Search — Theology Explorer

testimony epistemology faith and reason

Nearly all human knowledge rests on testimony from credible witnesses, not direct personal observation

Defending testimony as a valid epistemological category in response to empiricist objections

1 John 5:9-10 epistemology witness of the Holy Spirit 1 John 5:9-10

God's witness is categorically greater than human testimony because God has all knowledge and cannot lie

Logical grounding for why the Spirit's witness has epistemic priority

atheism epistemology faith and reason

It is epistemically wrong to require Christians to answer every argument or question before their faith is valid

Critique of the epistemic standard often imposed by internet atheism

atheism epistemology witness of the Holy Spirit

Internet atheism often operates by demanding unanswerable questions rather than engaging arguments honestly

Sociological and spiritual observation about common atheist engagement tactics

Mormonism Book of Mormon epistemology

The Mormon burning-in-the-bosom claim does not undermine the Christian's witness of the Spirit

Responding to the classic objection that the Spirit's witness is unreliable because others claim the same for false religions

1 Corinthians 15:3-8 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 eyewitness testimony knowing vs. showing

1 Corinthians 15:3-8: the apostles argued historically for the resurrection by listing eyewitnesses

NT case study showing apostles using evidential showing to establish what they already knew

John the Baptist John the Baptist faith miracles as evidence

John the Baptist's doubt from prison: Jesus responded with fresh evidence rather than rebuke

NT case study: how Jesus handled the doubt of a believer who already had abundant witness

apologetics spiritual maturity witness of the Holy Spirit

Mature Christians who feel no need for apologetics are spiritually healthy, not deficient

Reframing common apologetics-community frustration with Christians who seem uninterested in evidence

Galatians evangelism Galatians Ray Comfort

Ray Comfort's law-first gospel presentation is thoroughly biblical, though not required to be mechanical

Q&A: evaluation of Ray Comfort's evangelistic methodology

Galatians 1 Galatians 1 soteriology Torah

Messianic believers who add Torah observance as a requirement for salvation are condemned by Galatians 1

Q&A: brief assessment of Messianic Judaism

1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians church discipline fellowship

Gospel-level error requires breaking fellowship; lesser errors require wisdom and church leadership

Q&A: pastoral guidance on when doctrinal disagreement becomes a fellowship-breaking issue

evangelism relational evangelism

When a family member refuses to discuss God, build relational bridges rather than forcing spiritual conversations

Q&A: pastoral advice on evangelism to hostile family members

prophecy witness of the Holy Spirit divine communication

Everything genuinely from God is true; the problem is misidentifying non-divine impressions as God speaking

Q&A: pastoral guidance on how to handle perceived divine guidance that turns out to be wrong

Holy Spirit epistemology faith and reason

Proper logic and reason will never contradict genuine faith; apparent conflicts come from reasoning errors, not from reason itself

Q&A: whether logic can grieve the Holy Spirit

Romans 1-2 Joshua 7 divine judgment Romans 1-2 wrath of God

God's severe OT judgments are iconic examples of how extreme sin is, not normative patterns; wrath is mostly being delayed

Q&A: explaining the apparent harshness of divine judgment in the OT vs. NT

New Covenant tithing Old Testament law

Tithing at 10% is not a biblical New Testament requirement, though generous giving absolutely is

Q&A: whether the tithe is biblically mandated for Christians

evangelism apologetics atheism

When an atheist asks context-free gotcha questions and refuses to engage answers, move on

Q&A: strategy for handling an atheist who uses OT verses as traps without wanting real dialogue

evangelism apologetics knowing vs. showing

Closing exhortation: trust the Spirit's witness for your own confidence; use evidence to invite others to seek the Lord

Summary and call to application, including a direct appeal to non-believing viewers

Matthew 22:30 resurrection eschatology Matthew 22:30

No marriage in heaven does not mean demotion — relationships will be closer and better in the resurrection

Question: Since there is no marriage in heaven, will married couples be strangers? Mike addresses Matthew 22:30.

