Search — Theology Explorer

Acts 18:27-28 Apollos typology evidence-based faith

Acts 18:27-28 — Apollos vigorously refutes Jewish opponents using Scripture to show Jesus is the Christ

New Testament example of evidence-based persuasion in the early church.

John the Baptist John 5:31-39 resurrection evidence-based faith John the Baptist

John 5:31-38 — Jesus presents three specific evidences for his identity: John the Baptist, miracles, and Scripture

Mike analyzes Jesus's own self-defense in John 5 as a model of evidence-based persuasion.

Islam resurrection comparative religion

No other religion has a comparative apologetic to Christianity

Mike makes a comparative religion claim after discussing Christian evidential resources.

John 5:39 evidence-based faith messianic prophecy John 5:39

John 5:39 — the Old Testament scriptures testify of Jesus as a third category of evidence

Continuation of the John 5 analysis; the Father's testimony through Scripture.

Matthew 9:5-7 miracles as evidence Matthew 9:5-7 paralytic healing

Matthew 9:5-7 — Jesus heals the paralytic as evidence of authority to forgive sins

Mike uses Jesus's healing of the paralytic as another instance of miracles functioning as proof.

Hebrews 2:3-4 evidence-based faith Hebrews 2:3-4 eyewitness testimony

Hebrews 2:3-4 — signs, wonders, miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit as confirmation of the gospel message

Mike's final direct positive scriptural argument that Christianity is evidence-based.

Hebrews 11:1 Romans 1:19-20 John 20:24 apologetics methodology Hebrews 11:1 Romans 1:19-20

Pivot to objections: addressing 'but what about?' passages that skeptics use to support the faith-without-evidence definition

Mike transitions from positive case to handling counter-passages.

Hebrews 11:1 faith Hebrews 11:1 Amy Hall

Hebrews 11:1 — introduction and reference to Amy Hall's article at STR.org

Mike begins addressing the most commonly cited 'faith without evidence' passage.

Hebrews 11:1 hermeneutics faith Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 is a description of what faith looks like, not a definition of why or how we believe

Mike's core exegetical argument about the nature of Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:7 hermeneutics eschatology Noah

Hebrews 11: 'not seen' means future realities not yet occurring, not things lacking evidence — illustrated by Noah building the ark

Mike's second exegetical argument about the meaning of 'unseen' in Hebrews 11.

Hebrews 11:8 Hebrews 11:11 Sarah Abraham faith

Abraham and Sarah in Hebrews 11: faith as trust in specific divine promises, not evidence-free belief

Further examples from Hebrews 11 illustrating that the characters had specific reasons to believe.

Hebrews 11 Moses Sarah evidence-based faith

The Hebrews 11 heroes had concrete reasons for their faith: direct speech from God, angelic visitations, inherited testimony

Mike argues that the faith-figures in Hebrews 11 are not examples of 'faith without evidence.'

Romans 1:19-20 evidence-based faith cosmological argument Romans 1:19-20

Romans 1:19-20 — creation itself is the evidence through which God is perceived; not faith without evidence

Mike addresses the second counter-passage sometimes used to support faith-without-evidence.

John 20:24-29 hermeneutics faith Thomas

John 20:24-29 — Thomas passage: 'not seen' does not mean 'without evidence'

Mike addresses the Thomas story as the third counter-passage.

John 20:24-27 Jehovah's Witnesses resurrection body Thomas

Thomas's demand to see the nail marks refutes Jehovah's Witness teaching that Jesus rose in a different body

Side point made while explaining the Thomas narrative.

John 20:27-28 resurrection evidence-based faith Thomas

Jesus gives Thomas evidence first, then commands belief — a model of evidence-based faith

The climax of Mike's Thomas analysis.

John 20:24-29 resurrection Thomas Matt Dillahunty

Thomas's rebuke was for ignoring available evidence, not for demanding evidence — modern believers have the same pre-appearance evidence

Mike draws the application of the Thomas story to contemporary Christian faith.

evidence-based faith skepticism Christian apologetics

Skeptical objections to Christianity are often based on misunderstanding, misrepresentation, and bad scholarship rather than genuinely superior evidence

Mike's meta-level assessment of the state of skeptical arguments against Christianity.

personal testimony faith spiritual apprehension

Dictionary definition of faith: Google's two definitions — 'complete trust or confidence' vs. 'strong belief based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof'

Mike moves from Scripture to the dictionary to examine the secular definition of faith.

faith Christian apologetics definition of faith

Webster's dictionary definitions of faith: 'allegiance,' 'loyalty,' 'belief and trust in God' — the 'firm belief in something for which there is no proof' definition exists but does not represent biblical Christianity

Mike examines Webster's multiple definitions of faith.

faith apologetics methodology sloppy thinking

Why Christians accept the bad definition: 'sloppy thinking' — illustrated by the peanut butter sandwich experiment

Mike explains how well-meaning Christians end up using imprecise language that harms their apologetic position.

faith apologetics methodology sloppy thinking

Skeptics take advantage of Christians' sloppy language; Christians must speak precisely about faith

Mike's conclusion on the source of the problem and call to action.

Greg Koukl William Lane Craig apologetics resources

Recommended apologetics ministries and resources for Christians who want a robust, evidence-based faith

Mike provides a resource list for viewers who want to deepen their apologetics.

personal testimony evidence-based faith comparative religion

Evidence for Christianity spans multiple disciplines: Scripture, philosophy, history, science, and personal experience

Mike summarizes the scope of Christian evidential resources before moving to Q&A.

Holy Spirit personal testimony apologetics methodology

Q&A: How to explain to non-believers that the Holy Spirit's presence is a reason for faith

Viewer question from Cam 94.

