Search — Theology Explorer

Revelation Hebrews warning passages Revelation once saved always saved eternal security

Book of Life: names blotted out -- the phrase is too non-specific to resolve the eternal security debate

Question from Paul Redding about how one is written into or blotted out of the Book of Life.

Luke 5:17 discernment Benny Hinn charismatic movement

Releasing healing into the atmosphere -- unbiblical charismatic terminology rooted in crowd control rather than Scripture

Question from John Richardson about the biblical basis for Christians releasing healing into the atmosphere.

Mark 8:15 1 Corinthians 5:8 Herod Mark 8:15 1 Corinthians 5:8

Leaven of Herod (Mark 8:15) -- ungodly ambition, desire for worldly approval, and yielding to wickedness

Question from Mark H about the leaven of Herod in Mark 8:15, and why it is named separately from the leaven of the Pharisees.

youth ministry discernment spiritual warfare

New age practices on TikTok (astral projection): equip youth by understanding what the practices are before addressing them

Question from Deanna about youth leaders dealing with students exploring new age practices like astral projection found on TikTok.

discernment prosperity gospel apostasy

Why care about false doctrine (prosperity gospel, word of faith)? Because doctrinal error has real-world spiritual consequences

Question from Tony about why false doctrine matters if it does not compromise salvation.

Romans 8:34 1 John 2:1-2 salvation eternal security propitiation

Romans 8:34 and 1 John 2:1-2 -- Christ's intercession is not ongoing pleading but his perpetual existence as our propitiation

Question from Sephora Ba about why Jesus still intercedes for the elect if they are already saved (Romans 8:34).

Ecclesiastes 1 Kings 11 repentance salvation apostasy

Was Solomon saved? Ecclesiastes may imply a late-life repentance and return to God despite idolatrous period

Question from Darcy 777 about whether Solomon died worshiping false gods and whether he was saved.

Jeremiah Exodus 4:10 Jeremiah 1:6 Paul Moses Jeremiah

Preaching with a stutter: accept your limitations, resist performing, and trust God to use you or redirect you

Question from Hudson Hancock, who preaches with a stutter and finds it discouraging.

Luke 24:13-35 creation Adam and Eve Luke 24:13-35

Visiting moments in Scripture: creation of Adam and Eve (OT); Road to Emmaus Christological exposition (NT)

Hypothetical question from Bree Herb about which biblical moment Mike would most want to witness.

discipleship spiritual leadership mentoring

Discipleship readiness: everyone can encourage immediately; formal leadership is about raising others up, not establishing authority

Second part of Bree Herb's question: how do you know when you are ready to disciple others?

salvation forgiveness soteriology

Forgiveness vs. salvation: forgiveness is one component; salvation is the full package including adoption, the Spirit, and eternal life

Question from Olivia Heartland asking for clarification on the difference between forgiveness and salvation.

discernment charismatic movement false prophecy

How to test a prophecy before it is fulfilled: track record matters more than individual accuracy; errors are disqualifying

Question from Omar Barr about testing prophecy before it is fulfilled, including the 2020 Trump prophecies.

1 Corinthians 10:13 sanctification temptation sin

1 Corinthians 10:13 -- No temptation is beyond your ability; sinning is a choice, not compulsion; God provides a way of escape

Question from Bob Satellite who says he cannot stop sinning and feels his heart is too cold to change.

Hosea Ezekiel Ezekiel 4 typology Hosea Ezekiel

Hosea's family as prophetic type; Ezekiel as the strongest Christ-type prophet who bears Israel's iniquity bodily

Question from Drifter 2003 about whether Hosea's children having names like 'Not Loved' is a type of Christ bearing others' burdens.

Romans 7-8 Matthew 4:3 sanctification temptation lust

Lust and pornography as stress relief: the sin creates more stress than it relieves; Romans 7-8 and walking in the Spirit

Question from Adriano about being tempted by lust online and watching pornography to deal with stress.

youth ministry evangelism apologetics

Advice for online youth pastor: engage real youth in person; use apologetics and comparative theology to reach skeptical students

Final question from Dragon Fist 900, a biblical studies major pursuing online youth ministry.

resurrection of Jesus debate preparation livestream format

Mike introduces the livestream as an informal Q&A format, explains he is preparing for an upcoming debate on the resurrection of Jesus Christ against an atheist on Thursday.

Opening remarks and format explanation

Genesis 1 Genesis 1 Adam and Eve creation

Mike discusses Old Earth Creationism and whether it is biblical, arguing that the age of the earth is not clearly specified in Scripture and that he holds a flexible position, though he finds an ancient Adam and Eve much harder to reconcile biblically.

