Search — Theology Explorer

Calvinism Sola Scriptura Reformed Theology

Mike affirms the Five Solas but says they do not make him a Calvinist

Mike clarifies his relationship to Reformed theology before walking through TULIP.

Genesis 6:3 Holy Spirit Calvinism TULIP

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

First point of TULIP addressed in detail.

Calvinism Arminianism Total Depravity

Regeneration precedes faith — the core of Calvinism, which Mike rejects

Mike identifies what he sees as the single unifying point underlying all five TULIP points.

Exodus Gospel of John Calvinism Exodus

Divine hardening in John's Gospel as a challenge to Calvinist Total Depravity

Mike argues divine hardening is inconsistent with Total Depravity.

Unconditional Election — Mike partly affirms, partly rejects

Second point of TULIP addressed.

Calvinism Molinism TULIP

Calvinism Free Will Election

Corporate view of election and God's foreknowledge conditioned on faith

Mike's alternative to Calvinist individual unconditional election.

James White John Owen James White Calvinism TULIP

Limited Atonement — Mike firmly rejects it

Third point of TULIP addressed.

Calvinism TULIP Total Depravity

Irresistible Grace — Mike rejects it as the mirror image of Total Depravity

Fourth point of TULIP addressed.

Hebrews 6 Hebrews 10 Hebrews 4 Calvinism Apostasy Hebrews 6

Perseverance of the Saints — Mike is unresolved, not firmly opposed

Fifth and final point of TULIP addressed.

Calvinism TULIP Free Will

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

Mike summarizes his overarching critique of Calvinism.

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

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.

Isaiah 6 Romans 9 Genesis 25 election Moses Abraham

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

Mike affirms free-will salvation against Calvinism but insists rejection of Calvinism must be theological, not emotional

Mike gives his own position on Calvinism while counseling the questioner.

election Calvinism free will

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-30

John 3 born-again analogy: the Calvinist 'you don't choose to be born' argument is overextended

Question from Chris Glynn about whether John 3's born-again analogy implies no human choice in regeneration.

John 3 Calvinism born again regeneration

John MacArthur John MacArthur Calvinism gifts of the Spirit

John MacArthur — appreciation as a gospel champion; cautious about Strange Fire conference

A viewer asks Mike's opinion of John MacArthur.

Calvinism Molinism middle knowledge

Molinism — middle knowledge reconciles divine sovereignty and human free will

A viewer asks about Molinism as a worldview for reconciling sovereignty and free will.

Romans 10:13 election Calvinism soteriology

Does God choose who is saved? — Both election and free will are simultaneously true

A viewer asks how to understand salvation as a gift if God chooses who receives it.

James White Romans 1 James White Calvinism Romans 1

James White's upcoming Calvinism response — Mike's posture of learning; concern about misrepresentation of Romans 1 argument

Mike closes by addressing James White's upcoming video response to his Calvinism video.

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

God's hardening of hearts: temporary, judgment-related, not arbitrary — non-Calvinist reading

Continuing Q15 — part about those God hardens, blasphemers, and people in hell

Romans 9 Exodus 4-14 Calvinism free will Romans 9

Mike Winger idea 2018-10-31

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

James White Mormonism theodicy James White

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

American Gospel 2 — mixed review: strong on exposing progressive Christianity, but overstates Calvinism as the solution and was harder to follow structurally.

Question from Derek Beeler about the final 10 minutes of American Gospel 2 and the claim that God's purpose is solely his own glory with humans as incidental.

Calvinism God's glory American Gospel (film)

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Q2: Do we have free will? Mike asserts strong yes — biblically, intuitively, and philosophically supported

Viewer Lace Buck Corny asks about free will, sovereignty, and whether punishment is just if we lack free will.

James 1 Genesis 4 James 1 Calvinism free will

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Q12: Are big-name Calvinists arrogant and unloving? Mike pushes back on the generalization while acknowledging a real temptation within Calvinism

Viewer Steve Carruthers claims big-name Calvinists in general are arrogant and unloving and asks if this disqualifies them.

