Search — Theology Explorer

Mormonism Islam resurrection

Religion as social control: a compliment, not a refutation

Summer Monsoon asked how to respond to the claim that religion is just a mechanism for social control and helps people cope with death.

1 Timothy 3 Galatians 3:28 Matthew 23:8-12 servant leadership overseer episkopos

Ministry titles and the clergy-laity distinction: what Jesus really forbade in Matthew 23

Chris Horn asked whether Matthew 23:8-12 prohibits using ministry titles like pastor or elder.

evangelism Greg Koukl apologetics

Sharing the gospel with resistant loved ones: grace, strategy, and the book Tactics

Hannah/Henry Belvall asked for advice on humbly sharing Jesus with struggling loved ones who become defensive.

Romans proof-texting discernment false teaching

Protecting against false doctrine without a complete Bible knowledge: read in context and check the text

Katie, a newly saved teen (about 10 months old in the faith), asked how to guard against false teaching when she has not yet read the entire Bible.

Luke 11:24-26 atonement false teaching spiritual warfare

Generational curses: pastoral concern and theological rejection

Studio asked whether believers can be cursed by ancestral actions or ethnic heritage (specifically Native American bloodline).

Isaiah 9:6 John 14:16 Trinity Christology incarnation

Isaiah 9:6 — "Everlasting Father" as a title for Jesus: representational fullness of God

Leslie Johnson asked why Isaiah 9:6 calls Jesus "Everlasting Father" if he is not the Father within Trinitarian theology.

evangelism repentance personal holiness

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.

discernment false teaching church discipline

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young: channeled content, demonic origin, pastoral danger

Rachel joined a church prayer group using the devotional Jesus Calling and found concerning content.

Galatians 1:8-9 2 Corinthians 11:4 Jude 3 sola scriptura Galatians 1:8-9 Kenneth Copeland

Another Jesus (2 Corinthians 11:4): prioritizing doctrine over teachers

Chip Ludick asked why Paul warned the Corinthians about "another Jesus" in 2 Corinthians 11:4 and how it applies today in light of John 17:3.

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

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.

Proverbs 8 1 Corinthians 1 typology Holy Spirit Christology

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.

incarnation omniscience William Lane Craig

God's timelessness and sequential thought — divine omniscience outside time

Jason and Alana ask how a timeless God could have sequential thoughts, especially the decision to create time.

Mormonism biblical inerrancy Trinity

Non-negotiable Christian doctrines — essentials vs. secondary issues

DJ Diner asks what doctrines Christians should plant their flag on and never back down from.

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

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.

John 3:16 Psalm 5:5 Proverbs 6:16-19 God's love God's wrath John 3:16

How can God love the world and also hate sinners? Psalm 5:5 and Proverbs 6:16-19

Fly Serve Disciples asks how God can love the whole world (John 3:16) while Psalm 5:5 says God hates evildoers.

Matthew 27:52-53 Lazarus crucifixion Matthew 27:52-53

Saints rising from tombs after the crucifixion (Matthew 27) — who were they?

James and Lindsey ask about the people coming out of tombs after Jesus's resurrection in Matthew 27 — did they continue living or ascend?

Matthew 10:23 Matthew 10 Mark 6 eschatology Matthew 10:23 Son of Man

Matthew 10:23 — 'before the Son of Man comes' refers to Christ's first-coming arrival, not the Second Coming

Kelly Book asks about Matthew 10:23 and why Mark's parallel account does not include the phrase 'before the Son of Man comes.'

Luke 16:1-13 parable interpretation Luke 16:1-13 Parable of the Dishonest Manager

The Parable of the Dishonest Manager: Jesus uses a bad actor to illustrate one positive quality — shrewd urgency about the future

Reading and explaining Luke 16:1-13

Luke 16:9 parable interpretation gospel proclamation stewardship

Luke 16:9 — "make friends by means of unrighteous wealth" may refer parabolically to using all earthly resources for gospel proclamation

Interpreting the command to "make friends by means of unrighteous wealth" so they receive you into eternal dwellings

Luke 16:10-13 stewardship Luke 16:10-13 money and wealth

Luke 16:10-13 reframes the parable: the master is money itself — be a faithful steward so God controls you, not money

Reading Luke 16:10-13 as commentary on the parable

eschatology rapture abomination of desolation

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

obedience sexual purity Christian relationships

A new believer should lovingly but firmly set sexual boundaries with a girlfriend, even at the risk of losing the relationship

Responding to a 3-month-old believer whose girlfriend is hesitant to abstain from sex

1 Corinthians 2:8 Mark 1:24 Matthew 16:23 omniscience Satan crucifixion

Satan is not omniscient; he did not know God's plan of salvation and that is why he crucified Christ

Responding to whether the hidden mystery of salvation implies Satan's omniscience since Jesus had to rebuke Peter

