sabbath

Christians are not under the Mosaic Law including the Sabbath; they are under the law of Christ and walk by the Spirit

Question from Cetl P about why Christians do not keep the Sabbath even though it is in the moral law and written by God's finger on stone.

Colossians Romans 14 Colossians Romans 14 Christian liberty

Romans 14 shows that observing the Sabbath is a matter of conscience, not universal Christian obligation; liberty must be exercised in love

Continuing the Sabbath question with a detailed reading of Romans 14.

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Christians are called to non-retaliation; violent protest contradicts following Jesus

Continuing the discussion on whether Jesus clearing the temple justifies violent protest.

Matthew 5:38-48 Romans 12:14-21 Christian ethics nonviolence retaliation

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Having had an abortion: is it hypocritical to oppose it, have children afterward, or feel unworthy?

Question from "Faded Princess" about abortion, hypocrisy, and guilt.

Hebrews 4:16 Ephesians 1 sanctification hypocrisy abortion

James 1 John James 1 John sanctification

Assurance of salvation comes from 1 John and James, not from speaking in tongues

Positive alternative answer to what Scripture says proves salvation

Christian ethics same-sex marriage sexual ethics

Attending a same-sex wedding generally expresses affirmation, not merely love — Christians should decline

Q&A from Joel Holmberg about attending a same-sex wedding

1 John 4:7-16 propitiation assurance of salvation 1 John 4:7-16

1 John 4 on love and assurance: knowing and believing God's love is the foundation for freedom from fear about the afterlife

Q&A from Taste Remains about anxiety regarding the afterlife and assurance of salvation

1 John 4:17-18 atonement assurance of salvation fear of judgment

1 John 4:17-18 — perfect love casts out fear; God's love applied to judgment produces confidence

Continuing the 1 John 4 reading and application

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Gossip is unnecessary information that tears people down without justification — not merely sharing personal information without permission

Final question from Woolpack about the definition of gossip

Proverbs 1 Peter 4:8 Kenneth Copeland Proverbs accountability

Ecclesiastes Philippians 1 intermediate state rapture Ecclesiastes

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

Question from Lassie Clyman about acting for loved ones after the rapture

Revelation 2 Revelation 2 church of Ephesus first love

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

Question from Trippy Penguin about renewing love for God when faith feels commonplace

Revelation 2 spiritual disciplines Revelation 2 first love

Spiritual dryness — returning to first works as the remedy

Continued application from Revelation 2

Bible study pastoral ministry teaching

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

Further advice on pastoral preparation

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

Proverbs: "He who finds a wife finds a good thing" — find a good one, not the one

Mike applies Proverbs to marriage decision-making.

Proverbs 18:22 Marriage Guidance Proverbs 18:22

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

Cheerful giving — the problem is the grudge, not the giving

Q from Folky about whether it is better not to give if you cannot give cheerfully.

2 Corinthians 9 Sanctification Giving 2 Corinthians 9

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

"My faith is personal" — Mike says this is unbiblical and reflects spiritual deception

Q from Proverbs 17:11 about Christians who refuse to discuss religion because it is personal.

Mark 16:15 Evangelism Mark 16:15 Great Commission

Hebrews 4:16 Ephesians 1 1 John 2:1 prayer assurance of salvation righteousness of Christ

Guilt and shame before God — healthy guilt vs. unhealthy guilt that drives you away from God

Question from Lisa Kaminsky about feeling unworthy to pray or call herself a Christian when she misses daily Bible reading and prayer.

Proverbs Proverbs 13:24 Proverbs parenting corporal punishment

Proverbs 13:24 — the rod is literal corporal punishment; wisdom literature genre does not dissolve literal content

Question from Bethany Ferguson about whether "the rod" is physical punishment or a metaphor for accountability.

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 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

Penal substitutionary atonement: two valid senses of God's wrath on the cross — displeasure toward sin; outward punishment of sin

Question from Zoe Abundant about whether Jesus experienced God's wrath and what that means.

Isaiah 53:10 crucifixion atonement Sodom and Gomorrah

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Francis Collins is cited as an example of a Christian who holds evolutionary creation yet is genuinely saved

Mike illustrates that believing in evolution does not automatically equal rejection of Christ

salvation evolution creation debate

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Responding pastorally to a parent whose daughter came out as bisexual: distinguish identity from sin, love without approval

Responding to 'Whatever is Lovely' whose daughter was baptized in 2018 then came out as bisexual in 2019

Christian ethics pastoral care sin nature

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Luke 14:26 — Forsaking family for Christ: hyperbole and ultimate priority, not literal abandonment

A viewer asks what Jesus meant by forsaking family and hating father and mother.

1 Corinthians 7 Luke 14:26 1 Corinthians 7 discipleship Luke 14:26

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

LDS Book of Abraham — Joseph Smith's evolving theology from monotheism toward polytheism

A viewer asks about doing a verse-by-verse study on the LDS Book of Abraham.

