Search — Theology Explorer

Deuteronomy 18:22 Jehovah's Witnesses prophecy evidence-based faith

Deuteronomy 18:22 — false prophecy as test for identifying true vs. false prophets

Mike's second Old Testament example showing God requires verification before demanding belief.

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.

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 20:24-29 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.

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.

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.

Mike Winger idea 2019-01-30

Paul's legitimacy as an apostle — Mike answers a claim that Paul was not a true Jew and therefore untrustworthy

Q&A: a viewer's sister and brother-in-law argue that Paul was not a true Jew and deceived his audience; they use this to reject his letters.

Acts 13 Paul Peter Paul rejection

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-07

Hebrew Roots Movement: Should Christians uphold the Law of Moses?

Q&A on whether Christians should uphold the Law as Jesus did, since he was sinless in following it.

faith in Christ Hebrew Roots Movement Law of Moses

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-07

Christ as fulfillment of OT ceremonial types (Passover, Day of Atonement)

Mike argues that trusting in Christ means participating indirectly in the fulfillment of OT ceremonial law.

typology Passover Law of Moses

Mike Winger idea 2019-02-07

Baptism does not secure salvation; it is an outward expression of inward faith

Q&A on whether post-baptism sin causes a loss of the security received at baptism.

1 John 2 baptism faith in Christ 1 John 2

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.

Matthew 11:21-24 salvation mental disability and accountability Matthew 11:21-24

Q&A: Salvation of severely mentally handicapped people — accountability proportional to awareness

Q&A segment begins; first question about soteriological edge cases.

Christian living hearing from God spiritual discernment

Q&A: How does God speak to new Christians? Live by biblical principles, not impressions

Q&A pastoral advice for new Christians wondering about hearing from God.

Pontius Pilate eyewitness testimony Gospel historicity

Q&A: How did the Gospel writers know about private conversations (Jesus and Pilate)?

Q&A on the epistemological question of how private Gospel scenes were recorded.

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-13

Prosperity preachers and false prophecy: prophets whose utterances focus on wealth and success are false prophets.

Question from "First Last" about whether God wants believers to be wealthy and whether to trust wealth-focused prophets.

1 Peter 1 Peter False prophets Prosperity gospel

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-13

Proper epistemology for trusting Scripture: demonstrate Bible is from God, then trust it — rather than requiring external proof for every claim.

Mike's methodological note on the Exodus question.

Biblical inspiration Biblical epistemology Apologetics methodology

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Tim Barnett (Stand to Reason): faith is not an epistemology but a way of trusting; knowledge and trust are distinct categories

Video clip from Tim Barnett responding to Boghossian

Mark 2 William Lane Craig Stand to Reason Tim Barnett

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Q&A: Does faith by nature seek understanding? Mike says faith is simply trust and the seeking of understanding is optional

Question from JMD Apologetics about faith and knowledge

Faith Faith and knowledge Faith as trust

faith trust belief without evidence

Twitter poll on the definition of faith: Christian vs. non-Christian results

Opening segment introducing the topic

Why Mike gave only two poll options and why "trust" is the appropriate generic definition of faith

Explaining poll methodology

faith trust allegiance

faith belief without evidence double standard in faith definitions

Non-believer "Snoopit" acknowledges double standard: uses "trust" for human faith but "belief without evidence" for Christian faith

Examining skeptic responses to the poll

Street Epistemology Anthony Magnabosco definition of faith

Anthony Magnabosco defines faith with two tiers: trust for natural claims, "untestable truth" for supernatural claims

Examining the top Street Epistemology YouTuber's definition of faith

faith and knowledge epistemology of faith trust and allegiance

Shannon's question: if faith is trust with evidence, isn't it knowledge? Mike argues knowledge and faith can coexist

Q&A on the epistemology of faith

Matt Dillahunty evidential apologetics resurrection of Jesus

Debate with Matt Dillahunty on the reasonableness of believing in the resurrection — hosted on Capturing Christianity

Final announcement about the upcoming debate

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-24

Gen Z fact-checks in real time — credibility and truth-telling are now more important than ever for teachers and pastors

McDowell describes speaking at Berkeley and observing real-time fact-checking

apologetics fact-checking trust

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-01

Textual criticism: the discipline that traces copies back to originals and why we can trust the transmission

Brief explanation of how we verify the integrity of the New Testament text.

Biblical manuscripts Textual criticism New Testament reliability

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

Peter Williams — Can We Trust the Gospels?

Winger recommends Peter Williams's book as a resource for the general reliability of the Gospels.

Peter Williams historicity of the Gospels Can We Trust the Gospels?

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

James the brother of Jesus — conversion from skeptic to martyr

McLatchie presents the conversion and martyrdom of James, Jesus's brother, as particularly strong evidence for the resurrection.

Acts 1 James the brother of Jesus John 7:5 Josephus resurrection of Jesus Acts 1

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Teresa Dedmon / Bethel: selling art as a vehicle for "spiritual impartation" and prophetic clothing that enhances God's presence is false teaching and commercial exploitation.

Second specific example from Bethel: the creative arts director's website claims her paintings and clothing impart heaven's presence.

Bethel Church false prophecy discernment

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-03

Christian response to suffering: trust God's sovereign goodness despite not knowing the outcome

Pastoral application regarding suffering and theodicy

theodicy suffering faith

Mike Winger idea 2019-08-07

Consequence 3 of denying wrath: undermines divine holiness

Mike connects wrath to the doctrine of divine holiness.

God's wrath divine holiness theological error

Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Gandhi as a test case for "good people" — his nightly nude sleeping with other women, including nieces

Response to the common invocation of Gandhi as the exemplar of a good non-Christian

apologetics grace human nature

Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Q&A: Is it wise to tell someone their deceased Catholic loved one is in heaven?

Viewer question from Hannah Elizabeth

salvation gospel Catholicism

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

Matthew 28:18-20 — baptism follows discipleship/belief, not precedes it

Winger examines the Great Commission to establish the pattern for baptism in the NT.

Matthew 28:18-20 Great Commission discipleship baptism

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

Baptism is always a response to faith in the NT — the consistent universal pattern

Winger synthesizes part 1: the uniform NT pattern is hear the gospel → believe → be baptized.

faith baptism infant baptism

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

Q&A: False conversion followed by genuine salvation — should the person be re-baptized?

A viewer asks about someone who was baptized during a false conversion and then genuinely saved.

assurance of salvation baptism pastoral counsel

Holy Spirit epistemology faith and reason

Christians have confident, warranted belief in Christianity apart from evidence through the Holy Spirit

Core thesis introduced: knowledge of Christianity's truth comes primarily through the Holy Spirit, not evidence

epistemology fideism faith and reason

When the Holy Spirit's witness conflicts with external evidence, Christians are warranted in trusting God over evidence

Addressing the case where scholarly or empirical evidence seems to contradict Christian faith

testimony epistemology faith and reason

Nearly all human knowledge rests on testimony from credible witnesses, not direct personal observation

Defending testimony as a valid epistemological category in response to empiricist objections

Mormonism Book of Mormon epistemology

The Mormon burning-in-the-bosom claim does not undermine the Christian's witness of the Spirit

Responding to the classic objection that the Spirit's witness is unreliable because others claim the same for false religions

John the Baptist John the Baptist faith miracles as evidence

John the Baptist's doubt from prison: Jesus responded with fresh evidence rather than rebuke

NT case study: how Jesus handled the doubt of a believer who already had abundant witness

repentance sanctification lust

Repentance from lust should be immediate; do not delay until emotional relief arrives

Q&A: pastoral guidance to a viewer who struggled with lust