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All (761) Mike Winger (761)

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Mormon evangelism relies entirely on emotional experience (pray and feel a burning) rather than evidence — because there is no manuscript, archaeological, or doctrinal evidence for Mormonism.

Mike explains why Mormon evangelism is feelings-based: it has no evidentiary basis.

epistemology burning in the bosom Mormon evangelism

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-24

Strategy for reaching Mormons: question the reliability of the 'burning in the bosom' as a source of truth, then lead them toward evidence-based epistemology.

Mike describes his personal approach to engaging Mormons who are emotionally committed to their 'testimony.'

Joseph Smith evidence-based faith epistemology

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Catholic counter using James 2:21 — Abraham justified by works when he offered Isaac

Continuing the back-and-forth debate structure

James 2:21 Abraham Isaac faith vs. works

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

1 Timothy 2:15 — 'saved in childbearing' as further example of non-theological use of 'saved'

Second example of 'saved' used in a non-salvific sense

1 Timothy 2:15 semantic range 1 Timothy 2:15 sozo

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

James 2:18b — 'I will show you my faith by my works' — works demonstrate faith, faith is still the issue

Completing the analysis of James 2:18

James 2:18 demonstration of faith saving faith James 2:18

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

James 2 is about how salvation is demonstrated, not how salvation is accomplished — massive hermeneutical distinction

Central interpretive thesis of Mike's reading of James 2

James 2 hermeneutics James 2 sola fide

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Pastoral warning: there are people who think they know Christ but do not — James 2 is a wake-up call, not a condemnation

Pastoral application before Q&A

James 2 repentance James 2 dead faith

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Degrees of sin — some sins are worse than others; the Law has different consequences; Jesus said some will suffer greater judgment

Within the Q&A on murder and saving faith

Matthew degrees of sin Mosaic Law judgment

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Q&A: Does faith necessarily produce works, or are works only the way the world sees faith? James 2 is about justification in the eyes of men, not God

Viewer question about the relationship between faith and works

James 2 James 2 demonstration of faith works as evidence of faith

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

The thief on the cross — deathbed conversion with no works is consistent with James 2 because James addresses ongoing Christian life

Handling the apparent exception of the thief on the cross

James 2 Luke 23 James 2 works as evidence of faith thief on the cross

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Q&A: Apologetics effectiveness debated — Mike strongly defends apologetics against claims it doesn't work with Millennials

Viewer shares a pastor's claim that apologetics isn't effective for Millennials

evangelism apologetics Evidence That Demands a Verdict

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Paul's apologetics in Acts — consistent use of reasoning from Scripture in synagogues demonstrates apologetics is a biblical method

Biblical evidence for the legitimacy and effectiveness of apologetics

Acts Paul apologetics Acts

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Jimmy Akin's (Catholic Answers) soft interpretation of 2 Maccabees: the passage presupposes that prayer can help the dead on their journey to heaven

Catholic apologetic reading of 2 Maccabees, specifically from Jimmy Akin

Catholic Answers purgatory 2 Maccabees 12:38-46

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

First problem with 2 Maccabees: the book is not accepted by the Jews, not part of Jesus's or Paul's Bible

Canon-based objection to using 2 Maccabees as proof of purgatory

Paul Jesus Apocrypha

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Preview of next week's livestream: responding to resurrection deniers and the excuses they give

Closing announcement for the next session

apologetics resurrection resurrection deniers

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Video framing: not just presenting resurrection evidence but specifically examining how skeptics dodge it

Opening statement of purpose for the livestream

resurrection apologetics skepticism

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Livestream is framed as an exercise in loving God with the mind — building the Christian worldview intellectually

Introduction to the weekly Tuesday livestream format

apologetics Christian worldview love God with your mind

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Named skeptics to be examined: Matt Dillahunty, David Hume, Sam Harris, Dan Barker, Richard Carrier, Bart Ehrman

