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All (80) Scripture Commentary (22) Theology (3) Mike Winger (55)

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Easter/Ishtar connection is largely false — inflammatory but inaccurate

Continuing the holidays discussion — addressing Easter's alleged pagan origin

Christian liberty Easter Ishtar

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Biblical basis for celebrating holidays — God gave Israel feast days; Jesus attended Hanukkah

Positive biblical case for Christians celebrating holidays

John 10 Christian liberty Jesus John 10

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

Thanksgiving as a biblical holiday in practice though not in name

Applying the holiday criteria to Thanksgiving

Christian liberty Thanksgiving gratitude

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

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

Addressing the JW teaching that birthdays are pagan/forbidden

Christian liberty Jehovah's Witnesses biblical interpretation

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

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.

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

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

1 Corinthians 10 — food offered to idols has different rules depending on marketplace vs. temple context and whether a pagan makes it explicit

Mike addresses the idol food question in 1 Corinthians 10 as related to the Christian liberty discussion.

1 Corinthians 10 1 Corinthians 10:22 1 Corinthians 8 Christian liberty 1 Corinthians 10 idolatry

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-30

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.

parental authority communion children and church

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

1 Corinthians 6 provides key principles for evaluating bodily health choices: lawfulness, helpfulness, and avoiding bondage

Responding to a question from Grayson Fuller about biblical principles for physical health, smoking, piercings, diet, and exercise

1 Corinthians 6 1 Corinthians 6 Christian liberty addiction

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Bodily stewardship and exercise as a moral issue -- knowingly neglecting physical health can become sin

Mike extends the 1 Corinthians 6 framework to exercise and diet

Christian liberty bodily stewardship exercise

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Unleavened bread at communion is symbolically important (sinlessness of Christ); alcoholic vs non-alcoholic wine is incidental

Responding to Kumbo Munsaka's question about whether alcoholic wine and unleavened bread are required at the Lord's Supper

Romans 14 Lord's Supper Romans 14 Christian liberty

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-20

Biblical basis for rights to life, liberty, and property

Question asking for verses that imply life, liberty, and property are inalienable rights.

1 Kings 21 Genesis 4 Exodus 20 theocracy 1 Kings 21 right to life

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-20

Christian liberty includes disobeying government when God's commands conflict with the state

Continued discussion of biblical liberty.

Acts 5:29 Acts 5:29 conscience civil disobedience

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-20

Nerdy hobbies are reconcilable with Christianity if kept holy and in moderation

Question about whether hobbies like comics, video games, and tabletop games should be abandoned.

Christian liberty holiness Sabbath

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Refusing to sing Bethel/Hillsong/Elevation music is not legalism, but binding that refusal on others crosses into judgmentalism — this is a conscience matter analogous to Paul's 'meat sold in the marketplace' principle.

Q: Is it too legalistic to refuse to sing Bethel/Hillsong/Elevation music due to the doctrines of those churches?

1 Corinthians 8-10 — Meat Offered to Idols Bethel Music Hillsong Elevation Worship

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Worship leaders bear collective responsibility to their congregations: presenting music in corporate worship is like preparing a meal for everyone — songs known to cause stumbling should be avoided.

Application of the meat-in-marketplace analogy to congregational worship leading.

1 Corinthians 8-10 — Meat Offered to Idols 1 Corinthians 8-10 — Meat Offered to Idols Christian Liberty / Conscience Worship Music and Discernment

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Netflix cancellation is not a universal Christian obligation — Mike and his wife cancelled over the trend of increasingly immoral programming, but binding that choice on others is divisive infighting over a disputable matter.

Q: Should Christians cancel their Netflix subscription?

Christian Liberty / Conscience Media Discernment Disputable Matters / Romans 14

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q17: Christian practices at parties/weddings — drinking and dancing are fine in moderation

Response to question about Christian behavior at weddings

John 2:1-11 Christian liberty alcohol John 2:1-11

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Church attendance decisions during COVID are a matter of conscience — Christians should not cause division over this

Question from Israel Garcia about whether Christians are obligated to attend church during the pandemic

Romans 14 Romans 14 Christian liberty conscience

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Christians are not free to disobey government laws simply because they seem pointless — but there is a threshold of oppression where resistance becomes legitimate

Question from Jared's Story about UK COVID laws and Christian obligation to comply

Christian liberty conscience civil government

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Q3: Is it wrong for a Christian to enjoy New Age music? Genre itself is not inherently sinful; lyrics and spiritual content matter

Viewer Linda Caswell asks whether listening to relaxing New Age piano music is wrong for a conservative Christian.

Christian liberty music and spirituality entertainment culture

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Q9: Why did Paul permit Timothy to drink wine (1 Tim 5:23) if Timothy was under a Nazirite vow? Mike doubts Timothy was under such a vow

Viewer 'Christian Metal Head' asks about the apparent tension between Paul's instruction to drink wine and the Nazirite vow restrictions.

1 Timothy 5:23 Numbers 6:1-4 Timothy Samson Christian liberty

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Drinking alcohol is not inherently sinful; drunkenness is sinful — attempts to argue 1 Tim 5:23 wine is non-alcoholic are dismissed

Mike closes the wine/vow question by addressing broader debates about alcohol in Christianity.

