Search — Theology Explorer

Holy Spirit atonement grace

Conclusion: Jesus is the only way because he alone paid the full price for sin; Christianity makes real sense of human suffering

Final summary and invitation

apologetics false teaching gospel proclamation

Religious pluralism summarized as dangerous, not merely wrong: a false diagnosis that makes you feel good while killing you

Final evaluation of religious pluralism's impact

salvation Calvinism Arminianism

Q&A: If someone prayed to receive Christ but later turns away from Christianity, do they go to hell?

Viewer question from BC Our Life

salvation gospel Catholicism

Q&A: Is it wise to tell someone their deceased Catholic loved one is in heaven?

Viewer question from Hannah Elizabeth

Christian fellowship infant baptism theological triage

Infant baptism is an in-house issue — important but not essential for fellowship

Winger situates the debate as an intra-Christian disagreement, distinguishing it from gospel-level essentials.

Matthew 28:18-20 Great Commission discipleship baptism

Matthew 28:18-20 — baptism follows discipleship/belief, not precedes it

Winger examines the Great Commission to establish the pattern for baptism in the NT.

Acts 2:38 Acts 2:39 Pentecost repentance covenant

Acts 2:38 — baptism is commanded alongside repentance, ruling out infants; "for your children" means descendants not infants

Winger analyzes Peter's Pentecost sermon as establishing the baptism-repentance link and addresses the "for your children" clause.

Acts 2:40-41 faith infant baptism believers baptism

Acts 2:40-41 — only those who received the word were baptized, implying cognizant response

Further analysis of Acts 2 to show baptism requires comprehension and reception of the gospel.

faith baptism infant baptism

Baptism is always a response to faith in the NT — the consistent universal pattern

Winger synthesizes part 1: the uniform NT pattern is hear the gospel → believe → be baptized.

Ezekiel 33 evangelism accountability hell

Q&A: Are those who never hear the gospel lost? Is it your fault if you fail to share?

Winger addresses two connected questions about evangelistic responsibility.

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Ray Comfort's law-first gospel presentation is thoroughly biblical, though not required to be mechanical

Q&A: evaluation of Ray Comfort's evangelistic methodology

Galatians evangelism Galatians Ray Comfort

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Gospel-level error requires breaking fellowship; lesser errors require wisdom and church leadership

Q&A: pastoral guidance on when doctrinal disagreement becomes a fellowship-breaking issue

1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians church discipline fellowship

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Christians without a local church should attend an imperfect one rather than stay home; Hebrews commands gathering

Q&A: pastoral guidance for Christians who cannot find a theologically sound local church

Hebrews ecclesiology Hebrews church attendance

soteriology free will Calvinism

Mike does not hold to full Calvinist total depravity; the key disagreement is whether fallen humans can respond to the Holy Spirit's call

Question from Jason Staub about conditional election, prevenient grace, and total depravity — if Christ dies for all, why must a sinner overcome unbelief on their own?

Romans 1 Holy Spirit conscience soteriology

No one overcomes unbelief "on their own" — God uses general revelation, conscience, and the Holy Spirit to call everyone

Continuing the conditional election question — answering the specific sub-question of why a sinner must overcome unbelief "on their own."

Jeremiah 29:11 hermeneutics prosperity gospel Israel

Jeremiah 29:11 is often misapplied as a personal prosperity promise; properly applied, it points to eternal hope in the New Covenant

Question from Brandi about whether verses like Jeremiah 29:11, written to Israel, apply to Christians today.

discernment wisdom Christian education

When at a liberal university with false Bible teaching, prepare to refute — don't fight every battle prematurely

Question from Nathaniel at a liberal Christian university where Scripture and the gospel are consistently undermined.

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.

1 Timothy 2:9 cultural critique women's ministry 1 Timothy 2:9

Culture's gospel of external beauty is antithetical to the Christian emphasis on inner godly character

Application of the 1 Tim 2:9 principle to contemporary women's ministry and culture.

Mark Luke Matthew 21:1-8 Gospel harmonization Mark Luke

Matthew 21 has two animals at the Triumphal Entry while Mark and Luke have one; the young donkey points to Jesus's sacrificial nature

Q from Flora about why Matthew 21:1-8 mentions both a donkey and a colt while other Gospels only mention one animal.

Proverbs 1 Corinthians 12 word of wisdom wisdom prayer

God gives wisdom primarily through Scripture, secondarily through the word of wisdom gift and through other believers

Q from Will Kozab about how God replies when you ask him for wisdom—does he send thoughts?

Hebrews 6:4 eternal security apostasy Hebrews 6:4

Hebrews 6:4 requires thorough study; Mike plans a verse-by-verse Hebrews series after Mark

Q from Jeff Shoemaker asking about Hebrews 6:4 and whether it refers to backsliding or losing salvation.

John 6 Council of Trent doctrinal development communion

Communion/eucharist: real and important but not transubstantiation; early church writings are secondary to Scripture; John 6 is not about communion

Q from Chris Middleton about Mike's views on communion/eucharist and how much weight early church writings should carry.

