Search — Theology Explorer

Acts 2:46 Torah observance temple worship Acts 2:46

Key point: the 3,000 converts in Acts 2 did not take on Mosaic law as a result of following Jesus -- they were already observing it as Jews or proselytes

Analysis of early church composition

Acts 3:1 John (Apostle) Hebrews (book) temple worship Jewish believers Peter (Apostle)

Acts 3:1 -- Peter and John regularly attend the temple at the hour of prayer during a sacrifice, showing Jewish believers continued temple participation after believing in Jesus

Survey of Acts chapter 3

Acts 3:12 Acts 3:17 Acts 3:25-26 Messianic prophecy Abrahamic covenant Peter (Apostle)

Peter's sermon in Acts 3 is directed to 'men of Israel' -- Jewish-to-Jewish evangelism with a distinctly Jewish message connecting Jesus to Messianic expectation

Survey of Acts chapter 3 sermon

Acts 6:10-14 Stephen Law of Moses Acts 6:10-14

Stephen is falsely accused of speaking against Moses and the law -- the witnesses are explicitly called false (Acts 6:13), meaning Stephen is not actually teaching against the law

Survey of Acts 6, Stephen controversy

Acts 9:15 Acts 9:20 Paul the Apostle Acts 9:15 Acts 9:20

Acts 9: Saul is converted and called as the apostle to the Gentiles, but immediately begins preaching in synagogues to Jews -- the Gentile mission has not yet begun

Survey of Acts chapter 9, Paul's conversion

dietary laws Jewish believers Peter (Apostle)

Peter did not violate food laws even years after the resurrection -- an important concession: there was no requirement for Jewish believers to stop Torah observance after coming to Jesus

Analysis of Peter's behavior regarding food laws

Acts 11:1 Torah observance 119 Ministries Acts 11:1

Acts 11:1 -- 'Gentiles received the Word of God' without Torah observance. Hebrew Roots claim you cannot fully receive the Word of God without obeying the law -- Winger rejects this as unbiblical.

Analysis of Acts 11:1

Mark 7:19 progressive revelation dietary laws fulfillment theology

Mark 7:19 -- Jesus declared all foods clean. Winger defers full treatment but flags it as part of a progressive revelation from Jesus through Paul to Hebrews.

Cross-reference to Mark 7:19

Acts 11:20 Luke (author) Gentile mission Acts 11:20 Antioch (Syria)

Acts 11:20 -- some men of Cyprus and Cyrene begin speaking to Greeks (Gentiles) in Antioch, preaching the Lord Jesus. Luke narrates this only after establishing how Gentiles can be saved.

Survey of Acts 11:20, first Gentile outreach from scattered believers

Acts 13:14 Paul the Apostle fulfillment theology Acts 13:14

Paul preaches in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:14) -- his standard method is synagogue first, then the broader city. His message presents Jesus as fulfillment of the law and prophets.

Survey of Acts 13:14, Paul's first missionary journey

Acts 13:38-39 Paul the Apostle justification Law of Moses

Acts 13:38-39 -- Paul: forgiveness is proclaimed through Jesus, and through him everyone who believes is freed from all things from which they could not be freed through the law of Moses

Paul's synagogue sermon in Pisidian Antioch

Acts 15:6-11 Cornelius Holy Spirit salvation by grace

Acts 15:6-11 -- Peter's speech at the Jerusalem Council: God made no distinction between Jew and Gentile, cleansing their hearts by faith; why put on them a yoke their fathers could not bear? Salvation is by grace alone.

Peter's speech at Jerusalem Council

James (brother of Jesus) Acts 15:12-19 Amos 9:11-12 James (brother of Jesus) Gentile inclusion Acts 15:12-19

Acts 15:12-18 -- James's speech: endorses Peter, cites Amos 9 as prophetic basis for Gentile inclusion under God's name. His judgment: do not trouble the Gentiles.

James's speech at Jerusalem Council

James (brother of Jesus) Acts 15:20-21 table fellowship James (brother of Jesus) Acts 15:20-21

Acts 15:19-21 -- James decrees four abstentions for Gentiles: things contaminated by idols, fornication, what is strangled, and blood. The reason given: Moses has been preached in every city.

