Search — Theology Explorer

Exodus historicity apologetics archaeology Exodus historicity

Dr. Titus Kennedy's archaeological research supports the historicity of the Exodus

Recommended resource for the Exodus historicity discussion

spiritual gifts vocation body of Christ

Discovering gifts requires doing everything first and then observing where you excel

Practical application of gift discernment

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

In Scripture spirit and soul are sometimes used interchangeably but retain some distinction

Attempting to differentiate spirit and soul

Romans 14 Romans 14 Christian liberty Christian ethics

Christians playing RPG video games: Romans 14 gives space for different convictions

Q&A from Gwen Gazette about RPGs and fantasy magic in video games

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

prayer spiritual disciplines fasting

Fasting creates additional prayer time and a spiritually focused mindset

Additional practical benefits of fasting

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

John 3:5 Michael Heiser Nicodemus John 3:5

John 3:5 "born of water and the Spirit": Mike defers to Michael Heiser's podcast work placing this in its Jewish context

Question from Jesse Crocus about whether "born of water" in John 3:5 refers to water baptism, physical birth, or something else

1 Corinthians 14 1 Corinthians 14:32 1 Corinthians 14 1 Corinthians 14:32 prophecy

Paul's instructions on tongues and prophecy require self-control, proving the Spirit does not override the person's will

Continuing the argument against slain in the Spirit using 1 Corinthians 14 as evidence

Romans 14 Romans 14 faith and works Christian liberty

Romans 14: do not violate your conscience — if you cannot do something in faith before God, do not do it, even if it may be permissible

Question from Only in Antarctica about whether a Christian can work in the cannabis sector

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

spiritual discernment New Age syncretism

Christian adoption of New Age practices is "a forgery of a forgery"

Conclusion of New Age syncretism argument

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

Christian liberty Thanksgiving gratitude

Thanksgiving as a biblical holiday in practice though not in name

Applying the holiday criteria to Thanksgiving

prayer Jesus as mediator prayer in Jesus's name

"In Jesus's name" is not a required formula but a meaningful expression of mediation

Practical application of praying in Jesus's name

Revelation 2 Revelation 2 church of Ephesus first love

Renewing love for God — Revelation 2 letter to Ephesus: remember, return, repeat

Question from Trippy Penguin about renewing love for God when faith feels commonplace

Revelation 2 spiritual disciplines Revelation 2 first love

Spiritual dryness — returning to first works as the remedy

Continued application from Revelation 2

Genesis 6:3 Holy Spirit Calvinism TULIP

Total Depravity defined as "total inability" — Mike rejects it

First point of TULIP addressed in detail.

Unconditional Election — Mike partly affirms, partly rejects

Second point of TULIP addressed.

Calvinism Molinism TULIP

Calvinism TULIP Free Will

All five TULIP points are ultimately one point: denial of free will

Mike summarizes his overarching critique of Calvinism.

Satan Paganism Demon Possession

Demon possession: less visible in Western cultures due to secular/medical framing

Q&A question from "Only in Antarctica" about why demon possession seems less prevalent today given population growth.

Proverbs Genesis 24 Proverbs Marriage The One

God as matchmaker — Mike rejects "the one" theology applied universally

Q from Haruhi Anderson about the doctrine that God has one divinely chosen spouse for every Christian.

Matthew 25:1-13 Holy Spirit salvation parable interpretation

Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) — a warning about authentic faith, not about percentages of saved vs. unsaved

Question from Gloria Urban about whether Matthew 25:1-13 teaches that half the church will not be saved.

Isaiah 6 Romans 9 Genesis 25 election Moses Abraham

God's choices of Jacob, Abraham, Moses, prophets — not favoritism but purposive grace for non-salvific roles

Question from Ryder Ness, a "struggling Calvinist," about divine favoritism in biblical election.

hermeneutics social justice impartiality

Jesus did not come to "dismantle systems of oppression" — projecting modern political terminology onto Jesus creates an idol

Question from Steph T about the claim that Jesus came to dismantle systems of oppression.

Hebrews 6 Hebrews 6:4-6 Luke 8:4-15 salvation eternal security Hebrews 6

Hebrews 6:4-6 — the most difficult passage in the Bible; three main interpretive options explored

Question from Delante Dingo about whether the Parable of the Sower clarifies Hebrews 6 and whether salvation is eternal.

