Search — Theology Explorer

problem of evil moral argument for God Cameron Bertuzzi

Argument from morality as a compelling Christian argument: moral facts (e.g., torturing children for fun is wrong) require a grounding explanation

Cameron presents the moral argument as interesting for its emotional grip, parallel to the problem of evil

miracles divine intervention Scripture as sufficient revelation

Q&A: Why doesn't God interact visibly today as in Bible times? Mike's answer: miracles were always rare; God interacts spiritually now; the Bible establishes the foundation

Q&A question from "I'm Zen"

monotheism empty tomb post-resurrection appearances

Q&A: If an atheist accepts that a creator God exists, why should that God be the Christian God? Answer: cosmological arguments narrow the field to monotheism; historical evidence for the resurrection identifies Christianity specifically

Q&A question from Emily Towler about identifying which God among creation stories

forgiveness sin free will

Q&A: Why would God create a world where things can exist that go against his nature? Answer: free will theodicy and soul-building theodicy

Q&A question from Skyler about the existence of sin in a world created by a holy God

omnipotence perfect being theology soul-building theodicy

Q&A on omnipotence: can a perfect God bring about states of affairs that are less than perfect? Cameron: yes — the question confuses God's perfection with the value of created states of affairs

Q&A question from "P or not P" about omnipotence and perfection

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Chapters 4+ of the book present the tactics: primary tactic is to avoid facts and simply ask questions to instill doubt

Mike transitions to Boghossian's tactical section

Apologetics A Manual for Creating Atheists Street Epistemology

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Greg Koukl contrasts his book "Tactics" with Boghossian's book: both use questions, but Koukl cares about truth and intellectual virtue while Boghossian cares only about instilling doubt

Video clip from Greg Koukl (Stand to Reason)

Greg Koukl Stand to Reason A Manual for Creating Atheists

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

The distinction between asking questions and using questions: SE uses questions as tools for instilling doubt, not seeking answers

Mike synthesizes the previous clip and explains SE's fundamental problem

Street Epistemology Doubt Psychological manipulation

Acts of the Apostles Paul the Apostle early Christian persecution Acts of the Apostles

The book of Acts as a sustained narrative of persecution — Paul's pre-conversion role as persecutor and post-conversion experience of being persecuted

Persecution is the central recurring theme of Acts

Acts of Peter Acts 4 Tertullian apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle

Catalog of additional sources for Peter's martyrdom: Apocalypse of Peter, Ascension of Isaiah, Acts of Peter, Apocryphon of James, Dionysius of Corinth, Tertullian, Muratorian Canon

Demonstrating that Peter's martyrdom is attested by multiple independent streams of tradition

Acts 15 1 Corinthians 15 James the brother of Jesus Acts 15 1 Corinthians 15 James the brother of Jesus

James the brother of Jesus as the leader of the Jerusalem church; Acts 15 and 1 Corinthians 15 as key evidence for his role and resurrection witness

Transition to James as the third focal figure

James the brother of Jesus James the Just Luke 23:34 apostolic martyrdom Hegesippus James the brother of Jesus

Hegesippus account continued: James thrown from Temple pinnacle, stoned, and killed by a fuller's club; "forgive them for they know not what they do" echo; his burial near the Temple

The detailed narrative of James's death in Hegesippus

James the brother of Jesus James's pre-resurrection unbelief resurrection Paul the Apostle criterion of embarrassment

Three embarrassing facts that authenticate the disciples' sincerity: Peter's denial, James's pre-resurrection unbelief, and Paul's role as persecutor of the church

The criterion of embarrassment applied to the three key witnesses

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Shannon's question: if faith is trust with evidence, isn't it knowledge? Mike argues knowledge and faith can coexist

Q&A on the epistemology of faith

faith and knowledge epistemology of faith trust and allegiance

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

Matthew 6:14-15 has a direct and uncomfortable application; persistent unwillingness to forgive may be evidence of not being in Christ, not a cause of losing salvation

