Search — Theology Explorer

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 Mark 14:22 Matthew 26:26 Last Supper independent attestation 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Last Supper account in Paul matches the Synoptic order — too many coincidences to be unrelated

Mike compares Paul's sequence in 1 Corinthians 11 with the Synoptic Gospels to argue they are describing the same event.

Romans 12:14 Luke 6:27-28 Romans 12:14 Luke 6:27-28 love of enemies

Romans 12:14 echoes Luke 6:27-28 — bless those who persecute you

Paul's ethical instructions parallel Jesus's teachings in the Sermon on the Plain, suggesting he is drawing from Jesus's tradition.

Romans 14:14 Mark 7:18-19 Luke 11:41 Romans 14:14 Paul echoing Jesus's teaching Mark 7:18-19

Romans 14:14 — Paul says he is persuaded 'in the Lord Jesus' that nothing is unclean in itself, echoing Mark 7:19 and Luke 11:41

Paul explicitly attributes a specific conviction to Jesus's authority, pointing to his awareness of Jesus's actual teachings.

1 Corinthians 9:14 Luke 10:7 Paul attributing teaching to Jesus 1 Corinthians 9:14 Luke 10:7

1 Corinthians 9:14 — Paul says 'the Lord commanded' that gospel workers be supported financially

Paul explicitly attributes a specific command to Jesus regarding financial support for those who proclaim the gospel.

Deuteronomy 25:4 Luke 10:7 1 Timothy 5:18 Deuteronomy 25:4 Luke 10:7 laborer deserves wages

1 Timothy 5:18 quotes Luke 10:7 alongside Deuteronomy 25:4 and calls both 'Scripture'

The author of 1 Timothy introduces two quotations with 'the Scripture says' — one from the OT and one from Luke 10:7 — implying canonical status for Gospel material in the first century.

1 Corinthians 11:23-25 Mark 14:22 Matthew 26:26 Last Supper independent attestation 1 Corinthians 11:23-25

Detailed Synoptic comparison of Last Supper: Paul, Mark, Matthew, and Luke all describe the same sequence

Mike does a detailed side-by-side comparison of the Last Supper accounts across Paul and the three Synoptic Gospels.

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-19

Luke 18:18-24 — Rich Young Ruler: keeping commandments is not enough; Jesus reveals his hidden sin

Mike introduces a third parallel case from Jesus's ministry

Luke 18:18-24 law-keeping Luke 18:18-24 Rich Young Ruler

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-19

Luke 18:27 — what is impossible with man is possible with God: salvation requires divine provision, not human effort

Disciples ask 'who then can be saved?' after the Rich Young Ruler episode

Luke 18:27 salvation grace Luke 18:27

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-13

Luke 2:52 — Jesus grew in wisdom, demonstrating genuine human limitations on omniscience

Continuing answer on Mark 13:32 and Jesus's limited knowledge

Luke 2:52 kenosis omnipotence omniscience

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-13

Did Jesus go to hell? Mike does not think he was tortured there; references 1-2 Peter and Jude on descent

Viewer asking whether Jesus went to hell between death and resurrection

1 Peter 2 Peter Jude 1 Peter 2 Peter descent into hell

Matthew Mark Luke Richard Bauckham Matthew Mark

The timing of Gospel writing corresponds to the last generation of living eyewitnesses

Argument that the Gospels were intentionally written when eyewitnesses were dying out.

Luke 1:1-4 Luke eyewitness testimony Gospel historicity Luke 1:1-4

Luke 1:1-4 — Luke's prologue as an explicit historical/eyewitness methodology statement

Second major line of evidence: the Gospel of Luke's own self-description.

Luke 1:1-4 Luke Josephus Gospel reliability ancient historiography

Luke does not criticize prior Gospel narratives; he adds to them with more data

Distinguishing Luke's prologue from other ancient authors who criticize predecessors.

Luke 1:2 Acts 1:21-22 eyewitness testimony Luke 1:2 Acts 1:21-22

"From the beginning" (ap archēs) eyewitnesses in Luke 1:2 defined by Acts 1:21-22

What Luke means by "from the beginning eyewitnesses."

John 15 Luke 1:2 Acts 1:21 eyewitness testimony John 15 Luke 1:2

John 15: Jesus's own definition of apostolic witness "from the beginning"

Third Gospel parallel to Luke's and Acts's "from the beginning" language.

Luke 1:2 Gospel reliability Luke 1:2 paradidōmi

Luke's use of "just as delivered" (kathōs paredosan) emphasizes transmission accuracy

Luke's specific language about accurate transmission of the tradition.

Richard Bauckham Gospel historicity Jesus and the Eyewitnesses

Bultmann's theory that names were added to Gospels over time — and why it fails

Engaging with the major opposing theory for why names appear in the Gospels.

Luke 24:18 John 19:25 eyewitness guarantors named individuals in Gospels Luke 24:18

Cleopas in Luke 24 and Clopas in John 19 — the same person as a named eyewitness source

Case study in named eyewitness sourcing: the road to Emmaus account.

Mark 15:21 Matthew 27:32 Luke 23:26 eyewitness guarantors named individuals in Gospels passion narrative

Simon of Cyrene named with his sons Alexander and Rufus as eyewitness sourcing (Mark 15:21)

Another case study in named eyewitness sourcing from the passion narrative.

Mark 15:21 Matthew 27:32 Luke 23:26 named individuals in Gospels legendary name addition theory Mark 15:21

Matthew and Luke drop Alexander and Rufus because their audiences may not know them (or they had died)

Explaining the synoptic variation in Simon of Cyrene accounts.

apologetics Gospel historicity community tradition view

Summary conclusions: multiple lines of evidence converge against community tradition view

Mike draws conclusions from the four major evidence streams.

