Search — Theology Explorer

Acts 1:16-26 Judas,betrayal,foreknowledge,sovereignty,prophecy fulfillment,predestination,free will,apostolate,Matthias,Paul,twelve,lot,human initiative

Acts 1:16-26

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

John 17:12 Judas,son of perdition,sovereignty,foreknowledge,predestination,Scripture fulfillment,keeping

John 17:12

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis

Ephesians 2:8-9 soteriology,grace,faith,salvation,Calvinism,gift of God,purchased faith,works

Ephesians 2:8-9

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

John 12:32 soteriology,sovereignty,drawing,Calvinism,provisionism,universal atonement

John 12:32

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis

2 Peter 3:9 soteriology,sovereignty,drawing,Calvinism,provisionism,universal salvific will

2 Peter 3:9

Sections: debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

Isaiah 45:22 soteriology,sovereignty,drawing,Calvinism,provisionism,universal invitation

Isaiah 45:22

Sections: debate_points, exegesis

Philippians 2:5-11 kenosis,incarnation,Christ hymn,self-emptying,EFS,Trinity,morphē theou,equality with God,exaltation

Philippians 2:5-11

Sections: cross_references, debate_points, exegesis, greek_analysis

ἐπισκοπή (episkopē)

office, oversight, supervision

ὑπακούω (hypakouō)

to listen to, to hearken, to obey

πᾶς (pas)

all, every, each

הָפַכ לֶגּוֹמֵן (hapax legomenon)

a word used only once in the entire corpus; single-occurrence term

Mike Winger idea 2022-04-13

Fishing analogy: egalitarians reel in 'false positives' for women in leadership

Mike uses an analogy to describe the egalitarian evidence pattern.

false positives in exegesis egalitarian evidence critique

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-09

Burer responds to Bauckham's specific example critiques and addresses Chrysostom

Mike evaluates Burer's defense against Bauckham's objections.

John Chrysostom John Chrysostom Michael Burer Richard Bauckham

Mike Winger idea 2022-06-20

Warning against anachronism: modern categories like 'privilege' are not in Paul's mind

Mike flags the importation of modern concepts into biblical exegesis.

anachronism privilege exegetical method

Mike Winger idea 2022-06-20

Feminist/liberation theology reading of Scripture as anachronistic eisegesis

Mike labels the broader methodological issue.

anachronism feminist reading of Scripture liberation theology

Mike Winger idea 2022-03-28

The Numbers 12 passage is actually about God rebuking Miriam for usurping Moses's authority, not about her valued leadership.

Exegesis of Numbers 12

Numbers 12 Moses Miriam Numbers 12

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-10

JW misconception #3: Revelation 1:7 and 'every eye will see'

JW dismissal of the clearest statement about visibility

Revelation 1:7 Revelation 1:7 Every eye will see Literal interpretation

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-21

The Watchtower's three main biblical proof texts for the blood ban are Genesis 9:4, Leviticus 17:13-14, and Acts 15:29.

Mike transitions from historical/medical arguments to direct biblical exegesis of the passages the Watchtower uses.

Genesis 9:4 Leviticus 17:13-14 Acts 15:29 Watchtower Genesis 9:4 Leviticus 17:13-14

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

Pattern: end-of-world predictors always predict within their own lifetime and re-predict when the first date fails

Mike identifies a consistent behavioral pattern across all serial doomsday predictors.

eschatology false prophecy David Mead

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

The Bible is not a mystical puzzle; unauthorized numerological exegesis is a form of public sin requiring repentance

Mike issues a strong pastoral rebuke of Mead's method and calls it a public, accountable error.

eisegesis hermeneutics David Mead

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

Reason 3: We allow people to break interpretive rules when handling prophecy — eisegesis masquerading as exegesis

Third reason people fall for false predictions.

eisegesis hermeneutics prophecy interpretation

1 Corinthians 3 hermeneutics exegesis 1 Corinthians 3

Method: read 1 Corinthians 3, present the Catholic interpretation, then do verse-by-verse exegesis

Establishing the exegetical methodology for examining the passage

1 Corinthians 3:8 1 Corinthians 3:14 exegesis purification rewards

The key word in 1 Corinthians 3 is 'reward' (vv. 8 and 14), not purification — establishing the passage's actual theme

Verse-by-verse exegesis identifying the controlling theme of the passage

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 Paul discipleship Jesus Christ

The foundation metaphor: Jesus Christ is the foundation; building on it = post-salvation ministry to believers

Exegesis of 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 and the nature of building on the foundation

1 Corinthians 3:12 ministry works judgment

Gold, silver, precious stones vs. wood, hay, straw: quality of ministry, not purity of the person

Exegesis of 1 Corinthians 3:12 — the building materials metaphor

1 Corinthians 3:14-15 salvation purgatory rewards

1 Corinthians 3:14-15: rewards or loss, not purgatorial suffering — salvation is never in question

Exegesis of the closing verses of the passage

hermeneutics eisegesis sola scriptura

Eisegesis defined: reading a pre-existing doctrine into a text rather than letting the text speak for itself

Hermeneutical summary of the Catholic approach to both passages

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-16

Both men discuss the aftermath of 1 Kings 18 — the people and prophets respond differently; suppression-to-profession vs. unbelief-to-belief

Continued exegesis and debate over 1 Kings 18

Romans 1 1 Kings 18 Romans 1 knowledge of God suppression of truth

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-16

Debate over Proverbs 26:4-5: Sye says 'fool's folly' = atheism (Psalm 14:1); Winger says 'fool' in Proverbs is broader than just the atheist

Exegesis of Proverbs 26:4-5 in context of apologetic method

Proverbs 26:4-5 Psalm 14:1 hermeneutics atheism Proverbs 26:4-5

Mike Winger idea 2018-10-17

James 2:10 does not teach that all sins are identical; it teaches that breaking any one point of the law makes a person a law-breaker before the same Lawgiver — a relational, not equivalence, statement.

