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All (5535) Mike Winger (5535)
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Mike has authorship of the contested Pauline epistles on his list but far down in priority; he recommends Darrell Bock as an existing resource for those who need it now.

Q: Do you ever plan to do a deep dive into the authorship of the contested Pauline epistles?

Darrell Bock Textual Criticism Pauline Epistles — Authorship
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Psychological doubts where reason does not help require humility — admitting one is being irrational — rather than demanding emotional confirmation before believing; this applies to faith and to mental illness alike.

Q: What are the steps to take while dealing with psychological doubts where no amount of reason will help you feel better?

Doubt and Faith Mental Health and Christianity Humility
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

In times of psychological doubt, stop requiring emotional confirmation from Bible reading, worship, and prayer — treat spiritual disciplines as objectively worth doing regardless of how they feel.

Practical strategies for overcoming psychological/emotional doubt.

Prayer Doubt and Faith Trust in God vs. Feelings
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Mike leans toward classifying the Seventh-day Adventist church as a cult and plans a full dedicated video on the SDA topic in the coming year.

Q: Do you think the SDA is a cult?

Seventh-day Adventism Cults and False Religions
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Romans 10:1-4 refutes the idea that Jews can be saved apart from Jesus: Paul's heart's desire is that his Jewish kinsmen be saved — meaning they currently are not — despite their genuine zeal for God.

Q: How do I respond to family who believe Jews will go to heaven even if not saved by Jesus?

Romans 10:1-4 Galatians — Law as Condemner Paul Romans 10:1-4 Jewish Salvation / Two-Covenant Theology
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Everything possible is theologically wrong with two-covenant theology (Jews saved by law, gentiles by Christ) — it is unloving to Jewish people because it withholds their own Savior from them.

Summary judgment on two-covenant soteriology.

Romans 1:16 — Jew First Galatians — Law as Condemner Jewish Salvation / Two-Covenant Theology Romans 1:16 — Jew First Galatians — Law as Condemner
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

God's sovereign will and human free will coexist: God allows choices he does not desire; his overarching plan unfolds through, not in spite of, human free choices.

Q: How does God's will not infringe on free will? What is the point of praying if it is already in God's will?

Romans 8:28 Prayer Romans 8:28 Divine Sovereignty and Human Free Will
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Prayer is powerful precisely because God's will can be conditionally contingent on prayer — he may desire to do something but not do it if we do not pray; Moses' intercession for Israel is the paradigmatic example.

Answering the secondary question: what is the point of praying if it is already God's will?

Exodus 32 — Moses Intercession Prayer Divine Sovereignty and Human Free Will Moses — Intercession
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Mike is pre-millennial and futurist: he believes in a literal seven-year tribulation and a thousand-year reign of Christ; he does not believe amillennialism is biblical but has not done deep recent study on eschatology.

Q: Do you believe amillennialism is biblical, and what arguments do you have for and against it?

Eschatology Amillennialism Premillennialism
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

A person with Asperger's who fears public speaking should identify what they are actually gifted at and build ministry around those strengths rather than forcing it through their weakness.

Q: I suffer from Asperger's syndrome and have fear of crowds and public speaking — is my fear a valid reason not to spread God's word?

Spiritual Gifts Ministry and Disability Calling and Gifting
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Mike's own primary gift is teaching, not worship leading — he did worship leading for years out of necessity but recognized it was not his strongest gift; leaning into actual gifts maximizes ministry impact.

Personal illustration of the spiritual-gifts-discernment principle.

Spiritual Gifts Calling and Gifting Teaching Gift
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

For the felony question: Mike refuses to give definitive advice without knowing full details and directs the questioner to a local mature pastor or wise Christian leader for personal counsel.

Q: I got away with felonies years ago, no one got hurt, confessed to God and repented — is the godly thing to do to turn myself in? I have OCD and can't tell if it's OCD or conviction.

Conscience and OCD Legal Confession / Turning Yourself In Pastoral Counsel
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Angels could fall but redeemed humans in eternity will not — Scripture promises 'with him forever'; the mechanisms likely include: prior choice already made, maximum Holy Spirit indwelling, perfected environment, and crucially the removal of the sin nature.

