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All (3101) Scripture Commentary (1109) Theology (102) Mike Winger (1887) Pulpit (3)

Mike Winger idea 2024-02-09

Where is the 2nd Coming in Scripture?: Where does it say in the Bible that the Messiah will have a second coming? Does Jesus tell His disciples that He won’t be fulfilling all of the Old Testament prophecies just yet?

Q&A question: Where is the 2nd Coming in Scripture?

Jesus second coming prophecy

Mike Winger idea 2024-02-09

Did Jesus Always Have Power to Heal?: Regarding when Luke 5: 17 says, “The power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal,” did Jesus not always have this power, or does Luke emphasize it here because of what happens next? What’s your take on this?

Q&A question: Did Jesus Always Have Power to Heal?

Jesus

Mike Winger idea 2024-02-09

Physical Appearances of Jesus Today?: Does Mark 13: 21-23 refute present-day claims of Jesus physically appearing to people, or is this a misapplication of the text?

Q&A question: Physical Appearances of Jesus Today?

Mark 13 Jesus Mark 13

Mike Winger idea 2024-02-16

Who Will be Told by Jesus to “Depart”?: How is it that some people can cast out demons in Jesus’ name but then be told, “Depart from me for I never knew you”? How do I avoid that fate?

Q&A question: Who Will be Told by Jesus to “Depart”?

Jesus demons

Mike Winger idea 2024-02-23

Did Jesus Leave the 99 in Danger?: Regarding Matthew 18: 12, does Jesus know the 99 are safe when He leaves to find the 1? I’m trying to understand how this is responsible. Should we not do things for the greater good, but for the 1?

Q&A question: Did Jesus Leave the 99 in Danger?

Matthew 18 Matthew Jesus Matthew 18 Matthew

Mike Winger idea 2024-02-23

Winger affirms the Father has authority over the Son but attributes this to the Incarnation (Phil 2:5-8), not necessarily to the eternal nature of the Trinity. He's open to but not convinced by Eternal Functional Subordination (EFS). Explicitly says he does NOT use EFS to defend complementarianism.

Q: Do many scriptures showing different authority levels between Father and Jesus mean the Father has higher authority? (John 14:28, 1 Cor 11:3, Matt 28:18)

Where is the 2nd Coming in Scripture?: Where does it say in the Bible that the Messiah will have a second coming? Does Jesus tell His disciples that He won’t be fulfilling all of the Old Testament prophecies just yet?

Did Jesus Always Have Power to Heal?: Regarding when Luke 5: 17 says, “The power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal,” did Jesus not always have this power, or does Luke emphasize it here because of what happens next? What’s your take on this?

Physical Appearances of Jesus Today?: Does Mark 13: 21-23 refute present-day claims of Jesus physically appearing to people, or is this a misapplication of the text?

Who Will be Told by Jesus to “Depart”?: How is it that some people can cast out demons in Jesus’ name but then be told, “Depart from me for I never knew you”? How do I avoid that fate?

Did Jesus Leave the 99 in Danger?: Regarding Matthew 18: 12, does Jesus know the 99 are safe when He leaves to find the 1? I’m trying to understand how this is responsible. Should we not do things for the greater good, but for the 1?

Winger affirms the Father has authority over the Son but attributes this to the Incarnation (Phil 2:5-8), not necessarily to the eternal nature of the Trinity. He's open to but not convinced by Eternal Functional Subordination (EFS). Explicitly says he does NOT use EFS to defend complementarianism.

Mark vs. Matthew – Contradiction?: Can you explain what some say is contradictory between Mark 9: 38-41 (not against us = for us) & Matthew 12: 30 (not with me = against me) & how that applies to NAR/false teachers who profess Jesus?

The LXX More Reliable for Typology?: Is the Septuagint more reliable for finding Jesus in the Old Testament? S. Douglas Woodward & others say that messianic passages & timelines in the Masoretic Text were altered in 2nd century to keep Jews from converting to Christianity.