1 Timothy 5:23 Christian liberty drunkenness 1 Timothy 5:23

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-05

Secular music: evaluate by message, not genre; wickedness set to music is still wicked, but neutral or positive messages are fine

Responding to whether it is sinful to listen to secular music and where to draw the line

Romans 14 Romans 14 Christian liberty Christian living

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath: Matthew 12:1-8 and the principle of hierarchical moral reasoning

Question from Dakota France about what Jesus means in Matt 12:1-8, whether the Sabbath carries rewards or penalties for Christians.

Romans 14 1 Samuel 21 Galatians David Romans 14 Christian liberty

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Using secular music in worship: not wrong in principle, but wisdom demands sensitivity to the congregation

Q13 from Rohin John: What are your thoughts on using secular music with half secular and half Jesus-focused lyrics as worship?

worship music secular music pastoral wisdom

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

Sharing Jesus with children when an atheist spouse objects

Listener Sheila is a new believer; her atheist husband does not want her sharing Jesus with their daughter because the daughter will think he's going to hell.

Acts 5:29 Acts 5:29 Atheism Religious liberty in marriage

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-30

Dancing is not inherently sinful; Christians should apply liberty-with-responsibility rather than blanket prohibition.

Question 4 from Kate for Christ about the biblical basis for viewing dancing as sinful.

2 Samuel 6 David Christian liberty dancing

Mike Winger idea 2021-05-28

Offering Counsel in Difficult Situations: I’m in a master's program with Liberty University for clinical mental health counseling. During our training, we were asked how we would handle certain difficult situations, such as if a LGBTQ couple would request help strengthening their relationship, or request help advocating for adoption rights, or advocating for trans. people. Can you please give me some biblical principles to follow, to help me counsel these people in a caring way without condoning unbiblical behavior?

Q&A question: Offering Counsel in Difficult Situations

homosexuality

Mike Winger idea 2021-07-30

About Approving of/Watching Inappropriate Shows: How do you respond to another Christian who thinks that watching movies or shows with nudity/sexual content is a liberty they have in Christ because they do not struggle with lust?

Q&A question: About Approving of/Watching Inappropriate Shows

sexual ethics

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-06

Bearing with One Another’s Conscience: The Bible says to bear with brethren of weaker faith. If instrumental music is a liberty, shouldn’t we bear with those who believe a cappella is the right way and not use instruments?

Q&A question: Bearing with One Another’s Conscience

faith and science

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Easter/Ishtar connection is largely false — inflammatory but inaccurate

Biblical basis for celebrating holidays — God gave Israel feast days; Jesus attended Hanukkah

Thanksgiving as a biblical holiday in practice though not in name

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

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

1 Corinthians 10 — food offered to idols has different rules depending on marketplace vs. temple context and whether a pagan makes it explicit

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

1 Corinthians 6 provides key principles for evaluating bodily health choices: lawfulness, helpfulness, and avoiding bondage

Bodily stewardship and exercise as a moral issue -- knowingly neglecting physical health can become sin

Unleavened bread at communion is symbolically important (sinlessness of Christ); alcoholic vs non-alcoholic wine is incidental

Biblical basis for rights to life, liberty, and property

Christian liberty includes disobeying government when God's commands conflict with the state

Nerdy hobbies are reconcilable with Christianity if kept holy and in moderation

Refusing to sing Bethel/Hillsong/Elevation music is not legalism, but binding that refusal on others crosses into judgmentalism — this is a conscience matter analogous to Paul's 'meat sold in the marketplace' principle.

Worship leaders bear collective responsibility to their congregations: presenting music in corporate worship is like preparing a meal for everyone — songs known to cause stumbling should be avoided.

Netflix cancellation is not a universal Christian obligation — Mike and his wife cancelled over the trend of increasingly immoral programming, but binding that choice on others is divisive infighting over a disputable matter.

Q17: Christian practices at parties/weddings — drinking and dancing are fine in moderation

Church attendance decisions during COVID are a matter of conscience — Christians should not cause division over this

Christians are not free to disobey government laws simply because they seem pointless — but there is a threshold of oppression where resistance becomes legitimate

Q3: Is it wrong for a Christian to enjoy New Age music? Genre itself is not inherently sinful; lyrics and spiritual content matter

Q9: Why did Paul permit Timothy to drink wine (1 Tim 5:23) if Timothy was under a Nazirite vow? Mike doubts Timothy was under such a vow

Drinking alcohol is not inherently sinful; drunkenness is sinful — attempts to argue 1 Tim 5:23 wine is non-alcoholic are dismissed

Secular music: evaluate by message, not genre; wickedness set to music is still wicked, but neutral or positive messages are fine

Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath: Matthew 12:1-8 and the principle of hierarchical moral reasoning

Using secular music in worship: not wrong in principle, but wisdom demands sensitivity to the congregation

Sharing Jesus with children when an atheist spouse objects

Dancing is not inherently sinful; Christians should apply liberty-with-responsibility rather than blanket prohibition.

About Approving of/Watching Inappropriate Shows: How do you respond to another Christian who thinks that watching movies or shows with nudity/sexual content is a liberty they have in Christ because they do not struggle with lust?

Bearing with One Another’s Conscience: The Bible says to bear with brethren of weaker faith. If instrumental music is a liberty, shouldn’t we bear with those who believe a cappella is the right way and not use instruments?

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