Mormonism Joseph Smith Book of Abraham

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-11

Ephesians 1-3 as the foundation for resting in total forgiveness; believers are holy and without blame before God in love (Ephesians 1:4) and have bold access to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4).

Pastoral counsel on conscience and assurance of forgiveness

Ephesians 1-3 Hebrews 4 Ephesians 1:4 conscience grace forgiveness

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-11

Assurance about a loved one's salvation: if they professed faith and their life evidenced it, trust they are in heaven; if they clearly rejected Christ, honest uncertainty is appropriate.

Question: how can you know a loved one went to heaven?

salvation assurance death and afterlife

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Netflix cancellation is not a universal Christian obligation — Mike and his wife cancelled over the trend of increasingly immoral programming, but binding that choice on others is divisive infighting over a disputable matter.

Q: Should Christians cancel their Netflix subscription?

Christian Liberty / Conscience Media Discernment Disputable Matters / Romans 14

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

1 Corinthians 5:11 — not associating with a so-called 'brother' guilty of ongoing sin — targets life-pattern behavioral sins, not theological disagreement; the context is likely the communion/love-feast meal.

Q: How should 1 Corinthians 5:11 affect relationships with liberal Christian friends with unbiblical beliefs and practices?

1 Corinthians 5:11 1 Corinthians 5:11 Church Discipline Fellowship vs. Outreach Mode

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

When someone professing faith lives as an unbeliever, the individual Christian's posture should shift from fellowship mode to outreach mode — still loving and gracious but with different relational goals.

Application of 1 Corinthians 5:11 to personal relationships with professing but lifestyle-unbelieving friends.

1 Corinthians 5:11 Evangelism 1 Corinthians 5:11 Church Discipline

evangelism love and truth homosexuality

Q8: Pastoral advice for engaging a friend who has pursued a gay lifestyle — understanding before fixing

Response to viewer whose Christian friend came out as gay

Love does not require approval of behavior — Jesus dying for sin, not approving sin

Continuing Q8 on engaging gay friend

atonement love sin

election soteriology God's love

Q15: Does God love us unconditionally? Love requires some conditionality; relational nature of love

Response to multi-part question about God's unconditional love

Luke 23:34 Ezekiel 18:23 Matthew 23:37 judgment God's love Luke 23:34

Does God love those who go to hell? Yes — but love stopped by rejection; holiness demands judgment

Continuing Q15 — part about God's love for the damned

1 Corinthians 11:10 Ephesians 5:22-25 headship submission marriage

Q19: 1 Corinthians 11:10 and Ephesians 5:23 — no biblical grounds for a husband disciplining his wife

Response to question about whether husbands have authority to discipline wives based on headship texts

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Love in marriage means giving yourself to your spouse regardless of desire — selfless love, not feeling-dependent love

Practical application of 1 Corinthians 7 to the questioner's situation

self-sacrifice marriage love

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Desire is nice but not required for loving action in marriage

Closing thought on the marriage/intimacy question

marriage love covenant

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-15

Old Testament slavery laws contained extensive humanitarian protections radically superior to surrounding cultures and incompatible with chattel slavery

Continued answer on Leviticus 25 and slavery.

Leviticus 25:44-46 Deuteronomy slavery laws Exodus redemption as theological grounding for humane treatment Leviticus 25:44-46 Slavery in the Old Testament Deuteronomy slavery laws

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-15

Christian community love is an apologetic — Trinitarian unity manifested in the church is evidence that God sent Christ

Continuation of John 17:21 discussion.

John 17:21 John 13:35 Apologetics John 17:21 Christian unity as apologetic

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-29

Hosea's family as prophetic type; Ezekiel as the strongest Christ-type prophet who bears Israel's iniquity bodily

Question from Drifter 2003 about whether Hosea's children having names like 'Not Loved' is a type of Christ bearing others' burdens.

Hosea Ezekiel Ezekiel 4 typology Hosea Ezekiel

Romans 1 Brian Simmons William Lane Craig Gary Habermas

Verifiability: Simmons's claims are provably false by checking the Greek text; the apostolic claims are historically robust.

Third distinction: the content of the claims can be tested.

1 Peter Hebrews 12:3-6 Proverbs on discipline 1 Peter Hebrews 12:3-6 Divine discipline

Divine discipline in Hebrews 12: suffering is God's loving discipline and can be broad — including consequences of sin or trials for character formation.

Question from Jacob Duncan about how God disciplines believers per Hebrews 12.

Romans 5:8 Ephesians 1 Hebrews 4 God's love Romans 5:8 Ephesians 1

How to see God as a loving father: filter feelings about God through Scripture, especially Romans 5:8 — God loved us while we were sinners.

Question from Kaisu (Finland) about feeling that God is indifferent or impatient with her.

Ephesians 5 Ephesians 5 Love and Respect (book) Marriage theology

Books on courting and marriage: tentative recommendation of "Love and Respect" based on its grounding in biblical commands to husbands and wives.

Question from Nathaniel about books for those preparing for marriage.