Search — Theology Explorer

discipleship apologetics biblical worldview

Four target audiences for BibleThinker ministry

Winger articulates the specific audiences he aims to reach through his online ministry.

Romans 9 Leighton Flowers BibleThinker Romans 9

Ministry impact testimonies: Global reach and unexpected pastor influence

Winger shares concrete examples of ministry impact by late 2017 when he had ~9,000 subscribers.

BibleThinker Gary Ansdell ministry transition

December 2017: Senior pastor redirects Winger to prioritize online ministry

Pastor Gary challenged Winger with a hypothetical that forced a reckoning over ministry priorities.

BibleThinker ministry funding free content

Funding model: Donation-supported free content

Winger explains how the ministry sustains itself financially and his commitment to keeping all content free.

hermeneutics Bible study interpretation

Q&A: Hermeneutics — advice for a new Bible student afraid of misinterpretation

Question from a student who has taken hermeneutics courses but feels intimidated to start studying.

Isaiah 14:12 Revelation 22:16 NIV translation Satan Isaiah 14:12

Q&A: NIV Morningstar — does the NIV call Jesus Satan?

Question about why the NIV uses "Morningstar" for both Isaiah 14:12 (apparently referring to Satan) and Revelation 22:16 (Jesus).

1 Corinthians 14:29-32 Philip's daughters testing prophecy prophecy

Q&A: Distinguishing personal prophecy from adding to Scripture (1 Corinthians 14:30)

Question about how to tell the difference between someone claiming new revelation above the Bible versus a 1 Corinthians 14-style prophecy.

exegesis Bible study devotional reading

Q&A: Recommendation for exegetical devotional plan

Question from a listener looking for a devotional Bible study plan that is both engaging and exegetically sound.

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-24

Mike's overall conviction: Scripture clearly teaches Jesus died for everyone

Before diving into objections, Mike states his position and epistemic posture.

Scripture authority unlimited atonement universal atonement

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-24

Scripture should trump philosophical reasoning; most limited atonement arguments are not exegetical

Mike's meta-level argument about the structure of Calvinist argumentation for limited atonement.

Calvinism theological method Scripture authority

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-24

Owen's trilemma implies the elect were forgiven before they believed — which Ephesians 2 contradicts

Secondary refutation of the trilemma from Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2:1-3 faith limited atonement trilemma

God's wrath BibleThinker app

Introduction and Bible Thinker app announcement

Opening of the Tuesday livestream before theological content begins.

false dichotomy God's wrath righteous anger

False dichotomy: God is either petty or wrathless

Mike challenges a common framing used by progressive Christians and atheists regarding divine wrath.

God's love God's wrath penal substitutionary atonement

God's wrath and love coexist; stripping either distorts the gospel

Mike addresses the theological error of removing wrath from God's character.

God's love divine judgment God's wrath

Critique of depersonalizing wrath: 'God hates sin but not sinners' is biblically insufficient

Mike critiques a popular pastoral slogan often used to soften the doctrine of wrath.

Genesis 1 Proverbs dominion mandate Genesis 1 stewardship

Q&A: Animal rights from a biblical perspective — Proverbs and the dominion mandate

Viewer asks whether the Bible supports animal welfare.

Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Jehovah's Witnesses use the cross-vs-stake argument to undermine Christian Bible translations

The Watchtower organization teaches that Jesus died on a "torture stake" (single upright pole), not a cross. They use the Greek word stauros, which in its classical roots means an upright pole, to argue the Christian Bible mistranslates the word as "cross."

New World Translation Bible translation cross

Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Watchtower quotes Greek lexicons selectively and out of context

The Watchtower's Insight on the Scriptures (Vol. 1) quotes Douglas's New Bible Dictionary (1985, p. 253) on stauros to support the torture-stake claim. Winger reads the actual quote the Watchtower uses.

selective quotation cross stauros

Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Full quote from Douglas's New Bible Dictionary supports a traditional cross, not a stake

When the full entry from Douglas's New Bible Dictionary is read, it describes three historical types of crosses and leans toward the traditional lowercase-T cross for Jesus's crucifixion.

crucifixion stauros Douglas's New Bible Dictionary

Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Q&A: Is the God of Islam the same as the God of Christianity?

Viewer question from Kaeleen van Konan

Islam apologetics comparative religion

Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Q&A: Are people who deny the Trinity but believe in salvation by grace through faith saved?

Viewer question from Devin Nicely

Trinity Holy Spirit apologetics

Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Q&A: Why did God allow bears to kill 42 children for mocking Elisha? (2 Kings 2:23-24)

Viewer question from Pedro Jr.

2 Kings 2:23-24 apologetics Hebrew exegesis 2 Kings 2:23-24

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

Winger states his position up front: infant baptism is not supported by Scripture

Rather than feigning neutrality, Winger openly declares his conclusion before building the case.

biblical interpretation infant baptism believers baptism

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

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.

Ezekiel 33 evangelism accountability hell

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

The Mormon burning-in-the-bosom claim does not undermine the Christian's witness of the Spirit

Responding to the classic objection that the Spirit's witness is unreliable because others claim the same for false religions

Mormonism Book of Mormon epistemology

Recommended Bible study resources for non-original-language readers: multiple translations, NET Bible, STEP Bible, Blue Letter Bible

Question from Naomi about where to start studying the Bible verse-by-verse without knowledge of original languages.