Response to question about applying Matthew 6:14-15 to life situations

Matthew 6:14-15 Philippians 2:13 assurance of salvation forgiveness Matthew 6:14-15

Acts 15 Matthew 5 Matthew 28 Acts 15 Hebrew Roots movement Matthew 5

Series structure announced: Matthew teachings today, then Acts, then Epistles

Winger lays out his multi-part teaching plan

Matthew 5:17 Matthew 5:17 pleroo prophetic fulfillment

After Jesus fulfills a prophecy, we do not continue to await its fulfillment—completion changes the expectation

Logical implication of fulfillment language

Matthew 10:5 Matthew 15:24 Matthew 6:32 Matthew 10:5 Matthew 15:24 Jewish audience of Jesus

Jesus's ministry was exclusively to Jews (Matt 15:24; Matt 10:5)—the Sermon on the Mount is a Jewish address, not a Gentile one

Contextual argument that Matthew 5 cannot be applied directly to Gentiles

Matthew 28:20 Hebrew Roots movement Great Commission Gentiles and the Law

Three problems with the Hebrew Roots use of Matthew 28: it misreads Matthew 5, ignores everything Jesus commanded, and contradicts how the Apostles actually applied it

Winger's three-pronged critique of the Matthew 28 argument

Acts 10 Acts 15 Acts 10 Acts 15 Gentile mission

Preview: Book of Acts will be examined next to show how the Apostles actually applied Jesus's commands regarding the Law

Transition to future installments of the series

Romans 14 Romans 14 Christian liberty conscience

Q&A: Are Jewish believers required to keep the Mosaic Law? No, but cultural/traditional practice may be permitted if not causing division

Nuanced pastoral answer about Jewish Christians and the Law

Acts 15:21 119 Ministries Gentiles and the Law Jerusalem Council

Q&A: Acts 15:21 is used by Hebrew Roots to justify Gentile Torah observance — Winger defers to full treatment next week

Preview of upcoming Acts 15 analysis

Acts 10 Acts 15 Acts 10 Acts 15 Hebrew Roots movement

Closing: Next week will cover the Hebrew Roots interpretation of Acts, especially Acts 10 and Acts 15

Series summary and next steps

1 Corinthians 4:17 Luke 1 Corinthians 16:10 Paul Timothy 1 Corinthians 4:17

Undesigned coincidence: 1 Corinthians 4 and Acts 19 — Timothy's route to Corinth

McLatchie gives an example of undesigned coincidences between Paul's epistles and the book of Acts, confirming Luke as Paul's traveling companion.

undesigned coincidences Lydia McGrew historicity of the Gospels

Lydia McGrew's book on undesigned coincidences

Winger references Lydia McGrew's scholarly work as a resource for deeper study on undesigned coincidences.

methodological naturalism Jonathan McLatchie historicity of the Gospels

General reliability of the Gospels and Acts as a fourth argument

Winger and McLatchie introduce the general historical reliability of the Gospels and Acts as an additional, related argument.

Acts 23:1-5 Josephus Jonathan McLatchie historicity of Acts

Acts corroboration: Ananias falsely acting as high priest — Acts 23

McLatchie gives a final Acts example showing extra-biblical corroboration explaining an apparent difficulty in the text.

1 Corinthians 15 Acts 1 Luke Craig Keener 1 Corinthians 15 resurrection of Jesus

Historical case for the resurrection — basis and overview

McLatchie introduces the historical argument for the resurrection of Jesus, which is the seventh main line of argument.

Acts 1 James the brother of Jesus John 7:5 Josephus resurrection of Jesus Acts 1

James the brother of Jesus — conversion from skeptic to martyr

McLatchie presents the conversion and martyrdom of James, Jesus's brother, as particularly strong evidence for the resurrection.

apologetics cumulative case apologetics Jonathan McLatchie

The cumulative case — power and robustness of multiple converging arguments

McLatchie explains the logic and strength of the cumulative case approach as the seventh and final major point.

