Search — Theology Explorer

hermeneutics tradition vs Scripture intellectual humility

Traditions can masquerade as pure biblical faith; willingness to change one's mind is essential

Closing reflection on how unbiblical traditions take hold in communities

Genesis flood apologetics Inspiring Philosophy Genesis flood

Global flood traditions across disconnected cultures support the historicity of a major flood event

Q&A question from Lindsay Pinkert about helping a friend who doubts biblical historical accuracy (flood and Exodus)

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

Matthew 25 spiritual gifts stewardship Matthew 25

Parable of the Talents: the main point is investing what God has given you for his kingdom

Q&A from Faded Princess about the Parable of the Talents and discerning spiritual gifts

Lutheran Church progressive Christianity church tradition

Lutheran church: internal struggle between biblical faithfulness and progressive drift

Q&A from Peter Williams about the Lutheran Church, liturgy, and the gospel

theology church tradition liturgy

Liturgy is not inherently a hindrance; the theology beneath it is the critical question

Conclusion on the liturgy question

1 Thessalonians 5:23 anthropology 1 Thessalonians 5:23 trichotomy

1 Thessalonians 5:23 — Paul mentions spirit, soul, and body as distinct aspects of the human person

Q&A from Noah Bramble about the trichotomy of human nature

Proverbs 18:21 Proverbs 18:20 hermeneutics Proverbs 18:21 Proverbs 18:20

Proverbs 18:21 — death and life in the power of the tongue; verses 20-21 are a unit

Q&A from Noah Lavell Martinez about the word-faith misuse of Proverbs 18:21

Proverbs 18:21 Proverbs 18:21 word of faith tongue and speech

Proverbs 18:21 teaches the practical real-world consequences of speech, not speaking things into existence

Interpretation of Proverbs 18:21

discernment Holy Spirit leading of the Spirit

Track record in discerning Spirit leading is a practical check

Additional criteria for discerning Holy Spirit leading

Romans 8 Abba Father Romans 8 Holy Spirit

Romans 8 on the Spirit crying Abba Father: relationship with the Spirit unrelated to miraculous gifts

Resource recommendation for the relational aspect of the Holy Spirit

Christian ethics same-sex marriage sexual ethics

Attending a same-sex wedding generally expresses affirmation, not merely love — Christians should decline

Q&A from Joel Holmberg about attending a same-sex wedding

1 John 4:7-16 propitiation assurance of salvation 1 John 4:7-16

1 John 4 on love and assurance: knowing and believing God's love is the foundation for freedom from fear about the afterlife

Q&A from Taste Remains about anxiety regarding the afterlife and assurance of salvation

1 John 4:17-18 atonement assurance of salvation fear of judgment

1 John 4:17-18 — perfect love casts out fear; God's love applied to judgment produces confidence

Continuing the 1 John 4 reading and application

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

1 John 3:21-22 prayer assurance of salvation fear of judgment

Anxiety about the afterlife hinders prayer and joy; confidence before God enables effective prayer

Pastoral application of the 1 John 3 text

apologetics presuppositional apologetics evidential apologetics

Presuppositional apologetics debate: Mike rejects the claim that evidential apologists need shared worldview common ground

Q&A from Daniel C about whether neutral or common ground exists in apologetics

discernment Christian liberty Christian ethics

Two problematic extremes: hyper-strict rules and almost no rules about entertainment — both are spiritually dangerous

Summation of the video game and entertainment ethics discussion

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

Matthew 13 church history visible vs invisible church Parable of the Wheat and Tares

Parable of the Wheat and Tares explains the presence of ungodly people within the visible church

Second biblical resource for answering the bloody-church-history objection

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

Mark (gospel) prayer Kenneth Copeland faith

Upcoming Monday teaching: the strongest word-of-faith passage in Mark — assessing Kenneth Copeland's claims about faith and prayer