John Piper John Piper ad hominem Calvinism

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-19

Romans 9:20-23 — the potter/clay passage as Calvinist proof-text on election

Romans 9 is the parallel passage using the same potter/clay imagery but in a different theological context — election and salvation, not Christian conduct.

Romans 9:20-23 election Calvinism total depravity

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-19

The two vessel passages should not be conflated — different contexts, different applications

Mike's conclusion: 2 Tim 2:20-21 and Romans 9 use the same metaphor for different purposes and cannot be merged to make a doctrinal argument about total depravity.

2 Timothy 2:20-21 Romans 9:20-23 hermeneutics sanctification Calvinism

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-22

Why God creates people he foreknows will reject him

Our Fish asked why God would create people he knows will not choose him.

Matthew 13:24-30 free will theodicy problem of evil

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-22

God is in control: sovereignty without divine determinism

Wade Nelson asked whether "God is in control" is a meaningless platitude implying divine determinism.

Ephesians 1:11 Calvinism free will providence

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-05

Romans 8:29-30 — the Golden Chain of Redemption: foreknew, predestined, called, justified, glorified; Calvinist and non-Calvinist interpretations

Brief overview of the golden chain; Mike declines a full treatment and refers to his Romans series

Romans 8:29-30 election Calvinism free will

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-05

People disagreeing about Scripture does not make Scripture contradictory — this argument has no force

Responding to the objection that different schools of thought (eschatology, Calvinism) supported by Scripture prove Scripture is contradictory

hermeneutics apologetics biblical contradictions objection

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-05

Calvinism functionally treats faith as a work, which drives its theological conclusions toward unconditional election and regeneration preceding faith

Explaining Mike's specific critique of Calvinism in the context of why schools of thought differ

Calvinism total depravity faith as a work

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

1 Peter 1:3 and the rejection of total depravity — God causes regeneration, but faith is not causal

Question from Joshua Stuckey about how Winger reads 1 Peter 1:3 given his rejection of total depravity.

1 Peter 1:3 R.C. Sproul Arminianism Regeneration

Mike Winger idea 2020-08-07

Calvinism and free will: Mike isn't a Calvinist. He believes in genuine human free will while also affirming God's sovereignty. The key issue: does God determine every single human decision (Calvinist compatibilism) or do humans have genuine libertarian choice? Mike believes libertarian free will better fits Scripture and makes better sense of God's commands, judgments, and the problem of evil.

Calvinism and free will — Mike's position

Calvinism free will Calvinism

Mike Winger idea 2020-08-14

Mike discusses the American Gospel documentary films. Both are valuable against prosperity gospel and progressive distortions, but both have a strong Calvinist slant — especially the second film. Mike (a non-Calvinist) was included in film 2 to round things out but was surprised by how strongly Calvinistic it came across.

American Gospel films — valuable but Calvinistic

Calvinism Calvinism American Gospel film

Mike Winger idea 2020-08-21

John 6:44 ("No one can come to me unless the Father draws him") — Mike's non-Calvinist interpretation: the "drawing" is God's OT revelation through the prophets. Jesus came to the Jews who had already been receiving God's word. Those who responded to the Father's prior revelation naturally accept Jesus; those who rejected it naturally reject Jesus. John 5: "if you believed Moses, you'd believe me, for he wrote about me." This is about Jews rejecting their own Messiah, not about irresistible grace or total depravity.

John 6:44 — non-Calvinist interpretation

John 5:46 John 6:44 Calvinism Calvinism John 5:46

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

Tim Stratton's journey from cage-stage Calvinist determinist to Molinist — catalyzed by noticing atheists calling themselves "free thinkers" while denying free will, and Calvinists doing the same in reverse.

Stratton's background and what sparked his research

Calvinism Molinism Calvinism

Mike Winger idea 2021-06-04

Should I Attend a Calvinist Church?: The church that I currently attend is in search of a new pastor, and the one that will be voted in is a Calvinist. I don't agree with Calvinism and question if I can submit to his authority/teaching. What do I do? Stay? Go? I don't want to be divisive but want to stand on God's truth in love.

