Search — Theology Explorer

Ephesians 2:8-9 Ephesians 2:8-9 sola fide grace

Protestant position: salvation by grace through faith apart from works — Ephesians 2:8-9

Setting up the Protestant side of the debate

James 2:14-26 hermeneutics contextual interpretation James 2:14-26

Proper methodology: verse-by-verse contextual study of the passage being debated rather than countering with other passages

Mike's positive hermeneutical proposal

Romans James 2 Galatians Romans James 2 biblical harmony

Harmonization: James perfectly harmonizes with Romans, Galatians, and Ephesians when properly interpreted

Showing that the Protestant reading creates biblical coherence

Ephesians 2:10 works as result not cause Ephesians 2:10 good works

Ephesians 2:10 — 'created for good works which God prepared beforehand' — saved FOR works, not BY works

Using Ephesians 2:10 to show the role of works in salvation

James 2 Ephesians 2:8-10 James 2 sola fide works as result not cause

Ephesians 2:8-10 echoes James: saved by grace not works (vv.8-9), then created for good works (v.10)

Final synthesis between Ephesians and James

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-22

The simplest test for distinguishing true from false teachers is the identity of Jesus (who is he?) and the means of salvation (how am I saved?) — 1 John and Ephesians 2:8-9

Q&A: question from Zipa Duck about how new Christians can identify false vs. true teachers.

1 John Ephesians 2:8-9 1 John Ephesians 2:8-9 Christology

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-16

Soteriology enters: Sye argues if a person contributes anything to their salvation (including the choice of faith), salvation becomes a work; leads into the faith-as-a-gift debate

Sye introduces Calvinist soteriology as the foundation for the apologetic difference

Romans 8 Ephesians 2:8-9 Romans 8 Ephesians 2:8-9 Calvinism

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-16

Winger holds that faith is not a work (the Bible says so), but is a choice to trust; Sye argues the Bible's statement that faith is not a work does not resolve the logical problem if faith is something you do

Core soteriological exchange

Ephesians 2:8-9 Romans 4 Ephesians 2:8-9 faith Romans 4

Mike Winger idea 2018-10-24

Q&A: Ephesians 5:11 ('unfruitful works of darkness') refers to common sins, not specifically to Halloween or occult rituals

Viewer asks whether Ephesians 5:11 condemns Halloween participation

Ephesians 5:11 Ephesians 5:3-6 Halloween Ephesians 5:11 Ephesians 5:3-6

Mike Winger idea 2018-11-14

Ephesians 4:26 — 'be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger' is about harboring anger in your own heart, not about resolving every marital dispute before bed.

Common misuse of the verse corrected; the passage is linked to Cain's sin in Genesis 4.

Ephesians 4:26 Genesis 4 marriage anger Ephesians 4:26

Mike Winger idea 2018-11-14

Q&A: It is okay to be angry about bad theology — Ephesians 4:26 permits anger, but you must then not sin and move through it.

Q&A on anger toward theological error.

Ephesians 4:26 discernment sin Q&A

Mike Winger idea 2018-12-19

Ephesians 2:8-9 — saved by grace through faith, not of works; personal story of Catholic friend Tony

Mike illustrates grace alone with a personal anecdote

Ephesians 2:8-9 Ephesians 2:8-9 sola gratia sola fide

Mike Winger idea 2019-01-23

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

Ephesians Ephesians abortion heaven

Mike Winger idea 2019-01-30

119 Ministries chosen as the representative case study for this video because they engage actual scripture

Mike explains his research methodology and why he selected 119 Ministries as his primary dialogue partner.

1 Corinthians Ephesians Colossians 1 Corinthians Ephesians Colossians

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-13

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

Viewer asking about eternal security / once saved always saved

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

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-13

Ephesians 5:18 — "be filled with the Spirit" is a CONTRAST to being drunk with wine, not a comparison; "drunk in the Spirit" is a misreading.

Mike addresses "drunk in the Spirit" and "slain in the Spirit" claims.

Galatians 5:22-23 Ephesians 5:18 Galatians 5:22-23 Ephesians 5:18 Drunk in the Spirit

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-22

Acts 20:27 -- Paul declares he gave the Ephesians the whole counsel of God. If Torah observance was required, he would have included it -- but he did not.

Paul's claim to have given the whole counsel of God

Acts 20:27 Torah observance Ephesus Paul the Apostle

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-05

Paul uses OT law as wisdom: Ephesians 5 cites the fifth commandment; the principle rather than the code

Q&A: how NT epistles apply OT law

Ephesians 5 Ephesians 5 Old Testament application Ten Commandments

Ephesians 2:1-3 election limited atonement intercession

Ephesians 2 refutes the intercession argument: the elect were still under wrath after the cross, before believing

Mike uses Ephesians 2 as a direct rebuttal to the Calvinist intercession/atonement link.

Ephesians 2:8-9 Ephesians 2:11-13 Ephesians 2:8-9 faith atonement

Ephesians 2:11-13 reinforces: benefits of Christ's blood applied at the moment of belief, not at the cross

Further use of Ephesians 2 to argue for the extent/application distinction.

John Owen faith universalism unlimited atonement

John Owen's trilemma answered: extent and application are distinct; the trilemma conflates them

Mike's direct rebuttal to John Owen's trilemma / false dilemma.

Ephesians 2:1-3 faith limited atonement trilemma

Owen's trilemma implies the elect were forgiven before they believed — which Ephesians 2 contradicts

Secondary refutation of the trilemma from Ephesians 2.

Ephesians 2:1-3 divine justice limited atonement double jeopardy / double payment

Double jeopardy objection answered: Ephesians 2 proves the elect were under wrath after the cross, i.e., already "double payment" on limited atonement

Mike turns the double payment argument against limited atonement.