Q: If angels were not 100% safe in heaven because they could be seduced by Satan, how can we be certain we will be safe in eternity with God?

1 Corinthians 15:53 — Incorruption Eschatology Eternal Security in Heaven Fallen Angels / Satan
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

When handling online 'heresy hunters' who badger a minister, evaluate whether you are responding from self-defense or from genuine capacity to help — then use time for maximum ministry impact.

Q: How do you handle online heresy hunters that badger you through email about your teaching?

Heresy Hunting / Online Critics Ministry Time Management Self-Defense vs. Service
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Two issues with heresy hunters: (1) a divisive uncharitable attitude over secondary issues needing gentle correction toward unity; (2) the real possibility they are right — total openness to correction with zero self-defensiveness is required.

Continued advice on handling heresy hunters in ministry.

Humility Heresy Hunting / Online Critics Self-Defense vs. Service
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Why Jesus allowed Simon of Cyrene to carry his cross: possibly to display the depth of his physical suffering, and Simon and his sons apparently came to faith — suggesting the encounter introduced him more fully to Jesus.

Q: Why did Jesus allow Simon of Cyrene to help him carry his cross?

Romans 16 — Simon's Sons Simon of Cyrene Crucifixion of Jesus Romans 16 — Simon's Sons
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Church fathers have historical value — especially the earliest second-century writers — but should not be granted extra theological authority; they are windows into early church history, not infallible teachers.

Q: How much utility should we find in the church fathers? Should we view them with extra credibility?

Justin Martyr Polycarp Church Fathers
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Church fathers are routinely quoted out of context to proof-text doctrines — Gustaf Aulén's Christus Victor is a prime example, misrepresenting patristic sources to argue against penal substitutionary atonement.

Warning about the misuse of the church fathers in theological argument.

Proof-texting Church Fathers Patristics
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Practical guidance on reading church fathers: read whole works from start to finish rather than isolated quotes — this prevents the proof-texting problem the same way it prevents biblical proof-texting.

How to read the church fathers responsibly.

Proof-texting Hermeneutics Church Fathers
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Christus Victor is a beautiful and biblical doctrine, but Aulén's treatment is total anachronism that butchers both Christus Victor and penal substitutionary atonement by falsely presenting them as competing alternatives.

Final comment on the Christus Victor / PSA debate, wrapping up question 20.

Church Fathers Christus Victor Gustaf Aulén
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-18

Passion Translation project update: Mike has hired multiple scholars to review the Passion Translation — Tremper Longman (Song of Songs, already published), Nijay Gupta (Galatians, days away), Darrell Bock, Douglas Moo, Craig Blomberg are upcoming.

Closing ministry update on the Passion Translation evaluation project.

Craig Blomberg Douglas Moo Brian Simmons
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Introduction and ministry update for 2021

Opening of first livestream of 2021 (New Year's Day)

thinking biblically BibleThinker ministry
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Goal: teach people to think biblically, not just memorize answers

Ministry philosophy discussion

discipleship biblical thinking
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Experimenting with interviews: open candid dialogue over polished preparation

2021 plans announcement

Galatians Craig Blomberg Galatians New Perspective on Paul
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Announcement: upcoming deep-dive study on women's roles and gender in the church

2021 ministry plans

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Divorce and remarriage study as model for deep-topic research projects

Ministry methodology

divorce and remarriage biblical research methodology
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

BibleThinker.org website improvements: searchable timestamp database

Website and ministry infrastructure plans for 2021

BibleThinker ministry open theism
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q2: Can the dead be aware of what happens on earth? Ecclesiastes 9:5 examined

Response to viewer question citing Ecclesiastes 9:5 ("the dead know nothing")

Ecclesiastes 9:5 afterlife Ecclesiastes 9:5 state of the dead
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Samuel called up by Saul: evidence that the dead may not be actively aware of earth until summoned

Discussion of dead awareness; 1 Samuel 28

1 Samuel 28 Samuel 1 Samuel 28 state of the dead
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Revelation: saints in heaven concerned for earthly events, asking "how long, Lord?"

