Search — Theology Explorer

hermeneutics hermeneutics biblical cosmology

Mike introduces a study on flat earth Bible verses. His goal is not to argue about the shape of the earth but to show that the Bible does NOT teach flat earth. Ground rules: not about conspiracies, geocentrism, or the firmament — only about whether specific verses teach a flat earth.

Introduction — flat earth Bible study

Isaiah 40:22 Job 22:14 Isaiah 40:22 circle of the earth chug (Hebrew)

Isaiah 40:22 "circle of the earth" — the Hebrew word is indeterminate (could mean circle or sphere). But Mike thinks it's not about cosmology at all — it's about God sitting above the horizon, sovereign over everything you can see. Job 22:14 uses the same word for the "vault of heaven" which flat-earthers accept as dome-shaped — proving the word doesn't demand "flat."

Circle of the earth (Isaiah 40:22) — indeterminate

Revelation 7:1 Isaiah 11:12 four corners of the earth Revelation 7:1 Isaiah 11:12

"Four corners of the earth" means four directions/quadrants (King James: "four quarters"). Isaiah 11:12 says God will gather dispersed Israel from the four corners — but Israel was scattered to known nations, not to ice walls. Revelation 7:1: four angels at four corners = four directions the wind blows. A circle with corners proves the language isn't literal.

Four corners — four directions, not literal edges

Revelation 20:9 flat earth Dean Odel Revelation 20:9

Refuting Dean Odel's claim that Revelation 20:9 ("breadth/plane of the earth") proves flat earth via Greek word "platos." Problems: (1) platos means "wide/broad," not "flat" — Strongs says "broad"; (2) the passage describes a specific military march, probably across the valley of Megiddo; (3) earth doesn't mean planet here, just land.

Revelation 20:9 Greek word — breadth, not flat

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-18

Q: Luke 9:50 vs Luke 11:23 — "not against you is for you" vs "not with me is against me." No contradiction: both affirm there's no middle ground — you're either in the kingdom or out. The first passage shows the kingdom is bigger than your local group; people can serve Jesus without being part of your organization.

Q&A — apparent contradiction in Luke

Luke 9:50 Luke 11:23 body of Christ body of Christ Luke 9:50

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-18

Q: Where did Cain get his wife and who would kill him? Two options: (1) Adam and Eve's other children/grandchildren — could be hundreds of people by then, genetic issues not yet a problem. (2) Some scholars suggest other humans outside the garden, with Adam and Eve as representative/priestly figures. Mike leans toward option 1.

Q&A — Cain's wife and other people

Genesis interpretation Genesis interpretation Cains wife

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-16

Psalm 91 is NOT a guarantee of divine protection from all disease. Satan himself quoted Psalm 91 to tempt Jesus to jump off the temple (Luke 4:9-12). Jesus responded: "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test." God CAN protect, but demanding supernatural protection while doing reckless things is testing God, not trusting him.

Psalm 91 and COVID — don't test God

Psalm 91 Luke 4:9-12 temptation of Jesus temptation of Jesus Psalm 91

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-16

Q: Is COVID God's judgment? Maybe, but claiming to know is pastoral arrogance. Jesus addressed this with the Tower of Siloam (Luke 13:4-5): those who died weren't worse sinners — but if you don't repent, you'll perish too. Judgment stands over all humanity; any time God doesn't judge is grace. The right response to any disaster: get your life right with God.

Q&A — is COVID God's judgment? (Tower of Siloam)

Luke 13:4-5 Tower of Siloam Luke 13:4-5 pastoral arrogance

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

Teaching kids about judging: Matthew 7:1 ("do not judge") is about hypocritical judgment, not prohibition of all discernment. Read the full passage — Jesus says remove the log from your own eye FIRST, then help your brother. John 7:24: "judge with right judgment." Discernment between right/wrong is essential. Irony: saying "don't judge" is itself a judgment.

Teaching kids about judging — Matthew 7 in context

Matthew 7:1 John 7:24 Matthew 7:1 dont judge hypocritical judgment

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-15

Mike on women in ministry: he's complementarian — the highest leadership/preaching/governing role is reserved for men God has called. But he struggles with how to apply this to the wide variety of modern ministry situations. Women can teach; the question is in what contexts. He encourages women to study Scripture carefully and let it guide their choices.

