Search — Theology Explorer

1 John 2:16 Prosperity gospel Lust of the eyes Lust of the flesh

Prosperity gospel critique: misappropriates OT promises to Israel, ignores Jesus's teachings on suffering and cross-bearing.

Continuing the prosperity gospel discussion.

King James Version Bible study methodology Strong's Concordance

Strong's Concordance is not a thorough Greek resource; Bible software lexicons provide better word definitions.

Mike explains methodology for Greek word study.

1 Timothy 2:11-15 1 Timothy 2:8-10 1 Timothy 2:11-15 Modesty 1 Timothy 2:8-10

1 Timothy 2:11-15 context: instructions to men (avoid anger/quarreling in prayer) and women (modesty, inner vs. outer beauty).

Lady D asks about 1 Timothy 2:11-15 regarding women being silent and not having authority.

1 Timothy 2:11-12 1 Timothy 2:11-12 Women in ministry Teaching elder role

1 Timothy 2:11-12 — women learning quietly with submission refers to the teaching context, not a prohibition on speaking at all.

Exegeting 1 Timothy 2:11-12.

1 Timothy 2:12 1 Timothy 2:12 Women in ministry Complementarianism

1 Timothy 2:12 — "teach" and "exercise authority" may be two aspects of the same role, not two separate prohibitions.

Exegeting the grammar of 1 Timothy 2:12.

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-27

Acrosolia tomb type - archaeologically confirmed matches Gospel descriptions

Physical archaeology of 1st century Jerusalem tombs

Acrosolia Archaeology

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Cameron Bertuzzi's background: photographer turned apologist after brother became an atheist; runs Capturing Christianity blog and YouTube channel

Cameron introduces himself to Mike's audience

Capturing Christianity Christian apologetics Cameron Bertuzzi

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Tim McGrew and Lydia McGrew's paper on miracles and the resurrection as a sophisticated cumulative case for Christianity

Cameron recommends a freely available academic paper

resurrection of Jesus Tim McGrew Lydia McGrew

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Q&A: Can God give humans dominion and then interfere with that dominion? Parents analogy: giving children authority does not prevent parental intervention when abused

Q&A question from "The Messenger Reveals" about divine interference with human dominion

Genesis 1 Genesis 1 divine sovereignty human dominion

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Pages 44-45: Boghossian romanticizes the Street Epistemologist as a hero rescuing people from the faith "virus"

Mike reads from pages 44-45

A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian Street Epistemology

crucifixion of Jesus Pontius Pilate early Christian persecution

Tacitus (Annals, 109 AD) as non-Christian confirmation of early Christian persecution, crucifixion of Christ under Pontius Pilate, and the movement's origin in Judea

Mike quotes Tacitus as an external, non-Christian source confirming early persecution

1 Peter Romans 8 Revelation 2-3 1 Peter Romans 8 Revelation 2-3

Prison epistles and other NT letters as evidence that suffering was a church-wide reality needing sustained pastoral address

The pervasive theme of persecution across the entire NT corpus

2 Peter 1:12-14 Bart Ehrman apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle

2 Peter 1:12-14 — Peter's awareness of his impending death and intent to leave a written legacy; response to Bart Ehrman's pseudonymity argument

Third biblical source for Peter's martyrdom awareness, with engagement with the Ehrman pseudonymity objection

Paul the Apostle apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle

1 Clement 5 (c. 95-97 AD) — non-apologetic, community-memory reference to Peter and Paul both suffering and dying for their faith

First extra-biblical source for Peter's (and Paul's) martyrdom

2 Timothy 4:6-8 Paul the Apostle apostolic martyrdom 2 Timothy 4:6-8

2 Timothy 4:6-8 — Paul describes himself as being poured out as a drink offering, anticipating his imminent death

Pauline text indicating Paul's awareness of and preparation for his own martyrdom

Acts 15 1 Corinthians 15 James the brother of Jesus Acts 15 1 Corinthians 15 James the brother of Jesus

James the brother of Jesus as the leader of the Jerusalem church; Acts 15 and 1 Corinthians 15 as key evidence for his role and resurrection witness

Transition to James as the third focal figure

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Jesus healed the paralytic to provide evidence for his authority to forgive sins — faith is evidence-based

Biblical example of evidence-based faith

forgiveness of sins paralytic lowered through roof faith grounded in evidence

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Disciples' failure to cast out demons vs. faith as a mustard seed — two distinct teachings not to conflate

Q&A: Haggar Vid asks about the disciples having little faith and the mustard-seed faith saying

mustard seed faith disciples casting out demons little faith (oligopistia)

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-24

Book: "The Next Generation Will Know" co-authored with J. Warner Wallace

McDowell introduces his new book releasing May 1

youth ministry apologetics J. Warner Wallace

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-24

Why mainline churches are dying: no meaningful difference from wider culture gives people no reason to attend

McDowell gives the bottom-line diagnosis for mainline church decline

biblical authority cultural accommodation church attendance

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-01

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.