Continuing discussion on dead's awareness of earth

Revelation 6:10 afterlife state of the dead Revelation 6:10
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Ecclesiastes as internal critique of atheist/godless worldview, not normative theology

Explaining why Ecclesiastes 9:5 ("the dead know nothing") does not define the dead's actual state

Ecclesiastes Ecclesiastes 9:5 hermeneutics atheism biblical interpretation
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q3: Why did God reject Cain's offering? Reading Genesis 4 for textual clues

Response to viewer asking about Cain and Abel's sacrifices

Genesis 4 sacrifice Genesis 4 Cain and Abel
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Typological reading of Cain/Abel: works vs. faith — valid typology but not the cause of rejection

Analysis of Cain's offering rejection

Genesis 4 Hebrews 11:4 typology works-righteousness Genesis 4
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Hebrews 11:4: Abel's sacrifice was better because it was offered by faith

Resolving the Cain/Abel question using Hebrews 11

Hebrews 11:4 faith worship sacrifice
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q4: Soul sleep, resurrection, and the problem of personal continuity

Response to question about whether resurrection is "snatching" someone from paradise/hell

resurrection soul sleep personal identity
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q5: Do Christians sin every second? Distinguishing temptation from sin

Response to question about frequency of sin in the Christian life

James 1:14-15 sanctification sin temptation
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Galatians 6: distinction between living in sin vs. occasional sin

Continuing Q5 on Christian sin frequency

Galatians 6:1 sin habitual sin humility
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q6 (wrong week): Advice for someone leaving a cult (JW) and finding a church; overcoming spiritual abuse

Response to question about choosing a church after leaving JW (note: Mike realized partway through this was from a previous week's questions)

spiritual authority Jehovah's Witnesses baptism
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q7: Daniel prayed without a temple — praying toward the temple as access to God (OT parallel to praying in Jesus' name)

Response to question about Mark 11:22-25 and temple-based prayer

Mark 11:22-25 Daniel 1 Kings 8 prayer temple indwelling Holy Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Believers as the temple — the astonishing access to God available through Christ

Continuation of Q7; reflection on prayer and access to God

1 Corinthians 6:19 prayer temple indwelling Holy Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q8: Pastoral advice for engaging a friend who has pursued a gay lifestyle — understanding before fixing

Response to viewer whose Christian friend came out as gay

evangelism love and truth homosexuality
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Love does not require approval of behavior — Jesus dying for sin, not approving sin

Continuing Q8 on engaging gay friend

atonement love sin
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Diagnosing the root belief driving a gay-identifying Christian friend — four possible positions

Continuing Q8 — strategy for engaging friend

Matthew Vines biblical authority apologetics homosexuality
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q9: Is it sinful to not want to marry? Singleness is a gift, not inferior to marriage

Response to viewer asking about call to singleness

1 Corinthians 7 Matthew 19 1 Corinthians 7 marriage singleness
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Gift of singleness: a choice, not only a sovereign assignment

Continuing Q9 on singleness

1 Corinthians 7 1 Corinthians 7 singleness free will
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q10: Dangers of treating positivity/negativity as moral categories — New Age/New Thought origins

Response to question about "happy church" culture where positivity = moral good

Philippians 4:8 Brian Simmons prosperity gospel Philippians 4:8
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Blanket positivity thinking leads to rejection of God's judgment and Jesus' exclusivity

Continuing Q10 on positivity as moral category

exclusivity of Christ New Age positive thinking
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q11: Most notable OT leader — Moses

Response to question on biblical leadership study

Exodus David Moses Abraham
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q12: Fear of studying theology — not studying is not safer; intellectual humility in study

Response to viewer afraid of making mistakes when studying eschatology

hermeneutics eschatology epistemology
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Eschatology as the field most prone to overconfident errors; lessons from misapplied messianic expectation

Continuing Q12 on fear of theological error

Matthew 24 hermeneutics eschatology second coming
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