Response to viewer question about Old Earth Creationism

Jesus Rahab Jewish identity

Mike answers a question about the race of Jesus, concluding that Jesus was Jewish by lineage but that racial categorization is not meaningful since he holds there is only one human race; he notes Jesus likely had a medium skin tone.

Response to viewer question about the race of Jesus

Daniel 9 Daniel 9 eschatology Antichrist

Mike briefly comments on the Abomination of Desolation, describing it as a future event in a literal rebuilt Jerusalem temple involving an Antichrist figure setting up an image and declaring himself God, occurring in the middle of the Tribulation.

Response to viewer question about the Abomination of Desolation

James White Mormonism theodicy James White

Mike comments on Jeff Durbin of Apologia Radio, praising him for having a solid gospel and effective outreach to cults but disagreeing with his strong Calvinism; he also notes controversy around a debate Durbin and James White did against a Mormon.

Response to viewer question about Jeff Durbin

politics Ben Shapiro Christian behavior

Mike comments on Ben Shapiro, affirming that his biblical worldview on moral values is refreshing but warning Christians not to imitate his sarcastic and vitriolic tone toward those he disagrees with.

Response to viewer question about Ben Shapiro

evangelism Jehovah's Witnesses gospel witness

Mike advises Christians to witness to Jehovah's Witnesses as they would to anyone, noting the advantage that JWs already want to talk about God, and encourages boldness in gospel witness with all people.

Response to viewer question about engaging Jehovah's Witnesses

1 Peter Romans 13 1 Peter just war Romans 13

Mike wrestles with whether the American Revolution violated Romans 13 (submission to government), concluding he cannot make a confident judgment but personally sympathizes with the revolutionaries and affirms his current submission to the established American government.

Response to viewer question about the American Revolution and Romans 13

1 Corinthians Galatians 1 Galatians 1:6-10 biblical authority Paul 1 Corinthians

Mike articulates a Sola Scriptura position by arguing from Galatians 1 that the Apostles themselves placed their written gospel above any future authority — including apostles or angels — making all church fathers mere commentators with no binding theological authority.

Response to viewer question about the authority of early church fathers

2 John 1:11 salvation false gospel works-based salvation

Mike examines 2 John 1:11 in context, explaining it refers to hosting traveling teachers and not to general social contact with heretics, then defends William Lane Craig's nuanced view on Catholics — acknowledging a false Catholic gospel while allowing that some Catholics may be genuinely saved.

Response to viewer question about whether to separate from William Lane Craig over his statements about Catholics

Hebrews youth ministry evangelism spiritual maturity

Mike advises a youth pastor that discipleship of willing students produces more fruit than constant outreach programming, drawing on his own early ministry failure when he focused on students who did not care.

Response to youth pastor viewer about ministry focus

Eastern Orthodoxy gospel Sola Scriptura

Mike declines to comment on Coptic/Oriental Orthodox theology due to insufficient knowledge, but raises concerns about Eastern Orthodox extra-biblical tradition and recounts a personal experience of a woman who left his church for an Eastern Orthodox group and could no longer articulate the gospel.

Response to viewer question about Coptic/Oriental Orthodox theology

Luke 22 Christian ethics just war Old Testament law

Mike argues that killing in self-defense is clearly permitted by Scripture, citing Old Testament law which imposed no penalty for legitimate self-defense, and Jesus’ instruction to the disciples to carry swords the night of his betrayal.

Response to viewer question about whether killing in self-defense is wrong in God’s eyes

apologetics resurrection of Jesus hell

Mike argues that the best approach to the question of hell is not direct empirical evidence but rather a two-step argument: establish the trustworthiness of Jesus through the resurrection and fulfilled prophecy, then accept his teaching on hell as credible.

Response to viewer demanding evidence for hell

Mark 14:51-52 Mark the Evangelist Peter Mark 14:51-52 Gospel of Mark

Mike identifies the naked young man fleeing in Mark 14:51-52 as likely the author Mark himself, explaining this was a common ancient biographical convention of embedding the author’s presence discreetly in the narrative.

Response to viewer question about the identity of the young man in Mark 14:51-52

Colossians 1:13 Luke 17:21 John 18 eschatology second coming premillennialism

Mike reconciles Colossians 1:13's statement that Christians have been transferred into Christ's kingdom with premillennial teaching by distinguishing between the kingdom as an internal present reality (God reigning in the heart) and the future global, political kingdom established at the second coming.

Response to viewer question about how premillennialism handles Colossians 1:13

Mike dismisses the claim that Jesus was a socialist, arguing that caring for the poor is universal and the political question is how to do so, not whether to; he says Jesus' kingdom is a theocracy that no human government can imitate.

