Search — Theology Explorer

apologetics fulfilled prophecy divine inspiration of Scripture

Fulfilled prophecy as evidence for God

Q&A asking for apologetic reasons to believe in God.

apologetics evidence for God naturalism

Arguments against naturalism as evidence for the supernatural

Mike lists arguments against naturalism as another category of evidence for God.

apologetics problem of evil evidence for God

Problem of evil is actually evidence for God, not against him

Mike responds to the objection from the problem of evil.

apologetics evidence for God personal experience of God

Personal experience of God and common sense as evidence for God

Mike closes his apologetics list with experiential and intuitive arguments.

typology seven feasts of Israel Christ as fulfillment of OT feasts

Upcoming video: The seven feasts of Israel as types of Christ

Mike previews his next scheduled video content.

Philippians 4 John 16:33 abortion anxiety and prayer Philippians 4

How a Christian should deal with consuming grief over abortion

Response to a viewer involved in pro-life ministry feeling overwhelmed by abortion rulings

Mark 13:32 second coming Trinity Mark 13:32

Mark 13:32 — Jesus not knowing the hour does not threaten his deity

Viewer question about the Trinity and whether Jesus' limited knowledge in Mark 13:32 undermines his divinity

Luke 2:52 kenosis omnipotence omniscience

Luke 2:52 — Jesus grew in wisdom, demonstrating genuine human limitations on omniscience

Continuing answer on Mark 13:32 and Jesus's limited knowledge

Psalm 119 Mosaic law Torah law vs. commandments

Torah (law) vs. commandments: the words overlap but depend on context

Viewer asking how to differentiate between the law and the commandments

Islam Jehovah's Witnesses Trinity

Defending the Trinity against Jehovah's Witnesses: Mike's teaching video addresses their specific objections

Viewer asking for Bible verses to defend Trinity against JW challenges

Genesis 1 Genesis 9 dominion mandate Mormonism Genesis 1

Image of God (imago Dei): grounds human value, authority over creation, and raises questions about communicable attributes

Viewer asking what it means to be created in the image of God

resurrection Gospel of Mark Trinity in Mark

Planned Gospel of Mark series to cover theology, apologetics, and resurrection debates

Response to viewer question about where the Trinity is in Mark

Genesis Psalm 6 hermeneutics Genesis genre

Literal vs. plain-sense biblical interpretation: read as intended, not mechanically literal

Viewer asking how literally to read the Bible, especially Genesis and Old Testament

Islam resurrection apologetics

Why Christianity and not other religions: incompatible truth claims require choosing

Viewer asking how to respond to someone asking why they should believe Christianity and not another religion

repentance Nicene Creed Apostles' Creed

Nicene and Apostles' Creed: Mike affirms them but would add content on repentance

Viewer asking about the Nicene and Apostles' Creed

Daniel 11 Jehovah's Witnesses Daniel 11 fulfilled prophecy

JW interpretation of Daniel 11 king of the north as Russia is old Cold War theology they borrowed

Viewer asking about JW teaching that the king of the north in Daniel 11 represents Russia

Ephesians 1-3 Hebrews 6 perseverance of the saints eternal security once saved always saved

Once saved always saved: Mike withholds judgment due to genuine biblical tension

Viewer asking about eternal security / once saved always saved

Mormonism evangelism Jehovah's Witnesses

Strategy for protecting college students from JWs and the Mother God cult (World Mission Society Church of God): inoculate, don't isolate

Viewer on a college campus encountering JWs and World Mission Society Church of God

Catholicism Molinism middle knowledge

Luis de Molina and Molinism: middle knowledge reconciles divine sovereignty and human free will

Viewer asking about Molinism and Luis de Molina

Proverbs 2 Corinthians 6:14 marriage sanctification Proverbs

There is no single "the one" person to marry — biblical principles guide spouse selection, not divine designation

Viewer asking whether there is only one possible spouse and how that relates to free will

1 Corinthians 11:16 head coverings 1 Corinthians 11:16 women in worship

1 Corinthians 11:16 head coverings: Mike does not believe it is binding today but acknowledges difficulty

Viewer asking whether women should still cover their heads based on 1 Corinthians 11

nominalism aseity abstract objects

Aseity (divine self-existence) and abstract objects: Mike denies abstract objects truly exist, resolving the problem

Viewer asking about God's aseity and how God can exist prior to abstract objects like the number one

John 3:13 Moses divine authority Elijah

John 3:13 — "No one has ascended" does not necessarily contradict Elijah's translation

Viewer asking about John 3:13 and its apparent contradiction with Elijah ascending

Mosaic law Sabbath New Covenant

Sabbath observance: Mike does not believe Christians are required to keep the Sabbath

Viewer asking about proper Sabbath observance

salvation sanctification forgiveness

Mike's personal testimony: heard the gospel at 12, found relief in forgiveness

Viewer asking about Mike's salvation experience

healing spiritual warfare authority of Christ

Authority over evil spirits and sickness comes from Christ's authority, not the believer's own

