Search — Theology Explorer

2 Corinthians 12:10 spiritual disciplines spiritual warfare doubt

Counsel for Christians experiencing unexplained spiritual doubt and attack

Response to a viewer (Christian Regal) who is experiencing doubt that does not seem to stem from any intellectual problem — it feels like an attack.

Exodus 23:2-3 Leviticus 19:15 abortion social justice biblical justice

Biblical justice requires impartiality; modern social justice errs by elevating group rights over equal standards

Response to viewer Kara Gordon asking whether caring for the marginalized should look different for a Christian than secular socialism or communism.

church culture sexual sin shame

Women and pornography: the church's silence stems from greater shame; solutions come from women who have found victory speaking out

Response to viewer asking for Christian resources for women struggling with pornography and why the church focuses more on men.

discernment Enneagram mysticism

The Enneagram lacks true ancient origins and was developed by a modern mystic with dangerous theology

Response to Katrina asking about the Enneagram and its origins (desert fathers vs. Catholic origins).

Ephesians 2:8-10 sola fide assurance of salvation sanctification

Saved by faith alone; works are evidence of salvation, not the means of it — applied to homosexual lifestyle

Response to viewer Tegunbai asking: if we are saved by faith alone not works, how can living a homosexual lifestyle indicate one is not saved? Isn't that mixing faith and works?

Romans 10:9 confession Romans 10:9 lordship

Romans 10:9 — confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in the heart involves personal yielding and trust, not merely intellectual assent

Response to Ryan Hasty asking how to know if one believes in the heart versus merely thinking the evidence points toward Christianity being true.

Romans 6:23 physical death Romans 6:23 wages of sin

Romans 6:23 — the death referred to is both physical death and eternal separation from God (the second death)

Response to Jesse Crocus asking what kind of death Romans 6:23 refers to.

Deuteronomy 18:21-22 testing prophecy discernment prophecy

Assessing modern prophecy claims: consistency in future fulfillment is the test

Response to Jody Wainwright asking about pastor Dana Coverstone and his prophetic dreams.

Trinity deity of Christ Son of God

Why the Father is typically called simply God in the NT while Jesus is called the Son: guarding against modalism

Response to Deke Liu asking why God the Father is typically just called God in the NT while Jesus is called the Son and the Spirit is called the Spirit.

James 1:13-15 Matthew 5:28 temptation sin sexual sin

Distinction between temptation and lust/sin: sin begins when the will yields to desire, not at first awareness of attraction

Response to Hot Wax 93 asking the difference between simple sexual attraction and lust.

1 Corinthians 13:10 spiritual gifts second coming cessationism

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 Samuel Eli 1 Samuel priestly accountability

God judged Eli both as a father and as high priest for failing to restrain his wicked sons

Response to Jackie Zaras asking whether God was angry with Eli as a father or as a priest for not restraining his sons.

Jude Jude Book of Enoch canon

The Book of Enoch is historically interesting but not canonical and was never part of the Jewish or Christian canon

Response to Spider-G asking about the Book of Enoch.

discernment church selection Bible translation

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 prosperity gospel false teaching

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.

Jeremiah 29:13 prayer faith seeking God

Seeking God guarantees finding him, though not always in the expected way or with the expected results

Quick response to Cameron Powers asking if truly seeking God means he will show up.

Christian ethics labor exploitation consumerism

Christians and labor exploitation: genuine question requiring more information before forming a clear position

Response to Spazzy Jazzy asking whether Christians should boycott products made with exploited labor (chocolate, phones, etc.).

evangelism Islam Christian liberty

Christians may read and study the Quran for education and evangelistic purposes; avoid it only if it causes personal spiritual instability

Response to Sarah Nordberg (Denmark) who feels convicted reading the Quran for a required university religion class.

