Filter results by source database — Scripture Commentary, Theology, Mike Winger, or Pulpit. Click a tab to narrow to one database.

...more
All (226) Scripture Commentary (51) Theology (22) Mike Winger (151) Pulpit (2)
Mike Winger idea 2024-03-01

When does a boy become a man? Puberty too young, 18 workable, adulting principle preferred

Mike works through the age/manhood question for ministry application.

youth ministry defining manhood puberty
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Christian definition of God: eternal, unchanging spirit, omnipotent and omniscient from eternity — not a being who became God.

First vocabulary comparison: the word 'God.' Mike lays out the orthodox Christian view before contrasting it with the Mormon view.

doctrine of God divine aseity omnipotence
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Mormon definition of God: 'Heavenly Father,' a being who was once a man, died, was resurrected, and progressively became God — and has a wife.

The Mormon conception of God is radically different from the Christian one, beginning with the claim that God was once a human being.

Mormon theology Heavenly Father God was once a man
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Christian and Mormon concepts of God are mutually exclusive — not just different perspectives but contradictory definitions of what God is.

Mike wraps up the 'God' vocabulary section by emphasizing the incompatibility is categorical, not merely a difference of emphasis.

Mormonism vs. Christianity doctrine of God blasphemy
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Christian definition of Jesus: the eternal God made flesh, second person of the Trinity, one with the Father in being.

Second vocabulary comparison: the word 'Jesus.' Mike establishes the orthodox Christian Christology before presenting the Mormon alternative.

Trinity Christology incarnation
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Mormon definition of Jesus: born in the pre-existence as a spirit child of Heavenly Father and his wife, one of many spirit children — and Satan's brother.

The Mormon Jesus was not eternally pre-existent as God but was the first spirit-born child of the physical Heavenly Father and Mother.

Mormon Christology pre-existence spirit children
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Christian definition of the Trinity: three persons in one being — not three gods in one God. Mike introduces the Shield of the Trinity diagram.

Third vocabulary comparison: the word 'Trinity.' Mike introduces the classic visual diagram used to explain Trinitarian orthodoxy.

Trinity Shield of the Trinity three persons one being
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Mormon definition of the Trinity: three separate, distinct beings who are one only in purpose and doctrine — effectively polytheism.

Contrast between the Christian Trinity and the Mormon 'Godhead' — the Mormon version is tritheism, not Trinitarianism.

LDS.org tritheism Mormon Trinity / Godhead
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Christian monotheism: 'there is only one God' — meant literally. Mormon missionaries and teachers claim to affirm this, but use a different definition.

Fourth vocabulary comparison: the phrase 'only one God.' Mike recounts personal conversations with Mormon missionaries and seminary teachers in Utah.

Christian-Mormon dialogue monotheism Mormon polytheism
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Christian definition of exaltation: being with God forever in glorified human bodies — received by grace by every believer as part of salvation.

Eighth vocabulary comparison: 'exaltation.' The Christian meaning is simply eschatological union with God in resurrected bodies.

eschatology glorification Christian exaltation
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Mormon definition of exaltation: becoming a god, populating your own world with spirit children, and perpetuating the cycle of eternal progression infinitely.

The Mormon concept of exaltation goes far beyond Christian glorification — it involves deification and cosmic reproduction.

eternal progression spirit children LDS soteriology
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Christian definition of the gospel: the good news of forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection — sufficient for complete salvation.

Ninth vocabulary comparison: 'the gospel.' For Christians, the gospel is straightforward good news requiring faith, not works.

Christian soteriology gospel faith
Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Mormon definition of the gospel: a complex set of new teachings restored by Joseph Smith that must be learned and performed — not 'good news' but a difficult path.

The Mormon gospel adds a body of doctrine and performance requirements that make it not 'good news' in any conventional sense.

Pharisaism Joseph Smith works-based salvation
Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Greek 'theos' does not always refer to the God of Christian theology — it can mean any deity or powerful being

Extending the semantic range principle to 'God'

semantic range theos theological definition vs. dictionary definition
Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

The key question: does James use 'justified' in the theological sense or the dictionary sense?

