Search — Theology Explorer

Brian Simmons Passion Translation Pastoral accountability

How to approach a pastor who uses the Passion Translation: lead with grace toward the person while critiquing the translation, not the person.

Continued advice to Jeff Gaitzens on handling a pastor using the Passion Translation.

Pastoral formation Seminary education Humility in ministry

Advice for a 20-year-old preparing for pastoral ministry: balance seminary education with active local church service, and remove ego.

Question from John Parizzo about preparing for pastoral ministry while in college and seminary.

Bethel Church Holy Spirit Listening prayer

Listening prayer is not condemned in Scripture but formulizing the Holy Spirit's work is dangerous and can produce fabrications.

Question from Susan Krieg about whether the Bible endorses listening prayer.

Women in ministry Women as elders Church leadership

Women serving as elders is not Winger's current biblical position, but he plans a thorough future research project before finalizing his view.

Question from Patience Kachidza about a mother-in-law ordained as an elder in a church.

Biblical canon Canonization Inspiration of Scripture

The biblical canon is a human list identifying inspired books; God's inspiration and providence guarantee we have the right books, with the OT ratified by Jesus himself.

Question from Ninja For Hire about whether canonization was itself inspired and whether inspired texts beyond the Bible could exist.

Genesis 1 Job 40-41 Genesis 1 young earth creationism age of the earth

Dinosaurs and the age of the earth: three intra-Christian views summarized

Madison Torres asked how dinosaur fossils fit with Adam and Eve and the biblical timeline.

Deuteronomy 18:22 1 John 2:18 Jeremiah Johnson discernment prophetic accountability eschatology

Political prophecies, false prophets in 2020, and the antichrist

Joe Burton asked whether the wave of false political prophecies might be setting up the antichrist to appear as a savior.

discernment false teaching church discipline

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young: channeled content, demonic origin, pastoral danger

Rachel joined a church prayer group using the devotional Jesus Calling and found concerning content.

James White Trinity baptism church history

Oneness Pentecostalism and baptism: standing firm on Trinitarian faith with grace

Reagen Bechtold's family are Oneness Pentecostals who wanted him/her to be re-baptized in their formula after already being baptized in a Trinitarian church.

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Non-negotiable Christian doctrines — essentials vs. secondary issues

DJ Diner asks what doctrines Christians should plant their flag on and never back down from.

Mormonism biblical inerrancy Trinity

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Exposing works of darkness (Ephesians 5:8-14) — when to involve church vs. police

Michael Francisco has a family member claiming to be Christian who sells food with vulgar messages and is supplying alcohol to minors through her business.

Matthew 18 Ephesians 5:8-14 Matthew 18 church discipline restoration

Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Covert narcissism and Proverbs 16:5 — misunderstanding grace; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Giant Mushroom Tree is being diagnosed with covert narcissistic personality disorder and fears Proverbs 16:5 means they are unsavable.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11 Proverbs 16:5 repentance pride grace

Luke 16:9 parable interpretation gospel proclamation stewardship

Luke 16:9 — "make friends by means of unrighteous wealth" may refer parabolically to using all earthly resources for gospel proclamation

Interpreting the command to "make friends by means of unrighteous wealth" so they receive you into eternal dwellings

Galatians 2:10 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 early church care for the poor church responsibility

Western churches may not give adequate attention to caring for the poor

Discussing the almsgiving interpretation of Luke 16:9

Mark 13:9-13 Matthew 10:16-24 hermeneutics Mike Licona Mark 13:9-13

Matthew 10:16-24 uses Olivet Discourse language — either Jesus repeated similar words or it shows the connection between the disciples' temporary mission and the church's ongoing mission

Responding to why Matthew 10:16-24 contains Olivet Discourse wording not found in Mark 6 or Luke 9 parallels

Mark's Gospel Matthew 27:62-66 Richard Bauckham resurrection apologetics

The empty tomb was verifiable: women as witnesses (embarrassing to early church = authentic), the women are named (eyewitness identification per Bauckham), Roman guards monitored it

Responding to how anyone could be sure the right tomb was checked if Jesus was beaten unrecognizably

Romans 14 Romans 14 Christian liberty Christian living

Secular music: evaluate by message, not genre; wickedness set to music is still wicked, but neutral or positive messages are fine

Responding to whether it is sinful to listen to secular music and where to draw the line

hermeneutics logical fallacy argument from analogy

Analogies explain truth but cannot establish or create theological truth.

Critique of the gravity-salvation analogy used to argue for universalism.

Ephesians 5:32 Reformation Jerome Latin Vulgate

Jerome's Latin Vulgate mistranslated "mystery" (mysterion) as "sacrament" in Ephesians 5:32, contributing to the Roman Catholic doctrine of marriage as a sacrament.

Mark H asks about doctrinal changes Jerome introduced in the Vulgate around 400 AD.

Ephesians 5:25-32 John 19:34 Christ and the Church typology Adam and Eve

Ephesians 5:25-32 — the mystery of marriage as a typological picture of Christ and the church, rooted in the Adam-Eve narrative.

Discussing the "mystery" Paul refers to in Ephesians 5:32 while addressing the Vulgate question.

Matthew 18:15 Galatians 6:1 Matthew 18:15 church discipline reconciliation

Matthew 18:15 and Galatians 6:1 both emphasize going to restore a brother — the onus for reconciliation rests on the one who was sinned against or who observes the sin.

David Dufty asks why Christian culture focuses on reasons not to confront sin rather than on the biblical imperative to do so.

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

What is a local church and is planting under an existing church a biblical mandate?

Question from Droopy's Dad about church definition and whether church plants must be authorized by an existing church.

Ecclesiology Church planting Local church

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Hebrews 10:25 and the obligation to gather: absolute or contextual?

