Search — Theology Explorer

1 Corinthians 8-10 — Meat Offered to Idols Bethel Music Hillsong Elevation Worship

Refusing to sing Bethel/Hillsong/Elevation music is not legalism, but binding that refusal on others crosses into judgmentalism — this is a conscience matter analogous to Paul's 'meat sold in the marketplace' principle.

Q: Is it too legalistic to refuse to sing Bethel/Hillsong/Elevation music due to the doctrines of those churches?

Bill Johnson Discernment / Heresy Worship Music and Discernment

Bethel's primary export is false revival — fake gifts, prophecy, healings — mixed with genuine-sounding worship music that ranges from theologically neutral to theologically dangerous.

Mike's own view on Bethel, offered after establishing the meat-in-marketplace frame.

Calvary Chapel Jehovah's Witnesses Church Selection

Advice to a former JW: Do not transfer the JW 'true church' mentality to a new denomination — move from following an institutional governing body to following Christ, and seek genuine (not perfect) Christians.

Q: Former JW, not properly baptized — how to choose a church and who should baptize me? Afraid of being misled.

1 Corinthians 5:11 1 Corinthians 5:11 Church Discipline Fellowship vs. Outreach Mode

1 Corinthians 5:11 — not associating with a so-called 'brother' guilty of ongoing sin — targets life-pattern behavioral sins, not theological disagreement; the context is likely the communion/love-feast meal.

Q: How should 1 Corinthians 5:11 affect relationships with liberal Christian friends with unbiblical beliefs and practices?

1 Corinthians 5:11 Evangelism 1 Corinthians 5:11 Church Discipline

When someone professing faith lives as an unbeliever, the individual Christian's posture should shift from fellowship mode to outreach mode — still loving and gracious but with different relational goals.

Application of 1 Corinthians 5:11 to personal relationships with professing but lifestyle-unbelieving friends.

Evangelism Discipleship Church Mission / Ecclesiology

The role of the church's Sunday service is primarily discipleship with contextual outreach emphasis — the degree depends on the season and makeup of the congregation; discipleship always happens, outreach emphasis is more variable.

Q: Should the church be focused on reaching unbelievers or teaching believers who then go out and evangelize?

Evangelism Church Mission / Ecclesiology Personal Witness

Personal evangelism by individual believers throughout the week is more effective than Sunday-service-only outreach — placing the entire evangelism burden on the pastor is both ineffective and inappropriate.

Continued discussion of church role and outreach strategy.

Seventh-day Adventism Cults and False Religions

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?

Romans 16 — Simon's Sons Simon of Cyrene Crucifixion of Jesus Romans 16 — Simon's Sons

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?

Justin Martyr Polycarp Church Fathers

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?

Proof-texting Church Fathers Patristics

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 Hermeneutics Church Fathers

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.

Church Fathers Christus Victor Gustaf Aulén

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.

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

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

2021 ministry plans

spiritual authority Jehovah's Witnesses baptism

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)

Philippians 4:8 Brian Simmons prosperity gospel Philippians 4:8

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

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

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

Ephesians 5:25 hermeneutics headship servant leadership

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

John 18:36 Christian fellowship kingdom of God Christian political engagement

Political disagreement should not fracture Christian fellowship; the kingdom of Christ is not of this world

Question from Mariano Rogers about reaching a fellow believer deceived by mainstream media regarding conservative politics

1 Corinthians 7:3-5 Paul 1 Corinthians 7:3-5 conjugal rights

1 Corinthians 7:3-5 establishes mutual bodily authority in marriage and implicitly rules out polygamy

Reading and exposition of 1 Corinthians 7 on conjugal rights

idolatry government early church

A prayer opening Congress in the name of the Hindu god Brahma is blasphemy — but the appropriate Christian response is not rebellion

Question from Gorilla Christianity about a US Congress session opened in the name of Brahma

John 18:36 Christian political engagement John 18:36 civil government

Government paganism does not nullify Christian obligation to submit to civil authority

Continuing response to the Congress prayer question

Romans 14 Romans 14 Christian liberty conscience

Church attendance decisions during COVID are a matter of conscience — Christians should not cause division over this

Question from Israel Garcia about whether Christians are obligated to attend church during the pandemic

Christian liberty conscience civil government

Christians are not free to disobey government laws simply because they seem pointless — but there is a threshold of oppression where resistance becomes legitimate

Question from Jared's Story about UK COVID laws and Christian obligation to comply

2 Corinthians 2 baptism grace re-baptism

Re-baptism is not prescribed in Scripture but can be appropriate when the original baptism lacked genuine understanding

Question from Andrew Green about whether re-baptisms are biblical

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

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

Bethel Church Hillsong Brian Houston

Hillsong assessed as a mixed-bag ministry — not progressive, but tilted toward intense positivity over theological substance

Question from Christian Galindo about whether Hillsong is a progressive church with sound theology.

Bethel Church Christian unity Hillsong

Hillsong is not a progressive church — progressives target traditional Christianity, Hillsong seeks an inclusive umbrella

Answering whether Hillsong qualifies as theologically progressive.

Prayer Idolatry Catholic devotional practices

Catholic saint icons carry a superstitious protection function incompatible with biblical worship

Practical application of the icons question to Catholic devotional objects.

