Search — Theology Explorer

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 Galatians 1:18-19 Paul Peter resurrection creed

1 Corinthians 15 creedal tradition — early apostolic testimony to the resurrection

McLatchie analyzes 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 as a pre-Pauline creed containing the earliest testimony to the resurrection.

John 21 Paul Peter Origen

Martyrdom of Peter and Paul as evidence for the sincerity of resurrection belief

McLatchie cites the willingness of the apostles to die for their testimony as evidence they genuinely believed in the resurrection.

Acts 1 James the brother of Jesus John 7:5 Josephus resurrection of Jesus Acts 1

James the brother of Jesus — conversion from skeptic to martyr

McLatchie presents the conversion and martyrdom of James, Jesus's brother, as particularly strong evidence for the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15 James the brother of Jesus Luke 24:34 Peter 1 Corinthians 15 resurrection of Jesus

Criterion of restraint — no narratives of private resurrection appearances to Peter and James

McLatchie introduces the "criterion of restraint" as further corroboration of the resurrection's historicity.

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-22

1 Corinthians 9:19-22 -- Paul becomes as a Jew to win Jews, as under the law to win those under the law, as without law to win those without law. Timothy's circumcision fits this pattern.

Cross-reference to 1 Corinthians 9 to explain Timothy's circumcision

1 Corinthians 9:19-22 Timothy Paul the Apostle law of Christ

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-22

Acts 18:18 -- Paul keeps a Nazirite vow (hair cut) years after the resurrection. Consistent with Jewish believers continuing optional Torah practices.

Survey of Acts 18:18, Paul's Nazirite vow

1 Corinthians 9 Acts 18:18 Nazirite vow Paul the Apostle 1 Corinthians 9

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-22

Acts 25:8 -- Paul says he committed no offense against the law of the Jews. Consistent with fulfillment theology: Paul in Christ has not violated the true spirit of the law.

Survey of Acts 25:8

Acts 25:8 Paul the Apostle Law of Moses fulfillment theology

1 Corinthians 15:56 law and sin connection power of sin 1 Corinthians 15:56

1 Corinthians 15:56 — the power of sin is the law

Scriptural support for law-sin connection

1 Corinthians 9:20-21 Law of Moses law of Christ under the law

1 Corinthians 9:20-21 — Paul uses "under the law" four times, clearly meaning Jews/Jewish law observance

Surveying Pauline uses — third instance

1 Corinthians 9:20-21 Law of Moses law of Christ fulfillment theology

Paul's two caveats in 1 Cor 9:20-21: not under the Law of Moses, but also not lawless — under the law of Christ

Distinguishing freedom from the law vs. antinomianism

Hebrew Roots Movement Law of Moses Old Testament application

Main conclusion: the phrase "under the law" refutes Torah observance as a Christian obligation

Winger's summary conclusion for the episode

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

1 Corinthians Romans 14 1 Corinthians Romans 14 Christian liberty

Voluntarily keeping feast days or eating kosher for conscience's sake is acceptable; mandating it for others is wrong

Q&A: lularoe asks if observing feasts/clean eating condemns him

Deuteronomy 25:4 1 Corinthians 9 Deuteronomy 25:4 1 Corinthians 9 law as wisdom

Paul applies Deuteronomy's ox-muzzling law as a principle for supporting ministers — typological/principled use of OT law

Q&A: example of principled OT law application

James White 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 James White limited atonement 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Introduction: topic triggered by viewer question and James White announcing he would listen

Mike Winger opens the Wednesday livestream and explains why he went deeper into limited atonement than originally planned; James White tweeting that he would listen prompted more thorough preparation.

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.

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 extent of atonement application of atonement

Winger's interpretation of 2 Cor 5:14: 'all' means all humanity in both occurrences — extent universal, application not

Winger presents his positive interpretation of the passage, arguing both uses of 'all' refer to all humanity.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 reconciliation extent of atonement application of atonement

2 Corinthians 5:18-21 confirms extent/application distinction within the same passage

Winger looks at the broader context of 2 Corinthians 5 to show that the same passage itself provides the extent-vs-application distinction.

2 Corinthians 5:19 reconciliation extent of atonement 2 Corinthians 5:19

'The world' in 2 Corinthians 5:19 does not mean the elect — it means the ungodly world

Winger argues that 'world' in v.19 refers to sinners in rebellion, not to a special subset like the elect.

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 5:21 imputation 2 Corinthians 5:21 extent of atonement

2 Corinthians 5:21 — 'he made him to be sin' reinforces universal atonement

Winger reads verse 21 as a statement about the totality of Christ's sacrifice, consistent with universal extent.

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.

Calvinism limited atonement TULIP

Summary: multiple scriptures confirm universal extent, non-universal application; rejecting limited atonement does not require leaving Calvinism

Winger wraps up his scriptural case and notes that rejecting limited atonement does not require rejecting Calvinism wholesale.

