Search — Theology Explorer

Calvinism Molinism middle knowledge

Molinism — middle knowledge reconciles divine sovereignty and human free will

A viewer asks about Molinism as a worldview for reconciling sovereignty and free will.

Revelation eschatology fulfilled prophecy Revelation

Preterism — all Bible prophecy fulfilled by 70 AD; Mike disagrees and will debate it on Remnant Radio

A viewer asks: if Revelation was all about Rome, what would be the point of it?

Philippians 4 Romans 6 Proverbs 11:14 Philippians 4 Romans 6 pastoral counseling

Scriptures for believers needing deliverance — Romans 6 for sin, Philippians 4 for oppression

A viewer at 3am asks for scriptures for believers needing deliverance.

Mormonism Joseph Smith Book of Abraham

LDS Book of Abraham — Joseph Smith's evolving theology from monotheism toward polytheism

A viewer asks about doing a verse-by-verse study on the LDS Book of Abraham.

1 Timothy 3 1 Timothy 3 elder qualifications youth ministry

Can a high school student give a sermon? — Giving a message vs. holding the office of elder

A viewer asks whether biblical leadership qualifications prevent a high school student from giving a message at a school Bible study.

Matthew 24:15 Acts 1:7 Matthew 24:15 eschatology Martin Luther

Are we the last generation? — Acts 1:7 epistemic humility; abomination of desolation as one signpost

A viewer asks if Mike believes we are the last generation before Christ's return.

assurance of salvation Donald Trump Christianity and politics

Is Donald Trump a genuine Christian? — Mike's cautious non-assessment

A viewer asks if Mike thinks President Trump is a true believer.

Romans 10:13 election Calvinism soteriology

Does God choose who is saved? — Both election and free will are simultaneously true

A viewer asks how to understand salvation as a gift if God chooses who receives it.

Matthew 4 1 Peter 5:8 Ephesians 6:12 spiritual warfare Holy Spirit indwelling exorcism

Can a Christian be demonized or possessed? — No, the Spirit-indwelt believer cannot be internally possessed

A viewer asks if a Christian can be demonized and if Mike has ever cast out a demon.

calling worship leading apologetics

Gaps in vocational ministry — expository preaching, apologetics, archaeology, worship leading

A viewer asks what the church is most lacking in vocational ministry.

Matthew 18:15-17 Galatians 6:1-2 false teaching church discipline mysticism

Handling a friend pursuing unbiblical mysticism — staged intervention using Galatians 6:1-2

Mike answers an emailed question from Nikki about a close Christian friend who keeps pursuing mystical and unbiblical things despite multiple conversations.

Matthew 5:13-16 salt and light gospel proclamation religious persecution

Standing up for faith before it is taken away — Christians always stand; democracy creates gospel opportunity

A viewer asks at what point Christians should stand up for their faith before it is taken away.

epistemology humility biblical scholarship

Epistemic humility in teaching: share conclusions only to the degree of confidence you actually possess

Question about how Mike knows when he has read enough secondary literature to teach a topic publicly.

1 Kings 21 Genesis 4 Exodus 20 theocracy 1 Kings 21 right to life

Biblical basis for rights to life, liberty, and property

Question asking for verses that imply life, liberty, and property are inalienable rights.

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

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.

1 Corinthians 14:22-23 spiritual gifts tongues 1 Corinthians 14:22-23

1 Corinthians 14:22 — tongues are a sign for unbelievers only when interpreted; the apparent contradiction explained

Question about the apparent flip in 1 Corinthians 14:22-23 where tongues are a sign for unbelievers yet unbelievers will think speakers are mad.

Romans 11 Revelation 7:4 Jehovah's Witnesses tribulation futurism

Revelation 7:4 — the 144,000 are a literal future group of ethnic Jewish men

Question about what the 144,000 sealed in Revelation 7:4 means.

2 Peter 2:5-6 Sodom and Gomorrah hell annihilationism

2 Peter 2:5-6 does not settle the annihilationism debate

Question about whether 2 Peter 2:6 implies annihilation on final judgment day.

anachronism church history sola scriptura

Early church creeds: authoritative insofar as they reflect Scripture, not equal to Scripture; beware anachronism

Question about the Athanasian Creed and whether it is biblical, specifically the implication that one must believe in the Trinity to be saved.

James 1:13-15 personal responsibility Satan sin

Temptation originates primarily from one's own sinful desires, not Satan — James 1:13-15

Question about whether all temptation comes from Satan/demons or from one's sinful self.

Romans 13 theocracy justice Romans 13

No single biblical form of government; Christianity fits any system through principles

Question about biblical support for monarchy and the Christian attitude toward it.

Genesis 1-11 John Walton hermeneutics Adam and Eve young earth creationism

Genesis 1-11 genre: separating science from exegesis; evaluating young earth, Walton, and William Lane Craig's archetypal history view

Question about the creation account in Genesis and young earth creationism vs. modern science.

Acts 2 Psalm 51:11 John 14:17 David Acts 2 Abraham

Old Testament believers were saved but lacked the permanent indwelling of the Holy Spirit

Question about whether Old Testament believers were born again and could be called children of God.