John 17:21 John 13:35 Apologetics John 17:21 Christian unity as apologetic

Christian community love is an apologetic — Trinitarian unity manifested in the church is evidence that God sent Christ

Continuation of John 17:21 discussion.

Baptism Infant baptism Re-baptism / believer's baptism

Adult believers who were baptized as infants should consider being re-baptized — baptism is a ratification of a personal decision to follow Christ

Question from LucyQ (from Finland) who was baptized in the Evangelical Lutheran Church as an infant but came to faith as an adult.

Romans 13:1 Romans 14 Hebrews 10:25 Romans 13:1 Romans 14 Hebrews 10:25

Romans 13:1 requires submission to governing authorities, but the command to gather (Hebrews 10:25) creates a potential tension during COVID restrictions

Question from Felicia Claan about Hosea 8:4 vs. Romans 13:1 in the context of COVID restrictions on household gatherings.

charismatic movement false prophecy prophecy testing

Charismatic conundrum of 2020: mass false prophecy and its root cause in lack of checks and balances

First pre-selected topic before viewer questions. Mike addresses widespread false prophecies in charismatic circles regarding Trump re-election and COVID-19.

discernment prophetic accountability Bethel Church

Bethel Church's role in the false prophecy conundrum: uncritical embrace of all positive prophecy regardless of source

Continuation of the charismatic false prophecy discussion. Mike names Bethel specifically as a contributing factor.

Revelation 2-3 evangelism Revelation 2-3 Crusades

Evangelism strategy for someone hurt by Christian abuse: separate Jesus from his misrepresenters

Question from Kenneth Kelly about reaching a Native American friend whose aunt was beaten to death by a Catholic nun.

lukewarm Revelation 3:15-17 evangelism lukewarm Laodicea

Revelation 3:15-17 -- Jesus's rebuke of Laodicea used as evangelism tool to show Jesus is not like his unfaithful followers

Mike reads Revelation 3:15-17 as a concrete example of Jesus rebuking church representatives who misrepresent him.

Luke 5:17 discernment Benny Hinn charismatic movement

Releasing healing into the atmosphere -- unbiblical charismatic terminology rooted in crowd control rather than Scripture

Question from John Richardson about the biblical basis for Christians releasing healing into the atmosphere.

Martin Luther Catholic Church Reformation

Mike shares a trivia fact about Reformation Day (October 31), explaining that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to a church door as a culturally normal form of public announcement, not as an act of defacement.

Unprompted trivia shared by Mike about the Reformation anniversary

1 Corinthians Galatians 1 Galatians 1:6-10 biblical authority Paul 1 Corinthians

Mike articulates a Sola Scriptura position by arguing from Galatians 1 that the Apostles themselves placed their written gospel above any future authority — including apostles or angels — making all church fathers mere commentators with no binding theological authority.

Response to viewer question about the authority of early church fathers

Eastern Orthodoxy gospel Sola Scriptura

Mike declines to comment on Coptic/Oriental Orthodox theology due to insufficient knowledge, but raises concerns about Eastern Orthodox extra-biblical tradition and recounts a personal experience of a woman who left his church for an Eastern Orthodox group and could no longer articulate the gospel.

Response to viewer question about Coptic/Oriental Orthodox theology

Mark 14:51-52 Mark the Evangelist Peter Mark 14:51-52 Gospel of Mark

Mike identifies the naked young man fleeing in Mark 14:51-52 as likely the author Mark himself, explaining this was a common ancient biographical convention of embedding the author’s presence discreetly in the narrative.

Response to viewer question about the identity of the young man in Mark 14:51-52

Hebrews Paul Apollos Barnabas

Mike addresses the canonicity of Hebrews despite unknown authorship, arguing that inspiration does not require apostolic pen but apostolic teaching, and that the New Testament canon formed organically as first-century texts with apostolic content were recognized by the early church.

Response to viewer question about how Hebrews can be inspired if we do not know who wrote it

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

Advice to someone whose church is becoming hyper-charismatic: leave, if you must, without bitterness, motivated only by principle and love.

Question from Jay Parker about whether to leave a church moving toward hyper-charismaticism after elders dismissed critique of the Passion Translation as nitpicking.

Galatians 5 Galatians 5 Passion Translation Hyper-charismatic movement

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

Church discipline for a professed believer in a gay marriage: the local body should practice separation/excommunication; individual relationship may continue with pastoral intent.

Question from JTro Man about what biblical separation looks like with a professed believer in a gay marriage.

1 Corinthians 5 1 Corinthians 5 Lifestyle sin Church discipline

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Q11: Who can perform baptism? Scripture gives no explicit rule but establishes community precedent; a parent can baptize a child

Viewer 'Skirt Bobcat' asks who is authorized to perform baptism and whether a parent can baptize their children.

Paul the Apostle church authority baptism

Gerasene demoniac spiritual warfare salvation history

First century as the ultimate spiritual battleground for all creation

Summary conclusion on demonic activity question: the first century was uniquely intense because it was the decisive battleground of salvation history.

church leadership pastoral ethics pastoral compensation

Question: Is it wrong for a pastor to live in a huge home with a salary higher than 90% of his congregation?

Viewer JR asks whether high pastoral salaries and luxury homes are appropriate.

church leadership pastoral ethics pastoral compensation

Wise rule: pastor should live roughly at the level of his congregation

Mike's practical guideline for appropriate pastoral compensation.