Mike addresses the primary proof-text used to argue all sin is the same and offers an exegesis that resolves the apparent tension.

James 2:10 James 2:11 Romans 3:23 hermeneutics exegesis James 2:10

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-01

Refutation: the only text Jim could be referring to is Jeremiah 10, written 600 years before Jesus — it describes carving a tree into an idol, not decorating a Christmas tree, and has nothing to do with New Testament Christianity or Roman practices

Mike carefully exegetes Jeremiah 10:1–5 to show what the passage actually means

Jeremiah 10 Old Testament exegesis idolatry

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-01

Q&A: Genesis 6:5 — 'every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually' — describes mankind as thoroughly corrupted, whether read hyperboliclaly (extreme wickedness) or literally (total moral collapse)

Question from Ricky Pickering

Genesis 6:5 hermeneutics exegesis sin

Romans 1:26-27 exegesis sin homosexuality

Romans 1:26-27 — the New Testament's clearest condemnation of homosexual behavior

Winger begins a brief but direct survey of key biblical passages on homosexuality, starting with Romans 1.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Matthew Vines homosexuality 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 arsenokoitai

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and the Greek terms for homosexual behavior — a direct condemnation with redemptive hope

Winger examines 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, which lists behaviors that disqualify people from inheriting the kingdom of God.

Genesis Matthew 19:4-6 marriage exegesis Genesis

Why Jesus didn't address homosexuality directly — and what he did say about marriage

Winger responds to the argument that Jesus' silence on homosexuality implies it's not a serious issue.

Matthew Vines Romans 1 hermeneutics homosexuality Greek exegesis

Refuting the 'temple prostitution' interpretation of Romans 1 with historical scholarship

Q&A question about whether Romans 1 only condemns exploitative or temple-based homosexuality, not loving committed same-sex relationships.

Matthew Vines Romans 1 hermeneutics eisegesis false teaching

Matthew Vines' approach to Scripture is driven by a prior commitment to affirm homosexuality, not honest exegesis

Q&A question about advocates like Matthew Vines who try to make homosexuality fit within Scripture.

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-17

Christians are not obligated either to have or to avoid Christmas trees — liberty of conscience

Applying the correct conclusion from the exegesis

Christmas trees Liberty of conscience Judging fellow believers

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-03

F.F. Bruce's distillation of the historical core in Hegesippus: James killed because he refused to deny that Jesus was the Messiah, threatening the political stability of the Jewish leadership

Scholarly evaluation of what the Hegesippus account preserves historically

James the brother of Jesus F.F. Bruce apostolic martyrdom Hegesippus

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Abraham and David in Romans 4 as Old Testament examples of justification apart from works

Exegesis of Romans 4 on OT salvation

Romans 4 Genesis 15:6 David Abraham Romans 4

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-01

Q&A: Is a particular heart condition needed to see the reliability of evidence? — Luke 10:23-24 discussed

Viewer asks about the relationship between spiritual state and ability to assess evidence.

Luke 10:23-24 Hardened heart Apologetics and spiritual condition Luke 10:23-24

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

John 20:17 — 'Do not cling to me' means do not grasp or hold on, not 'do not touch'; the Greek haptomai connotes holding on, explaining why Jesus also allowed Thomas to touch him later

Response to question about why Jesus would not let Mary touch him but later allowed Thomas to touch him

John 20:17 Mary Magdalene John 20:17 Thomas

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

The word "fulfill" (pleroo) in Matthew 5:17 does not mean "confirm and continue"—it means "accomplish" or "achieve its intended end"

Exegesis of the key term in Matthew 5:17

Matthew 5:17 Matthew 5:17 abolish vs. fulfill pleroo

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

Matthew 5:18 (not a jot or tittle will pass) is about how the Law will not be stripped piecemeal, not about its perpetual applicability

Exegesis of Matthew 5:18 against the Hebrew Roots reading

Matthew 5:18 Pharisees Matthew 5:18 iota and tittle

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

Summary of Matthew 5 exegesis: Law fulfilled (completed), not abolished; accomplished in totality, not stripped piece by piece; not relaxed but done

Winger's three-point summary of Matthew 5:17-19

Matthew 5:17-19 abolish vs. fulfill pleroo Matthew 5:17-19

Romans 6:14 119 Ministries under the law Romans 6:14

119 Ministries' interpretation of Romans 6:14 is the specific target of the episode

Naming the opposing interpreter

Romans 6:14 hermeneutics exegesis Law of Moses

Winger's critique: 119 Ministries compares "the law of X" phrases to the unqualified phrase "the law"

First critique of 119 Ministries' method

Romans 6:14 dominion exegesis 119 Ministries

119 Ministries subtly changes the wording of Romans 6:14 from "dominion" to "under sin"

Third interpretive move: textual alteration

Romans 6:14 dominion Greek exegesis Romans 6:14

Greek word analysis: kyrieuō (dominion) vs. hypo (under) in Romans 6:14

Greek word-level critique of 119 Ministries' interpretation