Search — Theology Explorer

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.

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.

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.

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.

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Gethsemane — Jesus was not separated from the Father; "forsaken" means handed over to a terrible fate, not ontological separation of the Trinity

Question from Blake about whether Jesus was forsaken/separated from the Father in Gethsemane.

Psalm 22 Luke 22:44 Trinity Christology Psalm 22

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Calvinism, Arminianism, Molinism — Mike identifies as a Molinist

Lightning-round question from Kyle about Mike's soteriological position.

election Calvinism soteriology

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Matthew 6:14-15 — is forgiving others necessary for salvation, or evidence of it?

Question from David Ellington about whether failing to forgive others means losing salvation.

1 John Matthew 6:14-15 1 John salvation Lord's Prayer

Acts 19 Acts 19 gifts of the Spirit tongues and salvation

Acts 19 — group that had not heard of the Holy Spirit is baptized and speaks in tongues

Third Acts passage cited by tongues-required proponents

hermeneutics tongues and salvation descriptive vs prescriptive

The absence of a universal prescriptive statement is the key problem with the tongues-salvation argument

Mike's core logical point about what Scripture would need to say to support the tongues-salvation requirement

Acts 10 Acts 2 Acts 10 Acts 2 new covenant

Acts 2 purpose: inauguration of the new covenant Spirit; Acts 10 purpose: extending that work to Gentiles

Mike's theological interpretation of the Acts tongues episodes

1 Corinthians 12 Bethel Church Brian Simmons Bill Johnson

Critique of Bethel/Bill Johnson teaching that everyone works miracles and is a prophet

Application of the 1 Corinthians 12 argument against charismatic excess

Acts 10 Acts 2 Acts 19 Acts 10 Acts 2 Acts 19

Summary: the three Acts tongues episodes demonstrate the Spirit's work in different stages, not universal salvation proof

Summation of the main argument against tongues-required-for-salvation

Lord's Supper blood of Christ eucharist

The one cup of communion is conceptual, not physical — referring to the blood of Christ

Resolution of the one-cup communion question

Exodus historicity apologetics archaeology Exodus historicity

Dr. Titus Kennedy's archaeological research supports the historicity of the Exodus

Recommended resource for the Exodus historicity discussion

Exodus historicity Exodus dating archaeology historical reliability of Scripture Exodus historicity

Scholarly assumption of a late Exodus date (~1100 BC) obscures available evidence; biblical date (~1400 BC) has stronger support

Explaining why Exodus evidence has been underappreciated

Proverbs 18:21 soteriology Proverbs 18:21 tongue and speech

Confessing Christ is the ultimate expression of life and death in the power of the tongue

Theological application of Proverbs 18:21

Genesis 1 John 1 Hebrews 1:1-2 Genesis 1 soteriology John 1

Symmetry of creation and salvation: both occur through the Son

Theological reflection on Hebrews 1:2 and its implications

John 1 John 1 economic Trinity creation through Christ

John 1 — the Logos made all things; parallel to Genesis 1 and Hebrews 1

Cross-reference supporting the creation-through-Son theology

Malachi 3:8 Malachi 3:10 hermeneutics tithing Malachi 3:8

Malachi 3:8 is the most-cited pro-tithe verse but is addressed to the nation of Israel under the Mosaic law, not to Christians

Examining the primary Old Testament tithing passage used to support Christian tithing

hermeneutics tithing Levites

In the Old Testament law the tithe went to Levites and priests, not to local pastors — so enforcing a 10% tithe should logically send money to Jewish Levites

Continuing the argument against applying the Malachi tithe to modern churches

violence Old Testament ethics self-defense

Christians have a biblical duty to protect others — pacifism taken to its logical extreme is evil

Question from Spazzy Jazzy about the extent to which Christians should protect and retaliate against abuse

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

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

Galatians 5:23 John 18:6 Anaheim Vineyard self-control charismatic gifts

"Slain in the Spirit" is not taught in the Bible and is inconsistent with the Spirit's fruit of self-control

Question from Steph T about whether being slain in the Spirit is biblical and how to distinguish it from demonic possession

eschatology intermediate state bodily resurrection

Future bodily resurrection is distinct from the question of immediate post-death state

Framing the soul sleep question by distinguishing it from end-times resurrection

Philippians 1 Paul soul sleep intermediate state

Paul's tension between ministry and being with Christ only makes sense if death means immediate presence

Logical argument from Philippians 1 structure

Exodus Moses typology Exodus

Moses going up and down Sinai — theological meaning vs. comedic treatment

Illustrating the danger of humor that replaces theological depth

eschatology rapture premillennialism

Eschatology overview — premil, amil, postmil positions and the difficulty of unfulfilled prophecy

Question from Mariano Rogers asking which eschatological view is most correct

millennium eschatology rapture

Mike's personal position: premillennial with a real thousand-year millennium and seven-year tribulation

Stating his personal eschatological view

spiritual gifts Holy Spirit discernment

Root cause of New Age adoption: absence of Holy Spirit necessitates manufactured methods

Theological diagnosis of why Christians turn to New Age practices

Christian liberty Jehovah's Witnesses biblical interpretation

Birthdays: Jehovah's Witness argument from bad birthday examples in the Bible is fallacious

Addressing the JW teaching that birthdays are pagan/forbidden

Bethel Church discernment Bill Johnson

Feel-good phrases like "you are enough" and "Jesus came to bring a piece of heaven to earth" — ambiguous theology

Question from Ben Johnston about a pastor using feel-good slogans

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.

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.

Mark 16:15 Evangelism Mark 16:15 Great Commission

"My faith is personal" — Mike says this is unbiblical and reflects spiritual deception

Q from Proverbs 17:11 about Christians who refuse to discuss religion because it is personal.

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 Trinity Jehovah's Witnesses New World Translation

JW theology denies the Trinity and the deity of Christ; NWT is their translation tool to support this denial

Mike explains the theological motivation behind the JW translation of John 1:1.

Jehovah's Witnesses New World Translation Bible translation

NWT translators' identities were kept secret; a former JW leader revealed they were not qualified

Mike addresses the credibility problem with the NWT's translation committee.

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.

election Calvinism free will

Mike affirms free-will salvation against Calvinism but insists rejection of Calvinism must be theological, not emotional

Mike gives his own position on Calvinism while counseling the questioner.