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All (184) Scripture Commentary (102) Theology (20) Mike Winger (58) Pulpit (4)
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Jeremiah 28:9: the test of a true prophet is whether his words come to pass — an evidential approach to prophetic verification

Third OT narrative example of knowing vs. showing, this time about prophetic credentials

Jeremiah Jeremiah 28:9 Jeremiah prophecy miracles as evidence
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Should two Christians who fornicated marry? — Consider it, but do not treat marriage as a required patch on the sin

Question from Spazzy Jazzy about rectifying fornication through marriage.

Exodus 22:16-17 Deuteronomy 22 marriage repentance fornication
Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Paul rebuked Peter publicly in Galatians 2 because his behavior impacted the whole community

Mike shows a biblical precedent for public confrontation of a leader

Galatians 2 Paul Peter Galatians 2
Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Francis Collins is cited as an example of a Christian who holds evolutionary creation yet is genuinely saved

Mike illustrates that believing in evolution does not automatically equal rejection of Christ

salvation evolution creation debate
Mike Winger idea 2020-11-20

Upcoming Passion Translation critique project with scholarly interviews

Mike previews December content plans.

textual criticism Bill Johnson Bible translation
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-11

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

UFO sightings and Christian worldview

Ezekiel Ezekiel demonology apologetics
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-11

Using frequency of tongues-speaking as a spiritual credential is spiritually abusive; Mike refuses to disclose personal charismatic experiences in that context.

Spiritual abuse in hyper-charismatic circles around tongues-speaking

1 Corinthians 12 tongues charismatic theology gifts of the Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Baptism does not require a perfect or specially credentialed person — find a genuine Christian you respect and be baptized; Jesus saves, not the baptism or the baptizer.

Practical baptism advice for the former JW questioner.

Baptism Sacramentology Salvation — Faith not Ritual
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-15

Paul's conversion is credible because it was Apostolically ratified and his gospel was identical to the Twelve's — Joseph Smith fails both tests

Question from Summer Monsoon about apologetics for Paul's conversion vs. Joseph Smith's claimed vision.

Galatians 2 2 Peter 3:16 Galatians 2 Mormonism Joseph Smith
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

Praying for the salvation of the deceased: not immoral as described, but lacks biblical authorization and is questionable in effect.

Question from "Nothing Much" about retroactive prayer for someone who has already died.

Prayer for the dead Purgatory God's relationship to time
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Q11: Who can perform baptism? Scripture gives no explicit rule but establishes community precedent; a parent can baptize a child

Viewer 'Skirt Bobcat' asks who is authorized to perform baptism and whether a parent can baptize their children.

Paul the Apostle church authority baptism
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-19

David's music drives away Saul's harmful spirit — a type of exorcism

David is summoned to play the lyre and the harmful spirit departs from Saul, suggesting an early OT proto-exorcism.

Psalm 91 1 Samuel 16:23 David exorcism Psalm 91
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-04

The Passion Translation is not a real translation — scholars hired by Winger unanimously agree it contains fabrications and mistakes, not genuine Hebrew/Greek insights.

Responding to a Twitter question from Jeff Gaitzens about a pastor using the Passion Translation.

Brian Simmons Passion Translation Tremper Longman
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-04

The Message Bible is a very loose paraphrase — idiomatic, interpretive, and potentially misleading, but not heretical; inadvisable as a primary study Bible.

Question from Jeanette Perry about the Message Bible and Nicky Gumbel/Alpha.

Psalm 1 The Message Bible Eugene Peterson Paraphrase vs. translation
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-26

Satan in the Garden: God did not place Satan there; Satan's presence does not negate human free will responsibility for the Fall.

Brian Harper asks why a God who hates evil would place evil incarnate (Satan) in the Garden knowing it would lead to human corruption.

Genesis 3 Genesis 3 Satan free will
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Jesus as Lord of the Sabbath: Matthew 12:1-8 and the principle of hierarchical moral reasoning

Question from Dakota France about what Jesus means in Matt 12:1-8, whether the Sabbath carries rewards or penalties for Christians.

Romans 14 1 Samuel 21 Galatians David Romans 14 Christian liberty
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

Baptism: biblical basis and urgency; no reason to delay

Listener Kenneth asks how to explain the importance of baptism to a new Christian who has not yet been baptized.

Acts 2:38 Acts 8:36-38 Hebrews 5 Philip the Evangelist Ethiopian eunuch Acts 2:38
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-30

Brief assessment of Spurgeon; no strong opinions on Swedenborg or Watchman Nee.

Question 3/4 from Marty (South Africa) about the works of Swedenborg, Watchman Nee, and Spurgeon.

Charles Spurgeon Emmanuel Swedenborg Watchman Nee
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-16

The OT has precedent for quarantine: Levitical laws kept contagious people away from gatherings. James 5:14 assumes sick people DON'T come to church — elders go to THEM. There is no biblical command requiring church gatherings during plague conditions.