Women in ministry — complementarian but cautious on application

1 Timothy 2:12 women in ministry complementarianism complementarianism

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-15

Sovereignty of God: God is good, all-knowing, and in ultimate control. Romans 8:28: works all things for good for those who love him. But sovereignty doesn't mean exhaustive divine determinism (God causing every single thing). Job: God allowed Satan's attack but didn't cause it. God is in control of the flow of all things, can stop or allow anything, but humans have real choices.

Sovereignty of God — not determinism

Romans 8:28 free will sovereignty of God free will

1 Corinthians 5:7 Passover Passover Passover as prophecy

Mike presents 24-26 ways Passover was prophetically fulfilled by Jesus. Passover is a typological prophecy — not direct prediction/fulfillment but symbolic correspondence between OT events and Christ's work. 1 Corinthians 5:7: "Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed." Jesus chose to die during Passover week — his timing was deliberate.

Introduction — Passover as prophetic type

Exodus 12 Hebrews 9:12-14 Hebrews 10:1-14 wrath of God substitutionary atonement wrath of God

Points 1-2: (1) A sacrificial lamb — Jesus is the lamb offered for us (Hebrews 9:12-14, 10:1-14). OT sacrifices were shadows; Jesus is the reality. He offered himself ONCE vs yearly repetition. (2) Purpose: avoiding punishment for sin — Passover was explicitly a judgment (Exodus 12:12). Israel needed the lamb too because they were also guilty of idolatry (Ezekiel 20:7). The cross saves us from God's wrath.

Points 1-2 — sacrificial lamb and dealing with sin

1 Corinthians 15:22 1 Corinthians 15:45 Hebrews 4:15 1 Corinthians 15:22 1 Corinthians 15:45 Hebrews 4:15

Points 3-5: (3) Lamb had to be male — Jesus as male representative of all humanity, as Adam represented all (1 Cor 15:22,45). (4) Without blemish — Jesus was sinless (Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 1:18-19: "precious blood of Christ, like a lamb without blemish"). YOU didn't have to be holy; your SACRIFICE had to be holy. (5) Lamb was examined/inspected before sacrifice — Jesus was examined by Pilate, Herod, Sanhedrin and found faultless (John 19:4-6).

Points 3-5 — male, without blemish, inspected

Psalm 118 Passover Passover triumphal entry

Points 6-7: (6) Lamb was one year old (prime of life) — Jesus began ministry at 30, the age of full maturity for priestly/sacrificial service. (7) Lamb selected on 10th of Nisan — Jesus entered Jerusalem on the same day (Triumphal Entry, Palm Sunday). The crowd cried "Hosanna" (Psalm 118) = "save us" — presenting himself as the Messianic King. He was then "inspected" for 4 days through questioning by religious leaders, found faultless.

Points 6-7 — age, selection date, triumphal entry

John 1:12 Mark 8:31 Colossians 1:15 firstborn John 1:12 children of God

Points 8-12: (8) Lamb substituted for the firstborn — Jesus is God's firstborn/only-begotten (John 3:16, Col 1:15, Heb 1:6). (9) No bones broken — Exodus 12:46, fulfilled in John 19:33-36 when soldiers didn't break Jesus's legs. (10) Offered for the household/family — Jesus creates a new family of God (John 1:12). (11) Lamb had to be slain/die — the death was required, not optional; Jesus said he MUST be killed (Mark 8:31). (12) Had to be at Jerusalem — Deuteronomy 16:5-6; Jesus crucified in Jerusalem.

Points 8-12 — firstborn, bones, household, death, location

John 10:9 Passover Passover John 10:9

Point 13: Blood applied to the doorposts — possibly in the shape of a cross (top lintel and two side posts). Jesus says "I am the door" (John 10:9) — entry through him means salvation. The blood-covered door is the access point to safety from judgment, just as Jesus is the access point to God.

Point 13 — blood on doorposts and Jesus as the door

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-23

First livestreamed Sunday night Bible study (during COVID). Mark Series Pt 32 covering Mark 9:33-42 — unnecessary division, competition in Christian leadership, and why pastors shouldn't be CEOs.