Question from The Invisible Hand about online-only churches during COVID and whether they violate the command not to forsake assembling.

Hebrews 10:25 Hebrews 10:25 Christian conscience Corporate worship / assembly

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Practical advice for an agnostic seeking to believe

Question from "It's Flawless," an agnostic trying to believe.

Gospel of John Apologetics Agnosticism / seeking faith

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-23

Loving neighbors in restricted-mobility times means reorienting attitude and creativity, not relying on physical proximity.

Q15 from Joel Holmberg: how can we love our neighbor and honor God when we cannot congregate (COVID-era context)?

love your neighbor community and congregation COVID-era church life

creation faith and reason natural law

Was Christianity guilty of impeding science and critical thinking? No — authentic Christianity supports scientific inquiry

Q3 from Adidam Ayaji: Was Christianity guilty of impeding critical thinking and exploring the cosmos and natural world?

Proverbs 22:28 Matthew 18:18 church authority spiritual abuse tradition vs Scripture

Mandating church traditions as biblical commands is wrong; Proverbs 22:28 and Matthew 18:18 do not support it

Q8 from John Doe: A church mandates women wear dresses and men be clean-shaven using Proverbs 22:28 and Matthew 18:18 — is it biblical to mandate adherence to tradition?

apologetics atheism debate strategy

Responding to online skeptics who call God evil and Christianity irrational: focus on one argument, watch for dumping tactics

Q9 from Dora Ashby: Skeptics say belief in God is irrational, that Christians must approve of rape and torture, and that God is evil. How to respond?

James (brother of Jesus) John the Apostle John 19:26-27 James (brother of Jesus) John the Apostle brothers of Jesus

Mary did not remain a perpetual virgin — Scripture clearly indicates she had other children with Joseph after Jesus

Q11 from Lovisa Bengtsen: Did Mary remain a virgin? Were the brothers of Jesus actually cousins? If she had other sons, why did John need to care for her?

conscience persecution COVID-19

Church COVID restrictions and pastoral imprisonment: uncertain whether it qualifies as persecution, but it feels like it

Q12 from Crystalline Sloan: Can you define persecution and speak to whether pastors imprisoned for defying public health orders are being persecuted?

worship music secular music pastoral wisdom

Using secular music in worship: not wrong in principle, but wisdom demands sensitivity to the congregation

Q13 from Rohin John: What are your thoughts on using secular music with half secular and half Jesus-focused lyrics as worship?

James 4 Revelation 2 (Ephesus) spiritual disciplines James 4 sanctification

Passion for God fading: treat it as a red flag, diagnose sin, then take outward spiritual actions to let the heart follow

Q17 from Langille Zandi: How do you counsel someone whose passion for the Lord is dying — not praying, not reading the Bible?

John 21:24-25 Roman Catholicism Eastern Orthodoxy Sola Scriptura

John 21:24-25 does not support Orthodox/Catholic oral tradition

Listener Adam Duarte's Orthodox friends cite John 21:24-25 as the Bible creating authoritative oral tradition.

Roman Catholicism Eastern Orthodoxy Marriage as sacrament

Marriage as sacrament is a later doctrinal development, not apostolic

As a supporting example against Catholic/Orthodox claims of unbroken tradition.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 Holy Spirit Antichrist Eschatology

2 Thessalonians 2:6-7 — the identity of the Restrainer is uncertain

Listener Louise Sorensen (Denmark) asks whether, when the restrainer of 2 Thessalonians 2 is removed, non-believers will lose compassion and morals.

1 Peter 3 1 Corinthians 5:11 1 Peter 3 Lifestyle sin 1 Corinthians 5:11

1 Corinthians 5:11 "do not eat with them" — does not apply to family relationships

Listener Melissa Heeg asks whether 1 Corinthians 5:11's instruction not to eat with a sinning "brother" applies to family gatherings.

Pastoral care Discipleship in marriage Nominal Christianity

Helping a nominal Christian spouse grow in biblical knowledge

Listener Tasteful Chicken has a wife who believes in Jesus and prays but does not read the Bible; her lifestyle does not align with Scripture.

Abortion Politics in the pulpit Biblical worldview

Politics in the pulpit — biblical worldview yes, partisan politics no

Listener Lisa asks whether politics belong in the pulpit; she is 100% against it.

Ephesians 4:7-16 church unity pastor-teacher spiritual gifts

Ephesians 4:7-16 overview: gifts given to the church equip saints toward unity.

Question 1 from Tanya about Ephesians 4:7-16.

Jude 3 1 Timothy 6:21 word study Jude 3 the faith

The faith (with definite article) refers to the body of Christian doctrine, not personal belief.

Question 1 from Tanya; Mike explains the phrase the faith in Ephesians 4.

Ephesians 4 church unity Christian maturity Ephesians 4

Unity of the faith in Ephesians 4 involves shared core doctrine, knowledge of Christ, and Christlike character.

Continuation of Question 1; applying the meaning of the faith to Ephesians 4 unity.

Matthew 7 Ephesians 4:1-3 church unity self-examination worldliness

Caution against broadly judging the church as disunified; American church worldliness is the real local issue.

Continuation of Question 1; addressing Tanya's concern that the church lacks unity.

2 Samuel 6 David Christian liberty dancing

Dancing is not inherently sinful; Christians should apply liberty-with-responsibility rather than blanket prohibition.

Question 4 from Kate for Christ about the biblical basis for viewing dancing as sinful.

Ezekiel 13 Holy Spirit discernment wisdom

The Holy Spirit speaks through fruit, track record, and confirmation from other believers; not every decision requires supernatural direction.

Question 14 from Gel Stapper (Netherlands) about how the Holy Spirit speaks personally, after leaving a hyper-charismatic church.