Viewer asking about Christians' authority over evil spirits and sickness

1 Peter 2 Peter Jude 1 Peter 2 Peter descent into hell

Did Jesus go to hell? Mike does not think he was tortured there; references 1-2 Peter and Jude on descent

Viewer asking whether Jesus went to hell between death and resurrection

Job apostolic authority biblical canon Job

Books like Job belong in the canon because Jesus accepted the Old Testament, and apostles were commissioned to teach

Viewer asking why books like Job are in the Bible if we don't know the author

1 Timothy 5 Mosaic law New Covenant tithing

Tithing is an Old Testament concept; Christians are required to give but not mandated to a 10% figure

Viewer asking Mike to reconcile his teaching that the tithe is not required with the obligation to give

pastoral ministry church and denomination integrity in ministry

A pastor considering a church of a different denomination should front-load doctrinal disagreements before accepting the role

Viewer who is a young preacher considering pastoring a church with doctrinal differences from his own convictions

Christian apologetics Gospel historicity reasons people leave the faith

Introduction: purpose of the stream and why the historicity of the Gospels matters

Mike opens the Tuesday livestream and frames the day's topic as important for faith retention.

eyewitness testimony Gospel historicity apologetics preparedness

Most Christians assume Gospel eyewitness origins without being able to defend it

Mike identifies a gap in typical Christian preparedness against scholarly skepticism.

Bart Ehrman community tradition view oral transmission

Bart Ehrman's telephone-game argument against Gospel reliability

Mike quotes and plays audio of Bart Ehrman presenting the community tradition / oral telephone-game view of Gospel transmission.

Gospel historicity community tradition view oral history view

The two competing models: community tradition view vs. oral history view

Mike introduces the framework for the rest of the lecture.

Bart Ehrman Jesus Seminar Son of Man

The Jesus Seminar and the consequence of rejecting eyewitness origins

Mike explains what is at stake if the Gospels are not rooted in eyewitness accounts.

Papias Hierapolis early church history

Introduction of Papias: Bishop of Hierapolis in the early second century

First major evidence: the testimony and writings of Papias.

Papias Hierapolis Vernon Bartlett

Vernon Bartlett on Papias's unique geographic position for collecting traditions

Scholarly support for why Papias's location made him a reliable collector of early tradition.

Acts 21:8-9 eyewitness testimony Papias early church history

Acts 21:8-9 — Philip the Evangelist and his prophesying daughters

Biblical and extra-biblical verification of Philip the Evangelist's daughters as contemporaries of Papias.

James John Matthew Peter James John

Papias's key quotation about seeking living witnesses over written sources

The primary Papias text Mike uses to establish the eyewitness-guarantor model.

eschatology Papias Eusebius

Eusebius preserves Papias but personally dislikes him due to eschatology differences

Note on the transmission of Papias's writings and the reliability of Eusebius as a hostile witness.

Richard Bauckham Papias eyewitness hierarchy

Four categories of worthy sources in Papias's framework

Mike breaks down what Papias considered authoritative sources for Jesus tradition.

1 Timothy 1 Richard Bauckham elders (early church) apostolic appointment

Richard Bauckham's identification of elders vs. disciples and the function of elders in preserving doctrine

Scholarly framework for understanding Papias's use of "elders."

Papias twelve disciples seven as symbolic number

The significance of seven disciples named in Papias and their consistent ordering with the Gospels

Internal consistency between Papias's disciple list and the Gospel disciple lists.

Ephesus Richard Bauckham Smyrna

Aristion and Elder John as living eyewitnesses still active during Papias's collecting period (~80-90 AD)

Evidence that direct Jesus-eyewitnesses were still alive and teaching during the Gospel-writing period.

Bart Ehrman community tradition view telephone game analogy

Main conclusion from Papias: eyewitness guarantors refute the telephone-game model

Core argument against Ehrman's telephone-game analogy using Papias as evidence.

Bart Ehrman Mike Licona telephone game analogy

Ehrman's telephone-game argument as a debate tactic used selectively against less-informed audiences

Mike critiques Ehrman's rhetorical strategy.

Richard Bauckham Josephus historical method

Ancient historians' three-tiered hierarchy of sources: first-person, interrogated eyewitness, written account

Historical methodology framework used by ancient historians, applied to understanding Papias.

Papias ancient historiography eyewitness interrogation

The Greek word for "inquired" (anakrinō/ekzētein) in Papias carries judicial connotation

Greek word study on the term Papias uses for his method of questioning witnesses.

Richard Bauckham eyewitness testimony Papias

Bauckham's interpretation of "living and surviving voice" in Papias — literal, not metaphorical

Clarifying what Papias meant by preferring a "living voice" to written sources.