Introduction — Mark 9:33-42

Mark 9:33-42 Mark Series servant leadership Mark 9:33-42 Mark Series

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-29

Mike announces his "passion project": hiring 5+ well-respected scholars (Craig Blomberg, Mark Strauss, Darrell Bock, Tremper Longman, Nijay Gupta) to each evaluate different books of the Passion Translation by Brian Simmons, producing free 5-page papers and video interviews. Goal: provide definitive scholarly assessment showing pervasive (not just isolated) problems with the translation.

Passion Translation scholarly project announcement

Mark Strauss Craig Blomberg Brian Simmons Passion Translation

Mike Winger idea 2020-05-21

Undesigned coincidences: subtle agreements between independent gospel accounts that are too incidental to be deliberate. Example: John says Jesus asked Philip where to buy bread (John 6); only Luke says the feeding was near Bethsaida; only John says Philip and Andrew were from Bethsaida. The connection (Jesus asked the local guys) only appears when you combine the accounts — no single author engineered it.

Undesigned coincidences — cross-gospel subtle agreements

John James Blunt John 6 feeding 5000 Bethsaida undesigned coincidences Bethsaida

Mike Winger idea 2020-06-03

How to find a good church: (1) Sound biblical teaching is #1 priority — does the pastor handle Scripture correctly? (2) Genuine community — not just Sunday performance. (3) Don't expect perfection — you'll bring your own imperfections too. (4) Be willing to serve, not just consume. (5) Size doesn't determine quality. Visit several, ask questions, look for fruit.

Finding a good church

expository preaching expository preaching finding a good church

Mike Winger idea 2020-06-19

Can someone who unjustly divorced, repented, but whose ex has remarried, now marry someone else? Yes — the previous marriage is clearly over both legally and morally once the ex has remarried. The wrongly-divorcing party has repented. The alternatives (permanent singleness as unforgivable punishment, or pretending the marriage still exists) don't make biblical sense.

Unjust divorce + ex remarried = free to remarry after repentance

repentance repentance unjust divorce and remarriage

Mike Winger idea 2020-06-19

Is pornography addiction grounds for divorce? Mike finds this intimidating given modern usage rates. His answer: pornography use IS sexual immorality (porneia), but not every instance should trigger divorce. Factors: scale, pattern, repentance, willingness to get help. A single failure vs an unrepentant lifestyle are very different situations. Mike recommends counseling before divorce in pornography cases.

Pornography as grounds for divorce — nuanced

divorce and remarriage porneia pornography as grounds for divorce

Mike Winger idea 2020-08-07

Mike shares major ministry update: BibleThinker is now its own incorporated ministry (no longer under his local church), reaching ~500,000 views/month. He's no longer on staff as a local pastor but still teaches weekly. Passion Translation scholarly project delayed by COVID — scholars have submitted papers but in-person interviews are on hold.

Announcements — BibleThinker incorporation, Passion Translation update

World Mission Society Church of God Passion Translation World Mission Society Church of God

Mike Winger idea 2020-08-07

How to do systematic theology: (1) Gather every passage related to a topic. (2) Interpret each passage in its own context. (3) Draw principles/conclusions from each passage. (4) Check that no principles conflict with each other or with any passage. (5) Build the framework from the conclusions, not from a pre-loaded logical structure. Mike front-loads passages, not presuppositions — biblical theology approach over dogmatic theology.

Method for systematic theology

biblical theology systematic theology method biblical theology

Mike Winger idea 2020-08-12

Argument 2 — Multiple attestation: Mike Licona found 19+ passages across Mark, M (Matthew-only), L (Luke-only), and John independently attesting Jesus's death/resurrection predictions. Historians consider TWO independent sources "pay dirt" — this has far more. Jesus's prayer in Gethsemane (knowing he'll die) is in Mark 14, Matthew 26, and Luke 22 independently.

