Search — Theology Explorer

1 Samuel 16 1 Samuel 16 demonic activity King Saul

1 Samuel 16 — King Saul tormented by a harmful spirit

Best OT example of possible demonic activity/possession: the harmful spirit that tormented Saul after the Spirit of the Lord departed.

spiritual gifts planning and providence vocation

Plan according to your God-given gifts, not just desires or vague calling

Practical guidance for Christian life planning: identifying gifts rather than merely desires or claimed callings.

John 8:30-38 John 8:58 Abraham John 8:30-38 John 8:58

John 8:30-58 — Jesus rebuking those described as believing in him; claim to deity (I AM)

Viewer from the Czech Republic asks why Jesus spoke so confrontationally to those described as believing in him in John 8.

Revelation Luke 16 millennium eschatology Revelation

Question: What is the difference between Hades and Hell — do people go directly to hell at death?

Viewer Henry Avery's Gravery asks Mike to elaborate on his view that people do not go directly to hell when they die.

mental illness ADHD sin and biology

Question: A website claims ADHD and all mental illness are caused by sin or the devil

Viewer Dora has ADHD and found a website attributing all mental illness to sin or demonic influence, claiming ADHD is a parental discipline failure.

personal responsibility Christian ethics sin

Having a disorder does not excuse sin — personal responsibility is always preserved

Even if ADHD is neurologically real, it cannot become an excuse to sin.

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-04

The Passion Translation is not a real translation — scholars hired by Winger unanimously agree it contains fabrications and mistakes, not genuine Hebrew/Greek insights.

Responding to a Twitter question from Jeff Gaitzens about a pastor using the Passion Translation.

Brian Simmons Passion Translation Tremper Longman

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-04

Isaiah 6's commissioning does not mean God does not want Israel healed — the prophet's message hardens already-rejecting hearts, and God's overall posture throughout Isaiah is restorative.

Question from V Palumbi about Isaiah 6 and God's apparent unwillingness for the people to return and be healed.

Isaiah 6 Isaiah 1:18 Atonement Isaiah 6 Divine sovereignty and human responsibility

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-22

Fate of the devil: destruction, lake of fire, and whether Satan is annihilated

New Testament Theologist cited Romans 16:20, Hebrews 2:14, and 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 to ask about the ultimate fate of Satan.

Romans 16:20 Hebrews 2:14 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 millennium eschatology Satan

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-22

Ministry in strip clubs: evangelism principles and personal holiness

Carmen described joining a ministry that goes into strip clubs to spend time with women there and received family backlash.

evangelism repentance personal holiness

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Visualizing God in prayer — dangers of anthropomorphism, suggestion to visualize light

Marty Moxie asks how to see God when praying since the mind naturally wants to picture a person.

James 1:17 1 John 1:5 prayer incarnation James 1:17

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Lady Wisdom in Proverbs 8 — typological connection to Christ, not the Holy Spirit

Steven Rivers asks whether Lady Wisdom in Proverbs 8 could be the Holy Spirit and whether Hebrew/Greek pronouns clarify the gender.

Proverbs 8 1 Corinthians 1 typology Holy Spirit Christology

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Paradise in Paul's vision, the thief on the cross, and Lazarus — same place?

David's Kinion Memoirs asks whether paradise in Paul's third-heaven vision, Jesus's promise to the thief, and the Lazarus/Abraham account are the same place.

Luke 23:43 1 Peter 3:19 2 Corinthians 12:2-4 intermediate state Luke 23:43 Hades

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-05

Anxiety about eschatology (pre/mid/post-trib) is unnecessary — Christians are called to live ready for a full lifetime of service

Responding to a question about hoping Jesus does not return until after the questioner has died, due to eschatological anxiety

eschatology rapture abomination of desolation

Ephesians 5:32 Reformation Jerome Latin Vulgate

Jerome's Latin Vulgate mistranslated "mystery" (mysterion) as "sacrament" in Ephesians 5:32, contributing to the Roman Catholic doctrine of marriage as a sacrament.

Mark H asks about doctrinal changes Jerome introduced in the Vulgate around 400 AD.

Ephesians 5:25-32 John 19:34 Christ and the Church typology Adam and Eve

Ephesians 5:25-32 — the mystery of marriage as a typological picture of Christ and the church, rooted in the Adam-Eve narrative.

Discussing the "mystery" Paul refers to in Ephesians 5:32 while addressing the Vulgate question.

1 Corinthians Ephesians 5:5 BDAG lexicon 1 Corinthians assurance of salvation

Ephesians 5:5 — "impure" (akathartos) refers to moral impurity; the passage warns that a lifestyle of immorality, impurity, or covetousness calls salvation into question.