Must We Have an Eschatological View?: Do you think it is important to have a view on eschatology? Can we just all agree that one day, if we believe in Jesus and what He did on the cross and abide in Him, that we will go to Heaven?

Jesus Leaves & Advocate Comes – Modalism?: Why is the Advocate unable to come unless Jesus leaves (John 16:7)? Why does this not imply Modalism?

Paul’s Hands vs. Jesus’ Hands: “These hands” provided for Paul in Acts 20: 34 NKJV & ESV. But “…of mine” (i.e., “these hands of mine”) is in some translations such as NIV & NET. Is Paul referring to Jesus’ hands or his OWN hands?

Are Angels Purely Spiritual, Not Physical?: How can we know that angels are spiritual beings and not potentially physical beings? Some people say they're spiritual and do not have reproductive organs (since Jesus said they're not given in marriage).

Is Jesus Presently “King”?: Is it right to call Jesus "king" since He has not yet set up His Millennial Kingdom on Earth (Revelation 20:4-6)?

The Father & Spirit in Heaven & Ezekiel’s Vision: Will we see both the Father and the Holy Spirit in Heaven? Also, can you explain Ezekiel’s vision of God and how it relates to Jesus and the Father?

Is Something Missing from Jesus’ Sacrifice?: Colossians 1: 24 says that something is “lacking in the afflictions of Christ.” Some people say this verse teaches that Paul is going to suffer for the salvation of others. Can we help pay for other people’s sins?

Red Heifer – Pointing to Christ?: In numbers 19, can you explain if and how the ashes from the red heifer point to Jesus? Especially verses 6, 9-10, and 11-13.

Jesus Died for You: I’m struggling to understand how we can understand Jesus dying on the cross for our sins personally when it was 2,000 years ago. I’m in the Bible and in prayer all the time, but I still have no peace or assurance.

Who will Sit on the Thrones?: In Matthew 19: 28, Jesus states the 12 disciples will sit on 12/24 thrones in the regeneration. In Revelation 4:4, 24 elders are sitting on the thrones. Who are the other 12?

Proof of Transubstantiation?: If Jesus identifies Himself as “the Word” and Ezekiel literally ate the Word of God (Ezekiel 3:1-3), is this a good case for Ezekiel being an analogy to the Catholic transubstantiation of the Eucharist being true?

John Rejects but Jesus Affirms?: How should we understand John's rejection of being Elijah and a prophet (John 1: 21), while Jesus affirmed it (Matthew 11: 14)?

Jesus’ Death: Physical but Not Spiritual?: If Jesus' humanity and divinity are inseparable, then how could He experience bodily death on the cross without His deity dying, as well?

Jesus Supporting Violence?: Why does Jesus tell the disciples to buy swords? Is this Jesus supporting violence in self-defense?

What if Election Isn’t about Salvation?: What are your thoughts on election being about service and blessing rather than salvation (i.e., Judas was chosen by Jesus to serve Him but obviously wasn't saved)?

Did Jesus Baptize?: Considering John 3: 22 and 4:2, did Jesus Himself baptize others, or not? A Mormon brought this up to me, and the only thing I could think of was that John 3: 22 wasn’t actually saying Jesus baptized, perhaps only that He oversaw the baptisms. Any insight?

Did Jesus’ Deity Die?: Did Jesus' deity die on the cross, and if not, then how could He be an atoning sacrifice for sin? If it died, then how could He be God without affirming the kenotic heresy?

God’s Eternal Covenant: I see in Jeremiah 33 that God extends His eternal covenant not only to the house of David as kings, but also Levi as priests (Jeremiah 33: 17-22). Who fulfills this promise? Does Jesus?

Not Worthy = Not Saved?: Do Jesus' words in Matthew 10: 37-39 give the impression that if we don't put Him first in everything, we're not saved? Does the phrase "not worthy of Me" not refer to salvation?

How Could God Need Strengthening?: Can you explain how an angel could have strengthened Jesus since He is God (Luke 22: 43)?