Applying the semantic range principle directly to the James 2 debate

James 2 hermeneutics James 2 theological definition vs. dictionary definition
Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Definition of purgatory: a place or state after death where souls are cleansed and pay for sin before entering heaven

Basic doctrinal overview of what the Catholic Church teaches about purgatory

purgatory temporal punishment purification
Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Catholic apologetic response: the amulets were 'lucky charms' not idolatrous — Jimmy Akin's baseball sock analogy

Catholic attempt to neutralize the mortal sin problem in 2 Maccabees

eisegesis Catholic Answers idolatry
Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Mass hallucination theory refuted by fact I: hallucinations are individual, not shared; 1 Corinthians 15 cites 500 simultaneous witnesses

Systematic refutation of the mass hallucination theory

1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15 resurrection Richard Carrier
Mike Winger idea 2018-04-11

Reason 4 refuted: The psychological power of contradiction lists outweighs their actual evidential force; contradictions would not disprove inspiration anyway

The skeptic links to the Skeptic's Annotated Bible list of hundreds of alleged biblical contradictions.

James 2 James 2 inspiration tests biblical contradictions
Mike Winger idea 2018-08-22

Kim identifies heretics by three criteria — not observing Passover, celebrating Christmas, and having a cross — none of which relate to Jesus or the gospel

Chapter 4 of Kim's book. Pages 113, 115, and 117.

false gospel Joo-Cheol Kim Christmas
Mike Winger idea 2018-09-05

The 'never be rebuilt' clause: Phoenician Tyre was permanently destroyed. What replaced it was a Greek city under Alexander — a new foundation, new population, new identity — not a restoration.

This is the most debated element of the Tyre prophecy; Winger addresses it with historical citations.

Ezekiel 26 apologetics Bible prophecy Ezekiel 26
Mike Winger idea 2018-08-16

Colossians 2:8 and 1 Timothy 6:20 cited by Sye as warnings against 'false knowledge' not founded on Christ — supports the presup epistemological claim

Additional Pauline texts for presup epistemology

Colossians 2:8 1 Timothy 6:20 presuppositional apologetics Colossians 2:8 1 Timothy 6:20
Mike Winger idea 2018-10-17

Sin is always sinful — it is not divinely placed to guide humans; God works good through evil but that does not transform evil into good.

Q&A section: a viewer asks whether sin was placed to guide humans and poses the Adam and Eve hypothetical.

Adam and Eve sin Q&A
Mike Winger idea 2018-11-14

Anger is defined as an internal 'girling' feeling — a changed inner state that drives thoughts and actions.

Mike attempts a working definition of anger as the emotional/internal experience.

anger definition emotion
Mike Winger idea 2018-12-12

Zahnd's idol: a universalist Jesus who saves devout Muslims regardless of belief, contradicting Christ's own words

Winger reads Zahnd's 'Becky and Belkis' thought experiment from page 142 of the book, in which a devout Muslim woman is contrasted with a mean American Christian woman.

John-14-6 Luke-13-3 discernment salvation apologetics
Mike Winger idea 2018-12-19

Definition of repentance: turning from one direction to another

Brief definition offered in response to a viewer request

repentance faith metanoia
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

Opening thesis: defining faith as 'belief without evidence' is a disastrous mistake for Christianity

Mike opens the livestream by stating his core argument for the session.

faith belief without evidence Christian apologetics
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

Video clip montage: multiple skeptics and a Christian caller define faith as belief without evidence

Mike plays a compiled video showing both atheists and a Christian caller agreeing on this definition.

faith skepticism The Atheist Experience
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

A Christian caller's agreement with the 'faith = belief without evidence' definition hands skeptics a rhetorical victory

Mike analyzes the Atheist Experience clip where the atheist host anticipates the Christian caller's definition and immediately labels it 'gullibility.'

faith Matt Dillahunty gullibility
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

The 'faith = belief without evidence' definition makes Christians appear foolish and concedes the epistemic ground

Mike explains the rhetorical and theological consequences of accepting this definition.

faith Christian apologetics reasonable faith
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

Methodology: test the definition of faith against Scripture first, then the dictionary

Mike outlines his approach for the rest of the session.

hermeneutics faith apologetics methodology
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

Pivot to objections: addressing 'but what about?' passages that skeptics use to support the faith-without-evidence definition

Mike transitions from positive case to handling counter-passages.