Nero Manser asks what Paul means by "impure" in Ephesians 5:5.

Acts 1 Matthew 19:28 Luke 22:28-30 eschatology Judas Iscariot Acts 1

Matthew 19:28 — the promise of 12 thrones for those who followed Jesus does not necessarily include Judas; Matthias' replacement and the symbolic nature of the number 12 both resolve the tension.

Robo King asks whether Judas still has a throne since Jesus promised 12 thrones to the Twelve in Matthew 19:28.

Matthew 7:13-14 discipleship salvation Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 7:13-14 — the narrow gate refers to the demanding and counter-cultural teachings of Christ, not to a works-salvation effort; few receive it because most reject it.

Jilly Bean from Finland asks what the narrow gate means in practice.

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Hebrews 10:25 and the obligation to gather: absolute or contextual?

Question from The Invisible Hand about online-only churches during COVID and whether they violate the command not to forsake assembling.

Hebrews 10:25 Hebrews 10:25 Christian conscience Corporate worship / assembly

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Do unbelievers receive resurrected physical bodies at the final judgment?

Question about whether those who reject Christ also receive physical bodies at the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15 Revelation 20 1 Corinthians 15 Revelation 20 Bodily resurrection

Colossians 1:13 Acts 26:18 2 Corinthians 2:10-11 Satan spiritual warfare kingdom of darkness

Christians are delivered from Satan's kingdom but remain in an ongoing spiritual battle; kingdom transfer does not eliminate all Satanic influence.

Continued Q2 discussion on Colossians 1:13 and Acts 26:18.

Levitical and Aaronic priesthoods explained: Levites served in the tabernacle/temple; Aaron's descendants held the most important priestly roles as a sub-class.

Q3 from Ronald Fish: explain the difference between the Aaronic, Levitical, and Melchizedek priesthoods.

Moses typology Aaron

Hebrews 12:5-6 Proverbs 3:11-12 Septuagint (LXX) Hebrews 12:5-6 Proverbs 3:11-12

Hebrews 12:6 uses "scourges" (from the Septuagint of Proverbs 3:12) to describe God's fatherly discipline; the intensified language is contextually appropriate fatherly correction, not brutal punishment.

Q6 from Stephanie: Hebrews 12:5-6 quotes Proverbs 3:11-12 but ends with "scourge" — why does it imply God brutally whips every believer?

James 1:13-15 Richard Carrier James 1:13-15 progressive Christianity

James 1:15 — desire conceived becomes sin; sin full-grown brings death. The passage primarily warns against blaming God for temptation and shows sin's natural progression.

Q8 from Kristen: James 1:15 says sin when full-grown "gives birth to death" — what does "death" mean for those in Christ?

Jeremiah 17:9 (deceitful heart) 2 Corinthians 10:12 women's ministry humility human dignity

Biblical self-worth holds extreme value (image of God) and extreme humility (sinfulness) in tension; neither arrogance nor false modesty is biblical.

Q13 from unnamed questioner: what is the biblical view of self-worth, asked in the context of a young ladies' group?

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Are the gods of other religions real? Three views: false polytheism, Heiserian divine council, and Pauline demonic identification

Q6 from Loretta Taylor: Numbers 33:3-4 says Yahweh executed judgments on Egypt's gods — does this mean gods like Allah and Zeus are real?

1 Corinthians 10:19-20 Numbers 33:3-4 Exodus plagues Michael Heiser elohim 1 Corinthians 10:19-20

Genesis 1 Hebrews 11 John 1:1 Genesis 1 Hebrews 11 John 1:1

Kalam leads to God with biblical attributes via conceptual analysis

Continuation of the Kalam answer, explaining the conceptual analysis step.

Revelation 6:12-17 Mark 13:24-27 Cosmic signs Revelation 6:12-17 Mark 13:24-27

Mark 13:24-27 and Revelation 6:12-17 describe the same end-times event

Listener Tony Grabowski asks whether Mark 13 and Revelation 6 describe the same event.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 Holy Spirit Antichrist Eschatology

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 — the identity of the Restrainer is uncertain

Listener Louise Sorensen (Denmark) asks whether, when the restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2 is removed, non-believers will lose compassion and morals.

Molinism Free will Avengers: Infinity War

Molinism explained and distinguished from determinism

Listener Solomon Dahlberg asks whether on Molinism people's choices depend only on circumstances God places them in, and if so why doesn't God make everyone believe.

Ephesians 4:7-16 church unity pastor-teacher spiritual gifts

Ephesians 4:7-16 overview: gifts given to the church equip saints toward unity.

