Search — Theology Explorer

1 John 3:19-20 assurance of salvation fear of judgment 1 John 3:19-20

1 John 3:19-20 — God is greater than our condemning heart and knows everything

Additional passage addressing the fear and self-condemnation of the questioner

apologetics presuppositional apologetics epistemology

Presuppositional apologetics requires assuming Christianity true rather than proving it — Mike disagrees

Specific critique of presuppositionalism

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 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

tithing New Testament ethics Mosaic Law applicability

Jesus mentions tithing twice but always speaking to Jews under the law; this cannot be extended to Gentile Christians

Surveying New Testament evidence for tithing

Hebrews 10:26-27 judgment apostasy Hebrews 10:26-27

Hebrews 10:26-27 "sinning willfully" refers specifically to rejecting the gospel after knowing its truth, not to any deliberate sin

Question from Caleb McCurdy about Hebrews 10:26-27 and whether it implies differentiated judgment for those who never heard the gospel

Luke 12:47-48 judgment unevangelized hell

Degrees of judgment in hell: God factors in knowledge when judging — sinning in ignorance vs. sinning with full knowledge results in different severity of judgment

Expanding the Hebrews 10 discussion to address differentiated eschatological judgment

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

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

textual criticism inspiration of Scripture synoptic problem

Q (Quelle) is a hypothetical source document proposed in synoptic gospel studies; its existence is unproven and theologically non-threatening

Question from New Creation Coaching about the scholarly concept of "Q" and its reception among concerned Facebook users

John 3:5 Michael Heiser Nicodemus John 3:5

John 3:5 "born of water and the Spirit": Mike defers to Michael Heiser's podcast work placing this in its Jewish context

Question from Jesse Crocus about whether "born of water" in John 3:5 refers to water baptism, physical birth, or something else

Proverbs 1 Peter 4:8 Kenneth Copeland Proverbs accountability

Gossip is unnecessary information that tears people down without justification — not merely sharing personal information without permission

Final question from Woolpack about the definition of gossip

Matthew 24:36 false prophecy second coming Matthew 24:36

"No man knows the day or the hour" — taking Jesus literally against rapture date-setting

Applying Matthew 24:36 to rapture date-setting

James John Matthew Peter James John

How Gospel writers knew what Jesus said when alone — Garden of Gethsemane example

Question from Meg Ward about eyewitness accounts for scenes where Jesus was alone

Christian liberty Jehovah's Witnesses Christmas

Christmas and birthdays — Mike changed his mind about pagan origins of Christmas

Question from Rosie A., a recovering Jehovah's Witness, about celebrating birthdays and Christmas

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Complementarianism vs. chauvinism — Paul's teaching on women roles is not male chauvinism

Question from Proverbs 17:11 about family calling him demon-possessed and a chauvinist for holding Paul's teaching

Galatians 3 justification by faith atonement imputed righteousness

Freedom from the law through Christ — justified by faith, law's penalty absorbed by Jesus

Completing the Galatians 3 explanation

catechesis baptism discipleship

Baptism: no required level of knowledge — New Testament pattern is immediate baptism upon faith

Question from Dimitar Bratov about the level of understanding required before baptism

Bible study pastoral ministry teaching

Laziness is a major detriment to teaching ministry — pastors need to study deeply

Further advice on pastoral preparation

calling pastoral ministry servanthood

Serve humbly in any capacity — do not limit ministry to pastoral role; obey calling

Final advice to aspiring pastor Jared

Unconditional Election — Mike partly affirms, partly rejects

Second point of TULIP addressed.

Calvinism Molinism TULIP

Calvinism Free Will Election

Corporate view of election and God's foreknowledge conditioned on faith

Mike's alternative to Calvinist individual unconditional election.

Satan Paganism Demon Possession

Demon possession: less visible in Western cultures due to secular/medical framing

Q&A question from "Only in Antarctica" about why demon possession seems less prevalent today given population growth.

Isaiah Isaiah 53 Isaiah 52 Jesus Isaiah Isaiah 53

Deutero-Isaiah / multiple authorship of Isaiah — Mike skeptical

Q from "Skeptic Reviews" about the scholarly view that Isaiah had multiple authors.

Oneness Pentecostalism Marriage Trinitarianism

Trinitarian-Oneness Christian marriage — Mike counsels against it

Q from Ash Cash about whether a Trinitarian Christian should marry a Oneness Pentecostal.

Isaiah 53 Isaiah 52 Isaiah 53 Hermeneutics Isaiah 52

How to construct a biblical theology — start with contextual reading plus the doctrine of inspiration

Q from Nick (Quint/Quiet) about building a biblical theological method.

Judges Judges Just War Pacifism

Just War theory — Mike affirms it; pacifism in all scenarios is evil

Q from Dan Dan about whether an Armenian Christian can go to war in defense against genocide.