Preview of next teaching in the Mark series

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

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

Luke 22:36 Peter Gethsemane Luke 22:36

Jesus commanded disciples to carry swords before his betrayal, indicating readiness for self-defense is a godly posture

New Testament grounding for self-defense, contrasted with earlier sending-out instructions

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

humility preaching methodology ministerial formation

Advice for young ministers: root out pride continually — comparing yourself to other ministers is a major red flag

Continued advice for Andrej Pollock on young ministry pitfalls

Calvinism soteriology total depravity

Calvinism: regeneration precedes faith — the Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner first, making belief inevitable

Question from Jason Staub about whether faith from a fallen nature is "fruitful" faith, touching on the Calvinist doctrine of regeneration preceding faith

Galatians 2 Romans 11:6 Genesis 15:6 Galatians 2 Abraham Romans 11:6

Mike's anti-Calvinist argument: faith is not a work regardless of its source; the Calvinist objection tries to smuggle faith into the "works" category

Mike's response to the Calvinist framing of faith as a "good work" that requires prior regeneration

Romans 10:17 faith Calvinism soteriology

Non-Calvinist view: God initiates faith through the proclaimed word, but the individual makes the decision to believe

Mike's positive account of how faith works in a non-Calvinist framework

Matthew 25:46 eschatology conditional immortality hell

Annihilationism fails because (1) immortality does not mean eternal existence, and (2) Jesus uses the same word "everlasting" for both heaven and hell

Question from Selenora about why annihilationism is unbiblical

Acts 5:29 Romans 13 Acts 5:29 Romans 13 COVID-19

Grace Community Church COVID decision: Mike is on the fence — neither fully endorsing nor opposing their refusal to close

Question from Teonbay about Grace Community Church defying California government COVID gathering restrictions

soul sleep intermediate state death and afterlife

Introduction to soul sleep vs. immediate presence with God at death

Opening question of the 20 Questions livestream format

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

2 Corinthians 5 soul sleep intermediate state 2 Corinthians 5

2 Corinthians 5 — "absent from the body, present with the Lord" is a summary, not a direct quote

Mike addresses the commonly misquoted phrase from 2 Corinthians 5

Philippians 1:19-23 Paul intermediate state Philippians 1:19-23

Philippians 1:19-23 — context of Paul in prison writing about life vs. death

Mike introduces Philippians 1 as the stronger text on immediate post-death presence with Christ

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

Philippians 1 Roman Catholicism eisegesis intermediate state

Roman Catholic purgatory interpretation uses Paul as an exception case rather than normative

Addressing the Roman Catholic counter-reading of Philippians 1

millennium eschatology rapture

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

Stating his personal eschatological view

Colossians Paul Colossians New Age

Colossians — New Testament prohibition against borrowing pagan or Old Covenant practices

New Testament argument against adopting New Age spiritual practices

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

Luke Pontius Pilate eyewitness testimony Luke

Luke's technique of embedding source hints — Herod's household and Pilate's conversation with Jesus

How the Gospels account for private scenes between Jesus and officials

Mark Peter resurrection Gospel of Mark

Mark's Gospel shifts eyewitness sources from Peter to named women when Peter departs

How the Gospel of Mark handles Peter's absence at the crucifixion and tomb

John 10 Christian liberty Jesus John 10

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

Positive biblical case for Christians celebrating holidays

Ecclesiastes Philippians 1 intermediate state rapture Ecclesiastes

Can raptured believers help loved ones left behind? No biblical basis; Paul implies post-death impact ends

Question from Lassie Clyman about acting for loved ones after the rapture

Galatians 3:23-24 Paul paidagogos covenant theology

Galatians 3:23 — the Law as guardian/nanny: imprisoned under law until Christ

Question from Jesse Jack about Galatians 3:23 and being confined/imprisoned by the law

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

1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15 Jesus resurrection

Jesus appearing in the locked room — glorified body explanation from 1 Corinthians 15

Question from Connor Robinson about Jesus appearing in a locked room after the resurrection