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Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Critical distinction: what God directly causes versus what he sovereignly allows and guides — God is not morally culpable for the actions of the enemies he permits; he works all things together for good.

Theological synthesis drawn from the Saul discussion.

Romans 8:28 Romans 8:28 Divine Sovereignty and Evil God Uses Enemy Nations / Agents

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's claim that the NT contains anti-Semitic propaganda and forged passages is theologically foolish — it substitutes his personal agenda for textual criticism and makes him the effective authority over Scripture.

Q: What do you think of Shmuley Boteach's claim that the NT has anti-Semitic propaganda Christians should reject as forgeries?

Romans 9-11 Shmuley Boteach Anti-Semitism and the New Testament Romans 9-11

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

The NT is pro-Jewish rather than anti-Semitic: Romans 9-11 teaches the future salvation of all Israel, the gospel goes to the Jew first, and Jesus and all the original apostles are Jewish.

Counter-argument to the anti-Semitism charge against the NT.

Acts of the Apostles Romans 9-11 Romans 1:16 — Jew First Acts of the Apostles Romans 9-11 Jewish Salvation / Two-Covenant Theology

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Advice to a former JW: Do not transfer the JW 'true church' mentality to a new denomination — move from following an institutional governing body to following Christ, and seek genuine (not perfect) Christians.

Q: Former JW, not properly baptized — how to choose a church and who should baptize me? Afraid of being misled.

Calvary Chapel Jehovah's Witnesses Church Selection

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Baptism does not require a perfect or specially credentialed person — find a genuine Christian you respect and be baptized; Jesus saves, not the baptism or the baptizer.

Practical baptism advice for the former JW questioner.

Baptism Sacramentology Salvation — Faith not Ritual

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

1 Corinthians 5:11 — not associating with a so-called 'brother' guilty of ongoing sin — targets life-pattern behavioral sins, not theological disagreement; the context is likely the communion/love-feast meal.

Q: How should 1 Corinthians 5:11 affect relationships with liberal Christian friends with unbiblical beliefs and practices?

1 Corinthians 5:11 1 Corinthians 5:11 Church Discipline Fellowship vs. Outreach Mode

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

When someone professing faith lives as an unbeliever, the individual Christian's posture should shift from fellowship mode to outreach mode — still loving and gracious but with different relational goals.

Application of 1 Corinthians 5:11 to personal relationships with professing but lifestyle-unbelieving friends.

1 Corinthians 5:11 Evangelism 1 Corinthians 5:11 Church Discipline

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

The role of the church's Sunday service is primarily discipleship with contextual outreach emphasis — the degree depends on the season and makeup of the congregation; discipleship always happens, outreach emphasis is more variable.

Q: Should the church be focused on reaching unbelievers or teaching believers who then go out and evangelize?

Evangelism Discipleship Church Mission / Ecclesiology

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Personal evangelism by individual believers throughout the week is more effective than Sunday-service-only outreach — placing the entire evangelism burden on the pastor is both ineffective and inappropriate.

Continued discussion of church role and outreach strategy.

Evangelism Church Mission / Ecclesiology Personal Witness

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Mike has authorship of the contested Pauline epistles on his list but far down in priority; he recommends Darrell Bock as an existing resource for those who need it now.

Q: Do you ever plan to do a deep dive into the authorship of the contested Pauline epistles?

Darrell Bock Textual Criticism Pauline Epistles — Authorship

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

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

In times of psychological doubt, stop requiring emotional confirmation from Bible reading, worship, and prayer — treat spiritual disciplines as objectively worth doing regardless of how they feel.

Practical strategies for overcoming psychological/emotional doubt.

Prayer Doubt and Faith Trust in God vs. Feelings

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Mike leans toward classifying the Seventh-day Adventist church as a cult and plans a full dedicated video on the SDA topic in the coming year.

Q: Do you think the SDA is a cult?

Seventh-day Adventism Cults and False Religions

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Romans 10:1-4 refutes the idea that Jews can be saved apart from Jesus: Paul's heart's desire is that his Jewish kinsmen be saved — meaning they currently are not — despite their genuine zeal for God.

Q: How do I respond to family who believe Jews will go to heaven even if not saved by Jesus?

Romans 10:1-4 Galatians — Law as Condemner Paul Romans 10:1-4 Jewish Salvation / Two-Covenant Theology

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Everything possible is theologically wrong with two-covenant theology (Jews saved by law, gentiles by Christ) — it is unloving to Jewish people because it withholds their own Savior from them.

Summary judgment on two-covenant soteriology.

Romans 1:16 — Jew First Galatians — Law as Condemner Jewish Salvation / Two-Covenant Theology Romans 1:16 — Jew First Galatians — Law as Condemner

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

God's sovereign will and human free will coexist: God allows choices he does not desire; his overarching plan unfolds through, not in spite of, human free choices.