Response to viewer question about whether Jesus was a socialist

theocracy poverty Jesus

apologetics atheism moral argument

Mike argues it is philosophically irrational to charge God with immorality because God’s character is the very grounding of moral goodness, making the question of whether God could do something immoral logically incoherent, analogous to asking if a circle could be a square.

Response to non-believer asking whether there is anything God could do that would lead Mike to consider him immoral

Hebrews Paul Apollos Barnabas

Mike addresses the canonicity of Hebrews despite unknown authorship, arguing that inspiration does not require apostolic pen but apostolic teaching, and that the New Testament canon formed organically as first-century texts with apostolic content were recognized by the early church.

Response to viewer question about how Hebrews can be inspired if we do not know who wrote it

Brian Simmons Passion Translation Anti-supernatural bias

Framing the question: Does one fraudulent religious figure (Brian Simmons) justify skepticism about all religious authors, including the Gospel writers?

Question from Robert asks whether Brian Simmons being a "nut" should make us skeptical of Paul and the Gospel authors the same way.

James (brother of Jesus) Brian Simmons Paul the Apostle James (brother of Jesus)

Private vs. public religious experience: Brian Simmons's experiences are private; Jesus's resurrection appearances were witnessed by many simultaneously.

First major distinction between Brian Simmons and the apostles in the credibility comparison.

Empty tomb Paul the Apostle Enemy attestation

Endorsement circle comparison: Simmons is endorsed only within hyper-charismatic circles; the resurrection was affirmed even by hostile witnesses like Paul.

Second distinction in the Simmons-vs-apostles credibility argument.

Romans 1 Brian Simmons William Lane Craig Gary Habermas

Verifiability: Simmons's claims are provably false by checking the Greek text; the apostolic claims are historically robust.

Third distinction: the content of the claims can be tested.

Acts 12 Paul the Apostle Hallucination theory Peter the Apostle

Psychological profile of apostles: they were not prone to hallucinations or delusion; even Anthony Flew called Paul a first-rate philosopher.

Fourth distinction: the mental/psychological credibility of the witnesses.

Mormonism Joseph Smith Comparative religious epistemology

Proper epistemology: compare the quality of evidence for each religious claim rather than treating all religious claims equally.

Conclusion of the Brian Simmons / apostles comparison section.

Exodus 4:24 Moses Exodus 4:24 Circumcision

Background to Exodus 4:24 — circumcision as covenant sign and Moses's failure to circumcise his son.

Question from Dave Baran about why God sought to kill Moses in Exodus 4:24 and what Zipporah meant by "bloody husband."

Exodus 4:24 Moses Exodus 4:24 Circumcision

Exodus 4:24 interpreted: God's threat on Moses's life is a warning to leaders who are hypocrites — faithful in ministry but unfaithful in personal obedience.

Interpretation of why God sought to kill Moses before he led Israel out of Egypt.

Exodus 4:24 Exodus 4:24 Sanctification Leadership accountability

Application from Exodus 4:24: ministry success does not substitute for personal sanctification; leaders must take heed to themselves.

Personal application of the Exodus 4:24 passage for ministry leaders.

Ezekiel 29 Elijah Holy Spirit empowerment Holy Spirit indwelling

Holy Spirit in the Old vs. New Testament: Old Testament experiences were primarily empowerment for service; New Testament introduces indwelling.

Question from Elizabeth about the distinction between the Holy Spirit coming "upon" versus being "in" a person.

Romans 8 Ephesians 1:13 Abba Father Romans 8 Pentecost

Ephesians 1:13 — the sealing of the Spirit as the New Testament's distinctive: permanent relational indwelling as guarantee of inheritance.

Scriptural basis for the New Testament indwelling distinction.

Acts 4 Acts 4 Holy Spirit empowerment Holy Spirit filling

The "upon" experience continues in the New Testament alongside indwelling: Acts 4 prayer for boldness as a second coming of the Spirit upon believers already indwelt.

Reconciling Old Testament "upon" empowerment with New Testament reality.

Kenneth Copeland Kenneth Hagin Word of Faith movement

Kenneth Hagin and Word of Faith: extra-biblical systematizing of healing and glory produces a "cartoon image" of Christianity.

Question from Jordan Filler about Kenneth Hagin's "The Authority of the Believer."

Psalm 82 Psalm 82 Angels Angelology

Are angels immortal? Tentative view: angels appear to be immortal but the debate involves what state they are in rather than whether they cease to exist.

Question from Ricardo Sierra about whether angels are immortal and whether demons could defeat them.