Roster of specific atheist/skeptic thinkers Mike will analyze

atheism Matt Dillahunty David Hume

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Annual wave of low-scholarship anti-resurrection media (e.g., 'Lost Tomb of Jesus', Joaquin Phoenix Mary Magdalene film, Da Vinci Code)

Mike critiques popular culture's repeated attacks on the resurrection using sensationalism rather than solid scholarship

resurrection Lost Tomb of Jesus Da Vinci Code

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

The evidence-based case for the resurrection is historically grounded, not merely faith-based

Mike distinguishes the scholarly historical case for the resurrection from a purely religious 'believe it because we say so' position

resurrection historical method evidence-based apologetics

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Five historically-accepted facts about the resurrection summarized as the acronym ALIVE

Mike introduces his mnemonic framework for presenting the resurrection evidence

resurrection William Lane Craig historical method

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

First fact (A): Death by crucifixion — historically documented and generally agreed upon

First point of the ALIVE acronym

resurrection historical method crucifixion

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Second fact (L): Women/ladies found the tomb empty — criterion of embarrassment supports authenticity

Second point of the ALIVE acronym

resurrection empty tomb criterion of embarrassment

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Third fact (I): Independent post-resurrection appearances of Jesus accepted by the vast majority of historians

Third point of the ALIVE acronym

resurrection historical method post-resurrection appearances

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Fourth fact (V): Violence endured by the Apostles — dramatic transformation from hiding to dying for their message

Fourth point of the ALIVE acronym

apostles resurrection apostolic martyrdom

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Fifth fact (E): Enemies of Christ converted — specifically James the brother of Jesus and Paul the Apostle

Fifth point of the ALIVE acronym

James brother of Jesus resurrection Paul the Apostle James brother of Jesus

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

The resurrection best explains all five ALIVE facts; other explanations must account for all five

Transition from presenting evidence to evaluating alternate theories

resurrection inference to best explanation alternate theories

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Swoon theory: Jesus only appeared dead, was not actually dead, and recovered in the tomb

First alternate theory introduced

resurrection alternate theories swoon theory

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Twin theory: Jesus had a twin who was either crucified or who appeared after the crucifixion

Second alternate theory introduced

resurrection alternate theories twin theory

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Mass hallucination theory: the appearances of Jesus were mass hallucinations rather than physical encounters

Third alternate theory — described as the most popular among skeptics

resurrection Richard Carrier alternate theories

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Spiritual resurrection theory: Jesus rose spiritually but not bodily

Fourth alternate theory, associated with liberal scholars

resurrection alternate theories spiritual resurrection theory

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Wrong tomb theory: disciples went to the wrong tomb, found it empty, and triggered the resurrection belief

Fifth alternate theory introduced

resurrection empty tomb alternate theories

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Missing body theory: Jesus's body was never in the claimed tomb or went missing, explaining the empty tomb

Sixth alternate theory introduced

resurrection Bart Ehrman empty tomb

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Conspiracy theory: the disciples deliberately stole or fabricated the empty tomb story

Seventh alternate theory — described as the oldest, going back to first-century opponents of Christianity

resurrection alternate theories conspiracy theory (resurrection)

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Swoon theory refuted by facts A, I, and V: the description of crucifixion, the nature of post-resurrection appearances, and the disciples' bold willingness to die

Systematic refutation of the swoon theory using the ALIVE facts

resurrection crucifixion post-resurrection appearances

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Twin theory refuted by facts L, I, and E: empty tomb implies no second body; intimate companions would have known; family members converted

Systematic refutation of the twin theory using the ALIVE facts

James brother of Jesus resurrection empty tomb James brother of Jesus

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Mass hallucination theory refuted by fact I: hallucinations are individual, not shared; 1 Corinthians 15 cites 500 simultaneous witnesses

Systematic refutation of the mass hallucination theory

1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15 resurrection Richard Carrier

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Spiritual resurrection theory refuted by the meaning of the word 'resurrection' in first-century Jewish context — N.T. Wright's scholarship