Q: How does God's will not infringe on free will? What is the point of praying if it is already in God's will?

Romans 8:28 Prayer Romans 8:28 Divine Sovereignty and Human Free Will

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Prayer is powerful precisely because God's will can be conditionally contingent on prayer — he may desire to do something but not do it if we do not pray; Moses' intercession for Israel is the paradigmatic example.

Answering the secondary question: what is the point of praying if it is already God's will?

Exodus 32 — Moses Intercession Prayer Divine Sovereignty and Human Free Will Moses — Intercession

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Mike is pre-millennial and futurist: he believes in a literal seven-year tribulation and a thousand-year reign of Christ; he does not believe amillennialism is biblical but has not done deep recent study on eschatology.

Q: Do you believe amillennialism is biblical, and what arguments do you have for and against it?

Eschatology Amillennialism Premillennialism

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

A person with Asperger's who fears public speaking should identify what they are actually gifted at and build ministry around those strengths rather than forcing it through their weakness.

Q: I suffer from Asperger's syndrome and have fear of crowds and public speaking — is my fear a valid reason not to spread God's word?

Spiritual Gifts Ministry and Disability Calling and Gifting

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Mike's own primary gift is teaching, not worship leading — he did worship leading for years out of necessity but recognized it was not his strongest gift; leaning into actual gifts maximizes ministry impact.

Personal illustration of the spiritual-gifts-discernment principle.

Spiritual Gifts Calling and Gifting Teaching Gift

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

For the felony question: Mike refuses to give definitive advice without knowing full details and directs the questioner to a local mature pastor or wise Christian leader for personal counsel.

Q: I got away with felonies years ago, no one got hurt, confessed to God and repented — is the godly thing to do to turn myself in? I have OCD and can't tell if it's OCD or conviction.

Conscience and OCD Legal Confession / Turning Yourself In Pastoral Counsel

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Angels could fall but redeemed humans in eternity will not — Scripture promises 'with him forever'; the mechanisms likely include: prior choice already made, maximum Holy Spirit indwelling, perfected environment, and crucially the removal of the sin nature.

Q: If angels were not 100% safe in heaven because they could be seduced by Satan, how can we be certain we will be safe in eternity with God?

1 Corinthians 15:53 — Incorruption Eschatology Eternal Security in Heaven Fallen Angels / Satan

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

When handling online 'heresy hunters' who badger a minister, evaluate whether you are responding from self-defense or from genuine capacity to help — then use time for maximum ministry impact.

Q: How do you handle online heresy hunters that badger you through email about your teaching?

Heresy Hunting / Online Critics Ministry Time Management Self-Defense vs. Service

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Two issues with heresy hunters: (1) a divisive uncharitable attitude over secondary issues needing gentle correction toward unity; (2) the real possibility they are right — total openness to correction with zero self-defensiveness is required.

Continued advice on handling heresy hunters in ministry.

Humility Heresy Hunting / Online Critics Self-Defense vs. Service

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Why Jesus allowed Simon of Cyrene to carry his cross: possibly to display the depth of his physical suffering, and Simon and his sons apparently came to faith — suggesting the encounter introduced him more fully to Jesus.

Q: Why did Jesus allow Simon of Cyrene to help him carry his cross?

Romans 16 — Simon's Sons Simon of Cyrene Crucifixion of Jesus Romans 16 — Simon's Sons

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Church fathers have historical value — especially the earliest second-century writers — but should not be granted extra theological authority; they are windows into early church history, not infallible teachers.

Q: How much utility should we find in the church fathers? Should we view them with extra credibility?

Justin Martyr Polycarp Church Fathers

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Church fathers are routinely quoted out of context to proof-text doctrines — Gustaf Aulén's Christus Victor is a prime example, misrepresenting patristic sources to argue against penal substitutionary atonement.

Warning about the misuse of the church fathers in theological argument.

Proof-texting Church Fathers Patristics

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Practical guidance on reading church fathers: read whole works from start to finish rather than isolated quotes — this prevents the proof-texting problem the same way it prevents biblical proof-texting.

How to read the church fathers responsibly.

Proof-texting Hermeneutics Church Fathers

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Christus Victor is a beautiful and biblical doctrine, but Aulén's treatment is total anachronism that butchers both Christus Victor and penal substitutionary atonement by falsely presenting them as competing alternatives.

Final comment on the Christus Victor / PSA debate, wrapping up question 20.

Church Fathers Christus Victor Gustaf Aulén

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Passion Translation project update: Mike has hired multiple scholars to review the Passion Translation — Tremper Longman (Song of Songs, already published), Nijay Gupta (Galatians, days away), Darrell Bock, Douglas Moo, Craig Blomberg are upcoming.

Closing ministry update on the Passion Translation evaluation project.

