Search — Theology Explorer

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence Carl Sagan Cosmos (TV show)

Origin of the slogan: Carl Sagan coined "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence"

Mike traces the historical origin of the slogan before critiquing it.

William Lane Craig Resurrection of Jesus Christopher Hitchens

Christopher Hitchens applied the slogan to God and the resurrection in debates with William Lane Craig

After explaining Sagan's origin, Mike describes how the slogan was weaponized in atheist apologetics.

Bart Ehrman Resurrection of Jesus Biblical manuscripts

Twitter response 3: Want documented accounts with originals protected — which is what we have

Third respondent's example of extraordinary evidence.

Biblical manuscripts Textual criticism New Testament reliability

Textual criticism: the discipline that traces copies back to originals and why we can trust the transmission

Brief explanation of how we verify the integrity of the New Testament text.

1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15 Resurrection of Jesus Early creed

Twitter response 5: Contemporary writings of life, death, resurrection with originals — we have near-contemporary documents, especially 1 Corinthians 15

Fifth respondent example; Mike pivots to addressing 1 Corinthians 15 as key early evidence.

Bart Ehrman Biblical manuscripts Textual criticism

Bart Ehrman acknowledges we probably have what the originals said, despite popularizing text-critical skepticism

Mike's nuanced engagement with a prominent skeptical scholar on textual transmission.

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

Footnotes are the most reliable method for tracking primary sources and objective evidence in apologetics research

Response to question about finding primary sources in a sea of biased online content

apologetics methodology research method primary sources

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

Modern-day apostles: the original apostles were unique authoritative founders whose authority is now held in the NT canon; the movement claiming ongoing apostolic offices is unbiblical, though the lowercase term can refer to missionaries

Response to question about whether modern-day apostles are biblical

Luke apostolic authority apostolos Barnabas

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

Worship songs with questionable original contexts may be acceptable in personal use but congregational use requires sensitivity to the consciences of all present

Response to question about whether it is okay to sing a song that in its original context is questionable but which people would interpret as worship to God

conscience stumbling block worship music

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

Big picture point 1: The Law had a beginning—it did not exist for Adam, Noah, Abraham, or Cain and Abel

First of three foundational contextual claims about the Law

Deuteronomy 5:2 Galatians 3:17 Abraham Deuteronomy 5:2 Galatians 3:17

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-15

Genesis 26:5 does not prove Abraham kept the Law of Moses

Response to a Hebrew Roots proof text about Abraham

Deuteronomy 5:2 Genesis 26:5 Abraham 119 Ministries Deuteronomy 5:2

Numbers 23:19 Deuteronomy 21:23 resurrection deity of Christ Justin Martyr

Unlikely origin of the disciples' belief in the deity of Jesus — fifth argument

McLatchie introduces the argument that the disciples' belief in Jesus's deity is historically inexplicable without the resurrection, given the Jewish context.

Jonathan McLatchie intelligent design homochirality

Homochirality problem — origin of life obstacle

McLatchie raises the chirality problem as a further challenge to naturalistic origin-of-life scenarios.

1 Corinthians 15:3-7 Galatians 1:18-19 Paul Peter resurrection creed

1 Corinthians 15 creedal tradition — early apostolic testimony to the resurrection

McLatchie analyzes 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 as a pre-Pauline creed containing the earliest testimony to 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.

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-22

Barnabas and Saul spend a full year discipling the Antioch church; disciples are first called Christians there. This extended discipleship with no mention of Torah observance is a key data point.

Survey of Acts 11:22-26, Antioch discipleship

Acts 11:22-26 discipleship Barnabas Torah observance

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-30

Introduction: topic triggered by viewer question and James White announcing he would listen

Mike Winger opens the Wednesday livestream and explains why he went deeper into limited atonement than originally planned; James White tweeting that he would listen prompted more thorough preparation.

James White 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 James White limited atonement 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-19

The Testimonium Flavianum (Antiquities 18.63) was interpolated by a Christian, but most scholars think an authentic Josephus reference to Jesus underlies it

Scholarly consensus on the interpolation question in Josephus

Josephus Origen Antiquities of the Jews

Isaiah 45:7 Isaiah 45:7 biblical interpretation methodology Hebrew exegesis

Study plan: Hebrew word analysis, context, origin of evil, and other questions

Mike outlines the teaching structure for the session

Greg Koukl moral evil evil as privation

Evil is not a created substance — analogy of donut hole and shadow

Mike transitions to the broader philosophical question: where did evil come from?

free will evil as privation origin of evil

Good derives from God's nature; evil is the contrast to God's goodness, requiring permission not creation

Positive account of where good and evil come from

theodicy free will evil as privation

Summary conclusion: God is source of goodness; evil is real by contrast but need not be created; God allows and will solve evil

Mike wraps up the theological teaching before Q&A

hermeneutics Strong's Concordance Blue Letter Bible

Q&A: How to responsibly use Hebrew and Greek resources without knowing the languages

Practical advice for laypeople on lexical Bible study