James's four-fold decree for Gentiles

James (brother of Jesus) Acts 15:22-29 Holy Spirit James (brother of Jesus) salvation vs. sanctification

Acts 15:22-29 -- The Apostolic letter: the Holy Spirit and the Apostles together impose no greater burden than four essentials. These four are explicitly for sanctification ('you will do well'), not salvation.

Survey of the Apostolic letter text

Torah observance Jewish believers fulfillment theology

Summary: Gentiles who get saved in Acts never receive Torah instructions; Jews are never asked to stop. Both groups are united by Jesus, not by the law.

Summary of Acts survey to this point

Acts 18:13 Paul the Apostle Law of Moses fulfillment theology

Acts 18:13 -- Paul accused of persuading men to worship God contrary to the law. Again just an accusation, paralleling the pattern with Jesus: fulfillment misread as abolishment.

Survey of Acts 18:13

James (brother of Jesus) Acts 21:20-21 Paul the Apostle James (brother of Jesus) Law of Moses

Acts 21:20-21 -- thousands of Jewish believers are zealous for the law; there is a rumor that Paul teaches Jews to forsake Moses and stop circumcising their children

Survey of Acts 21:20-21

James (brother of Jesus) Acts 21:25 James (brother of Jesus) Apostolic Decree Acts 21:25

Acts 21:25 -- James reminds Paul of the Acts 15 Apostolic Decree: the Gentiles only need the four abstentions. The Jew/Gentile distinction in the decree is explicitly restated.

Acts 21:25, restatement of the Acts 15 decree

resurrection Gentile evangelism Messiah (title)

Q&A: difference between preaching Jesus as Christ to Jews vs. as Lord to Gentiles -- connects to what the audience already knows from Scripture

Q&A on Jewish vs. Gentile evangelism vocabulary

Hebrew Roots movement Messianic Judaism Jewish believers

Q&A: difference between Hebrew Roots movement (HRM) and Messianic Judaism -- HRM is predominantly Gentiles taking on Torah; Messianic Judaism is Jews who believe Jesus is Messiah

Q&A distinguishing HRM from Messianic Judaism

Romans 6:14 Hebrew Roots Movement Law of Moses Torah Observance

Series introduction: pivotal issue of whether Christians should obey the Law of Moses

Opening of Hebrew Roots part 4 livestream

Matthew 5 Acts circumcision Matthew 5 Acts

Summary of the four-part Hebrew Roots series: Parts 1–3 recap

Series overview for new viewers

Galatians 3:21-22 law and sin connection Galatians 3:21-22 imprisoned under sin

Galatians 3:21-22 — the law imprisons everything under sin so that promise comes by faith

Scriptural support for law-sin connection

Galatians 3:21-28 in Christ covenant Hebrew Roots Movement

Galatians 3:21-28 read in full: no Jew or Greek distinction in Christ undermines Hebrew Roots' position

Extended scriptural reading to demonstrate freedom from the law

Galatians 4:4-5 redemption sinlessness of Jesus Law of Moses

Galatians 4:4-5 — Jesus was born "under the law" to redeem those under it; proves the phrase means Law of Moses, not mastery of sin

Surveying Pauline uses — sixth instance, highly significant

Sermon on the Mount walking in the Spirit law of Christ

What is the law of Christ? It is walking in love — the heart of the law as Jesus summarized it

Q&A: Josh Kretchmer asks about the law of Christ

1 Corinthians Colossians Romans 14 1 Corinthians Colossians Romans 14

The Sabbath: Jesus did not abolish it but clarified it; NT passages show Christians are not bound by it

Q&A: question about the Sabbath and lesser commandments

Proverbs 8 creation Proverbs 8 wisdom Christology

Brief mention of Proverbs 8 and wisdom in creation as a potential future study topic

Q&A: Jesse Cheek asks about Proverbs 8 and wisdom/creation

Psalm 85:10 atonement Jesus under the law holiness of God

Why was Jesus bound to the law? God's holiness requires punishment for sin; Jesus satisfies both justice and mercy

Q&A: Christina Hunt about why Jesus had to die

Acts circumcision Acts Jewish believers

Jewish believers who come to faith in Jesus should expect to continue being very Jewish

