Search — Theology Explorer

Paul Jesus mythicism historicity of Jesus

The dying and rising gods parallel argument fails because Paul and non-Christian sources still have to be explained independently of the Gospels

Initial response to the Greco-Roman dying/rising gods parallel argument

early Christianity dying and rising gods pagan mythology

First-century Christians were pious, Torah-observant Jews who debated minutiae of Jewish law — making wholesale borrowing from pagan myths implausible

Cultural argument against the pagan parallels theory

Paul Richard Carrier Jesus mythicism

Richard Carrier's claim that Paul only describes a Jesus in outer space, never on earth

Presenting a key mythicist argument from Richard Carrier about Paul

Galatians James (brother of Jesus) Matthew 13:55 Josephus Galatians multiple attestation

Refutation: Paul and Jesus use "brothers" for all believers, but Matthew names four brothers of Jesus including James — confirmed by Josephus

Multiple source attestation for James as biological brother of Jesus

James (brother of Jesus) Josephus multiple attestation James (brother of Jesus)

Multiple independent attestation from Paul, Matthew, John (special L), and Josephus — the strongest form of historical evidence — confirms Jesus's brothers including James

Summary of multiple attestation for Jesus's brothers

argument from silence oral tradition historicity of Jesus

Lack of contemporary accounts of Jesus is explained by low literacy rates (~10%), oral transmission culture, and early Christian expectation of imminent return

Responding to the objection that no writings about Jesus exist from his lifetime

argument from silence Josephus Philo

Roman historians didn't mention Jesus more because he wasn't significant to Roman history — they didn't even mention Pontius Pilate, known only from Philo, Josephus, and NT sources

Explaining the relative silence of Roman sources about Jesus

James Crossley John Dominic Crossan scholarly consensus Bart Ehrman historicity of Jesus

Objection that scholars affirm historicity only because they signed faith statements is refuted by citing atheist/agnostic scholars who agree

Responding to the claim that Christian bias explains scholarly consensus on historicity

scholarly consensus historicity of Jesus Society of Biblical Literature

Suggestion to mythicists: attend the Society of Biblical Literature annual meeting and ask scholars directly whether Jesus existed

Practical advice for those skeptical of scholarly consensus

scholarly consensus resurrection crucifixion of Jesus

Virtual scholarly consensus on historical facts about Jesus: lived in Palestine, believed special relationship with God, performed astonishing deeds, taught in parables, criticized Jewish leaders, crucified under Pilate

Summarizing the bedrock facts about Jesus accepted by virtually all historians including non-Christians

scholarly consensus historicity of Jesus Jesus's miracles

Audience question: "Consensus holds Jesus existed but was not the Christ of the Gospels" — Licona: that is not a consensus position

Audience Q&A — addressing the claimed scholarly consensus against Gospel accounts

Acts Hebrews Paul Peter Acts

Audience Q: Why doesn't anyone reference Tacitus on Christian persecution until the 4th century? — Multiple 1st-century sources confirm early persecution of Christians

Audience question from "Godless Engineer" about Christian persecution attestation

1 Corinthians 15:20 1 Corinthians 15:23 Paul resurrection bodily resurrection

Paul's resurrection theology reconstructed from 1 Corinthians 15: Christ is firstfruits; believers will be raised at Christ's coming in the same manner

Paul's own teaching on the nature of resurrection

2 Corinthians 5:8 Philippians 1:20-22 Paul eschatology intermediate state

Paul's eschatology: 2 Corinthians 5:8 and Philippians 1:20-22 show an intermediate disembodied state after death, before the final bodily resurrection

Paul's two-stage eschatological framework

1 Thessalonians 4 Paul eschatology intermediate state

1 Thessalonians 4: Jesus will "bring with him" the dead in Christ, whose spirits are reunited with raised bodies — a transformer/transformative resurrection

Paul's 1 Thessalonians 4 passage on resurrection and the coming of Christ

historicity of Jesus dying and rising gods pagan mythology

Audience Q on mimesis: pagan parallels fail for the same reasons, plus early Christians were Torah-observant Jews who would not borrow from pagan myths

Audience question about mimesis / pagan parallel arguments

Richard Carrier criteria of authenticity historical methodology

Richard Carrier's claim that all historians have concluded the criteria of authenticity are invalid is false — most historians still embrace the criteria

Audience Q about the methodology of validating historicity of Christ

John Dominic Crossan Mike Licona criteria of authenticity John Dominic Crossan

John Dominic Crossan in debate with Licona affirmed the use of criteria — demonstrating that most historians still rely on them

Licona's debate with Crossan as evidence of continuing scholarly use of criteria

1 Corinthians 13:12 cessationism face to face with God 1 Corinthians 13:12

The Masters Seminary article: verse 12 is acknowledged to be about seeing Christ face-to-face, but a 1,000-year time gap is inserted between vv. 11 and 12 to salvage the cessationist reading.

Winger quotes the article directly to show how the author handles the face-to-face language.

1 Corinthians 13:13 spiritual gifts love 1 Corinthians 13:13

Main point of 1 Cor 13: love, not gifts, is the permanent priority; pursuit of love must exceed pursuit of spiritual gifts.

Winger concludes the exegesis by restating Paul's actual primary argument.

biblical authority apologetics discernment

Warning against seeking comfort in progressive or unorthodox theology as a false catharsis; such teachers typically demonize biblical Christianity to wedge in their reinterpretations.

Q&A response about walking with a friend questioning traditional beliefs, specifically mentioning Greg Boyd.

Craig Keener spiritual gifts healing

Resource recommendation for documented modern miracles: Craig Keener's two-volume work "Miracles" provides medical/testimonial evidence catalogued by a respected scholar.