Argument 2 — multiple independent attestation

Mike Licona multiple attestation Mike Licona

Mike Winger idea 2020-08-12

Argument 3 — Criterion of embarrassment: Jesus's predictions include embarrassing elements the early church wouldn't invent. (a) Peter rebukes Jesus for predicting his death — then Jesus calls Peter "Satan" (Mark 8:33). The leader of the church being called Satan is not something the church would fabricate. (b) Disciples repeatedly fail to understand Jesus's predictions — they argue about who's greatest right after. The church wouldn't invent their founders' incompetence.

Argument 3 — criterion of embarrassment

Mark 8:33 criterion of embarrassment Mark 8:33 Peter called Satan

Mike Winger idea 2020-08-14

On Steven Furtick: Mike has seen a handful of his messages, finds his preaching style reckless with Scripture. Concerned about the level of allegiance/submission required around him — sounds like pastoral abuse from what he's heard. Furtick doesn't deal carefully with Scripture in context, prioritizing encouragement over accuracy. Similar critique to Joel Osteen.

Steven Furtick critique — reckless with Scripture

Steven Furtick Elevation Church pastoral abuse

Mark 10:45 Mark 10:35-45 James and John request servant leadership servant leadership Mark 10:45

Mark Series pt 39: Mark 10:35-45. James and John ask for positions of authority in Jesus's kingdom. Jesus teaches that greatness in his kingdom = servanthood, the opposite of worldly leadership. This passage addresses pastoral abuse at its root: the false expectation that Christian leadership means authority rather than service.

Introduction — Mark 10:35-45 and pastoral abuse

Mark Series Genesis 22 (Isaac) Mark 1:8 Mark Series false messianic expectations Genesis 22 (Isaac)

Survey of Mark showing Jesus consistently correcting false messianic expectations: (1) Mark 1:8 — baptize with Holy Spirit, not raise armies. (2) Mark 1:11 — beloved Son (sacrifice imagery from Genesis 22). (3) Mark 1:15 — repent and believe, not take up arms. (4) Jesus's ministry: exorcisms and healings, not political conquest — the enemy is Satan, not Rome; the problem is sin, not occupation. (5) Jesus sends crowds away instead of rallying them for war. The whole Gospel of Mark is about fixing these expectations.

Survey of Mark — correcting messianic expectations

Mark 10:42-44 pastoral abuse CEO mentality in ministry Mark 10:42-44

Mark 10:42-45 — Jesus's leadership model: "You know that those recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them... but it is not this way among you." The greatest must be servant; the first must be slave of all. Pastoral abuse happens when leaders adopt CEO mentality — protecting their vision, reputation, and authority instead of serving. Signs: demanding allegiance to the leader rather than to Christ, silencing criticism, creating distance/hierarchy, using authority for personal benefit.

Pastoral abuse — CEO vs servant leadership

James and John request Acts 12 (James martyred) James and John request pastoral transformation Acts 12 (James martyred)

Hope for abusive pastors: the disciples who asked for thrones became the greatest servants in church history. James was the first apostle martyred; John served faithfully into old age. Jesus didn't disqualify them for their worldly ambitions — he corrected them and they changed. The same transformation is available today. But it requires: (1) honest self-examination, (2) willingness to be corrected, (3) choosing service over authority.

Hope for transformation — disciples changed

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 rapture rapture 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17

Mike affirms the rapture doctrine from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 as plain biblical teaching. The Greek harpazo ("caught up") → Latin rapturus → English "rapture." He's unsettled on pre/mid/post-trib timing but firmly believes in the event itself. Holds a futurist view of Revelation — future events not yet fulfilled.

Rapture — affirmed, timing unsettled

Mark 16:9-20 Mark 16:17-18 Acts 28 (Paul and viper) textual criticism textual criticism Mark 16:9-20

Mark 16:17-18 (signs accompanying believers) — Mike thinks the last 12 verses of Mark are likely not original (earliest manuscripts lack them). Even if original: (1) the signs may apply to SOME believers, not ALL; (2) picking up serpents refers to unintentional encounters (like Paul in Acts 28), not deliberate snake handling; (3) Jesus said "do not put the Lord your God to the test"; (4) if healing applies to all, every Christian should be in hospitals — but nobody does this, revealing inconsistency.