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-13

2 Corinthians 5:21: God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf

Substitutionary atonement — the great exchange

2 Corinthians 5:21 imputed righteousness 2 Corinthians 5:21 substitutionary atonement

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-13

1 Corinthians 6:9-11: Such were some of you — homosexuals and all manner of sinners were washed, sanctified, justified

Direct scriptural refutation that homosexuals cannot be saved

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 salvation justification 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-19

Paul as historical witness: he knew Jesus's brother James, persecuted the church, and lived in the same region and time as Jesus

Discussing Paul's evidence for the historical Jesus

1 Corinthians James (brother of Jesus) Paul 1 Corinthians James (brother of Jesus)

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-19

Paul's resurrection theology reconstructed from 1 Corinthians 15: Christ is firstfruits; believers will be raised at Christ's coming in the same manner

Paul's own teaching on the nature of resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:20 1 Corinthians 15:23 Paul resurrection bodily resurrection

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-19

Paul's eschatology: 2 Corinthians 5:8 and Philippians 1:20-22 show an intermediate disembodied state after death, before the final bodily resurrection

Paul's two-stage eschatological framework

2 Corinthians 5:8 Philippians 1:20-22 Paul eschatology intermediate state

1 Corinthians 13:10-12 cessationism continuationism spiritual gifts

1 Corinthians 13:10-12 is the primary cessationist proof-text in the cessationism vs. continuationism debate.

Introduction to the episode. Winger frames the central question: does 1 Cor 13:10-12 teach that tongues, prophecy, and knowledge ceased after the apostolic era?

1 Corinthians 12-14 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 1 Corinthians 12-14 prophecy word of knowledge

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 in context: the love passage is embedded within 1 Cor 12-14, a sustained section on spiritual gifts.

Winger reads the passage aloud (1 Cor 13:8-13) and establishes its literary context before presenting cessationist interpretations.

1 Corinthians 13:10 James 1:23-25 cessationism canon of Scripture to teleion

Cessationist Interpretation 1: "the perfect" (to teleion) = the completed Bible, supported by a mirror/perfect-law parallel in James 1:23-25.

First of two cessationist readings. Proponents cite the shared vocabulary of "mirror" and "perfect" (teleios) between 1 Cor 13 and James 1 to argue the perfect thing is Scripture.

1 Corinthians 13:12 James 1:4 James 1:17 cessationism face to face with God 1 Corinthians 13:12

Rebuttal of Interpretation 1: teleios is a broad word with many non-Scripture referents, and the mirror image in James functions differently than in 1 Cor 13.

Winger raises two problems with equating "the perfect" with the completed Bible.

John MacArthur 1 Corinthians 13 John MacArthur cessationism 1 Corinthians 13

Many cessationists themselves discourage using 1 Cor 13 as a proof-text for cessationism because it does not yield the argument verse-by-verse.

Transitional observation before presenting the second, more sophisticated cessationist argument from the Masters Seminary.

1 Corinthians 13:8-12 cessationism canon of Scripture to teleion

Cessationist Interpretation 2 (Masters Seminary): prophecy and knowledge = inscripturated revelation; massive time gap between vv. 11 and 12; "the perfect" = the church brought to maturity by the Bible.

Summary of the three key concepts in the Masters Seminary article that underpin its cessationist reading of 1 Cor 13.

1 Corinthians 13:12 cessationism face to face with God 1 Corinthians 13:12

The Masters Seminary article: verse 12 is acknowledged to be about seeing Christ face-to-face, but a 1,000-year time gap is inserted between vv. 11 and 12 to salvage the cessationist reading.

Winger quotes the article directly to show how the author handles the face-to-face language.

1 Corinthians 13:8-12 cessationism to teleion exegesis

Rebuttal of the massive time-gap claim: the verse-by-verse flow of 1 Cor 13:8-12 is continuous; no gap is linguistically justified.

Second major objection. Winger argues the narrative logic of the passage runs uninterrupted from v. 8 through v. 12.

1 Corinthians 13:8 spiritual gifts prophecy word of knowledge

Verse-by-verse: v. 8 — love never ends; three gifts (prophecy, knowledge, tongues) will pass away; the context is clearly the spiritual gifts of 1 Cor 12-14.

Winger begins his own positive verse-by-verse treatment of 1 Cor 13:8-13.

1 Corinthians 13:9-10 apostolic authority prophecy inscripturation

Verse-by-verse: vv. 9-10 — Paul includes himself in "we know in part," undermining the inscripturation reading; even apostolic knowledge is partial, not completable by writing.

Key exegetical point: the first-person plural "we" in v. 9 includes Paul and the other apostles, not just ordinary charismatics.

1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 13:11 cessationism 1 Corinthians 15 eschatology

Verse-by-verse: v. 11 — the child/adult analogy illustrates that the gifts are a temporary measure, but the maturity in view is eschatological glorification (1 Cor 15), not canonical completion.

Winger grants that v. 11 sounds like it could support the church-maturity cessationist view, but locates its referent in resurrection/glorification.

1 Corinthians 13:12 1 John 3:2 1 Corinthians 8:3 eschatology glorification face to face with God

Verse-by-verse: v. 12 — "face to face" and "know fully even as I am fully known" point to the eschatological vision of God, not completion of Scripture; confirmed by 1 John 3:2 and 1 Cor 8:3.

Winger's positive exegesis of v. 12, identifying "the perfect" with the second coming/resurrection state. He cross-references 1 John 3:2 and 1 Cor 8:3.

1 Corinthians 15 cessationism 1 Corinthians 15 eschatology

1 Corinthians 15 confirms: "the perfect" is the resurrection state — imperishable bodies, the last trumpet, being changed — not the completion of the Bible.

Winger appeals to 1 Cor 15 (same letter, shortly after ch. 13) as the definitive referent for "when the perfect comes."

1 Corinthians 13:13 spiritual gifts love 1 Corinthians 13:13

Main point of 1 Cor 13: love, not gifts, is the permanent priority; pursuit of love must exceed pursuit of spiritual gifts.

Winger concludes the exegesis by restating Paul's actual primary argument.

1 Corinthians 12-14 1 Corinthians 12-14 cessationism continuationism

The cure for hyper-charismatic abuse is not cessationism but the biblical regulative norms already given in 1 Cor 12-14 for how gifts function in the church.

Winger resists the reactionary move of becoming cessationist in response to charismatic excess.