Q&A — viewer asks for visible evidence that gifts of healing are active today.

Isaiah 45:7 Isaiah 45:7 Did God Create Evil moral evil

Introduction: Isaiah 45:7 quoted as evidence God created moral evil

Opening setup of the livestream topic

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

Pastoral application regarding suffering and theodicy

theodicy suffering faith

nature of God divine goodness Euthyphro dilemma

Resolution: Euthyphro dilemma is a false dilemma — third option is that God IS the good

Mike provides the Christian response to the Euthyphro dilemma

Plato polytheism nature of God

Euthyphro dilemma fails for the Christian God but was valid against finite pagan gods

Historical-philosophical context explaining why the dilemma persisted

1 John 5:16-17 repentance apostasy 1 John 5:16-17

Q&A: Sin unto death in 1 John 5 — physical death (unrepentant sin) or spiritual death (apostasy)

Audience question about 1 John 5:16-17

calling youth ministry Hosanna Christian Fellowship

Calling to online ministry: A strong sense of divine compulsion in 2012

Winger describes how in 2012 he experienced an unusual, intense sense that he had to do something in ministry beyond his local church.

BibleThinker atheist objections to Christianity YouTube ministry

Starting YouTube: Identifying a vacuum of quality Christian online content

Winger began experimenting with YouTube after feeling called to reach beyond his local church, motivated by the dominance of scoffing and misrepresentation of Christianity online.

biblical teaching verse-by-verse teaching ministry strategy

2015 turning point: Sunday evening service and weekly video strategy

In June 2015, Winger's senior pastor offered him the freedom to teach an adult Sunday evening service, which catalyzed a new approach to his YouTube ministry.

discipleship apologetics biblical worldview

Four target audiences for BibleThinker ministry

Winger articulates the specific audiences he aims to reach through his online ministry.

Hosanna Christian Fellowship church staff volunteer ministry

Church and staff status: Volunteer again, not fired

Winger clarifies his church relationship in response to questions and misconceptions.

1 Corinthians 10:13 2 Corinthians 7:10 repentance sanctification lust

Q&A: 2 Corinthians 7:10 — godly grief vs. worldly grief, applied to lust

Question about the difference between godly and worldly grief and how to repent better from lust.

Revelation 1:4 Revelation 4:5 Revelation 5:6 Revelation 1:4 Revelation 4:5 Revelation 5:6

Q&A: Revelation 1:4 — the seven spirits before the throne

Question from a confused listener asking what the "sevenfold Spirit" in Revelation 1:4 refers to.

miracles cessationism continuationism

Q&A: Why did God stop doing big signs and miracles (burning bush, parting the sea)?

Question from a listener puzzled by the apparent cessation of large-scale miracles after the Old Testament.

repentance perseverance faithfulness

Closing exhortation: Be the tortoise, not the hare

Winger closes with a personal reflection and encouragement about long-term faithfulness.

James White James White Calvinism soteriology

Introduction: inside-baseball soteriology debate; response to James White on limited atonement

Mike opens the livestream framing the discussion as Calvinist vs. non-Calvinist soteriology, noting this is a response to James White's critique of Mike's earlier limited-atonement video.

James White James White Christian fellowship Calvinism

Brotherly tone: Calvinism debates should not break Christian fellowship

Mike recounts actually meeting James White for lunch; uses this to model gracious disagreement.

Scripture authority unlimited atonement universal atonement

Mike's overall conviction: Scripture clearly teaches Jesus died for everyone

Before diving into objections, Mike states his position and epistemic posture.

atonement limited atonement failure of the Son

Objection 2 stated: the failure of the Son

If Jesus died for all people and some go to hell, then Jesus failed at his task.

John Owen universalism limited atonement John Owen

Objection 4 stated: John Owen's trilemma

Classic Calvinist logical argument from John Owen's Death of Death in the Death of Christ.

hell divine justice limited atonement

Objection 5 stated: double jeopardy / double payment

If Christ paid for everyone's sins, it is unjust to punish anyone further.

1 John 2:2 kosmos 1 John 2:2 propitiation

1 John 2:2 refutes Trinitarian harmony: Jesus is propitiation for the whole world, not just believers

Mike applies 1 John 2:2 directly against the Trinitarian harmony argument.

1 Timothy 4:10 1 Timothy 4:10 unlimited atonement extent vs. application

1 Timothy 4:10 — God is the savior of all people, especially those who believe

Mike cites 1 Tim 4:10 as another clear text against limited atonement.

2 Peter 2:1 false teachers 2 Peter 2:1 unlimited atonement

2 Peter 2:1 — false teachers "bought" by the master yet will face swift destruction

Mike uses 2 Peter 2:1 to show Christ purchased those who ultimately perish.

Romans 10:21 Isaiah 65:2 limited atonement Romans 10:21 genuine offer of salvation

Romans 10:21 — God holds out his hands to a disobedient people; implies genuine offer of salvation

Evidence for the Father genuinely desiring the salvation of non-elect Israel.

1 Timothy 2:1-6 unlimited atonement universal salvific will 1 Timothy 2:1-6

1 Timothy 2:1-6 — God desires all people to be saved; Christ gave himself as ransom for all

Mike's central proof-text for the Father's universal salvific intention.

faith unlimited atonement extent vs. application

Extent vs. application: atonement intended for all, applied to those who believe

Mike's synthesis of the Father's intent in the atonement.

election limited atonement Trinitarian harmony in the atonement

Trinitarian harmony assumes unnecessary correlation: individual election does not logically require limited atonement

A second structural objection to the Trinitarian harmony argument.