Mike Winger idea 2019-08-07

Distinguishing human wrath from God's wrath: selfishness vs. holiness

Mike contrasts man's anger with God's anger, using personal anecdote and Scripture.

James 1:20 Ephesians 4:26 God's wrath righteous anger James 1:20

Mike Winger idea 2019-08-07

Positional 'in Christ' removes believers from the domain of God's wrath

Mike clarifies how believers relate to divine wrath in light of the question about prosperity gospel preachers.

Ephesians 1-3 in Christ salvation Ephesians 1-3

Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

The real Watchtower error: denying the sufficiency of Christ's atonement, not just the shape of the cross

Winger argues that the cross-shape dispute, while useful in exposing Watchtower unreliability, is secondary to the far more serious Watchtower error: they deny that Jesus's death on the cross was sufficient to pay for sin.

Ephesians 2:8-9 John 19:30 justification by faith atonement Ephesians 2:8-9

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

Q&A: Adding baptism as a requirement for salvation nullifies grace — Galatians 2:21 parallel

Winger responds to a question about whether requiring baptism for salvation amounts to nullifying grace.

Galatians 2:21 Ephesians 2 salvation grace works

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

Righteous anger is anger that is rightly caused and rightly applied; Ephesians 4:26 is the governing principle

Q from Naomi Yurkov about what righteous anger is biblically and when it applies to humans.

Ephesians 4:26 social media righteous anger Ephesians 4:26

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Saved by faith alone; works are evidence of salvation, not the means of it — applied to homosexual lifestyle

Response to viewer Tegunbai asking: if we are saved by faith alone not works, how can living a homosexual lifestyle indicate one is not saved? Isn't that mixing faith and works?

Ephesians 2:8-10 sola fide assurance of salvation sanctification

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Having had an abortion: is it hypocritical to oppose it, have children afterward, or feel unworthy?

Question from "Faded Princess" about abortion, hypocrisy, and guilt.

Hebrews 4:16 Ephesians 1 sanctification hypocrisy abortion

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

Guilt and shame before God — healthy guilt vs. unhealthy guilt that drives you away from God

Question from Lisa Kaminsky about feeling unworthy to pray or call herself a Christian when she misses daily Bible reading and prayer.

Hebrews 4:16 Ephesians 1 1 John 2:1 prayer assurance of salvation righteousness of Christ

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Conspiracy theories — Satan as the real unseen puppet master (Ephesians 2:2)

A viewer asks if Mike believes any conspiracy theories.

Ephesians 2:2 Satan spiritual warfare kingdom of darkness

Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

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.

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

Mike Winger idea 2020-12-11

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

Ephesians 1-3 Hebrews 4 Ephesians 1:4 conscience grace forgiveness

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Q19: 1 Corinthians 11:10 and Ephesians 5:23 — no biblical grounds for a husband disciplining his wife

Response to question about whether husbands have authority to discipline wives based on headship texts

1 Corinthians 11:10 Ephesians 5:22-25 headship submission marriage

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Ephesians 5: husband's model is Christ dying for the church on earth, not Christ ruling as Lord in heaven

Continuing Q19 on husband-wife authority

Ephesians 5:25 hermeneutics headship servant leadership

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-01

Wives submit vs. children obey — different words, different authority structures; discipline is for children not wives

Continuing Q19 on husband-wife authority vs. parent-child authority

Ephesians 6:1 Ephesians 5:22 Ephesians 6:4 submission hupotasso marriage

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

The Holy Spirit specifically is said to grieve because He is the unifying presence dwelling within believers — our division grieves Him most directly

Question from Sandra about why Ephesians 4:30 says the Holy Spirit grieves but not the Father or Son

Ephesians 4:30 Ephesians 4:31 Trinity Holy Spirit Ephesians 4:30

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-08

Bitterness, clamor, and slander toward political opponents grieve the Spirit — Christians must deal with their own carnality first

Application of Ephesians 4:30-31 to the current political/cultural climate

Ephesians 4:31 Matthew 7:3-5 Holy Spirit self-examination bitterness

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-15

There is no biblical confirmation that Satan can read human thoughts, but he can place thoughts in the heart

Question from Juliet Isil about whether there is biblical basis for Satan not hearing silent prayers.

John 13:2 Ephesians 6:16 John 13:2 Prayer Satan / demonic activity

Mike Winger idea 2018-10-31

Mike gives an extended reading and defense of 1 Corinthians 11 on head coverings, arguing the text is about role differentiation within a framework of equal personal value, not about female inferiority, and that charging God with sexism reflects moral overreach toward the Creator.

Response to viewer asking about 1 Corinthians 11 and the charge that the Bible is sexist

1 Corinthians 11 Galatians 3:28 Ephesians 5 headship head coverings Trinity

Romans 8 Ephesians 1:13 Abba Father Romans 8 Pentecost

Ephesians 1:13 — the sealing of the Spirit as the New Testament's distinctive: permanent relational indwelling as guarantee of inheritance.

Scriptural basis for the New Testament indwelling distinction.

James 1 Galatians 5 Ephesians 4:26 James 1 Galatians 5 God's wrath

God's jealousy and anger are not sinful because jealousy and anger are not inherently sinful — only their corrupt expressions in fallen humans are.

Question from A.D. Chan about how God can be jealous or angry if these are listed as sins of the flesh in Galatians 5.

Romans 5:8 Ephesians 1 Hebrews 4 God's love Romans 5:8 Ephesians 1

How to see God as a loving father: filter feelings about God through Scripture, especially Romans 5:8 — God loved us while we were sinners.

Question from Kaisu (Finland) about feeling that God is indifferent or impatient with her.