Biblical precedent for quarantine

James 5:14 James 5:14 Levitical purity laws quarantine
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

Consequences of sin: (1) relational separation from God (Isaiah 59:2, Adam and Eve expelled from Eden, Colossians 1:21 — alienated and enemies in our minds); (2) future judgment — God is a just judge who must deal with sin. Romans 6:23: wages of sin is death (separation, judgment, hell). Our goodness can't fix it — we've already failed.

Consequences of sin — separation and judgment

Romans 6:23 Isaiah 59:2 Colossians 1:21 Romans 6:23 wages of sin Isaiah 59:2
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-14

Richard Carrier's mythicist theory (Jesus in outer space, apostles were schizotypal): Carrier is credentialed but widely disrespected in his field, on the fringe of scholarship. His strength is recall of sources; his weakness is unjustified connections between data points. His scholarly language ("perhaps," "what if") masks the extreme nature of his claims. Put the burden of proof on him to defend his theory.

Richard Carrier mythicism — fringe scholarship

Richard Carrier mythicism historical Jesus
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-22

Positive evidence FOR gospel reliability: consistent personality of Jesus across Gospels, unexplained allusions (John 7 — Jesus quotes a scripture nobody can identify), unnecessary realistic details, and the absence of realistic fiction as a genre in the first century.

McGrew's positive case for the reportage model

John 7 undesigned coincidences Lydia McGrew John 7
Mike Winger idea 2021-08-20

Why did God Punish ALL Snakes?: Why did God punish all snakes for what Satan did in the Garden of Eden?

Q&A question: Why did God Punish ALL Snakes?

Satan
Mike Winger idea 2022-02-04

About the “Serpent Seed” Doctrine: What are your thoughts about the “Serpent Seed Doctrine” which states that the serpent mated with Eve in the Garden of Eden as the first sin, and that the offspring of their union was Cain?

Q&A question: About the “Serpent Seed” Doctrine
Mike Winger idea 2022-02-04

About Seraphim, Snakes & Satan: If the word “seraphim” is derived from the same Hebrew root word for snake, it is really a stretch to say that Lucifer (who is a seraphim) in the Garden of Eden could have appeared reptilian?

Q&A question: About Seraphim, Snakes & Satan

Satan
Mike Winger idea 2022-04-15

Was Adam the First Man?: It seems in Genesis 1, that God creates humanity and blesses them, but then later in Genesis 2, God creates Adam as a representative in Eden. Doesn’t Scripture teach Adam was the first man?

Q&A question: Was Adam the First Man?

Genesis 2 Genesis Genesis 1 Genesis 2 Genesis Genesis 1
Mike Winger idea 2022-07-22

About the Difference between Heaven & Eden: What is the ontological difference between Heaven and pre-sin Eden? If Heaven is greater than Eden, then doesn’t it follow that Adam & Eve’s sin led to a greater eternity than they would’ve had otherwise?

Q&A question: About the Difference between Heaven & Eden

heaven
Mike Winger idea 2023-12-16

Rejecting the Message due to Credentials: Any advice for lay people doing public ministry that get attacked by non-believers on the basis of their credentials? I feel I am capable of interpretation and ministry despite never having been to seminary.

Q&A question: Rejecting the Message due to Credentials

hermeneutics
Mike Winger idea 2024-05-17

God Taking someone to Avoid Apostasy?: Is there any precedent for God taking home a believer before he might fall away? I Kings 14: 13 says some good was found in Jeroboam’s son.

Q&A question: God Taking someone to Avoid Apostasy?

apostasy
Mike Winger idea 2026-01-02

Purpose of the Tree of Life: If we were created as eternal beings, then what purpose did the Tree of Life hold in the Garden of Eden?

Q&A question: Purpose of the Tree of Life
Pulpit research note

"The Others" (hoi alloi) Judging Prophecy — Discernment Belongs to the Whole Body

In **1 Cor 14:29,** Paul says "let two or three prophets speak, and let the others (*hoi alloi*) weigh what is said." A key interpretive question is whether "the others" refers to a small group of pro

1 Corinthians 14:29
Pulpit research note

Commentary: Created Order Does Not Establish Hierarchy

Ardavanis says: > "First is not always best, or else beavers would be better than humans." Then immediately: "God had positioned Adam in the garden to be the priest and protector of Eden." He underc

Genesis 2:7
Pulpit research note

Commentary: "Priest and Protector" — What Was Adam Protecting the Garden From?

Ardavanis claims Adam was called to be the "priest and protector" of the garden. Grant that for the sake of argument. The question he never asks: protect it from WHAT? **Ge 2:15** says God placed Ada

Genesis 2:15
Pulpit research note

Children's Minister vs. Pastor — The Self-Contradiction

At 13:52, he claims that a pastor is an elder and an elder is a pastor, and says this is why they do not call a children's minister a "children's pastor" — because a pastor is an elder. Words really

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