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

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.

apologetics presuppositional apologetics evidential apologetics

Presuppositional apologetics debate: Mike rejects the claim that evidential apologists need shared worldview common ground

Q&A from Daniel C about whether neutral or common ground exists in apologetics

personal testimony speaking in tongues gifts of the Spirit

Mike's personal experience of what he believes was genuine speaking in tongues during times of hardship

Anecdotal response to a question about scientific evidence for tongues

church history apologetics Jesus

Response to the charge that the church is a bloody, evil institution: distinguish Christ from institutional church history

Q&A from Connor Robinson about the church's violent history as an apologetic challenge

church history apologetics Christianity and violence

The Crusades: more defensible than popular narrative but also included real atrocities including use of child soldiers

Specific application of the church-history response to the Crusades

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Mike's anti-Calvinist argument: faith is not a work regardless of its source; the Calvinist objection tries to smuggle faith into the "works" category

Mike's response to the Calvinist framing of faith as a "good work" that requires prior regeneration

Galatians 2 Romans 11:6 Genesis 15:6 Galatians 2 Abraham Romans 11:6

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Annihilationism fails because (1) immortality does not mean eternal existence, and (2) Jesus uses the same word "everlasting" for both heaven and hell

Question from Selenora about why annihilationism is unbiblical

Matthew 25:46 eschatology conditional immortality hell

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Calvinist theodicy: God is not guilty for decreed sin because he is perfect goodness; skeptical theism is the strongest available path for Calvinists

Question from Matt Bach about whether the Calvinist claim "God is not guilty for sin he decrees because his purposes are good" is a form of ends-justify-the-means reasoning

theodicy Calvinism problem of evil

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

Living with non-Christian parents who swear, drink, and watch vulgar content

Q from Soul about navigating holiness when living with ungodly parents.

Evangelism Holiness Family Relationships

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

Cheerful giving — the problem is the grudge, not the giving

Q from Folky about whether it is better not to give if you cannot give cheerfully.

2 Corinthians 9 Sanctification Giving 2 Corinthians 9

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-30

Living peaceably with a difficult family member: Romans 12:18 — 'as much as it depends on you'

Question from Josiah about conflict with a family member at home.

Romans 12:18 Romans 12:18 conflict resolution peacemaking

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Molinism — middle knowledge reconciles divine sovereignty and human free will

A viewer asks about Molinism as a worldview for reconciling sovereignty and free will.

Calvinism Molinism middle knowledge

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

James White's upcoming Calvinism response — Mike's posture of learning; concern about misrepresentation of Romans 1 argument

Mike closes by addressing James White's upcoming video response to his Calvinism video.

James White Romans 1 James White Calvinism Romans 1

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-20

Upcoming Passion Translation critique project with scholarly interviews

Mike previews December content plans.

textual criticism Bill Johnson Bible translation

Abraham faith fulfilled prophecy

Biblical faith is not groundless belief but trust based on revelation and evidence; the response to psychological doubt is to exercise trust grounded in good reasons.

How to respond to psychological doubt

James White Isaiah 9:6 Trinity James White Isaiah 9:6

Isaiah 9:6 calls Jesus "Everlasting Father" - Mike cannot recall his full answer but recommends James White's The Forgotten Trinity and Got Questions for responses to Oneness Pentecostal use of the verse.

Question about Isaiah 9:6 and Oneness Pentecostalism

Ephesians 1-3 Hebrews 4 Ephesians 1:4 conscience grace forgiveness

Ephesians 1-3 as the foundation for resting in total forgiveness; believers are holy and without blame before God in love (Ephesians 1:4) and have bold access to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4).

Pastoral counsel on conscience and assurance of forgiveness

White lies are a moral compromise; giving oneself permission for them breeds untrustworthiness. Better alternatives: honest deflection ("I don't want to talk about it") or full honesty.

Question: are white lies okay to spare a spouse's feelings?

marriage ethics lying

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

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")

Genesis 4 sacrifice Genesis 4 Cain and Abel

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

Response to viewer asking about Cain and Abel's sacrifices

resurrection soul sleep personal identity

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

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

James 1:14-15 sanctification sin temptation

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

Response to question about frequency of sin in the Christian life

spiritual authority Jehovah's Witnesses baptism

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)

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

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