NET Bible ESV NASB

In the New Testament, "kurios" (Lord) replaces "Yahweh" — this is standard Greek translation convention, reflected in English by small-cap LORD

Question from Zanet about the Mark series — why is "Yahweh" rendered as "kurios" (Lord) in the Greek NT, and whether that changes the meaning.

Mark Mark kurios Yahweh

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.

1 Timothy 2:12-15 women in ministry hermeneutics complementarianism

1 Timothy 2:12-15 restricts women from the pastoral/authority role in the church, but does not prohibit co-ed Bible study or women's ministry generally

Question from Seanya about whether 1 Timothy 2:12-15 makes co-ed Bible studies unbiblical and how it affects women's ministry.

1 Timothy 2:9 cultural context 1 Timothy 2:9 IVP Bible Background Commentary

Braided hair in 1 Timothy 2:9 refers to hair braided with gold as a display of wealth, not ordinary styling

Drawing on IVP Bible Background Commentary to explain the cultural meaning of braided hair in 1 Tim 2:9.

repentance sanctification pastoral care

Pastoral counsel for Christians with habitual sin: radical repentance, not patchwork solutions

Q from Ariane Nisha about how to pray for a believer not walking with God due to habitual sin and lack of intimacy with God.

Genesis 1 Genesis 1 biblical inerrancy Enuma Elish

Parallelomania: ancient Near Eastern parallels (flood, creation) do not prove the Bible borrowed; similarities are explained by common events or themes

Q from Folky about how to respond to claims that the OT is not true because the Bible copied surrounding cultures (flood, Exodus).

apologetics Martin Luther Reformation

College professors often repeat thin secondhand claims about the Bible; a little research can expose the shallowness

Aside to Folky about the professor making claims about the Bible being borrowed from surrounding cultures.

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

1 Corinthians 13:10 does not teach cessationism — the perfect refers to seeing Christ face to face at the second coming, not the completion of Scripture

Response to Brandy Medved asking about 1 Corinthians 13:10 and whether the perfect means the Bible, therefore ending spiritual gifts.

1 Corinthians 13:10 spiritual gifts second coming cessationism

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

The Passion Translation is irresponsible and problematic; a pastor using it is a warning sign but not automatically disqualifying

Response to Chantal asking whether to reconsider joining a church whose pastor quotes the Passion Translation more and more.

discernment church selection Bible translation

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was not about wisdom or knowledge in general but about moral autonomy through sinful rebellion

Response to Adriano asking why the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was bad if wisdom is generally a good thing in the Bible.

Genesis 2-3 wisdom Genesis 2-3 Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

Psalm 15:4 marriage covenant contracts

Are marriage contracts biblical? — Yes, with wisdom; keeping one's word is a biblical principle

Question from Mahit (likely from India) about whether signing a pre-marriage contract is biblical.

marriage singleness biblical ethics

What does the Bible teach on masturbation? — No direct address; biblical principles of lust, self-gratification, and marital fidelity apply

Question from Arvin Marlow.

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.

Matthew 18 church leadership Matthew 18 ecclesiology

Addressing a church drifting from Scripture — approach thoughtfully, privately first, then through proper channels

Question from Nala about a church where the Bible is not preached and the lead pastor bulldozes people.

hermeneutics tongues and salvation descriptive vs prescriptive

The absence of a universal prescriptive statement is the key problem with the tongues-salvation argument

Mike's core logical point about what Scripture would need to say to support the tongues-salvation requirement

Genesis flood hermeneutics Genesis flood biblical cosmology

The global vs. humanity-wide flood debate is an active exegetical question, not just a science vs. Bible debate

Nuance added to the flood discussion

Judges 4 Judges 4 Christian ethics video games

Sexual content in any media is a hard redline for Christians; violence is treated differently in Scripture

Distinguishing sexual content from violent content in media evaluation

spiritual disciplines fasting

Scripture assumes fasting is part of normal Christian life without mandating specific schedules; fasting for a single meal is valid

Scope and flexibility of fasting

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Hebrews 6:4-6 is the most challenging apostasy passage in the Bible; Mike is not yet ready to give a definitive answer on it

Question from Folky about the warning in Hebrews 6:4-6 regarding those who seem to have experienced salvation but then fall away

Hebrews 6:4-6 eternal security apostasy Hebrews 6:4-6

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

"Slain in the Spirit" is not taught in the Bible and is inconsistent with the Spirit's fruit of self-control

Question from Steph T about whether being slain in the Spirit is biblical and how to distinguish it from demonic possession

Galatians 5:23 John 18:6 Anaheim Vineyard self-control charismatic gifts

holiness Christian humor reverence for God

Memes about Jesus and Christian humor — the danger of making light of holy things

Question about pages like "Memes for Jesus" and joking about Bible stories

Christian liberty Jehovah's Witnesses biblical interpretation

Birthdays: Jehovah's Witness argument from bad birthday examples in the Bible is fallacious

Addressing the JW teaching that birthdays are pagan/forbidden

Luke 23:43 Greek grammar soul sleep Bible translation

Greek grammar does not support moving the comma — nearly universal translation consensus

Technical defense of the standard comma placement in Luke 23:43