Acts (book) Hebrew Roots movement contextual interpretation Law of Moses

Video agenda: honest survey of Acts to answer whether followers of Jesus should obey the Law of Moses

Introduction and framing of the video

Torah observance Hebrew Roots movement progressive revelation

Hebrew Roots movement defined: diverse group united by belief that all believers must obey Mosaic Law including dietary restrictions, Sabbath, and feast days

Series introduction and definition of the Hebrew Roots movement

Matthew 28 Paul the Apostle Gentiles Law of Moses

Three expectations if Jesus wanted obedience to Mosaic Law: (1) clear extension to Gentiles in his teaching, (2) Apostles teaching it to Gentiles in Acts, (3) Paul explicitly commanding it

Methodological framework for evaluating Acts

hermeneutics Torah observance Jewish believers

Two analytical questions for surveying Acts: (1) Did Jewish Apostles feel compelled to stop obeying the law? (2) Were Gentile converts taught to obey the law?

Analytical framework for the Acts survey

Acts 1:8 Judea Great Commission Acts 1:8 progressive revelation

Acts 1:8 establishes the progressive geographic expansion of the gospel: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, uttermost parts of the earth

Survey of Acts chapter 1

Acts 2:5 Acts 2:9-10 Pentecost Jewish believers Acts 2:5

Acts 2 Pentecost crowd is entirely Jewish or proselytes -- the question of Gentiles obeying the law never arises because all present already observed it

Survey of Acts chapter 2

Acts 2:46 Torah observance temple worship Acts 2:46

Key point: the 3,000 converts in Acts 2 did not take on Mosaic law as a result of following Jesus -- they were already observing it as Jews or proselytes

Analysis of early church composition

Acts 2:36 Acts 2:36 Peter (Apostle) Jewish audience

Acts 2:36 confirms Peter is addressing a Jewish audience (house of Israel), reinforcing that Acts 2 has no bearing on Gentile Torah observance

Analysis of Peter's Pentecost sermon audience

Acts 3:1 John (Apostle) Hebrews (book) temple worship Jewish believers Peter (Apostle)

Acts 3:1 -- Peter and John regularly attend the temple at the hour of prayer during a sacrifice, showing Jewish believers continued temple participation after believing in Jesus

Survey of Acts chapter 3

Acts 3:12 Acts 3:17 Acts 3:25-26 Messianic prophecy Abrahamic covenant Peter (Apostle)

Peter's sermon in Acts 3 is directed to 'men of Israel' -- Jewish-to-Jewish evangelism with a distinctly Jewish message connecting Jesus to Messianic expectation

Survey of Acts chapter 3 sermon

Torah observance Jewish believers early church

Church grows to ~5,000 in Acts 3-4, still entirely Jewish or proselyte. The default assumption is: continue doing what you were already doing regarding the law.

Summary observation from Acts 3-4

Acts 5:12 progressive revelation temple worship early church

Acts 5:12 -- Apostles gather at Solomon's Portico (temple area), reinforcing the entirely Jewish character of the early church. No abandonment of the law is visible.

Survey of Acts chapter 5

Acts 5:34-39 Gamaliel Sanhedrin Acts 5:34-39

Gamaliel's speech in Acts 5:34 -- a Pharisee teacher of the law advises the Sanhedrin to wait and see regarding the Apostles. The entire context remains Jewish.

Survey of Acts chapter 5, Sanhedrin confrontation

Acts 6:1 early church Acts 6:1 Hellenistic Jews

Acts 6: the Hellenistic Jews (Greek-speaking Jews) vs. native Hebrews dispute -- still entirely a Jewish internal matter; no Gentiles involved yet

Survey of Acts chapter 6

Acts 6:5 proselytes early church Acts 6:5

The seven deacons chosen in Acts 6 all have Greek names; one (Nicholas) is explicitly a proselyte. The Jerusalem church remains predominantly Jewish.

Acts 6:5 analysis

Acts 6:7 Jerusalem Acts 6:7 priestly converts

Acts 6:7 -- many priests become believers. The church's Jerusalem base and Jewish composition is further underscored.

Survey of Acts 6:7