Search — Theology Explorer

Trinity justification by faith apologetics

Aliens would not disprove any core Christian doctrine: God's existence, the Trinity, Christ's death and resurrection, justification by grace through faith, or the future resurrection.

Working through whether alien discovery threatens Christian beliefs

epistemology aliens and Christianity biblical silence

The Bible neither affirms nor denies the existence of aliens; Christians can follow the evidence without a presuppositional commitment either way.

Does the Bible say anything about aliens?

Genesis Genesis Elohim Evidence That Demands a Verdict

The Documentary Hypothesis (JEDP theory) has largely died out in scholarship; the old version attacked in apologetics works like Evidence That Demands a Verdict is mostly obsolete.

Question about the Documentary Hypothesis

Abraham faith fulfilled prophecy

Biblical faith is not groundless belief but trust based on revelation and evidence; the response to psychological doubt is to exercise trust grounded in good reasons.

How to respond to psychological doubt

salvation assurance death and afterlife

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?

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Psychological doubts where reason does not help require humility — admitting one is being irrational — rather than demanding emotional confirmation before believing; this applies to faith and to mental illness alike.

Q: What are the steps to take while dealing with psychological doubts where no amount of reason will help you feel better?

Doubt and Faith Mental Health and Christianity Humility

1 Samuel 28 Samuel 1 Samuel 28 state of the dead

Samuel called up by Saul: evidence that the dead may not be actively aware of earth until summoned

Discussion of dead awareness; 1 Samuel 28

Revelation 6:10 afterlife state of the dead Revelation 6:10

Revelation: saints in heaven concerned for earthly events, asking "how long, Lord?"

Continuing discussion on dead's awareness of earth

Acts 6:1 Peter Williams Acts 6:1 Jesus' languages

Evidence Jesus spoke Greek: Nazareth as Roman construction site, Greek inscription found there, multilingual Galilee

Continuing Q16 on Jesus speaking Greek

John 2:1-11 Christian liberty alcohol John 2:1-11

Q17: Christian practices at parties/weddings — drinking and dancing are fine in moderation

Response to question about Christian behavior at weddings

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Enoch is actually multiple composite works; early Jewish tradition rejected its canonical status

Continued discussion of the Book of Enoch in relation to Jude

Jude canon Jude Book of Enoch

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Those who lived before Christ or never heard the gospel can still be saved — through faith in the true God, ultimately through Christ

Question from Telly Kaler about how people who lived before Jesus will be judged

Abraham salvation universalism

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

There is extra-biblical evidence (possibly Tacitus) for the darkness at the crucifixion

Question from Lior about extra-biblical evidence for the earthquake and darkness at the crucifixion

Matthew 27:45 Matthew 27:51 historical reliability crucifixion extra-biblical evidence

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 2021-01-15

The King Follett Sermon reveals Joseph Smith's radically unbiblical theology — God was once a man, humans become gods

Supporting evidence in the Mormonism discussion.

Mormonism Joseph Smith King Follett Discourse

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-29

Was Solomon saved? Ecclesiastes may imply a late-life repentance and return to God despite idolatrous period

Question from Darcy 777 about whether Solomon died worshiping false gods and whether he was saved.

Ecclesiastes 1 Kings 11 repentance salvation apostasy

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-29

Advice for online youth pastor: engage real youth in person; use apologetics and comparative theology to reach skeptical students

Final question from Dragon Fist 900, a biblical studies major pursuing online youth ministry.

youth ministry evangelism apologetics

Mike Winger idea 2018-10-31

Mike rebuts a viewer's accusation that Christians believe only because of family pressure or weakness, sharing his own testimony of coming to faith alone in a non-Christian home and listing multiple philosophical reasons he holds for God's existence.

Response to skeptical viewer claiming Christians believe due to social conditioning

apologetics atheism moral argument

Mike Winger idea 2018-10-31

Mike argues that the best approach to the question of hell is not direct empirical evidence but rather a two-step argument: establish the trustworthiness of Jesus through the resurrection and fulfilled prophecy, then accept his teaching on hell as credible.

Response to viewer demanding evidence for hell

apologetics resurrection of Jesus hell

Mike Winger idea 2018-10-31

Mike addresses the canonicity of Hebrews despite unknown authorship, arguing that inspiration does not require apostolic pen but apostolic teaching, and that the New Testament canon formed organically as first-century texts with apostolic content were recognized by the early church.

Response to viewer question about how Hebrews can be inspired if we do not know who wrote it

Hebrews Paul Apollos Barnabas

Brian Simmons Passion Translation Anti-supernatural bias

Framing the question: Does one fraudulent religious figure (Brian Simmons) justify skepticism about all religious authors, including the Gospel writers?

Question from Robert asks whether Brian Simmons being a "nut" should make us skeptical of Paul and the Gospel authors the same way.

James (brother of Jesus) Brian Simmons Paul the Apostle James (brother of Jesus)

Private vs. public religious experience: Brian Simmons's experiences are private; Jesus's resurrection appearances were witnessed by many simultaneously.

First major distinction between Brian Simmons and the apostles in the credibility comparison.

Empty tomb Paul the Apostle Enemy attestation

Endorsement circle comparison: Simmons is endorsed only within hyper-charismatic circles; the resurrection was affirmed even by hostile witnesses like Paul.

Second distinction in the Simmons-vs-apostles credibility argument.

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.

Acts 12 Paul the Apostle Hallucination theory Peter the Apostle

Psychological profile of apostles: they were not prone to hallucinations or delusion; even Anthony Flew called Paul a first-rate philosopher.

Fourth distinction: the mental/psychological credibility of the witnesses.

Mormonism Joseph Smith Comparative religious epistemology

Proper epistemology: compare the quality of evidence for each religious claim rather than treating all religious claims equally.

Conclusion of the Brian Simmons / apostles comparison section.

James 1 Genesis 4 James 1 Calvinism free will

Q2: Do we have free will? Mike asserts strong yes — biblically, intuitively, and philosophically supported

Viewer Lace Buck Corny asks about free will, sovereignty, and whether punishment is just if we lack free will.

atheism free will moral responsibility

Free will is biblically assumed throughout Scripture — humans are treated as responsible agents making real choices

Continuing the free will answer, Mike argues that the assumption of free choice and moral responsibility permeates the entire biblical narrative.

testing prophecy charismatic movement false prophecy

Q5: How to view false Trump prophecies — identified as wrong, traced to pride, competitive prophetic culture, and spiritual dysfunction

Viewer Crystal Peck asks about Christians who falsely prophesied Trump's 2020 electoral victory.

Matthew 11:22-24 manuscript evidence apologetics Providence

God's timing for the Incarnation was strategically optimal — Jesus came when manuscript distribution, roads, and population growth maximized gospel spread

Mike continues the Matthew 11 answer by addressing why Jesus did not go to Sodom in the past.