Systematic refutation of the spiritual resurrection theory, citing N.T. Wright's work on Jewish meaning of resurrection

N.T. Wright resurrection spiritual resurrection theory

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Wrong tomb theory refuted by facts I, V, and E: independent appearances, violence endured, and enemy conversions cannot be explained by a navigational error

Systematic refutation of the wrong tomb theory

resurrection empty tomb wrong tomb theory

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Missing body and conspiracy theories both fail to explain facts I, V, and E; conspiracy adds knowingly dying for a lie

Systematic refutation of the missing body and conspiracy theories

resurrection apostolic martyrdom missing body theory

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

The resurrection is the one rational explanation that accounts for all five ALIVE facts

Conclusion of the evidence survey section

resurrection ALIVE acronym inference to best explanation

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

David Hume's argument: miracles are impossible, therefore no testimony can ever establish a miracle

Beginning of the skeptics section; examination of David Hume's philosophical objection

resurrection miracles David Hume

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Hume's single exception: he would only accept a miracle if it was the lesser of two competing miracle claims

Further detail on Hume's position from 'An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding'

miracles David Hume methodological naturalism

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Bart Ehrman's position: even if miracles happened, historians should not believe them

Examination of Bart Ehrman's approach to the resurrection

resurrection miracles Bart Ehrman

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

In his debate with William Lane Craig, Ehrman granted all five ALIVE facts but denied any historian can postulate miracles

Mike describes the Craig-Ehrman debate on the resurrection

resurrection miracles William Lane Craig

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

After the Craig debate, Ehrman changed position and now denies the burial — Mike argues this is ad hoc motivated reasoning

Mike's analysis of Ehrman's intellectual development post-debate

resurrection Bart Ehrman empty tomb

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Richard Carrier is a mythicist — he denies Jesus existed at all, a fringe position among credentialed scholars

Introduction to Richard Carrier's approach

resurrection Richard Carrier mythicism

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Carrier teaches that in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul describes events that occurred in outer space — a cosmic/celestial resurrection rather than an earthly one

Carrier's interpretation of the Pauline resurrection kerygma

1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15 resurrection Paul the Apostle

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Carrier's theory that the disciples were a mass gathering of schizophrenic individuals prone to shared hallucinations

Carrier's explanation for post-resurrection appearances

resurrection Richard Carrier post-resurrection appearances

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-28

Carrier constructs a 'Frankenstein theory' drawing on ancient literature to claim Gospel narratives were plagiarized from myths

Carrier's literary dependence argument for the Gospel narratives

Gospel origins Richard Carrier ad hoc reasoning

← Prev Page 4 of 16 Next →

Mormon evangelism relies entirely on emotional experience (pray and feel a burning) rather than evidence — because there is no manuscript, archaeological, or doctrinal evidence for Mormonism.

Strategy for reaching Mormons: question the reliability of the 'burning in the bosom' as a source of truth, then lead them toward evidence-based epistemology.

Catholic counter using James 2:21 — Abraham justified by works when he offered Isaac

1 Timothy 2:15 — 'saved in childbearing' as further example of non-theological use of 'saved'

James 2:18b — 'I will show you my faith by my works' — works demonstrate faith, faith is still the issue

James 2 is about how salvation is demonstrated, not how salvation is accomplished — massive hermeneutical distinction

Pastoral warning: there are people who think they know Christ but do not — James 2 is a wake-up call, not a condemnation

Degrees of sin — some sins are worse than others; the Law has different consequences; Jesus said some will suffer greater judgment

Q&A: Does faith necessarily produce works, or are works only the way the world sees faith? James 2 is about justification in the eyes of men, not God

The thief on the cross — deathbed conversion with no works is consistent with James 2 because James addresses ongoing Christian life

Q&A: Apologetics effectiveness debated — Mike strongly defends apologetics against claims it doesn't work with Millennials