Revelation Isaiah biblical hermeneutics Revelation Isaiah

Scriptural language about things not being "remembered" in heaven means no bitter grief, not literal loss of memory

Side note during the heaven/marriage question, addressing a teaching that people will have no memories in heaven based on Isaiah.

soteriology free will Calvinism

Mike does not hold to full Calvinist total depravity; the key disagreement is whether fallen humans can respond to the Holy Spirit's call

Question from Jason Staub about conditional election, prevenient grace, and total depravity — if Christ dies for all, why must a sinner overcome unbelief on their own?

Romans 1 Holy Spirit conscience soteriology

No one overcomes unbelief "on their own" — God uses general revelation, conscience, and the Holy Spirit to call everyone

Continuing the conditional election question — answering the specific sub-question of why a sinner must overcome unbelief "on their own."

2 Corinthians 5:17 salvation Satan spiritual warfare

A childhood "blood pact with Satan" has no power over someone who trusts in Christ — the cross cancels all such claims

Question about a friend who at age 12 signed his soul over to Satan in a blood pact and now feels he cannot be saved.

Proverbs 16:4 hermeneutics Molinism middle knowledge

Proverbs 16:4 is a text that theological grids are read INTO, not a proof text for either Calvinist determinism or open theism

Question from Tobias about whether Proverbs 16:4 suggests God predestined the wicked for condemnation.

healing false prophecy pastoral care

When a Christian falsely promises healing and the person dies, address the false prophet privately in love; be present for the sick person without making promises

Question from Alex M about how to speak to someone dying of cancer whose hope was falsely raised by another Christian claiming God said the cancer would not return.

discernment charismatic gifts prophecy

Strong feeling is not the same as God speaking — this applies to believers and non-believers alike

Closing comment on the false prophecy / healing question.

In the New Testament, "kurios" (Lord) replaces "Yahweh" — this is standard Greek translation convention, reflected in English by small-cap LORD

Question from Zanet about the Mark series — why is "Yahweh" rendered as "kurios" (Lord) in the Greek NT, and whether that changes the meaning.

Mark Mark kurios Yahweh

Jeremiah 29:11 hermeneutics prosperity gospel Israel

Jeremiah 29:11 is often misapplied as a personal prosperity promise; properly applied, it points to eternal hope in the New Covenant

Question from Brandi about whether verses like Jeremiah 29:11, written to Israel, apply to Christians today.

discernment wisdom Christian education

When at a liberal university with false Bible teaching, prepare to refute — don't fight every battle prematurely

Question from Nathaniel at a liberal Christian university where Scripture and the gospel are consistently undermined.

Mark 10 atonement soteriology works-righteousness

Jesus did not teach salvation by works — Mark 10 (rich man) demonstrates the impossibility of works-righteousness and points to Christ's atoning sacrifice

Question from "A Pig with 100 Subscribers" about the apparent tension between Paul (saved by faith, not works) and Jesus (enter kingdom by following commandments).

Acts Matthew 28:18-20 Great Commission discipleship baptism

The Great Commission applies to all Christians at some level; discipleship includes both evangelism (initiation) and ongoing teaching

Question from Cass Magnuson about how Matthew 28:18-20 applies to individual Christians and what making a disciple involves.

discipleship personal testimony pastoral ethics

Mike declines to share his full personal testimony out of love for family members whose failures would be exposed publicly

Question from ZZ asking Mike to share his testimony and struggles as a new believer.

salvation ethics pastoral care

Suicide does not automatically mean loss of salvation; Christians can and do commit terrible sins — but suicide harms others profoundly

Question from Miguel about whether a true believer who commits suicide in a moment of weakness can still be saved.

Roman Catholicism church history marriage

Catholic claim that marriage outside the Church is invalid is wrong — it is not sacramental but is still a real marriage; the Catholic doctrine of 7 sacraments is historically late

Question from Lindsey whose husband's Catholic family claims they are not really married because they were not married by the Catholic Church.