Craig Blomberg Douglas Moo Brian Simmons

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Introduction and ministry update for 2021

Opening of first livestream of 2021 (New Year's Day)

thinking biblically BibleThinker ministry

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Goal: teach people to think biblically, not just memorize answers

Ministry philosophy discussion

discipleship biblical thinking

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Experimenting with interviews: open candid dialogue over polished preparation

2021 plans announcement

Galatians Craig Blomberg Galatians New Perspective on Paul

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Announcement: upcoming deep-dive study on women's roles and gender in the church

2021 ministry plans

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Divorce and remarriage study as model for deep-topic research projects

Ministry methodology

divorce and remarriage biblical research methodology

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

BibleThinker.org website improvements: searchable timestamp database

Website and ministry infrastructure plans for 2021

BibleThinker ministry open theism

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q2: Can the dead be aware of what happens on earth? Ecclesiastes 9:5 examined

Response to viewer question citing Ecclesiastes 9:5 ("the dead know nothing")

Ecclesiastes 9:5 afterlife Ecclesiastes 9:5 state of the dead

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

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

1 Samuel 28 Samuel 1 Samuel 28 state of the dead

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

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

Continuing discussion on dead's awareness of earth

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

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Ecclesiastes as internal critique of atheist/godless worldview, not normative theology

Explaining why Ecclesiastes 9:5 ("the dead know nothing") does not define the dead's actual state

Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes 9:5 hermeneutics atheism biblical interpretation

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q3: Why did God reject Cain's offering? Reading Genesis 4 for textual clues

Response to viewer asking about Cain and Abel's sacrifices

Genesis 4 sacrifice Genesis 4 Cain and Abel

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Typological reading of Cain/Abel: works vs. faith — valid typology but not the cause of rejection

Analysis of Cain's offering rejection

Genesis 4 Hebrews 11:4 typology works-righteousness Genesis 4

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Hebrews 11:4: Abel's sacrifice was better because it was offered by faith

Resolving the Cain/Abel question using Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11:4 faith worship sacrifice

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q4: Soul sleep, resurrection, and the problem of personal continuity

Response to question about whether resurrection is "snatching" someone from paradise/hell

resurrection soul sleep personal identity

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q5: Do Christians sin every second? Distinguishing temptation from sin

Response to question about frequency of sin in the Christian life

James 1:14-15 sanctification sin temptation

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Galatians 6: distinction between living in sin vs. occasional sin

Continuing Q5 on Christian sin frequency

Galatians 6:1 sin habitual sin humility

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q6 (wrong week): Advice for someone leaving a cult (JW) and finding a church; overcoming spiritual abuse

Response to question about choosing a church after leaving JW (note: Mike realized partway through this was from a previous week's questions)

spiritual authority Jehovah's Witnesses baptism

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q7: Daniel prayed without a temple — praying toward the temple as access to God (OT parallel to praying in Jesus' name)

Response to question about Mark 11:22-25 and temple-based prayer

Mark 11:22-25 Daniel 1 Kings 8 prayer temple indwelling Holy Spirit

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Believers as the temple — the astonishing access to God available through Christ

Continuation of Q7; reflection on prayer and access to God

1 Corinthians 6:19 prayer temple indwelling Holy Spirit

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q8: Pastoral advice for engaging a friend who has pursued a gay lifestyle — understanding before fixing

Response to viewer whose Christian friend came out as gay

evangelism love and truth homosexuality

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Critical distinction: what God directly causes versus what he sovereignly allows and guides — God is not morally culpable for the actions of the enemies he permits; he works all things together for good.

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's claim that the NT contains anti-Semitic propaganda and forged passages is theologically foolish — it substitutes his personal agenda for textual criticism and makes him the effective authority over Scripture.

The NT is pro-Jewish rather than anti-Semitic: Romans 9-11 teaches the future salvation of all Israel, the gospel goes to the Jew first, and Jesus and all the original apostles are Jewish.

Advice to a former JW: Do not transfer the JW 'true church' mentality to a new denomination — move from following an institutional governing body to following Christ, and seek genuine (not perfect) Christians.

Baptism does not require a perfect or specially credentialed person — find a genuine Christian you respect and be baptized; Jesus saves, not the baptism or the baptizer.

1 Corinthians 5:11 — not associating with a so-called 'brother' guilty of ongoing sin — targets life-pattern behavioral sins, not theological disagreement; the context is likely the communion/love-feast meal.

When someone professing faith lives as an unbeliever, the individual Christian's posture should shift from fellowship mode to outreach mode — still loving and gracious but with different relational goals.

The role of the church's Sunday service is primarily discipleship with contextual outreach emphasis — the degree depends on the season and makeup of the congregation; discipleship always happens, outreach emphasis is more variable.

