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All (9098) Scripture Commentary (4737) Theology (229) Mike Winger (4093) Pulpit (39)

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Jeremiah 10:6-9: The passage continues with explicit idol language, not tree language

Reading further in the passage to confirm the subject

Jeremiah 10:6-9 Idolatry Jeremiah 10:6-9 Pagan religion

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Jeremiah 10:10-15: The climax of the passage — idols vs. the living God

The passage reaches its theological conclusion

Jeremiah 10:10-15 Idolatry Jeremiah 10:10-15 Living God vs. false gods

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Online 'Christmas is pagan' content relies on unverifiable sources — zeal without knowledge

Addressing the broader ecosystem of anti-Christmas teaching online

Romans 10:2 Zeal without knowledge Judging fellow believers Romans 10:2

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Closing: Check the context — the primary safeguard against Scripture misuse

Final exhortation before signing off

Jeremiah 10 Proof-texting Hermeneutics Jeremiah 10

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Matt Dillahunty's claim: Paul only gives us death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus

Mike cites a specific claim by Matt Dillahunty (paraphrased) that Paul's writings tell us virtually nothing about the historical Jesus other than death, burial, and resurrection.

Paul the Apostle Matt Dillahunty historicity of Jesus

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Romans 15:8 — Christ as servant of the circumcised fulfilling OT promises

Paired with Galatians 4:4 to further establish Jesus's Jewish identity and Messianic role.

Romans 15:8 Romans 15:8 circumcision Jesus as Jewish

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Galatians 3:16 — Jesus as descendant of Abraham, fulfilling Abrahamic promises

Extending the genealogical claims Paul makes about Jesus to include Abrahamic descent.

Galatians 3:16 Abrahamic covenant Messiah/Christ Old Testament fulfillment

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

1 Corinthians 15:5 — Paul knows Jesus had twelve special disciples, including Peter (Cephas)

Paul's knowledge of Jesus's inner circle of disciples establishes biographical familiarity.

1 Corinthians 15:5 post-resurrection appearances 1 Corinthians 15:5 the twelve disciples

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Philippians 2:6-8 — Jesus lived a humble, godly life and died by crucifixion

Continuing the biographical details about Jesus that Paul records.

Philippians 2:6-8 kenosis incarnation Philippians 2:6-8

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Last Supper account in Paul matches the Synoptic order — too many coincidences to be unrelated

Mike compares Paul's sequence in 1 Corinthians 11 with the Synoptic Gospels to argue they are describing the same event.

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 Mark 14:22 Matthew 26:26 Last Supper independent attestation 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

1 Thessalonians 2:14-15 — Paul identifies the Jews who killed Jesus as the same people persecuting the early church

Paul's reference to Jesus's killers as earthly, identifiable people further anchors Jesus in physical history.

1 Thessalonians 2:14-15 historicity of Jesus 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15 death of Jesus

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

1 Timothy 6:13 — Paul references Jesus's testimony before Pontius Pilate

Paul's specific mention of Pontius Pilate ties Jesus's death to a named Roman governor, confirming his historical existence.

1 Timothy 6:13 historicity of Jesus crucifixion of Jesus 1 Timothy 6:13

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

1 Timothy 5:18 quotes Luke 10:7 alongside Deuteronomy 25:4 and calls both 'Scripture'

The author of 1 Timothy introduces two quotations with 'the Scripture says' — one from the OT and one from Luke 10:7 — implying canonical status for Gospel material in the first century.

Deuteronomy 25:4 Luke 10:7 1 Timothy 5:18 Deuteronomy 25:4 Luke 10:7 laborer deserves wages

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Detailed Synoptic comparison of Last Supper: Paul, Mark, Matthew, and Luke all describe the same sequence

Mike does a detailed side-by-side comparison of the Last Supper accounts across Paul and the three Synoptic Gospels.

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 Mark 14:22 Matthew 26:26 Last Supper independent attestation 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Paul was a Pharisee trained in Jerusalem under Gamaliel and likely encountered Jesus personally

Mike addresses the claim that Paul never met Jesus, arguing circumstantial evidence strongly suggests they crossed paths.

Gamaliel Paul the Apostle Pharisees

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Isaiah 7:14 — 'alma' means young maiden; the context of Isaiah 7-9 supports the virgin birth interpretation

Q&A: question about whether Isaiah 7:14 refers to a young woman or a virgin, and whether it was a sign to Ahaz.

Isaiah 7:14 Isaiah 7-9 Matthew 1 virgin birth Isaiah 7:14 Old Testament fulfillment

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Sodom and Gomorrah judgment comparison for towns rejecting Jesus's envoys

Part of the Matthew 10 discussion — Jesus says it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for towns that reject the disciples.