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Strategy for confronting prosperity gospel error in friends and family: affirm first, then use bridge-building resources they cannot interrupt

Response to Robert Butcher asking how to lovingly reveal errors of the prosperity gospel to friends and family.

discernment prosperity gospel false teaching

Luke 17:5-6 faith discipleship mustard seed

Faith as small as a mustard seed — the call is to use existing faith, not to manufacture more

Question from Lavell Martinez about the tension between being told to have great faith and Jesus saying mustard-seed faith moves mountains.

denominations ecclesiology heresy

Denominations — legitimate variety within Christianity vs. counterfeit groups

Question from Leonardo Borges about whether denominations are divisive and whether multiple Christian factions can be legitimate.

Romans Acts Hebrews Romans Acts Hebrews

How to start reading the Bible — begin with the Gospels, Acts, Romans, Hebrews; not Genesis-to-Revelation in order

Question from Dallin Byrd about the best starting point for Bible reading.

Mark 16:17-18 Acts 28 textual criticism healing prosperity gospel

Mark 16:17-18 — the signs follow believers as a community/historically, not as individual mandates for every Christian

Question from Chretienis about Mark 16:17-18 and helping people escape the prosperity gospel.

election Calvinism soteriology

Calvinism, Arminianism, Molinism — Mike identifies as a Molinist

Lightning-round question from Kyle about Mike's soteriological position.

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Lutheran church: internal struggle between biblical faithfulness and progressive drift

Q&A from Peter Williams about the Lutheran Church, liturgy, and the gospel

Lutheran Church progressive Christianity church tradition

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Upcoming Monday teaching: the strongest word-of-faith passage in Mark — assessing Kenneth Copeland's claims about faith and prayer

Preview of next teaching in the Mark series

Mark (gospel) prayer Kenneth Copeland faith

Hebrews 10:26-27 judgment apostasy Hebrews 10:26-27

Hebrews 10:26-27 "sinning willfully" refers specifically to rejecting the gospel after knowing its truth, not to any deliberate sin

Question from Caleb McCurdy about Hebrews 10:26-27 and whether it implies differentiated judgment for those who never heard the gospel

Luke 12:47-48 judgment unevangelized hell

Degrees of judgment in hell: God factors in knowledge when judging — sinning in ignorance vs. sinning with full knowledge results in different severity of judgment

Expanding the Hebrews 10 discussion to address differentiated eschatological judgment

Galatians Galatians preaching methodology verse-by-verse teaching

Advice for young ministers: teach verse-by-verse through whole books rather than purely topical studies

Question from Andrej Pollock about practical advice for a young man called to ministry in a small church

textual criticism inspiration of Scripture synoptic problem

Q (Quelle) is a hypothetical source document proposed in synoptic gospel studies; its existence is unproven and theologically non-threatening

Question from New Creation Coaching about the scholarly concept of "Q" and its reception among concerned Facebook users

discernment Kenneth Copeland Word of Faith

Kenneth Copeland and 2020 false prophets — April 15 COVID prophecy debunked

Detailed case study of false prophecy in 2020

James John Matthew Peter James John

How Gospel writers knew what Jesus said when alone — Garden of Gethsemane example

Question from Meg Ward about eyewitness accounts for scenes where Jesus was alone

Luke Pontius Pilate eyewitness testimony Luke

Luke's technique of embedding source hints — Herod's household and Pilate's conversation with Jesus

How the Gospels account for private scenes between Jesus and officials

Mark Peter resurrection Gospel of Mark

Mark's Gospel shifts eyewitness sources from Peter to named women when Peter departs

How the Gospel of Mark handles Peter's absence at the crucifixion and tomb

John 10 Christian liberty Jesus John 10

Biblical basis for celebrating holidays — God gave Israel feast days; Jesus attended Hanukkah

Positive biblical case for Christians celebrating holidays

Luke 23:43 soul sleep intermediate state Luke 23:43

Survey of Jesus's use of "today" (semeron) supports the standard reading

Additional lexical argument for Luke 23:43 standard reading

Galatians 3:23-24 Paul paidagogos covenant theology

Galatians 3:23 — the Law as guardian/nanny: imprisoned under law until Christ

Question from Jesse Jack about Galatians 3:23 and being confined/imprisoned by the law

Galatians 3 justification by faith atonement imputed righteousness

Freedom from the law through Christ — justified by faith, law's penalty absorbed by Jesus

Completing the Galatians 3 explanation

John 16:24 Gospel of Mark Jesus as mediator intercession

John 16:24 — praying in Jesus's name: Jesus as the access point replacing the temple

Question from Danada Morin about what it means to pray in Jesus's name

Bethel Church discernment Bill Johnson

Feel-good phrases like "you are enough" and "Jesus came to bring a piece of heaven to earth" — ambiguous theology

Question from Ben Johnston about a pastor using feel-good slogans

Genesis 6:3 Holy Spirit Calvinism TULIP

Total Depravity defined as "total inability" — Mike rejects it

First point of TULIP addressed in detail.

Exodus Gospel of John Calvinism Exodus

Divine hardening in John's Gospel as a challenge to Calvinist Total Depravity

Mike argues divine hardening is inconsistent with Total Depravity.

Calvinism TULIP Free Will

All five TULIP points are ultimately one point: denial of free will

Mike summarizes his overarching critique of Calvinism.

Proverbs Genesis 24 Proverbs Marriage The One

God as matchmaker — Mike rejects "the one" theology applied universally

Q from Haruhi Anderson about the doctrine that God has one divinely chosen spouse for every Christian.