1 Samuel 28 Samuel Saul Jehovah's Witnesses

Immortal soul — JW/annihilationist claim that it is a Greek import, not Jewish or biblical

Q from Grace Lou 22 about a JW friend who says the Greek word for soul just means any living being and that the immortal soul concept is Greek philosophy smuggled into Christianity.

Revelation Galatians 6 1 John 3:6 Revelation Galatians 6 Salvation

1 John 3:6 — "keeps on sinning" does not mean Christians reach sinlessness

Q from Nat Atheist about Christians who use 1 John 3:6 to argue for progressive sinlessness/perfectionism.

Proverbs 3:5-6 Psalm 62:8 Proverbs 3:5-6 Faith Guidance

Favorite Bible verses for daily courage — Proverbs 3:5-6 and Psalm 62:8

Q from Eighth Day Adventist about Mike's favorite Bible verse for daily encouragement.

Colossians Romans 14 Acts Colossians Romans 14 Mosaic Law

Old Testament dietary laws — not binding on Christians; Isaiah 66 and Ezekiel future prophecy not a present command

Q from Ashley Koenig about whether Christians must follow OT dietary laws, citing Isaiah 66:16-17.

John 1:1 John 1:6 Jehovah's Witnesses New World Translation theos

John 1:6 refutes JW argument — theos without article still means God Almighty

Mike demonstrates the JW argument is self-defeating using another verse in the same chapter.

John 1:1 Trinity Martin Luther John 1:1

Martin Luther quote: lack of article is against Sabellianism; word order is against Arianism

Mike continues citing Wallace who himself references Luther's summary of John 1:1's grammar.

Matthew 24:32-33 eschatology fig tree parable Israel

The fig tree parable: its lesson is about the Abomination of Desolation as the trigger sign, not Israel's re-founding

Mike addresses the common identification of the fig tree with Israel in Matthew 24.

Matthew 24 hermeneutics secondary issues eschatology

Eschatology is a secondary issue — Christians should not divide over it

Mike closes his Matthew 24 exposition with an appeal for unity.

Genesis 9 Noah Genesis 9 Ham

Genesis 9 — Noah cursed Canaan for Ham's sin because Canaan was likely complicit, not just punished for his father's actions

Question from Caleb McMurtry about why Noah cursed Canaan rather than Ham.

hermeneutics social justice impartiality

Jesus did not come to "dismantle systems of oppression" — projecting modern political terminology onto Jesus creates an idol

Question from Steph T about the claim that Jesus came to dismantle systems of oppression.

evangelism gospel proclamation social action

Evangelism through good works must be coupled with verbal proclamation of the gospel

Question from Samuel Nelson about extravagant mission trips vs. evangelizing by acting good in the world.

1 Corinthians 6:12 1 Corinthians 6:13 1 Corinthians 10:22 1 Corinthians 6:12 Christian liberty Mosaic Law

1 Corinthians 6:12 and 10:22 — "all things are lawful" is a Corinthian slogan Paul quotes and then corrects

Question from Wolpak about what Paul means by "all things are lawful" in 1 Corinthians.

evangelism epistemology relativism

Question about how to evangelize a friend who denies objective truth (relativism/anti-realism)

Question from Colby Hill about a friend with relativistic epistemological views who says Christianity is true for you but not for me.

relativism apologetics methodology Socratic method

Relativism about truth is a self-refuting claim — the claim that there is no objective truth is itself an objective truth claim

Mike's primary philosophical rebuttal to relativism.

Hebrews 7 Genesis 14 Psalms 110 Melchizedek Christophany Hebrews 7

Melchizedek question: Is Melchizedek a theophany/Christophany of Jesus, and how does Hebrews know so much about him?

Question from Christian Liang. Mike provides background on Genesis and Hebrews 7.

1 Corinthians 7:25-40 marriage singleness 1 Corinthians 7:25-40

Is marriage a choice? 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 — singleness and marriage as two equally valid, differently good options

Question from Simeon Botha about whether marriage is God's will or a personal choice.

same-sex marriage sexual ethics biblical marriage

Same-sex marriage distinguished: no biblical mandate exists to support it as a legitimate covenant

Contrasting same-sex marriage with a believer/unbeliever marriage in the context of wedding attendance.

parental authority communion children and church

Children and communion: readiness is knowledge-based not age-based; parents decide, not the church

Question from Kimberly Mencina about a four-year-old not participating in communion.

Christology hypostatic union death of Christ

Jesus's death was a real human physical death; the divine nature did not cease to exist

Part of the atonement discussion, carefully distinguishing Christ's two natures.

Bible study Blue Letter Bible new believers

Bible study tips for new believers: study Bibles and Blue Letter Bible as foundational resources

Question from Mia Joe, a new Christian of a couple months.

Romans 1 1 Corinthians 6:9 Leviticus 18:22 biblical interpretation Romans 1 1 Corinthians 6:9

Homosexuality passages: pedophilia reinterpretation refuted — Mike's four-part series using pro-gay Greek scholars

Question from April Stafford about the claim that biblical passages condemning homosexuality are actually about pedophilia.