Hebrews 11:1 Romans 1:19-20 John 20:24 apologetics methodology Hebrews 11:1 Romans 1:19-20
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

Hebrews 11:1 is a description of what faith looks like, not a definition of why or how we believe

Mike's core exegetical argument about the nature of Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:1 hermeneutics faith Hebrews 11:1
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

Skeptical objections to Christianity are often based on misunderstanding, misrepresentation, and bad scholarship rather than genuinely superior evidence

Mike's meta-level assessment of the state of skeptical arguments against Christianity.

evidence-based faith skepticism Christian apologetics
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

Dictionary definition of faith: Google's two definitions — 'complete trust or confidence' vs. 'strong belief based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof'

Mike moves from Scripture to the dictionary to examine the secular definition of faith.

personal testimony faith spiritual apprehension
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

Webster's dictionary definitions of faith: 'allegiance,' 'loyalty,' 'belief and trust in God' — the 'firm belief in something for which there is no proof' definition exists but does not represent biblical Christianity

Mike examines Webster's multiple definitions of faith.

faith Christian apologetics definition of faith
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

Why Christians accept the bad definition: 'sloppy thinking' — illustrated by the peanut butter sandwich experiment

Mike explains how well-meaning Christians end up using imprecise language that harms their apologetic position.

faith apologetics methodology sloppy thinking
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

Recommended apologetics ministries and resources for Christians who want a robust, evidence-based faith

Mike provides a resource list for viewers who want to deepen their apologetics.

Greg Koukl William Lane Craig apologetics resources
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-16

Closing summary: faith is simply trust; the reasons for faith are a separate discussion from the nature of faith itself

Mike's concluding definition and summary of the session.

evidence-based faith faith trust
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-23

Mother's life exception — ectopic pregnancy and similar cases are not 'abortion' by definition; they are pro-life decisions

Q&A — question about whether abortion is acceptable when the mother's life is at stake

pro-life bioethics mother's life exception
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-23

Heartbeat argument refuted — heartbeat is an arbitrary and inconsistent criterion for the beginning of life

Q&A — claim that life begins when the heartbeat starts

abortion heartbeat argument life begins
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-23

High-risk pregnancy (lupus) scenario — saving the mother is a pro-life position, not abortion by definition

Q&A — question about a mother with lupus whose life is endangered by pregnancy

pro-life mother's life exception abortion definition
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-30

1 John 3:4 — "sin is lawlessness" — Hebrew Roots argument: lawlessness = breaking Torah, therefore sin = breaking Torah, therefore obeying Torah is mandatory

Mike walks through the Hebrew Roots syllogism built on 1 John 3:4 in step-by-step form.

1 John 3:4 Law of Moses Torah Equivocation fallacy
Mike Winger idea 2019-01-30

Greek term anomia (lawlessness) does not exclusively mean violation of the Mosaic law — it has diverse NT usage

Mike makes a focused philological argument about the Greek word anomia.

1 John 3:4 Equivocation fallacy 1 John 3:4 Anomia
Mike Winger idea 2019-02-20

John 15: Jesus's own definition of apostolic witness "from the beginning"

Third Gospel parallel to Luke's and Acts's "from the beginning" language.

John 15 Luke 1:2 Acts 1:21 eyewitness testimony John 15 Luke 1:2
Mike Winger idea 2019-02-20

Q&A: 1 Corinthians 7:14 — "sanctified" is a dictionary term, not a theological one; no automatic salvation for unbelieving spouse

Q&A on the meaning of sanctification language in Paul's marriage instruction.

1 Corinthians 7:14 hermeneutics sanctification 1 Corinthians 7:14
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-13

Strong's Concordance is not a thorough Greek resource; Bible software lexicons provide better word definitions.

Mike explains methodology for Greek word study.

King James Version Bible study methodology Strong's Concordance
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-13

Metanoia definition: a complete change of thought, attitude, and behavior regarding sin and righteousness — not inherently grief.

Reading the lexical definition from Bible software.

2 Corinthians 7 metanoia 2 Corinthians 7 Repentance
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Definition of atheism debate: classical (affirming God does not exist) vs. modern redefinition as "lack of belief" to avoid burden of proof

Q&A question from Isaiah Armstrong about the definition of atheism

atheism epistemology burden of proof
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Chapter 2 of Boghossian's book is primarily about redefining terms to create cognitive filters

Mike begins his analysis of the book's chapter structure

A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian Street Epistemology