1 Timothy 2:12-15 women in ministry hermeneutics complementarianism

1 Timothy 2:12-15 restricts women from the pastoral/authority role in the church, but does not prohibit co-ed Bible study or women's ministry generally

Question from Seanya about whether 1 Timothy 2:12-15 makes co-ed Bible studies unbiblical and how it affects women's ministry.

submission church leadership pastoral care

A church with a single pastor and no elders should seek plurality of leadership; address the concern privately and graciously with the pastor

Question from Michael Francisco about a church with one pastor who teaches everything and no elders — how to raise the concern.

Galatians hermeneutics Galatians Sabbath

Christians are not under the Mosaic Law including the Sabbath; they are under the law of Christ and walk by the Spirit

Question from Cetl P about why Christians do not keep the Sabbath even though it is in the moral law and written by God's finger on stone.

1 Samuel 28 1 Thessalonians 4 Mary Roman Catholicism Samuel

Praying to the dead is forbidden — the 1 Samuel 28 (Saul/Samuel) incident is a divine rebuke, not a model; this applies to Catholic prayers to saints

Question from Elizabeth about 1 Samuel 28 (Saul consulting the medium to contact Samuel) and Catholic prayers to Mary and saints.

Mark Luke Matthew 21:1-8 Gospel harmonization Mark Luke

Matthew 21 has two animals at the Triumphal Entry while Mark and Luke have one; the young donkey points to Jesus's sacrificial nature

Q from Flora about why Matthew 21:1-8 mentions both a donkey and a colt while other Gospels only mention one animal.

1 Corinthians 5 John 3:3 1 Corinthians 5 salvation sin

A Christian can struggle with addiction and still be born again; Christians struggle with sin

Q from Christian Liang about whether an addiction sufferer can be born again and saved.

repentance sanctification pastoral care

Pastoral counsel for Christians with habitual sin: radical repentance, not patchwork solutions

Q from Ariane Nisha about how to pray for a believer not walking with God due to habitual sin and lack of intimacy with God.

Proverbs 1 Corinthians 12 word of wisdom wisdom prayer

God gives wisdom primarily through Scripture, secondarily through the word of wisdom gift and through other believers

Q from Will Kozab about how God replies when you ask him for wisdom—does he send thoughts?

Hebrews 6:4 eternal security apostasy Hebrews 6:4

Hebrews 6:4 requires thorough study; Mike plans a verse-by-verse Hebrews series after Mark

Q from Jeff Shoemaker asking about Hebrews 6:4 and whether it refers to backsliding or losing salvation.

Ephesians 4:26 social media righteous anger Ephesians 4:26

Righteous anger is anger that is rightly caused and rightly applied; Ephesians 4:26 is the governing principle

Q from Naomi Yurkov about what righteous anger is biblically and when it applies to humans.

John 6 Council of Trent doctrinal development communion

Communion/eucharist: real and important but not transubstantiation; early church writings are secondary to Scripture; John 6 is not about communion

Q from Chris Middleton about Mike's views on communion/eucharist and how much weight early church writings should carry.

Matthew 24:36 typology no one knows the day or hour eschatology

Rapture at the Feast of Trumpets: possible hint from typological fulfillment of feasts, but undermined by "no one knows the day or hour"

Q from Andrej about whether there is reason to think the Rapture will occur during the Feast of Trumpets.

Genesis 2 Numbers 30 Genesis 2 honoring parents parental authority

Parental authority over adult children: diminishes naturally with age; adult children make their own decisions while still honoring parents

Q from Joel Larson about how much authority a father has over adult children, and whether it differs for sons vs. daughters.

1 Samuel 28 Deuteronomy 32 Psalm 82 Michael Heiser monotheism 1 Samuel 28

Michael Heiser: highly commended as a scholar-communicator; divine council theory (Deut 32, Ps 82) personally rejected but engagement required

Q from David Hinnebog asking for comment on Michael Heiser and his divine council theory.