Paul's apologetics in Acts — consistent use of reasoning from Scripture in synagogues demonstrates apologetics is a biblical method

Jimmy Akin's (Catholic Answers) soft interpretation of 2 Maccabees: the passage presupposes that prayer can help the dead on their journey to heaven

First problem with 2 Maccabees: the book is not accepted by the Jews, not part of Jesus's or Paul's Bible

Preview of next week's livestream: responding to resurrection deniers and the excuses they give

Video framing: not just presenting resurrection evidence but specifically examining how skeptics dodge it

Livestream is framed as an exercise in loving God with the mind — building the Christian worldview intellectually

Named skeptics to be examined: Matt Dillahunty, David Hume, Sam Harris, Dan Barker, Richard Carrier, Bart Ehrman

Annual wave of low-scholarship anti-resurrection media (e.g., 'Lost Tomb of Jesus', Joaquin Phoenix Mary Magdalene film, Da Vinci Code)

The evidence-based case for the resurrection is historically grounded, not merely faith-based

Five historically-accepted facts about the resurrection summarized as the acronym ALIVE

First fact (A): Death by crucifixion — historically documented and generally agreed upon

Second fact (L): Women/ladies found the tomb empty — criterion of embarrassment supports authenticity

Third fact (I): Independent post-resurrection appearances of Jesus accepted by the vast majority of historians

Fourth fact (V): Violence endured by the Apostles — dramatic transformation from hiding to dying for their message

Fifth fact (E): Enemies of Christ converted — specifically James the brother of Jesus and Paul the Apostle

The resurrection best explains all five ALIVE facts; other explanations must account for all five

Swoon theory: Jesus only appeared dead, was not actually dead, and recovered in the tomb

Twin theory: Jesus had a twin who was either crucified or who appeared after the crucifixion

Mass hallucination theory: the appearances of Jesus were mass hallucinations rather than physical encounters

Spiritual resurrection theory: Jesus rose spiritually but not bodily

Wrong tomb theory: disciples went to the wrong tomb, found it empty, and triggered the resurrection belief

Missing body theory: Jesus's body was never in the claimed tomb or went missing, explaining the empty tomb

Conspiracy theory: the disciples deliberately stole or fabricated the empty tomb story

Swoon theory refuted by facts A, I, and V: the description of crucifixion, the nature of post-resurrection appearances, and the disciples' bold willingness to die

Twin theory refuted by facts L, I, and E: empty tomb implies no second body; intimate companions would have known; family members converted

Mass hallucination theory refuted by fact I: hallucinations are individual, not shared; 1 Corinthians 15 cites 500 simultaneous witnesses

Spiritual resurrection theory refuted by the meaning of the word 'resurrection' in first-century Jewish context — N.T. Wright's scholarship

Wrong tomb theory refuted by facts I, V, and E: independent appearances, violence endured, and enemy conversions cannot be explained by a navigational error

Missing body and conspiracy theories both fail to explain facts I, V, and E; conspiracy adds knowingly dying for a lie

The resurrection is the one rational explanation that accounts for all five ALIVE facts

David Hume's argument: miracles are impossible, therefore no testimony can ever establish a miracle

Hume's single exception: he would only accept a miracle if it was the lesser of two competing miracle claims

Bart Ehrman's position: even if miracles happened, historians should not believe them

In his debate with William Lane Craig, Ehrman granted all five ALIVE facts but denied any historian can postulate miracles

After the Craig debate, Ehrman changed position and now denies the burial — Mike argues this is ad hoc motivated reasoning

Richard Carrier is a mythicist — he denies Jesus existed at all, a fringe position among credentialed scholars

Carrier teaches that in 1 Corinthians 15, Paul describes events that occurred in outer space — a cosmic/celestial resurrection rather than an earthly one

Carrier's theory that the disciples were a mass gathering of schizophrenic individuals prone to shared hallucinations

Carrier constructs a 'Frankenstein theory' drawing on ancient literature to claim Gospel narratives were plagiarized from myths

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