Matthew 10 judgment Bethsaida sending of the twelve

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Empty tomb: majority scholarly agreement exists, but Mike doesn't know a compelling argument against it

Q&A: question about why the empty tomb is only majority (not unanimous) scholarly agreement.

empty tomb resurrection of Jesus historical reliability

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-20

Acts 21:17-26 — Paul participates in a Nazirite vow to demonstrate continued Torah observance as a Jewish believer

Q&A: question about Paul's behavior in Acts 21 and what it tells us about his relationship to Torah.

Romans 14 James (brother of Jesus) Acts 21:17-26 circumcision Nazirite vow Romans 14

Jeremiah 10:6-9: The passage continues with explicit idol language, not tree language

Jeremiah 10:10-15: The climax of the passage — idols vs. the living God

Online 'Christmas is pagan' content relies on unverifiable sources — zeal without knowledge

Closing: Check the context — the primary safeguard against Scripture misuse

Matt Dillahunty's claim: Paul only gives us death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus

Romans 15:8 — Christ as servant of the circumcised fulfilling OT promises

Galatians 3:16 — Jesus as descendant of Abraham, fulfilling Abrahamic promises

1 Corinthians 15:5 — Paul knows Jesus had twelve special disciples, including Peter (Cephas)

Philippians 2:6-8 — Jesus lived a humble, godly life and died by crucifixion

Last Supper account in Paul matches the Synoptic order — too many coincidences to be unrelated

1 Thessalonians 2:14-15 — Paul identifies the Jews who killed Jesus as the same people persecuting the early church

1 Timothy 6:13 — Paul references Jesus's testimony before Pontius Pilate

1 Timothy 5:18 quotes Luke 10:7 alongside Deuteronomy 25:4 and calls both 'Scripture'

Detailed Synoptic comparison of Last Supper: Paul, Mark, Matthew, and Luke all describe the same sequence

Paul was a Pharisee trained in Jerusalem under Gamaliel and likely encountered Jesus personally

Isaiah 7:14 — 'alma' means young maiden; the context of Isaiah 7-9 supports the virgin birth interpretation

Sodom and Gomorrah judgment comparison for towns rejecting Jesus's envoys

Empty tomb: majority scholarly agreement exists, but Mike doesn't know a compelling argument against it

Acts 21:17-26 — Paul participates in a Nazirite vow to demonstrate continued Torah observance as a Jewish believer

Introduction: Ben Shapiro asks Bishop Robert Barron whether he will go to heaven

Ben Shapiro's actual question: he observes 613 commandments and does good in the world — does that earn him heaven?

Bishop Barron's answer: Vatican II teaches a person can be saved outside explicit Christian faith through conscience or sincere law-keeping

Vatican II text: Lumen Gentium chapter 16 — what it actually says about Jewish people, Muslims, and the unevangelized

Mike's disagreement with Vatican II's claim that Muslims worship the one true God

Vatican II on the unevangelized: saved if they 'sincerely seek God' and follow their conscience

Vatican II includes a category of atheists of 'goodwill' who may be saved

Bishop Barron's theology of conscience: conscience is 'the aboriginal voice of Christ'

Paul before his conversion: a counterexample to Barron's 'sincere conscience' argument

Philippians 3:4-9 — Paul counts his pre-conversion Jewish credentials as 'rubbish' compared to knowing Christ

John 3:6 — born of flesh vs. born of Spirit: the new birth is spiritual, not physical

Luke 18:18-24 — Rich Young Ruler: keeping commandments is not enough; Jesus reveals his hidden sin

Galatians 2:15-16 — even Jewish believers know that justification is by faith in Christ, not works of the law

Sermon on the Mount: Jesus internalizes the law — lust equals adultery in the heart

Substitutionary atonement: Jesus pays the price so believers can be born again

Romans 10:1-3 — Paul's prayer for Israel: they have zeal but not knowledge; seeking own righteousness

Romans 10:4 — Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes

Romans 4:1-5 — Abraham justified by faith, not works, citing Genesis 15:6

The New Testament is a Jewish book written by Jews about the Jewish Messiah

Romans 4:6-8 — David as second Old Testament example: righteousness apart from works (Psalm 32)

John 5:45-47 — if you believed Moses you would believe me: encountering Jesus reveals whether one truly believed Moses

Old Testament pattern: Israel claimed to believe God but rejected his prophets — same dynamic with Messiah

Christianity is a Jewish religion; Gentiles are grafted in — not the other way around

Summary verdict: the 'good person gospel' is a false gospel that does not save

Q&A: When did inclusivism/relativism become prevalent in the Catholic Church? Vatican II was deliberately vague

Q&A: Core doctrines vs. peripheral doctrines — spiderweb illustration; Mormonism example

Q&A: On communion — Mike agrees it is more than a symbol but rejects transubstantiation

Q&A: Can atheists be saved? — Romans 1 and the hardening process of rejecting God

Opening thesis: defining faith as 'belief without evidence' is a disastrous mistake for Christianity

Introduction of Matt Dillahunty and announcement of upcoming resurrection debate

A Christian caller's agreement with the 'faith = belief without evidence' definition hands skeptics a rhetorical victory

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