Q&A: Rachel asks about present-day Jews and circumcision/law observance

historical Jesus Mike Licona Jesus Myth movement

Upcoming guest: Mike Licona to discuss the Jesus Myth movement

Announcements at end of stream

Calvinism limited atonement TULIP

Definition of limited atonement: Jesus's death only paid for the sins of the elect

Winger defines limited atonement as the doctrine that God only provided payment for the sins of certain people (the elect), not for all humanity.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 limited atonement 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 all have died

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 — the Calvinist logical argument for limited atonement from this text

Winger presents the viewer's question and the Calvinist logical argument drawn from 2 Corinthians 5:14-15.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 limited atonement 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 fallacy of negative inference

Even granting the Calvinist reading of 2 Cor 5:14, it only affirms Jesus died for the elect — it does not deny he died for others

Winger grants the Calvinist interpretation hypothetically to show it still does not prove limited atonement.

Galatians 2:20 limited atonement fallacy of negative inference Galatians 2:20

Fallacy of negative inference illustrated by Galatians 2:20

Winger uses Galatians 2:20 to illustrate that affirming Christ's death for one person or group does not imply he did not die for others.

2 Corinthians 5 evangelism limited atonement universal atonement

Universal atonement motivates evangelism; limited atonement undermines the sincere gospel call

Winger argues that Paul's evangelistic appeal in 2 Corinthians 5 flows directly from universal atonement and is inconsistent with limited atonement.

2 Corinthians 5:18-20 evangelism limited atonement 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Paul's application of the theology confirms the universal-extent, limited-application reading: the missions mandate

How Paul applies his theology tells us what his real theology is; his application is the missions mandate.

2 Corinthians 5:14 imputation all have died 2 Corinthians 5:14

Objection: 'all have died' can only be said of the saved — Winger's rebuttal via objective vs. subjective atonement

Winger responds to the objection that 'all have died' is a phrase reserved for those who have received salvation.

objective vs subjective atonement union with Christ conversion

Objective atonement 2,000 years ago vs. subjective appropriation at conversion

Winger explains how a believer can say they died with Christ even though they were not alive when Jesus died.

1 John 2:2 limited atonement kosmos 1 John 2:2

1 John 2:2 — Jesus is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world

Winger introduces 1 John 2:2 as perhaps the strongest single verse against limited atonement.

1 John 2:2 John 11:51-52 limited atonement 1 John 2:2 John 11:51-52

Calvinist reinterpretation of 1 John 2:2: 'whole world' means Gentile believers scattered abroad, paralleled with John 11:51-52

Winger presents the Calvinist counter-argument that 'whole world' in 1 John 2:2 means people from every nation, not every individual.

Islam apologetics Christianity

Q&A: How to respond to someone who believes all religions are true (omnism) — expose internal contradictions, reconstruct their actual theology

Viewer Q&A: how to engage someone who holds that all religions are equally true.

Luke 9:54-56 James and John Steven Anderson Luke 9:54-56 spirit of Christ vs. spirit of destruction

Luke 9:54-56: Jesus rebukes disciples who want to call down fire to destroy enemies

Biblical response to Anderson's death-wish for homosexuals

Matthew 9:11-13 Hosea 6:6 Matthew 9:11-13 tax collectors and sinners compassion over sacrifice

Matthew 9:11-13: Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners — his heart is toward sinners

Jesus's posture of reaching toward sinners rather than destroying them

Romans 3:21-24 justification by faith grace righteousness of God

Romans 3:21-24: The law leads to Christ — righteousness through faith for all who believe

The law's positive function: pointing to Christ

Matthew 5 Matthew 5 Sermon on the Mount universal sinfulness

Jesus in Matthew 5 intensifies the law — lust equals adultery in the heart, hate equals murder

Jesus's Sermon on the Mount expands the scope of sin

Luke 13 judgment hypocrisy universal sinfulness

Luke 13: Jesus refutes the idea that some sinners deserve judgment while others are better

Jesus on universal deserving of judgment

theocracy kingdom of God Steven Anderson

The OT law is not a blueprint for running governments or establishing theocracies

Correct application of OT law to civic life