Search — Theology Explorer

apologetics fulfilled prophecy divine inspiration of Scripture

Fulfilled prophecy as evidence for God

Q&A asking for apologetic reasons to believe in God.

apologetics resurrection of Christ evidence for God

Resurrection of Jesus as evidence for God

Mike lists the resurrection as a second major apologetic argument for God.

apologetics evidence for God ontological argument

Ontological argument: God's existence is necessary

Mike lists the ontological argument as a third apologetic reason for God.

apologetics monotheism cosmological argument

Kalam Cosmological Argument for God's existence

Mike presents the Kalam Cosmological Argument as a fourth reason to believe in God.

apologetics evidence for God personal experience of God

Personal experience of God and common sense as evidence for God

Mike closes his apologetics list with experiential and intuitive arguments.

Mark 13:32 second coming Trinity Mark 13:32

Mark 13:32 — Jesus not knowing the hour does not threaten his deity

Viewer question about the Trinity and whether Jesus' limited knowledge in Mark 13:32 undermines his divinity

Acts 1 resurrection kenosis omniscience

Acts 1 implies Jesus's limitations were lifted after resurrection and glorification

Continuing discussion of Jesus's limited knowledge before vs. after resurrection

Proverbs 2 Corinthians 6:14 marriage sanctification Proverbs

There is no single "the one" person to marry — biblical principles guide spouse selection, not divine designation

Viewer asking whether there is only one possible spouse and how that relates to free will

John 3:13 Moses divine authority Elijah

John 3:13 — "No one has ascended" does not necessarily contradict Elijah's translation

Viewer asking about John 3:13 and its apparent contradiction with Elijah ascending

salvation sanctification forgiveness

Mike's personal testimony: heard the gospel at 12, found relief in forgiveness

Viewer asking about Mike's salvation experience

healing spiritual warfare authority of Christ

Authority over evil spirits and sickness comes from Christ's authority, not the believer's own

Viewer asking about Christians' authority over evil spirits and sickness

Christian apologetics Gospel historicity reasons people leave the faith

Introduction: purpose of the stream and why the historicity of the Gospels matters

Mike opens the Tuesday livestream and frames the day's topic as important for faith retention.

Bart Ehrman community tradition view oral transmission

Bart Ehrman's telephone-game argument against Gospel reliability

Mike quotes and plays audio of Bart Ehrman presenting the community tradition / oral telephone-game view of Gospel transmission.

Gospel historicity community tradition view oral history view

The two competing models: community tradition view vs. oral history view

Mike introduces the framework for the rest of the lecture.

Bart Ehrman Jesus Seminar Son of Man

The Jesus Seminar and the consequence of rejecting eyewitness origins

Mike explains what is at stake if the Gospels are not rooted in eyewitness accounts.

eschatology Papias Eusebius

Eusebius preserves Papias but personally dislikes him due to eschatology differences

Note on the transmission of Papias's writings and the reliability of Eusebius as a hostile witness.

Richard Bauckham Josephus historical method

Ancient historians' three-tiered hierarchy of sources: first-person, interrogated eyewitness, written account

Historical methodology framework used by ancient historians, applied to understanding Papias.

Richard Bauckham eyewitness testimony Papias

Bauckham's interpretation of "living and surviving voice" in Papias — literal, not metaphorical

Clarifying what Papias meant by preferring a "living voice" to written sources.

Richard Bauckham Jesus Seminar community tradition view

Bauckham's argument: Papias assumes oral tradition's value depends on derivation from living eyewitnesses

Theoretical implication of Papias's framework for evaluating the community tradition view.

Richard Bauckham Gospel historicity eyewitness guarantors

Bauckham's theory: named individuals are living eyewitness sources the author is appealing to

The positive explanation for why some individuals are named in Gospel accounts.

Luke 24:18 John 19:25 eyewitness guarantors named individuals in Gospels Luke 24:18

Cleopas in Luke 24 and Clopas in John 19 — the same person as a named eyewitness source

Case study in named eyewitness sourcing: the road to Emmaus account.

empty tomb Gospel historicity Gospel of Peter

Second-century legends (Gospel of Peter) feature absurd embellishments absent from canonical Gospels

Contrast between canonical Gospels and known legendary accounts to illustrate the difference.

Mark 15:21 Matthew 27:32 Luke 23:26 eyewitness guarantors named individuals in Gospels passion narrative

Simon of Cyrene named with his sons Alexander and Rufus as eyewitness sourcing (Mark 15:21)

Another case study in named eyewitness sourcing from the passion narrative.

Richard Bauckham Gospel historicity Jesus and the Eyewitnesses

Tal Ilan's Palestinian name database — confirming Gospel names match authentic first-century Palestinian onomastics

Statistical evidence from Jewish names scholarship supporting Gospel authenticity.

Hebrews 11:32 Samson salvation saving faith

Q&A: Why is Samson in the Hebrews Hall of Faith? Was Samson saved?

