Search — Theology Explorer

John MacArthur Romans 13 1 Peter 2:13 church unity John MacArthur religious freedom

Government mandates on indoor gatherings (COVID): default to submission unless clearly convinced it is government oppression of religious freedom

Q about whether a home church holding an indoor wedding in violation of COVID government mandate is in accord with Romans 13 and 1 Peter 2:13.

John 6 Council of Trent doctrinal development communion

Communion/eucharist: real and important but not transubstantiation; early church writings are secondary to Scripture; John 6 is not about communion

Q from Chris Middleton about Mike's views on communion/eucharist and how much weight early church writings should carry.

discernment emotions conviction

Feeling vs. conviction: feelings are emotions; convictions are firm stances on issues, though they overlap

Q from Faith Brooks about the difference between a feeling and a conviction.

1 Samuel 28 Deuteronomy 32 Psalm 82 Michael Heiser monotheism 1 Samuel 28

Michael Heiser: highly commended as a scholar-communicator; divine council theory (Deut 32, Ps 82) personally rejected but engagement required

Q from David Hinnebog asking for comment on Michael Heiser and his divine council theory.

Genesis 1 Genesis 1 biblical inerrancy Enuma Elish

Parallelomania: ancient Near Eastern parallels (flood, creation) do not prove the Bible borrowed; similarities are explained by common events or themes

Q from Folky about how to respond to claims that the OT is not true because the Bible copied surrounding cultures (flood, Exodus).

Exodus biblical inerrancy Exodus archaeology

Evidence for the Exodus exists and is growing; Inspiring Philosophy preparing a detailed video on the topic

Continued response on OT historical reliability, specifically the Exodus.

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

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?

Romans 10:9 confession Romans 10:9 lordship

Romans 10:9 — confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in the heart involves personal yielding and trust, not merely intellectual assent

Response to Ryan Hasty asking how to know if one believes in the heart versus merely thinking the evidence points toward Christianity being true.

Trinity deity of Christ Son of God

Why the Father is typically called simply God in the NT while Jesus is called the Son: guarding against modalism

Response to Deke Liu asking why God the Father is typically just called God in the NT while Jesus is called the Son and the Spirit is called the Spirit.

1 Corinthians 13:10 spiritual gifts second coming cessationism

1 Corinthians 13:10 does not teach cessationism — the perfect refers to seeing Christ face to face at the second coming, not the completion of Scripture

Response to Brandy Medved asking about 1 Corinthians 13:10 and whether the perfect means the Bible, therefore ending spiritual gifts.

1 Samuel Eli 1 Samuel priestly accountability

God judged Eli both as a father and as high priest for failing to restrain his wicked sons

Response to Jackie Zaras asking whether God was angry with Eli as a father or as a priest for not restraining his sons.

discernment prosperity gospel false teaching

Strategy for confronting prosperity gospel error in friends and family: affirm first, then use bridge-building resources they cannot interrupt

Response to Robert Butcher asking how to lovingly reveal errors of the prosperity gospel to friends and family.

Christian ethics labor exploitation consumerism

Christians and labor exploitation: genuine question requiring more information before forming a clear position

Response to Spazzy Jazzy asking whether Christians should boycott products made with exploited labor (chocolate, phones, etc.).

evangelism Islam Christian liberty

Christians may read and study the Quran for education and evangelistic purposes; avoid it only if it causes personal spiritual instability

Response to Sarah Nordberg (Denmark) who feels convicted reading the Quran for a required university religion class.

Isaiah 53:5 hermeneutics healing Word of Faith

Isaiah 53:5 interpretation — "by his stripes we are healed" in context

Question from Cindy Johanneson about Word of Faith use of Isaiah 53:5 to support divine health and the claim believers should never be sick.

marriage singleness biblical ethics

What does the Bible teach on masturbation? — No direct address; biblical principles of lust, self-gratification, and marital fidelity apply

Question from Arvin Marlow.

Romans 8:16 Romans 8:15 Holy Spirit Romans 8:16 assurance of salvation

The witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16) — an internal truth-awareness of being God's child, not an emotion

Question from John Butterfield about what the witness of the Spirit is and how to obtain it.

Romans Acts Hebrews Romans Acts Hebrews

How to start reading the Bible — begin with the Gospels, Acts, Romans, Hebrews; not Genesis-to-Revelation in order

Question from Dallin Byrd about the best starting point for Bible reading.