Search — Theology Explorer

John 5 mediator salvation Christology

Rejecting the deity of Christ is a salvation issue -- John 5 says dishonoring the Son dishonors the Father

Responding to Isaac Floyd's question about whether denying the deity of Christ is a salvation issue

Luke 23:34 2 Peter 3:9 Numbers typology cities of refuge high priest

Luke 23:34 'Father forgive them' likely refers to delayed judgment / forgiveness offered, not full salvific pardon

Responding to Reid's question about whether unbelievers are forgiven to some degree, referencing Luke 23:34

Christian ethics pastoral care sin nature

Responding pastorally to a parent whose daughter came out as bisexual: distinguish identity from sin, love without approval

Responding to 'Whatever is Lovely' whose daughter was baptized in 2018 then came out as bisexual in 2019

conspiracy theory Noahide Laws anti-Semitism

Noahide Laws conspiracy theory is rooted in anti-Semitism and misrepresents Jewish belief

Responding to John Ernest's question about whether Noahide Laws pose a threat to Christians

Romans 14 Lord's Supper Romans 14 Christian liberty

Unleavened bread at communion is symbolically important (sinlessness of Christ); alcoholic vs non-alcoholic wine is incidental

Responding to Kumbo Munsaka's question about whether alcoholic wine and unleavened bread are required at the Lord's Supper

1 John 1 John 2:1 Peter 1 John perseverance

Habitual sin and salvation: honest uncertainty, but the answer is always to press toward Christ rather than despair

Responding to Adriano's question about whether living in habitual sin from addiction while truly wanting to stop means he is unsaved

Matthew 5:20 imputed righteousness righteousness Sermon on the Mount

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 5:29 1 John 2:1 repentance hyperbole sin

Pluck out your eye (Matthew 5:29) vs. having an advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1)

A viewer asks how to reconcile the command to pluck out your eye with the promise of an advocate with the Father.

youth ministry evangelism Christlikeness

Advice for teenagers in the church — serve humbly, aim higher than leaders, evangelize peers

A teen asks for suggestions on how to contribute to the church.

word of wisdom word of knowledge prophecy

Cessationism vs. continuationism — Mike holds continuationism but respects cessationists

A viewer asks what Mike thinks about cessationists.

John 10:11 2 Corinthians 5:21 Mark 10:17-18 John 10:11 Ray Comfort deity of Christ

Mark 10:17-18 — Why does Jesus ask why he is called good? Implicit claim to deity

A viewer asks Mike to explain Mark 10:17-18, the rich young ruler passage.

2 Corinthians 6:14 marriage false gospel Catholicism

Can a Christian marry a Catholic? — Gospel distinction and the unequally yoked principle

A viewer asks whether a Christian can marry a Catholic.

eternal punishment conditional immortality hell

Annihilationism — Mike disagrees; critiques Chris Date and Rethinking Hell

A viewer asks if annihilationism is a Christian-condoned form of atheism.

1 Corinthians 7 Luke 14:26 1 Corinthians 7 discipleship Luke 14:26

Luke 14:26 — Forsaking family for Christ: hyperbole and ultimate priority, not literal abandonment

A viewer asks what Jesus meant by forsaking family and hating father and mother.

Genesis 1 Genesis 1 creation evolution

Can a faithful Christian be an evolutionist? — Yes, but with complications

A viewer (biochem grad student) asks if a faithful Christian can be an evolutionist.

Philippians 4 Romans 6 Proverbs 11:14 Philippians 4 Romans 6 pastoral counseling

Scriptures for believers needing deliverance — Romans 6 for sin, Philippians 4 for oppression

A viewer at 3am asks for scriptures for believers needing deliverance.

salvation gospel Catholicism

Catholic Church has the right Jesus but a distorted gospel — Mike recommends his Catholicism series

A viewer asks for discernment on the Catholic Church and how to know Jesus through it.

Christian ethics cultural engagement gender identity

Preferred pronouns — Mike cannot use false pronouns because it constitutes dishonest support of a delusion

A viewer asks whether Christians should use preferred pronouns as this becomes a larger cultural issue.

Matthew 24:15 Acts 1:7 Matthew 24:15 eschatology Martin Luther

Are we the last generation? — Acts 1:7 epistemic humility; abomination of desolation as one signpost

A viewer asks if Mike believes we are the last generation before Christ's return.

assurance of salvation Donald Trump Christianity and politics

Is Donald Trump a genuine Christian? — Mike's cautious non-assessment

A viewer asks if Mike thinks President Trump is a true believer.

Mormonism Jehovah's Witnesses comparative religion

Are other religions twisted versions of Christianity? — Depends on derivation vs. importation

A viewer asks whether other religions are twisted versions of Christianity.

Matthew 4 1 Peter 5:8 Ephesians 6:12 spiritual warfare Holy Spirit indwelling exorcism

Can a Christian be demonized or possessed? — No, the Spirit-indwelt believer cannot be internally possessed

A viewer asks if a Christian can be demonized and if Mike has ever cast out a demon.