Romans 11 Abrahamic covenant Jewish people Romans 11

Modern Israel and biblical Israel are continuous, but God's promises do not make every Israeli action righteous

Question about how modern political Israel correlates to biblical promises for Israel.

Matthew biblical theology Matthew kingdom of God

Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven are synonyms in the Gospels

Question about whether the two phrases refer to different things.

Romans 10:1-4 John 5:46 Moses soteriology Messiah

Dual covenant theology is unbiblical; Jewish people need Jesus — Romans 10:1-4 and John 5:46

Final question about whether Jews can be saved without believing in Jesus through a special covenant.

epistemology aliens and Christianity biblical silence

The Bible neither affirms nor denies the existence of aliens; Christians can follow the evidence without a presuppositional commitment either way.

Does the Bible say anything about aliens?

atonement works righteousness holiness of God

If aliens are sinful and redeemable by their own works, that contradicts the nature of the cross; God's holiness is the same across the universe.

Theological decision tree: sinful aliens who can self-redeem

Romans 6:9 Romans 6:10 atonement incarnation aliens and Christianity

Jesus is the only potential savior even hypothetically; a second incarnation-death-resurrection on another planet is ruled out by Romans 6:9-10.

Theological decision tree: how would aliens be saved?

Romans 8 atonement Romans 8 new creation

Christ's death and resurrection is a cosmic, universe-wide victory - not limited to earth; Romans 8 ties all creation's redemption to Adam's sin and Christ's work.

The scope of Christ's atonement

spiritual warfare apologetics UFOs

Some people abandon faith over UFO sightings because they do not consider alternative explanations like demonic activity; alien existence is not a defeater for Christianity.

Spiritual danger of UFO-driven deconversion

1 Corinthians 7:12-14 apostolic authority marriage 1 Corinthians 7:12-14

1 Corinthians 7:12-14 - Paul says "not the Lord" meaning he gives apostolic instruction without a direct quote from Jesus; believers married to unbelievers should not divorce.

Question about 1 Corinthians 7:14 and sanctification of unbelieving spouse

Many Christian doubts about heaven and death are psychological rather than intellectual; manufactured skepticism exploits unthought-through questions to create irrational doubt.

Question: can someone know for sure that heaven is real?

faith apologetics doubt

Abraham faith fulfilled prophecy

Biblical faith is not groundless belief but trust based on revelation and evidence; the response to psychological doubt is to exercise trust grounded in good reasons.

How to respond to psychological doubt

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

James White Isaiah 9:6 Trinity James White Isaiah 9:6

Isaiah 9:6 calls Jesus "Everlasting Father" - Mike cannot recall his full answer but recommends James White's The Forgotten Trinity and Got Questions for responses to Oneness Pentecostal use of the verse.

Question about Isaiah 9:6 and Oneness Pentecostalism

Romans 14 Romans 14 conscience sanctification

An over-sensitive conscience may result from equating every guilty feeling with sin; Romans 14 and Mike's dedicated video on conscience address calibrating the conscience rightly.

Question about having an overly sensitive conscience

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

Judges 11 Jephthah vows Judges 11

Jephthah's vow was sinful rebellion: the law expressly forbids human sacrifice; God repeatedly states he never wanted it and judges Israel for practicing it.

Why Jephthah's fulfillment of the vow was wrong

Judges hermeneutics Judges typology

The book of Judges follows a downward trajectory of increasingly flawed deliverers (Gideon → Jephthah → Samson) to show Israel's depravity and create expectation for the true Deliverer - Jesus.

Theological purpose of the book of Judges

Hebrew Roots Movement Gentiles covenant theology

Jewish feasts were commanded for Jews in Israel, not universally for all people; Gentiles were never given the Mosaic law and are not obligated to keep the feasts.

Question: why don't Christians celebrate Jewish holidays?

Romans 14 Romans 14 eschatology Hebrew Roots Movement

A future millennial observance of feasts does not obligate Christians now; present-tense New Testament teaching (Romans 14) is the relevant authority for current practice.

Millennial feast observance and current Christian obligation

hermeneutics discernment commentaries

For new Christians evaluating commentaries: trust your Bible more than commentators; blueletterbible.org is recommended as a generally reliable free resource.

Question from a new Christian about evaluating Bible teachers and commentaries

cessationism Holy Spirit tongues

Mike identifies as charismatic (gifts active today, cessationism rejected) but not hyper-charismatic; he opposes fabricating gifts and "Acts 2.0" theology.

Question clarifying what Mike means by calling himself charismatic

Genesis flood Genesis 6-9 hermeneutics Genesis flood Genesis 6-9

The flood narrative: "destroy all flesh" is a sweeping statement not meant to be woodenly literal - fish dying would be an example of over-literalism.

Question about fish surviving the flood if God said he would destroy all flesh

Romans 1:24-27 marriage natural law sexual ethics

Applying the "natural function" standard: anal intercourse is physically harmful even between a married man and woman and is therefore unnatural and prohibited.

Applying Romans 1 framework to acts within marriage