Search — Theology Explorer

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 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

Mark 7:19 progressive revelation dietary laws fulfillment theology

Mark 7:19 -- Jesus declared all foods clean. Winger defers full treatment but flags it as part of a progressive revelation from Jesus through Paul to Hebrews.

Cross-reference to Mark 7:19

Acts (book) Torah observance Law of Moses Acts (book)

Final summary of Acts survey: (1) prior law observers continued; (2) non-law observers continued not following it; (3) obedience to law is not required for salvation OR sanctification; (4) the question is what fulfillment means, not abolishment

Concluding summary of the entire Acts survey

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-30

Q&A: Difference between backsliding and falling away (Hebrews 6:4) — backsliding is spiritual decline, falling away is apostasy

Viewer Q&A on the distinction between backsliding and falling away.

Hebrews 6:4 Hebrews 6:4 apostasy backsliding

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-19

Audience Q: Why doesn't anyone reference Tacitus on Christian persecution until the 4th century? — Multiple 1st-century sources confirm early persecution of Christians

Audience question from "Godless Engineer" about Christian persecution attestation

Acts Hebrews Paul Peter Acts

Hebrews 7:25 limited atonement intercession Hebrews 7:25

Objection 3 stated: intercession linked to atonement

Jesus intercedes for those he died for, and all he intercedes for are saved. Therefore he did not die for all.

James White Hebrews 7:25 James White unlimited atonement intercession

Objection 3 answered: intercession is available to all who draw near, not limited to a fixed elect group

Mike addresses the intercession objection using Hebrews 7:25.

James White Hebrews 7:25 James White faith divine sovereignty

Salvation conditioned on faith is not a limitation on God's power but God's sovereign choice of conditions

Mike responds to White's charge that non-Calvinism makes God dependent on human cooperation.

Hebrews 7:25 election unlimited atonement intercession

Hebrews intercession summary: Christ intercedes for whoever draws near, not a closed list of predetermined elect

Mike's final summary on the intercession argument.

Mike Winger idea 2019-08-07

Q&A: Jehovah's Witnesses and Hebrews 1:8 — 'Your throne, O God' vs. 'God is your throne'

Viewer asks about the JW response to the key Christological text in Hebrews 1:8.

Hebrews 1:8 Psalm 45:6 Jehovah's Witnesses New World Translation Christology

Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Logical analysis of "all roads lead to God": three possible meanings, two incoherent

Winger begins systematic dismantling of the primary slogan

Hebrews 9:27 universalism final judgment religious pluralism

Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Third meaning: all roads lead to God in judgment — this is true and sober

The one coherent interpretation of the slogan

Hebrews 9:27 gospel proclamation final judgment exclusivity of Christ

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Christians without a local church should attend an imperfect one rather than stay home; Hebrews commands gathering

Q&A: pastoral guidance for Christians who cannot find a theologically sound local church

Hebrews ecclesiology Hebrews church attendance

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

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.

Hebrews 6:4 eternal security apostasy Hebrews 6:4

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Having had an abortion: is it hypocritical to oppose it, have children afterward, or feel unworthy?

Question from "Faded Princess" about abortion, hypocrisy, and guilt.

Hebrews 4:16 Ephesians 1 sanctification hypocrisy abortion

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

How to start reading the Bible — begin with the Gospels, Acts, Romans, Hebrews; not Genesis-to-Revelation in order

Question from Dallin Byrd about the best starting point for Bible reading.

Romans Acts Hebrews Romans Acts Hebrews

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Hebrews 1:1-2 — God created the world "through" his Son: economic Trinity and the agency of the Son in creation

Q&A from Ed Jacobson about the meaning of "through" in Hebrews 1:2

Hebrews 1:1-2 dia Trinity Hebrews 1:1-2

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Symmetry of creation and salvation: both occur through the Son

Theological reflection on Hebrews 1:2 and its implications

Genesis 1 John 1 Hebrews 1:1-2 Genesis 1 soteriology John 1

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

John 1 — the Logos made all things; parallel to Genesis 1 and Hebrews 1

Cross-reference supporting the creation-through-Son theology

John 1 John 1 economic Trinity creation through Christ

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Hebrews 10:26-27 "sinning willfully" refers specifically to rejecting the gospel after knowing its truth, not to any deliberate sin