Translation Discrepancies?: Mark 1: 41 in the NIV says Jesus was indignant, but other translations don't. What’s up with that?

Was Mary Asking Jesus for a Miracle?: When Mary told Jesus that the wedding was out of wine, was she asking Him to do a miracle, or a more prosaic fix? I was taught that she asked for a miracle, but I wonder due to her other actions.

Blasphemy in the Sermon on the Mount?: In The Sermon on the Mount, Jesus refers to God as the audience’s Father. How was this not blasphemous in the way that Jesus claiming to be the Son of God was a big deal in the Passion narrative?

Is Hell Just the Absence of God?: Is it accurate when people say, "Hell is simply the absence of God"? For Example, Jesus is the water of life so there's no water in Hell, or we rest in Christ so there's no rest in Hell.

Slaves or Friends of Christ?: Does Jesus “call” us His slaves? In John 15: 15 He says He does not, but in Revelation 2: 20 He seems to do so.

Jesus – the Son of Man: Why does Jesus switch from first person to third person only when He’s referring to Himself as The Son of Man?

Did Jesus Teach on the Rapture?: A friend doesn’t believe in the Rapture because “Jesus never taught it” and he doesn’t consider Paul (or his writings) to be authoritative. How would you approach something like that?

Did Jesus ever Make Mistakes at Work?: Do you suppose Jesus was the most skilled carpenter who ever lived? Is it heretical to imagine Him ever making a mistake on the job?

Was Jesus’ Death Suicide?: I need help responding to the objection that Jesus voluntarily going to the cross was suicide. I know this isn’t the case, but I’m having a hard time expressing why.

Why Pray for Others?: If Jesus is our final intercessor, why should we intercede for or pray over other believers' needs? Is this related to the spiritual realm and prayer delays, like in Daniel 10: 12-14?

Taking On an Atheist’s Challenge: Can you please respond to Holy Koolaid’s video alleging various Bible contradictions and problems with Christianity? Did Jesus Himself undermine Christianity?

Is Salvation Sometimes Unfair?: One of my biggest issues is that you NEED to believe in Jesus to be saved. If someone is born in a Muslim country, they would have to sacrifice way more than the average westerner. How is that fair?

Historical Jesus & Manuscripts: How can we believe in a historical Jesus if the oldest manuscripts we have are from the second or third century?

Joseph in Jesus’ Lineage?: Any idea why Matthew and Luke list Joseph’s genealogy when he’s not Jesus’ birth father? Does that mean Jesus’ lineage isn’t what it needs to be to fulfill prophecy?

Would a Good God make a Terrible Hell?: When Jesus said that for the person who would betray Him it would be better not to be born, I assume Hell is worse than non-existence. How does this match with a good God?

Unrepentant Heart – Still Saved by Faith?: If I believe in my heart that Jesus rose from the dead and trust in Him alone for salvation, why would God then send me to Hell for being actively gay? Am I not saved by my faith instead of my works?

Salvation in the OT: How were people saved in the Old Testament before Jesus? And if they were saved without believing in Jesus, then why did it change?

Hypostatic Union – Contradictory?: Is Jesus being God and Man a contradiction? The Bible says that the Son doesn’t know the day or the hour of His coming. Can Jesus know (as God) and not know (as Man) at the same time?

Jesus’ Deity in Scripture: In Luke 4:9-12, Satan uses the term "Son of God" yet Jesus responds with Deuteronomy 6: 16. Is this a possible claim that Christ is God, similarly to how He takes God's names for Himself?

Does Hebrews 1 Prove Cessationism?: Is Hebrews 1:1 supportive of the idea that there are no prophets since the 1st century as God only speaks from Jesus Christ?

Jesus & the Samaritan Woman: Was Jesus pointing out the sin of the Samaritan woman, or was He letting her know He understood her circumstances, considering women had little control over their marital status?

Are Insulting Names Sometimes Appropriate?: Does Jesus calling the Pharisees fools, vipers, and whitewashed tombs give Christians a license to call our enemies insulting names?

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