1 Corinthians 3 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 salvation judgment 1 Corinthians 3

1 Corinthians 3 — believers are judged at the Bema for their works (gold/silver/precious stones vs. wood/hay/straw), not for salvation

Question from Emily Bain about how forgiveness of sins relates to judgment day.

evangelism gospel proclamation social action

Evangelism through good works must be coupled with verbal proclamation of the gospel

Question from Samuel Nelson about extravagant mission trips vs. evangelizing by acting good in the world.

stewardship mission trips short-term missions

Short-term mission trips are often inefficient — local missionaries are more effective with the same funds

Mike continues on the mission trip question with personal experience and practical critique.

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-30

Attending a believer/unbeliever wedding: Mike would likely attend while opposing the union beforehand

Question from Brian Park about attending such a wedding.

marriage Christian ethics believer-unbeliever marriage

"Touch not the Lord's anointed" means do not murder -- not do not critique

Mike addresses the second common objection to his discernment work

David Saul Old Testament

2 Corinthians 12:2-4 Paul paradise 2 Corinthians 12:2-4

2 Corinthians 12:2 -- Paul's reference to the third heaven and its Jewish cosmological background

Responding to a question about levels of heaven and whether this relates to the phrase 'seventh heaven'

Mormonism rabbinic literature hermeneutics

In Jewish thought: first heaven = atmosphere, second heaven = space/stars, third heaven = God's presence

Mike explains the consistent rabbinic framework for multiple heavens

Christian liberty bodily stewardship exercise

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

Isaiah 14 Ezekiel 28 biblical theology Satan Isaiah 14

Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 do speak about Satan, contra the scholarly majority

Responding to a question from Nathanael H about whether these passages reference Satan

John MacArthur John MacArthur repentance salvation

Lordship salvation: repentance and faith are two sides of the same coin, not moral prerequisites for merit

Responding to Sally Richardson's question about what lordship salvation is

Mormonism apologetics pre-mortal existence

Socratic approach for witnessing to Mormons about pre-mortal existence: let them make their case first

Responding to Alexander Duncan's question about addressing Mormon belief in pre-mortal existence

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Matthew 5:20 — Righteousness exceeding the scribes and Pharisees

A viewer asks what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:20 about righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees.

Matthew 5:20 imputed righteousness righteousness Sermon on the Mount

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Conspiracy theories — Satan as the real unseen puppet master (Ephesians 2:2)

A viewer asks if Mike believes any conspiracy theories.

Ephesians 2:2 Satan spiritual warfare kingdom of darkness

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-20

1 Corinthians 14:22 — tongues are a sign for unbelievers only when interpreted; the apparent contradiction explained

Question about the apparent flip in 1 Corinthians 14:22-23 where tongues are a sign for unbelievers yet unbelievers will think speakers are mad.

1 Corinthians 14:22-23 spiritual gifts tongues 1 Corinthians 14:22-23

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-20

Revelation 7:4 — the 144,000 are a literal future group of ethnic Jewish men

Question about what the 144,000 sealed in Revelation 7:4 means.

Romans 11 Revelation 7:4 Jehovah's Witnesses tribulation futurism

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-20

Modern Israel and biblical Israel are continuous, but God's promises do not make every Israeli action righteous

Question about how modern political Israel correlates to biblical promises for Israel.

Romans 11 Abrahamic covenant Jewish people Romans 11

Trinity justification by faith apologetics

Aliens would not disprove any core Christian doctrine: God's existence, the Trinity, Christ's death and resurrection, justification by grace through faith, or the future resurrection.

Working through whether alien discovery threatens Christian beliefs

atonement works righteousness holiness of God

If aliens are sinful and redeemable by their own works, that contradicts the nature of the cross; God's holiness is the same across the universe.

Theological decision tree: sinful aliens who can self-redeem

Romans 8 atonement Romans 8 new creation

Christ's death and resurrection is a cosmic, universe-wide victory - not limited to earth; Romans 8 ties all creation's redemption to Adam's sin and Christ's work.

The scope of Christ's atonement

Genesis Genesis Elohim Evidence That Demands a Verdict

The Documentary Hypothesis (JEDP theory) has largely died out in scholarship; the old version attacked in apologetics works like Evidence That Demands a Verdict is mostly obsolete.

Question about the Documentary Hypothesis

Romans 8:28 suffering providence prosperity gospel

Romans 8:28 is the biblical basis for saying "good things are coming" in hard times; the phrase is fine if stripped of materialistic or time-specific implications.

Is "good things are coming when you face struggles" biblical or prosperity gospel?

Judges 11 Holy Spirit Jephthah vows

Judges 11: Jephthah's vow - the Spirit being "upon" Jephthah means military enablement, not moral/ethical guidance; the Spirit did not sanction his vow or its fulfillment.

Question about Jephthah's vow and the Spirit being upon him