Question from Caleb McCurdy about Hebrews 10:26-27 and whether it implies differentiated judgment for those who never heard the gospel

Hebrews 10:26-27 judgment apostasy Hebrews 10:26-27

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Degrees of judgment in hell: God factors in knowledge when judging — sinning in ignorance vs. sinning with full knowledge results in different severity of judgment

Expanding the Hebrews 10 discussion to address differentiated eschatological judgment

Luke 12:47-48 judgment unevangelized hell

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Hebrews 6:4-6 is the most challenging apostasy passage in the Bible; Mike is not yet ready to give a definitive answer on it

Question from Folky about the warning in Hebrews 6:4-6 regarding those who seem to have experienced salvation but then fall away

Hebrews 6:4-6 eternal security apostasy Hebrews 6:4-6

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-17

Perseverance of the Saints — Mike is unresolved, not firmly opposed

Fifth and final point of TULIP addressed.

Hebrews 6 Hebrews 10 Hebrews 4 Calvinism Apostasy Hebrews 6

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

Guilt and shame before God — healthy guilt vs. unhealthy guilt that drives you away from God

Question from Lisa Kaminsky about feeling unworthy to pray or call herself a Christian when she misses daily Bible reading and prayer.

Hebrews 4:16 Ephesians 1 1 John 2:1 prayer assurance of salvation righteousness of Christ

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

Hebrews 6:4-6 — the most difficult passage in the Bible; three main interpretive options explored

Question from Delante Dingo about whether the Parable of the Sower clarifies Hebrews 6 and whether salvation is eternal.

Hebrews 6 Hebrews 6:4-6 Luke 8:4-15 salvation eternal security Hebrews 6

Hebrews 7 Genesis 14 Psalms 110 Melchizedek Christophany Hebrews 7

Melchizedek question: Is Melchizedek a theophany/Christophany of Jesus, and how does Hebrews know so much about him?

Question from Christian Liang. Mike provides background on Genesis and Hebrews 7.

typology Melchizedek Christophany

Mike's position: Melchizedek is a type of Christ, not an actual Christophany/theophany

Mike distinguishes between a type (literary/theological correspondence) and a theophany (actual divine appearance).

Hebrews 7:1-3 Melchizedek Hebrews 7:1-3 melek

Reading Hebrews 7:1-3 and analyzing Melchizedek's royal/priestly identity

Mike reads the passage aloud and comments on key descriptors.

Hebrews 7:3 typology Melchizedek Christophany

Hebrews 7:3 — 'without father, without mother, without genealogy': literary vs. literal interpretation

The key debated phrase in the Melchizedek/Christophany debate.

Psalm 110:4 messianic prophecy Melchizedek Psalm 110:4

Melchizedekian priesthood continues in Christ as prophesied in Psalm 110:4

Brief mention connecting Psalm 110 to the Hebrews 7 argument about the eternal priesthood.

2 Corinthians 12:10 Hebrews 13:5 2 Corinthians 12:10 Christian contentment Hebrews 13:5

Christian self-improvement is valid but must be reframed biblically: strength in weakness, contentment from God's presence not wealth

Nuancing the critique of self-improvement Christianity.

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-20

Hebrews 1:1-2 does not prohibit God from speaking to individuals today

Question about whether God still speaks through a still small voice today, referencing Hebrews 1:2.

Hebrews 1:1-2 1 Timothy 1:18 Revelation of John Hagar charismatic movement prophecy

Hebrews 13:2 Genesis 18 Genesis 19 Abraham angelos angelology

Hebrews 13:2 - entertaining angels unawares; the word angelos means messenger but probably refers to spiritual beings here, based on OT cross-references (Genesis 18-19).

Question on Hebrews 13:2 - hospitality and angels

Hebrews 13:2 hermeneutics angelology Hebrews 13:2

Entertaining angels unawares is a super-rare event in Scripture; the main application of Hebrews 13:2 is the importance of showing kindness to strangers, not predicting frequency of angelic visits.

Application of Hebrews 13:2

Ephesians 1-3 Hebrews 4 Ephesians 1:4 conscience grace forgiveness

Ephesians 1-3 as the foundation for resting in total forgiveness; believers are holy and without blame before God in love (Ephesians 1:4) and have bold access to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4).

Pastoral counsel on conscience and assurance of forgiveness