Matthew 18:15-17 Galatians 6:1-2 false teaching church discipline mysticism

Handling a friend pursuing unbiblical mysticism — staged intervention using Galatians 6:1-2

Mike answers an emailed question from Nikki about a close Christian friend who keeps pursuing mystical and unbiblical things despite multiple conversations.

Matthew 5:13-16 salt and light gospel proclamation religious persecution

Standing up for faith before it is taken away — Christians always stand; democracy creates gospel opportunity

A viewer asks at what point Christians should stand up for their faith before it is taken away.

epistemology humility biblical scholarship

Epistemic humility in teaching: share conclusions only to the degree of confidence you actually possess

Question about how Mike knows when he has read enough secondary literature to teach a topic publicly.

1 Kings 21 Genesis 4 Exodus 20 theocracy 1 Kings 21 right to life

Biblical basis for rights to life, liberty, and property

Question asking for verses that imply life, liberty, and property are inalienable rights.

Acts 5:29 Acts 5:29 conscience civil disobedience

Christian liberty includes disobeying government when God's commands conflict with the state

Continued discussion of biblical liberty.

Romans 5:12 Romans 8:20-22 young earth creationism Fall of Man Romans 5:12

Death before the Fall: Romans 5 and 8 address human death, not animal death

Question about whether macro-evolution is consistent with Scripture given death entered through sin.

James 1:13-15 personal responsibility Satan sin

Temptation originates primarily from one's own sinful desires, not Satan — James 1:13-15

Question about whether all temptation comes from Satan/demons or from one's sinful self.

Romans 13 theocracy justice Romans 13

No single biblical form of government; Christianity fits any system through principles

Question about biblical support for monarchy and the Christian attitude toward it.

Christian liberty holiness Sabbath

Nerdy hobbies are reconcilable with Christianity if kept holy and in moderation

Question about whether hobbies like comics, video games, and tabletop games should be abandoned.

Romans 11 Abrahamic covenant Jewish people Romans 11

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 10:1-4 John 5:46 Moses soteriology Messiah

Dual covenant theology is unbiblical; Jewish people need Jesus — Romans 10:1-4 and John 5:46

Final question about whether Jews can be saved without believing in Jesus through a special covenant.

apologetics aliens and Christianity

Would aliens disprove Christianity? The real question is not whether aliens exist but what Christian belief would be lost if they did.

Opening topic of the 20 Questions livestream

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

epistemology aliens and Christianity biblical silence

The Bible neither affirms nor denies the existence of aliens; Christians can follow the evidence without a presuppositional commitment either way.

Does the Bible say anything about aliens?

salvation eternal life aliens and Christianity

A theological decision tree for highly intelligent alien life: the key first question is whether they are merely intelligent or also eternal beings.

Thought experiment on hypothetical intelligent alien life

salvation free will aliens and Christianity

If intelligent aliens are sinless, they may be analogous to unfallen angels - no salvation offered, just a place in God's plan without redemption.

Theological decision tree: sinless eternal aliens

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 6:9 Romans 6:10 atonement incarnation aliens and Christianity

Jesus is the only potential savior even hypothetically; a second incarnation-death-resurrection on another planet is ruled out by Romans 6:9-10.

Theological decision tree: how would aliens be saved?

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

federal headship Adam atonement

Speculative scenario: aliens made in the image of Adam (not directly God's image) could share in the fall and thus in Christ's redemption as a kind of extended humanity.

Theological decision tree: how Christ's death could extend to aliens

Ezekiel Ezekiel demonology apologetics

UFO sightings: the Christian worldview has a third explanatory option beyond aliens or government - angelic/demonic activity.

UFO sightings and Christian worldview

spiritual warfare apologetics UFOs

Some people abandon faith over UFO sightings because they do not consider alternative explanations like demonic activity; alien existence is not a defeater for Christianity.

Spiritual danger of UFO-driven deconversion

Many Christian doubts about heaven and death are psychological rather than intellectual; manufactured skepticism exploits unthought-through questions to create irrational doubt.

Question: can someone know for sure that heaven is real?

faith apologetics doubt

Abraham faith fulfilled prophecy

Biblical faith is not groundless belief but trust based on revelation and evidence; the response to psychological doubt is to exercise trust grounded in good reasons.

How to respond to psychological doubt

Judges hermeneutics Judges typology

The book of Judges follows a downward trajectory of increasingly flawed deliverers (Gideon → Jephthah → Samson) to show Israel's depravity and create expectation for the true Deliverer - Jesus.

Theological purpose of the book of Judges

Hebrew Roots Movement Gentiles covenant theology

Jewish feasts were commanded for Jews in Israel, not universally for all people; Gentiles were never given the Mosaic law and are not obligated to keep the feasts.

Question: why don't Christians celebrate Jewish holidays?

Romans 14 Romans 14 eschatology Hebrew Roots Movement

A future millennial observance of feasts does not obligate Christians now; present-tense New Testament teaching (Romans 14) is the relevant authority for current practice.

Millennial feast observance and current Christian obligation