Q&A question about Samson's presence in Hebrews 11.

Luke 2:2 fulfilled prophecy apologetics methodology circular reasoning objection

Q&A: Using the Bible to prove the Bible — not circular reasoning when done correctly

Q&A on the epistemological objection to using Scripture to validate Scripture.

Isaiah 53 Psalm 22 Pentecost apologetics fulfilled prophecy

Q&A: Did New Testament writers invent Gospel narratives from OT prophecies? — Refuted by extra-biblical confirmation of historical facts

Q&A from a persistent atheist questioner (Doug) suggesting Gospels were reverse-engineered from OT texts.

John 14:10 John 14:13 Trinity John 14:10 John 14:13

John 14:10 reinforces Trinitarian distinction: Jesus is "in" the Father, not identical to the Father.

Continuing the John 14 exposition.

1 Peter 1 Peter False prophets Prosperity gospel

Prosperity preachers and false prophecy: prophets whose utterances focus on wealth and success are false prophets.

Question from "First Last" about whether God wants believers to be wealthy and whether to trust wealth-focused prophets.

Matthew 6 Matthew 6 Seek first the kingdom Wealth and Christianity

Distinction between being wealthy and pursuing wealth; Matthew 6 "seek first the kingdom" as the proper framework.

Wrapping up the prosperity gospel question.

Bible study methodology Commentaries Critical thinking in theology

How to use commentaries well: seek their reasoning, not their conclusions; read multiple commentaries.

Continuing Bible study methodology advice.

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.

Bill Johnson False teachers Bethel Music

Using materials from false teachers: distinction between promoting a false teacher's work vs. using theologically sound songs/content from a problematic source.

Question about whether to stay in a church that uses materials from false teachers.

Galatians 5:22-23 Ephesians 5:18 Galatians 5:22-23 Ephesians 5:18 Drunk in the Spirit

Ephesians 5:18 — "be filled with the Spirit" is a CONTRAST to being drunk with wine, not a comparison; "drunk in the Spirit" is a misreading.

Mike addresses "drunk in the Spirit" and "slain in the Spirit" claims.

Galatians 5:22-23 Benny Hinn Galatians 5:22-23 Fruit of the Spirit

Slain in the Spirit is unbiblical; drunk/slain/shaking in the Spirit are all contrary to "self-control" as fruit of the Spirit.

Continuing the critique of charismatic practices.

1 Corinthians 14 1 Corinthians 14 Tongues Continuationism

Personal testimony: Mike first encountered charismatic practices as a teenager and was confused; discovered 1 Corinthians 14 had rules for tongues much later.

Mike shares his personal experience with charismatic churches.

Apologetics methodology Evangelism Hinduism

Evangelizing Hindus: ask why they believe, listen to their evidence/reasons, then compare with the reasons for Christianity.

Continuing the evangelism methodology for polytheism/Hinduism.

Empty tomb Historicity Multiple attestation

Multiple attestation of empty tomb across 4 Gospels plus Acts sermons

Establishing historicity of the empty tomb through independent sources

Mark's Gospel Early attestation Mark's Gospel

Early attestation - all NT documents are 1st century with sources within 7 years

Arguing for early date of empty tomb testimony

Rudolf Pesch Caiaphas Dating methodology

Rudolf Pesch's argument on Mark's omission of Caiaphas's name

Dating Mark's source material by historical details

Mark's Gospel Mark's Gospel Aramaic Source criticism

Mark's Aramaic phrasing 'first day of the week' vs 'third day' formula

Evidence of pre-Gospel source material

Gospel of Peter Literary analysis

Mark's unadorned narrative vs legendary Gospel of Peter's elaborate details

Contrasting early and late accounts of the resurrection

1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15 Gary Habermas Jerome Murphy-O'Connor

1 Corinthians 15 creed - pre-Pauline formula dated within 5 years of crucifixion

Earliest written testimony to resurrection appearances

Galatians 1:18 historeo Galatians 1:18 Eyewitness testimony

Greek term 'historeo' - Paul's formal eyewitness inquiry in Jerusalem

Galatians 1:18 - Paul's investigative visit to Peter

Matthew 28 Tertullian Matthew 28 Justin Martyr

Enemy attestation - Matthew 28, Justin Martyr, Tertullian acknowledge the empty tomb

Even opponents of Christianity conceded the empty tomb as historical fact

Competing traditions Silence as evidence

No competing Jewish or pagan tradition claiming the tomb was occupied

Absence of alternative explanations in ancient sources

Bart Ehrman Women witnesses Criterion of embarrassment

Women as witnesses - criterion of embarrassment in male-centered culture

Why early Christians would not invent women as the first witnesses

Mike Licona Jewish burial customs

Jewish practice of marking and remembering spiritual leaders' burial sites

Why Jesus's grave would be noted and remembered

Acrosolia tomb type - archaeologically confirmed matches Gospel descriptions

Physical archaeology of 1st century Jerusalem tombs

Acrosolia Archaeology