Q&A question: Should I Attend a Calvinist Church?

Calvinism pastoral ministry submission in marriage

Mike Winger idea 2022-01-28

Does God Grant People Faith? / Calvinism: How would you interpret the end of Matthew 11 in a non-Calvinist way, since it seems at a quick read to me that God grants people faith?

Q&A question: Does God Grant People Faith? / Calvinism

Matthew Calvinism Matthew

Mike Winger idea 2022-02-04

Refuting a Calvinist Interpretation: I am not a Calvinist, but I am having a very hard time finding a non-Calvinist interpretation of Acts 13: 48.

Q&A question: Refuting a Calvinist Interpretation

Acts 13 Calvinism Acts 13

Mike Winger idea 2022-03-11

Reformed Theology vs. Calvinism: What’s the difference between “Reformed theology” and Calvinism? It seems like the two are different, but also the same. Just curious to know all the different groups within this body of believers.

Q&A question: Reformed Theology vs. Calvinism

Mike Winger idea 2022-04-08

Does John 6 Teach Faith as a Work?: I recently watched your Calvinism series and you didn't address John 6: 28-29 where Jesus calls belief "work.” I don't think it defeats Romans 3: 27. What do you think?

Q&A question: Does John 6 Teach Faith as a Work?

John 6 Romans 3 Jesus Calvinism John 6

Mike Winger idea 2022-12-02

Study Resource Recommendations: Are there any non-Calvinist Systematic Theology books you recommend?

Q&A question: Study Resource Recommendations

Mike Winger idea 2023-03-17

How to Pray for Unbelievers: I don’t believe Calvinism is biblical, but I find that my prayers for unbelievers often sound Calvinistic: “Change their hearts, bring them to You,” etc. How should we pray for unbelievers' salvation?

Q&A question: How to Pray for Unbelievers

salvation prayer Calvinism

Mike Winger idea 2023-05-26

1 Jn. 2:2 & Limited Atonement: Doesn't 1 John 2:2 blow the Calvinist doctrine of Limited Atonement straight out of the water?

Q&A question: 1 Jn. 2:2 & Limited Atonement

1 John 2 1 John 2:2 atonement Calvinism 1 John 2

Mike Winger idea 2023-06-09

Does Titus 3:5 Teach Calvinism?: What is a non-Calvinist way of understanding regeneration in Titus 3:5?

Q&A question: Does Titus 3:5 Teach Calvinism?

Titus Titus 3:5 Titus Calvinism Titus 3:5

Mike Winger idea 2023-09-15

Should We Avoid Semi-Pelagianism?: I'm a Calvinist, and recently I have been noticing Semi-Pelagian theology in Arminian churches. Can you distinguish between the two and explain why we should avoid Semi-Pelagianism?

Q&A question: Should We Avoid Semi-Pelagianism?

Mike Winger idea 2024-02-23

Does Acts 13 Prove Calvinism?: I'd like to hear your thoughts about Acts 13: 48. It seems to contradict the idea that God wants everyone to be saved and that everyone has the same opportunity/free will to believe in Him.

Q&A question: Does Acts 13 Prove Calvinism?

Acts 13 Calvinism Acts 13 free will

Mike Winger idea 2024-03-15

Winger defends his call for egalitarians to repent, distinguishing it from Calvinism disagreements because egalitarianism directly harms marriages and church leadership structure. He also calls patriarchalists to repent for teaching women are inherently more easily deceived.

Q&A question from someone who agrees egalitarians should repent but asks if the same applies to Calvinism as a secondary issue.

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

Mike Winger idea 2024-06-21

Biblical Support for Calvinism?: What's up with Isaiah 63: 17? Is this a bullet in the Calvinist gun?

Q&A question: Biblical Support for Calvinism?

Isaiah Isaiah Calvinism

Mike Winger idea 2024-07-19

Does Blas. of the Spirit Debunk Calvinism?: Is the fact that we can commit Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit proof that Calvinism is false?

Q&A question: Does Blas. of the Spirit Debunk Calvinism?