Personal evangelism by individual believers throughout the week is more effective than Sunday-service-only outreach — placing the entire evangelism burden on the pastor is both ineffective and inappropriate.

Mike has authorship of the contested Pauline epistles on his list but far down in priority; he recommends Darrell Bock as an existing resource for those who need it now.

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.

In times of psychological doubt, stop requiring emotional confirmation from Bible reading, worship, and prayer — treat spiritual disciplines as objectively worth doing regardless of how they feel.

Mike leans toward classifying the Seventh-day Adventist church as a cult and plans a full dedicated video on the SDA topic in the coming year.

Romans 10:1-4 refutes the idea that Jews can be saved apart from Jesus: Paul's heart's desire is that his Jewish kinsmen be saved — meaning they currently are not — despite their genuine zeal for God.

Everything possible is theologically wrong with two-covenant theology (Jews saved by law, gentiles by Christ) — it is unloving to Jewish people because it withholds their own Savior from them.

God's sovereign will and human free will coexist: God allows choices he does not desire; his overarching plan unfolds through, not in spite of, human free choices.

Prayer is powerful precisely because God's will can be conditionally contingent on prayer — he may desire to do something but not do it if we do not pray; Moses' intercession for Israel is the paradigmatic example.

Mike is pre-millennial and futurist: he believes in a literal seven-year tribulation and a thousand-year reign of Christ; he does not believe amillennialism is biblical but has not done deep recent study on eschatology.

A person with Asperger's who fears public speaking should identify what they are actually gifted at and build ministry around those strengths rather than forcing it through their weakness.

Mike's own primary gift is teaching, not worship leading — he did worship leading for years out of necessity but recognized it was not his strongest gift; leaning into actual gifts maximizes ministry impact.

For the felony question: Mike refuses to give definitive advice without knowing full details and directs the questioner to a local mature pastor or wise Christian leader for personal counsel.

Angels could fall but redeemed humans in eternity will not — Scripture promises 'with him forever'; the mechanisms likely include: prior choice already made, maximum Holy Spirit indwelling, perfected environment, and crucially the removal of the sin nature.

When handling online 'heresy hunters' who badger a minister, evaluate whether you are responding from self-defense or from genuine capacity to help — then use time for maximum ministry impact.

Two issues with heresy hunters: (1) a divisive uncharitable attitude over secondary issues needing gentle correction toward unity; (2) the real possibility they are right — total openness to correction with zero self-defensiveness is required.

Why Jesus allowed Simon of Cyrene to carry his cross: possibly to display the depth of his physical suffering, and Simon and his sons apparently came to faith — suggesting the encounter introduced him more fully to Jesus.

Church fathers have historical value — especially the earliest second-century writers — but should not be granted extra theological authority; they are windows into early church history, not infallible teachers.

Church fathers are routinely quoted out of context to proof-text doctrines — Gustaf Aulén's Christus Victor is a prime example, misrepresenting patristic sources to argue against penal substitutionary atonement.

Practical guidance on reading church fathers: read whole works from start to finish rather than isolated quotes — this prevents the proof-texting problem the same way it prevents biblical proof-texting.

Christus Victor is a beautiful and biblical doctrine, but Aulén's treatment is total anachronism that butchers both Christus Victor and penal substitutionary atonement by falsely presenting them as competing alternatives.

Passion Translation project update: Mike has hired multiple scholars to review the Passion Translation — Tremper Longman (Song of Songs, already published), Nijay Gupta (Galatians, days away), Darrell Bock, Douglas Moo, Craig Blomberg are upcoming.

Introduction and ministry update for 2021

Goal: teach people to think biblically, not just memorize answers

Experimenting with interviews: open candid dialogue over polished preparation

Announcement: upcoming deep-dive study on women's roles and gender in the church

Divorce and remarriage study as model for deep-topic research projects

BibleThinker.org website improvements: searchable timestamp database

Q2: Can the dead be aware of what happens on earth? Ecclesiastes 9:5 examined

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

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

Ecclesiastes as internal critique of atheist/godless worldview, not normative theology

Q3: Why did God reject Cain's offering? Reading Genesis 4 for textual clues

Typological reading of Cain/Abel: works vs. faith — valid typology but not the cause of rejection

Hebrews 11:4: Abel's sacrifice was better because it was offered by faith

Q4: Soul sleep, resurrection, and the problem of personal continuity

Q5: Do Christians sin every second? Distinguishing temptation from sin

Galatians 6: distinction between living in sin vs. occasional sin

Q6 (wrong week): Advice for someone leaving a cult (JW) and finding a church; overcoming spiritual abuse

Q7: Daniel prayed without a temple — praying toward the temple as access to God (OT parallel to praying in Jesus' name)

Believers as the temple — the astonishing access to God available through Christ

Q8: Pastoral advice for engaging a friend who has pursued a gay lifestyle — understanding before fixing

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