Mark 16:17-18 — signs and snake handling

Advice for a new missionary to Japan: (1) Don't go alone — attach yourself to other believers and protect those relationships; Satan will target them. (2) Long-term missions requires patience — it's years of investment, not quick results. (3) Your impact ripples through generations even if it feels small. The lives you change will change other lives for decades.

Missionary advice — Japan

long-term missions

1 Corinthians 11 head coverings 1 Corinthians 11 head coverings

Head coverings (1 Corinthians 11): Mike is inclined to say no but admits he can't fully justify that position yet. It's on his list for a 30-40 hour deep study with scholarly literature and commentaries. He's honest about the limits of his current understanding.

Head coverings — unsettled, needs more study

Hebrews 10 willful sin apostasy apostasy Hebrews 10 willful sin

Deliberate sin and condemnation (Hebrews 10): (1) The NT provides forgiveness for sins the OT law couldn't cover — Jesus is better than the law. (2) Hebrews' "willful sin" passage is about apostasy (rejecting Christ entirely), not individual acts of deliberate sin. The context of Hebrews 10 is about abandoning the faith, not occasional moral failures.

Deliberate sin — Hebrews 10 is about apostasy

Romans 14 Romans 14 Romans 14 Romans 14 entertainment ethics

Biblical view of entertainment: Laughter is good (Proverbs: laughter is medicine) but like sex, it's context-dependent. Entertainment that softens our attitude toward sin, mocks God, or turns holy things into jokes causes spiritual harm. Each Christian must develop personal convictions (Romans 14) rather than imposing them on others. The test: is your walk with God sustained while enjoying this entertainment?

Entertainment — biblical principles

necromancy necromancy contacting the dead

Feeling the presence of a dead loved one: concerning because it may lead to attempting to contact the dead, which the OT consistently condemns. If you're contacting any spirit, it's not the deceased — you're opening yourself to whatever spirit wants to respond. Encourage the person to cherish memories but not pursue spiritual contact. The practice of praying to the dead entered church history through the Eastern church's interaction with pagan culture.

Contacting the dead — biblically condemned

gender dysphoria transgender identity

Gender dysphoria: (1) it's a false belief about identity that shouldn't be fed by dressing as the opposite sex — that reinforces the delusion. (2) Our culture causes harm by affirming transgender identity instead of helping people overcome dysphoria. (3) Presenting as the opposite sex perpetrates a deception on others. (4) Overcoming it involves embracing God-given identity and challenging extreme/stereotypical views of masculinity and femininity.

Gender dysphoria — biblical response

Matthew 25:1-13 Matthew 25:1-13 Parable of Ten Virgins nominal Christianity

Parable of the 10 Virgins (Matthew 25): about persevering in genuine devotion to Christ's coming kingdom. The foolish virgins expected the bridegroom but weren't truly prepared — Christians in name only, not in genuineness. Oil likely represents the Holy Spirit (connected to oil symbolism in Zechariah) and genuine relationship with Christ. You can't borrow someone else's faith. The warning: don't be a nominal Christian coasting on a past experience.

Parable of 10 Virgins — genuine vs nominal faith

John 5:46 John 6:44 Calvinism Calvinism John 5:46

John 6:44 ("No one can come to me unless the Father draws him") — Mike's non-Calvinist interpretation: the "drawing" is God's OT revelation through the prophets. Jesus came to the Jews who had already been receiving God's word. Those who responded to the Father's prior revelation naturally accept Jesus; those who rejected it naturally reject Jesus. John 5: "if you believed Moses, you'd believe me, for he wrote about me." This is about Jews rejecting their own Messiah, not about irresistible grace or total depravity.

John 6:44 — non-Calvinist interpretation

1 Corinthians 13:1 1 Corinthians 14 tongues speaking in tongues 1 Corinthians 13:1 speaking in tongues

Are tongues overrated? Yes, in many circles. Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:1: tongues without love = noisy gong. 1 Corinthians 14: tongues should be limited in gatherings, require interpretation, and if an unbeliever enters they'll think you're crazy. Paul explicitly says prophecy is BETTER than tongues because it edifies the whole church. Tongues as a status symbol or proof of salvation is completely unbiblical.

Tongues overrated — 1 Corinthians 13-14