Mark 13:9-13 Matthew 10:16-24 hermeneutics Mike Licona Mark 13:9-13

Matthew 10:16-24 uses Olivet Discourse language — either Jesus repeated similar words or it shows the connection between the disciples' temporary mission and the church's ongoing mission

Responding to why Matthew 10:16-24 contains Olivet Discourse wording not found in Mark 6 or Luke 9 parallels

Richard Bauckham apologetics William Lane Craig

Apologetics resources: use general resources (Got Questions) to start, then targeted in-depth resources (books) for specific issues

Recommending starting points for apologetics study

Mark 6 Mark 8 Gentiles Feeding of the 4000 Mark 6

Mark 8 feeding of 4000: disciples may not have expected another miracle because Jesus did not multiply food at every meal; also, Jewish messianic expectation may not have extended to feeding Gentiles

Responding to why the disciples in Mark 8 seem unaware that Jesus had already fed 5000 in Mark 6

Mark's Gospel Matthew 27:62-66 Richard Bauckham resurrection apologetics

The empty tomb was verifiable: women as witnesses (embarrassing to early church = authentic), the women are named (eyewitness identification per Bauckham), Roman guards monitored it

Responding to how anyone could be sure the right tomb was checked if Jesus was beaten unrecognizably

John 1:12 John 1:9-11 salvation free will universalism

Universal atonement does not guarantee universal salvation; receiving Christ requires a personal decision.

Response to anonymous question: since Jesus died for all, will all be saved like gravity works on all?

2 Corinthians 5:21 atonement imputed righteousness justification

2 Corinthians 5:21 — Jesus became sin through imputation, not by sinning; understood through a Protestant doctrine of justification.

Question from "Stranger in Moscow": how can Jesus become sin if he knew no sin?

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.

Acts 15 Leviticus 11 Mark 7:14-19 Acts 15 Pharisees Leviticus 11

Mark 7:14-19 — Jesus declares all foods clean by distinguishing ceremonial uncleanness from moral defilement; the Levitical purity laws were pedagogical, not moral.

Tabitha Littman asks why Jesus seems appalled that Jews believed touching/eating certain things made them unclean given God instituted those laws in Leviticus.

Deuteronomy 17:17 2 Samuel 12:8 David Nathan marriage

2 Samuel 12:8 does not endorse polygamy; the phrase "I would have given you more" is a figure of speech for God's provision, not a promise of additional wives; God explicitly forbids polygamy for kings in Deuteronomy 17:17.

Joshua Bambrick asks whether 2 Samuel 12:8 refutes the claim that God does not affirm polygamy.

Matthew 13:57 evangelism apologetics atheism

Evangelizing family and close friends is uniquely difficult because familiarity breeds dismissal; redirecting to outside sources may be more effective.

Jackson Star asks how to reach atheist friends and family who do not take Christian arguments seriously.

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.

Isaiah 40-48 John 1:3 Colossians 1:16 Trinity monotheism deity of Christ

Isaiah's monotheistic declarations that God alone is Savior and Rock are not contradicted by Jesus being called Rock and Savior — Jesus is God.

Taylor Paris asks why Isaiah declares God knows of no other rock/savior while Jesus is called a rock.

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.

Exodus historical evidence discernment Inspiring Philosophy progressive Christianity

Progressive Christianity misrepresents Jesus by reshaping him into the image of current culture; Winger previews a critique of Brandon Robertson's "Jesus was a racist" video.

Closing remarks previewing upcoming content.

Romans 14 1 Samuel 21 Galatians David Romans 14 Christian liberty

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.

Philippians 4:8 John 13:2 Ephesians 6 Peter Philippians 4:8 Satan

Intrusive/unwanted thoughts: possible demonic origin and the Philippians 4:8 remedy

Question from Turka Orenzova about horrifying thoughts that pop into her head unbidden.

2 Corinthians 4:8 Rest in God Christian peace Suffering / trials

Resting in God does not mean absence of anguish — the "bedrock" model of Christian peace

Question from Faith Marie about resting in God's presence and staying connected throughout the day.

Luke 23:34 Ezekiel 18:23 Luke 23:34 Ezekiel 18:23 God's wrath / anger

Can we anger God to the point where he will never forgive us?

Question from Dominique Cohn about whether God's anger can make him permanently withhold forgiveness.

Mark 8:33 Peter Satan Judas Iscariot

Get Behind Me Satan (Mark 8:33): was Satan working through Peter, or is Jesus using "satan" metaphorically?

Question from Elijah Roman about Mark 8:33 vs. Satan entering Judas — was Satan divided against himself?

James 3:1 Galatians (uncircumcision passage) Hermeneutics James 3:1 Biblical scholarship

How to evaluate scholarship that challenges traditional OT interpretation through cultural/linguistic arguments

Question from True West about scholarship that challenges OT translations and cultural understandings.