Isaiah 53 Psalm 22 William Lane Craig Isaiah 53 Psalm 22

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-01

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.

Bart Ehrman Biblical manuscripts Textual criticism

hermeneutics Scripture authority biblical worldview

Biblical worldview should transcend culture wars rather than being shaped by either conservative or liberal culture

Opening monologue before Q&A begins

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

apologetics methodology research method primary sources

Footnotes are the most reliable method for tracking primary sources and objective evidence in apologetics research

Response to question about finding primary sources in a sea of biased online content

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

1 John 4:2 Incarnation Scripture authority Messiah

1 John 4:2 — testing spirits by confession that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh carries the full theological weight of Messiah, incarnation, and OT fulfillment, not merely a verbal formula

Response to question about whether 1 John 4:2 is a sufficient test for false spirits

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

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

Big picture point 1: The Law had a beginning—it did not exist for Adam, Noah, Abraham, or Cain and Abel

First of three foundational contextual claims about the Law

Deuteronomy 5:2 Galatians 3:17 Abraham Deuteronomy 5:2 Galatians 3:17

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

Genesis 26:5 does not prove Abraham kept the Law of Moses

Response to a Hebrew Roots proof text about Abraham

Deuteronomy 5:2 Genesis 26:5 Abraham 119 Ministries Deuteronomy 5:2

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

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

divine inspiration Jonathan McLatchie unity of Scripture

Unity of the Bible as a second argument for divine inspiration

Mike Winger introduces the unity of Scripture as a distinct argument from prophecy for divine inspiration.

Mark 2 Isaiah 63:7-10 Psalm 78:40 Holy Spirit Mark 2 Jonathan McLatchie

Isaiah 63 — Three persons of the Trinity in the Old Testament

McLatchie presents Isaiah 63:7-10 as containing all three persons of the Trinity within a single Old Testament passage.

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?

undesigned coincidences Lydia McGrew historicity of the Gospels

Lydia McGrew's book on undesigned coincidences

Winger references Lydia McGrew's scholarly work as a resource for deeper study on undesigned coincidences.

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.

Acts 23:1-5 Josephus Jonathan McLatchie historicity of Acts

Acts corroboration: Ananias falsely acting as high priest — Acts 23

McLatchie gives a final Acts example showing extra-biblical corroboration explaining an apparent difficulty in the text.

deity of Christ Jonathan McLatchie pagan deity parallels

Objection: Jesus's deity borrowed from pagan deities — and response

Addressing the popular online claim that the deity of Jesus was borrowed from pagan mythologies.

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.

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.

Mary Magdalene empty tomb criterion of embarrassment

Empty tomb evidence — women as primary witnesses

McLatchie presents the role of women as primary witnesses to the empty tomb as evidence for its historicity.

Matthew 28 empty tomb resurrection of Jesus Matthew 28

Earliest Jewish polemic presupposes the empty tomb — Matthew 28

McLatchie points to the earliest Jewish counter-argument to the resurrection as presupposing the tomb was empty.

Acts 8 John (Apostle) Acts 8 Holy Spirit Peter (Apostle)

The Holy Spirit did not fall on the Samaritan believers until Peter and John came and laid hands on them -- the Apostles were required to officially open the gospel to the Samaritans

Analysis of Holy Spirit delay in Samaria

Acts 10:28 Gentile inclusion Peter (Apostle) clean/unclean distinction

Acts 10:28 gives the authoritative interpretation of the vision: 'God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean' -- the vision is about Gentile inclusion, not food

Peter's own interpretation of his vision

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

James (brother of Jesus) Acts 15:22-29 Holy Spirit James (brother of Jesus) salvation vs. sanctification

Acts 15:22-29 -- The Apostolic letter: the Holy Spirit and the Apostles together impose no greater burden than four essentials. These four are explicitly for sanctification ('you will do well'), not salvation.

Survey of the Apostolic letter text

James White 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 James White limited atonement 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Introduction: topic triggered by viewer question and James White announcing he would listen

Mike Winger opens the Wednesday livestream and explains why he went deeper into limited atonement than originally planned; James White tweeting that he would listen prompted more thorough preparation.

theological method Scripture authority limited atonement

Critique: limited atonement is mostly supported by philosophical reasoning, not direct scriptural teaching

Winger argues that most support for limited atonement comes from logical inference from other doctrines, not clear biblical texts.

Colossians 1:20 Colossians 1:16-17 Colossians 1:21-23 reconciliation extent of atonement application of atonement

Colossians 1:20 — 'all things' reconciled through the blood of the cross supports universal extent

Winger turns to Colossians 1:20 as a secondary passage confirming the universal extent of the atonement.