Matthew 11:21-24 salvation mental disability and accountability Matthew 11:21-24

Q&A: Salvation of severely mentally handicapped people — accountability proportional to awareness

Q&A segment begins; first question about soteriological edge cases.

Markan priority biblical inerrancy Markan priority Q source

Q&A: The Q document — does it matter if Gospel writers used written sources?

Q&A question about the hypothetical Q source document.

Luke 22:41 Matthew 26:39 eyewitness testimony Holy Spirit inspiration private scenes in Gospels

Q&A: How did the disciples know what Jesus prayed in Gethsemane if he prayed alone?

Q&A on the epistemological basis for the Gethsemane prayer account.

Luke 2:2 fulfilled prophecy apologetics methodology circular reasoning objection

Q&A: Using the Bible to prove the Bible — not circular reasoning when done correctly

Q&A on the epistemological objection to using Scripture to validate Scripture.

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-13

Metanoia encompasses both attitudinal and behavioral change; Luke 3:8 and Acts 26:20 illustrate the distinction.

Further nuance on the meaning of repentance.

Luke 3:8 Acts 26:20 Hebrews 6:1 metanoia Repentance Luke 3:8

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-13

Argument from silence is a poor historical method: uniqueness to one Gospel does not discredit the account.

Responding to the implicit skeptical argument behind the Matthew 27 question.

Apologetics Gospel reliability Argument from silence

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-13

Are ghosts real? Mike's view: likely evil spirits, not the spirits of the dead.

Jim McGregor asks whether ghosts are real or evil spirits.

Luke 16 (Lazarus and the rich man) Ghosts Luke 16 (Lazarus and the rich man) Demons / evil spirits

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-27

Burial on day of preparation before Sabbath - corroborated across Gospels

Internal consistency of burial timeline

Preparation day Sabbath Internal consistency

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

Hegesippus account continued: James thrown from Temple pinnacle, stoned, and killed by a fuller's club; "forgive them for they know not what they do" echo; his burial near the Temple

The detailed narrative of James's death in Hegesippus

James the brother of Jesus James the Just Luke 23:34 apostolic martyrdom Hegesippus James the brother of Jesus

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Jesus healed the paralytic to provide evidence for his authority to forgive sins — faith is evidence-based

Biblical example of evidence-based faith

forgiveness of sins paralytic lowered through roof faith grounded in evidence

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Disciples' failure to cast out demons vs. faith as a mustard seed — two distinct teachings not to conflate

Q&A: Haggar Vid asks about the disciples having little faith and the mustard-seed faith saying

mustard seed faith disciples casting out demons little faith (oligopistia)

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-01

Q&A: Is a particular heart condition needed to see the reliability of evidence? — Luke 10:23-24 discussed

Viewer asks about the relationship between spiritual state and ability to assess evidence.

Luke 10:23-24 Hardened heart Apologetics and spiritual condition Luke 10:23-24

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

Modern-day apostles: the original apostles were unique authoritative founders whose authority is now held in the NT canon; the movement claiming ongoing apostolic offices is unbiblical, though the lowercase term can refer to missionaries

Response to question about whether modern-day apostles are biblical

Luke apostolic authority apostolos Barnabas

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

The New Covenant is in Jesus's blood — Luke 22:20 at the Last Supper

Jesus himself inaugurating the New Covenant at Passover

Jeremiah 31 Luke 22:20 Lord's Supper Jeremiah 31 New Covenant

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

Q&A: Jesus likely knew his messianic identity by age 12 (Luke 2 temple incident), but what he knew before that is uncertain

Theological question about the development of Jesus's self-awareness

Luke 2:49 incarnation hypostatic union Luke 2:49

Hosea 11:1 Proverbs 30:1-4 Hosea 11:1 divine sonship Jonathan McLatchie

Proverbs 30:1-4 — God and his Son in the Hebrew Bible

McLatchie highlights Proverbs 30:1-4 as an often-overlooked text implying the divine sonship within the Hebrew Scriptures.

John 6:5 John 12:21 Luke 9:10 undesigned coincidences Jonathan McLatchie John 6:5

Undesigned coincidence: why Jesus addressed Philip at the feeding of the 5,000

McLatchie's first example of an undesigned coincidence involving John 6, John 12, and Luke 9.

1 Corinthians 4:17 Luke 1 Corinthians 16:10 Paul Timothy 1 Corinthians 4:17

Undesigned coincidence: 1 Corinthians 4 and Acts 19 — Timothy's route to Corinth

McLatchie gives an example of undesigned coincidences between Paul's epistles and the book of Acts, confirming Luke as Paul's traveling companion.

John the Baptist Luke 3:14 Josephus John the Baptist Herod Antipas

Extra-biblical corroboration: Luke 3 — soldiers on active duty near John the Baptist

McLatchie presents a subtle corroboration between Luke 3's soldiers and the specific military situation in the region during John the Baptist's ministry.

1 Corinthians 15 Acts 1 Luke Craig Keener 1 Corinthians 15 resurrection of Jesus

Historical case for the resurrection — basis and overview

McLatchie introduces the historical argument for the resurrection of Jesus, which is the seventh main line of argument.

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.

Mark 16:1 Matthew 28:1 Luke 24:10 empty tomb Jonathan McLatchie historicity of the Gospels

Irreconcilable variation in empty tomb accounts — evidence for independence

McLatchie presents apparent discrepancies between Gospel accounts of the empty tomb as evidence for their independence.