Question 1 from Tanya about Ephesians 4:7-16.

Matthew 7 Ephesians 4:1-3 church unity self-examination worldliness

Caution against broadly judging the church as disunified; American church worldliness is the real local issue.

Continuation of Question 1; addressing Tanya's concern that the church lacks unity.

Romans 1 John 5 John 1 apologetics Matt Dillahunty unbelief

God physically appearing to everyone would not necessarily eliminate unbelief; unbelief is often a heart issue, not an evidence problem.

Question 8 from Amanda about why God does not appear physically and audibly to eliminate all unbelief.

John 3:16 atonement Incarnation righteousness of God

God chose to redeem through the cross to display his love, patience, righteousness, and desire for relationship simultaneously.

Question 15 from Daniel James about why God chose death and resurrection as the method of redemption.

Matt Dillahunty conceptual analysis Occams razor

Objection: the cause could be a teacup orbiting Saturn or universe-creating pixies instead of God. Response: they're just describing God's attributes and labeling it something else; Occam's razor reduces pixies to one being.

Objection — teacup/pixies

Kalam cosmological argument cumulative case apologetics Kalam cosmological argument

Objection: this only gets you to generic theism, not the Christian God. Response: each attribute (spaceless, timeless, etc.) was justified, not ad hoc; the Kalam is meant to be followed by evidence for the resurrection to identify the God.

Objection — doesn't prove the Christian God

Mark 16:9-20 John 8:1-11 textual criticism textual criticism Mark 16:9-20

Q&A: John 8:1-11 (woman caught in adultery) is very likely a true story/memory of Jesus but probably not originally part of John's Gospel. It appears in different locations in manuscripts. Most translations bracket it.

Q&A — John 8:1-11 textual criticism

apologetics apologetics mocking opponents

Q&A: Is it okay to mock atheists? Mike and Braxton both lean toward cordial conversation. Mockery has a legitimate place biblically but easily leads to responding "in the flesh." Most people aren't discerning enough to mock wisely.

Q&A — mocking atheists

Mike Winger idea 2020-02-19

The pro-choice movement needs a victim (the pregnant woman) to distract from the real victim (the baby). This is a propaganda tactic seen in every historical atrocity — the oppressors create an alternative victim narrative.

Propaganda tactic: creating a counter-victim

Isaiah 5:20 Isaiah 5:20 Isaiah 5:20 pro-choice propaganda Isaiah 5:20

Mike Winger idea 2020-02-26

Reason 5 (Dominic Kalana): Reading a description of partial-birth abortion. Mike shows three Live Action videos from Dr. Anthony Levatino (who performed 1,200+ abortions before becoming pro-life) describing third-trimester, second-trimester (D&E), and first-trimester medical abortion procedures in clinical detail.

Reason 5 — learning what abortion actually is

Anthony Levatino Live Action D&E procedure

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-04

Q: Does Romans 1:20 refute total depravity? Not directly. Romans 1:20 says everyone has received sufficient revelation of God's existence through creation, making them without excuse. Mike disagrees with Calvinist "total inability" (inability to respond even with Holy Spirit's calling) but doesn't think this verse addresses it.

Q&A — Romans 1:20 and total depravity

Romans 1:20 general revelation total depravity general revelation

Job 38:14 flat earth Job 38:14 cylinder seal

Refuting Dean Odel's claim that Job 38:14 describes a flat earth stamped like clay under a signet ring. Problems: (1) the seal is a cylinder seal rolled over clay, not a ring pressed flat; (2) the missing word "changed" shows this is about daily sunrise revealing contours, not cosmological design; (3) the context is about wicked hiding at night and being exposed at dawn.

Job 38:14 — cylinder seal, not flat stamp

Isaiah 40:22 Job 22:14 Isaiah 40:22 circle of the earth chug (Hebrew)

Isaiah 40:22 "circle of the earth" — the Hebrew word is indeterminate (could mean circle or sphere). But Mike thinks it's not about cosmology at all — it's about God sitting above the horizon, sovereign over everything you can see. Job 22:14 uses the same word for the "vault of heaven" which flat-earthers accept as dome-shaped — proving the word doesn't demand "flat."

Circle of the earth (Isaiah 40:22) — indeterminate

Revelation 7:1 Isaiah 11:12 four corners of the earth Revelation 7:1 Isaiah 11:12

"Four corners of the earth" means four directions/quadrants (King James: "four quarters"). Isaiah 11:12 says God will gather dispersed Israel from the four corners — but Israel was scattered to known nations, not to ice walls. Revelation 7:1: four angels at four corners = four directions the wind blows. A circle with corners proves the language isn't literal.

Four corners — four directions, not literal edges