John 13:2 omnipotence Satan spiritual warfare

Q&A: Can Satan, as a non-omnipotent being, put thoughts into people's minds?

Viewer question from Joy Chintons.

John 3:36 obedience hermeneutics faith and works

Q&A: Connection between belief and obedience in John 3:36 — belief leads to obedience; lack of obedience implies lack of faith

Viewer question from Jacob Englet about John 3:36 and James 2:14-26.

James 2:14-26 faith James 2:14-26 faith and works

James 2:14-26 — faith without works is dead; Mike references his dedicated video on Catholic vs. Protestant interpretations

Part of Jacob Englet's question on faith and obedience.

Dr. Ragnar study Dr. Rosenfeld family instability

Q&A: Response to atheist videos on the Dr. Ragnar study and the lurking variable of family instability

Viewer question from Brian Stevens about a sociological study and atheist video responses.

hermeneutics biblical interpretation contextual reading

Q&A: How to know you have the proper interpretation of Scripture — hermeneutics and contextual reading

Viewer question from Eric Seagardia.

epistemology evidence apologetics methodology

Q&A: Distinction between 'evidence' and 'proof' — Mike is skeptical that they must be rigorously distinguished

Viewer question from Martin Gradwell.

Romans 1:19-20 personal testimony Romans 1:19-20 natural theology

Q&A: Personal testimony — Bradley Wilcox found God through science and history; Mike shares friend Travis's conversion testimony

Viewer comment on creation as evidence; Mike illustrates with a personal conversion story.

Isaiah 53 Bible as historical document Isaiah 53 Pontius Pilate

Q&A: How to use the Bible as evidence with non-believers who don't accept it as God's word — the prophecy approach

Viewer question from Kate about apologetic method.

evidence-based faith faith trust

Closing summary: faith is simply trust; the reasons for faith are a separate discussion from the nature of faith itself

Mike's concluding definition and summary of the session.

abortion Ronald Dworkin Life's Dominion

Pro-abortion advocates Ronald Dworkin and Faye Wattleton concede abortion kills a developing human

Mike cites ideological opponents who admit the reality of what abortion does

abortion Scott Klusendorf pro-life syllogism

The pro-life syllogism — abortion is wrong because it intentionally kills an innocent human being

Mike's core logical argument against abortion, credited to Scott Klusendorf

cultural engagement eschatology Christian ethics

Christian call to defend the fatherless — abortion as a moral mandate for Christians regardless of eschatological timeline

Q&A — question about whether abortion can be abolished given worsening culture as end times approach

Ephesians Ephesians abortion heaven

Heaven and miscarriage — Scripture does not specify the state or 'age' of those who die before birth

Q&A — question about the state of aborted or miscarried children in heaven

pro-life mother's life exception abortion definition

High-risk pregnancy (lupus) scenario — saving the mother is a pro-life position, not abortion by definition

Q&A — question about a mother with lupus whose life is endangered by pregnancy

Hebrew Roots Movement Law of Moses Torah

Introduction: Hebrew Roots Movement defined as mostly Gentile believers who think they should obey the Law of Moses

Opening of the video; Mike explains he surveyed his audience for topic requests and this won the most votes.

Torah observance Hebrew Roots Movement Salvation by works

Hebrew Roots Movement is not monolithic — four distinct subgroups identified along a spectrum from optional Torah-keeping to rejecting Jesus entirely

Mike breaks down the internal diversity within the movement to caution against a single label.

Leviticus Leviticus Law of Moses Gentile believers

Mike's positive disclaimer: he loves the Old Testament law and is not attacking it — the debate is about application, not truthfulness

Before making his critique, Mike establishes his high view of the OT law to clarify that his disagreement is about how and to whom the law applies, not whether it is true.

Hebrew Roots Movement 119 Ministries Rhetorical manipulation

119 Ministries opens by appealing to an "unsettling feeling" — Mike critiques this as emotional manipulation, not theological argument

Mike plays and critiques the opening rhetorical move of 119 Ministries' video, which begins by affirming that many Christians feel something is missing.

1 John 3:4 Equivocation fallacy 1 John 3:4 Anomia

Greek term anomia (lawlessness) does not exclusively mean violation of the Mosaic law — it has diverse NT usage

Mike makes a focused philological argument about the Greek word anomia.

1 John 2:3-10 1 John 3:23-24 John 15 Law of Moses 1 John 2:3-10 1 John 3:23-24

Reading 1 John in context: the commandment John has in view is love and faith in Jesus Christ, not the Mosaic law

Mike does a sustained contextual reading of 1 John 2 and 3 to determine what John meant by "commandments."

1 John 2 Torah observance Salvation by works Apostasy

119 Ministries contradicts itself: early they say Torah-keeping is not required for salvation; later they imply it is, calling non-observance "denying the faith"

Mike plays two clips from 119 Ministries showing an internal contradiction between their opening disclaimer and their later conclusion.

Torah observance Gentile believers Sola fide

Torah-observant Christians who hold sola fide — Mike's gracious but firm assessment

Q&A question: what about Torah-observant believers who genuinely hold that salvation is by grace through faith alone?

1 Corinthians 7 Paul 1 Corinthians 7 Torah observance

Jewish believers and Torah: Paul's principle "let him who is circumcised not seek to be uncircumcised" — Mike gives leeway to Jewish Christians observing Torah

Mike distinguishes between Jewish and Gentile believers in his pastoral response to Torah-observance.

1 Corinthians 3 Revelation 22:12-14 1 Corinthians 3 Revelation 22:12-14 Heavenly rewards

Revelation 22:12 — "repaying each one for what he has done" does not teach levels of heaven or works-based salvation

Q&A: questioner asks whether Revelation 22:12 implies different levels or places in heaven based on works.