Search — Theology Explorer

James the brother of Jesus resurrection Paul the Apostle apostle sincerity

Conclusion: Peter, Paul, and James were sincerely convinced they had seen Jesus alive — the conspiracy/lying hypothesis is eliminated by the evidence

Summary conclusion of the main argument

resurrection eyewitness testimony apostle sincerity

Response to the objection "9/11 bombers were also sincere" — the distinction between sincere indoctrinated believers and sincere eyewitnesses

Q&A style engagement with the most common objection to the sincerity argument

James the brother of Jesus James's pre-resurrection unbelief resurrection Paul the Apostle criterion of embarrassment

Three embarrassing facts that authenticate the disciples' sincerity: Peter's denial, James's pre-resurrection unbelief, and Paul's role as persecutor of the church

The criterion of embarrassment applied to the three key witnesses

eyewitness testimony apostle sincerity sincerity objection

Q&A: How to respond to the argument that members of non-Christian religions also die for their beliefs — eyewitness distinction restated

Viewer question on comparative religious martyrdom

poll methodology atheist activism

Poll manipulation: atheists voted fraudulently as Christians to skew results; example of Jen admitting it

Discussing poll integrity

former Christian atheists faith as denial of evidence

Charles Moss (former Christian) defines faith as active denial of observation to preserve belief

Examining former Christians' definitions of faith

Hebrews 11:1 Hebrews 11:1 former Christian atheists faith as hope vs. evidence

Greg Mater (former Christian) incorrectly cited Hebrews 11:1 as a definition of faith rather than a description

Examining a former Christian's use of Hebrews 11:1

forgiveness of sins paralytic lowered through roof faith grounded in evidence

Jesus healed the paralytic to provide evidence for his authority to forgive sins — faith is evidence-based

Biblical example of evidence-based faith

Matt Dillahunty evidence for the resurrection God of the gaps

JD Flier defines faith as "belief in an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance" — the God-of-the-gaps argument

Examining another atheist definition of faith

Matt Dillahunty resurrection of Jesus inference to the best explanation

Upcoming debate with Matt Dillahunty on whether belief in the resurrection is reasonable; science is not the only method of knowing

Announcing the Dillahunty debate and defending historical methodology

resurrection of Jesus Street Epistemology faith and doubt

Street Epistemology question about ranking faith in pin-falling vs. resurrection — Mike argues it is designed to produce doubt, not seek truth

Q&A: Doug (Street Epistemology type) asks if faith in pin falling and faith in resurrection can be ranked

Romans 4 Genesis 15:6 justification by faith Abraham salvation by faith

How Old Testament believers were saved by faith before Christ — Romans 4 and Genesis 15:6

Q&A: JoseCJ asks how OT believers were saved before Christ's work on the cross

Romans 1:18-32 Romans 1:20 atheism Romans 1:18-32 cosmological argument

Romans 1:18-32 describes two divine judgments on those who suppress the evidence for God: sin and a debased mind

Q&A: Monica Poole asks how Street Epistemology relates to Romans 1

youth ministry apologetics J. Warner Wallace

Book: "The Next Generation Will Know" co-authored with J. Warner Wallace

McDowell introduces his new book releasing May 1

youth ministry Greg Koukl apologetics

The book is motivated by McDowell's own children and 20 years of ministry focus on the next generation

McDowell explains the need driving the book project

evangelism gospel Millennials

The problem with having a negative or contemptuous attitude toward a generation you are trying to reach with the gospel

Mike reflects on the pattern of older generations despising younger ones

youth ministry apologetics Josh McDowell

Apologetic questions are being asked at younger and younger ages due to technology — Josh McDowell's observation about shifting ages of questioning

McDowell references his father Josh McDowell's observation from 55 years of ministry

youth ministry apologetics J. Warner Wallace

J. Warner Wallace's youth ministry lesson: teaching content vs. training for engagement — and the failure of candles-and-experience ministry

McDowell recounts how J. Warner Wallace transformed his youth ministry approach

Mormonism youth ministry Trinity

Apologetic mission trips: exposing youth to real intellectual and religious conflict as a discipleship strategy

McDowell describes the mission trip model developed with Brett Kunkle and J. Warner Wallace

sexuality nature vs. nurture LGBTQ

Q&A: Has McDowell's strategy on LGBTQ issues changed since "A New Kind of Apologist" (2016)?

Audience question about McDowell's evolution on LGBTQ apologetics

Southern Baptist Convention Barna Research The Myth of the Dying Church

Q&A: Why is church attendance dropping? Glenn Stanton's "The Myth of the Dying Church" — mainline churches are dying, not Bible-believing churches

Audience question about church decline, particularly among Millennials and Gen Z

marriage gospel Millennials

Millennial and Gen Z church return: life-stage markers like marriage and children are happening later or not at all, making the expected return uncertain

McDowell addresses the question of whether lapsed young people will return

youth ministry J. Warner Wallace Generation Z

Book promotion: The Next Generation Will Know releasing May 1, free bonus materials available before release

Closing segment — book details and offer

apologetics Matt Dillahunty resurrection of Christ

Closing summary: discipleship principles are timeless, but avoid jaded views toward youth and remain aware of how their lives differ from previous generations

Mike's closing remarks

Apologetics Resurrection of Jesus Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence

How the slogan functions in practice: a rhetorical device to dismiss evidence without engaging it

Mike describes the actual real-world usage pattern he has encountered when presenting evidence for Christianity.

Circular reasoning Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence Self-defeating argument

Problem 1: The slogan is self-defeating — it does not meet its own standard

First of five critiques of the slogan.

Equivocation fallacy Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence Epistemology

Twitter respondents cannot define "extraordinary evidence" — shifting, subjective standard

Part of the data-gathering from Twitter, illustrating the definitional problem with the slogan.

1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15 Resurrection of Jesus Early creed

Twitter response 5: Contemporary writings of life, death, resurrection with originals — we have near-contemporary documents, especially 1 Corinthians 15

Fifth respondent example; Mike pivots to addressing 1 Corinthians 15 as key early evidence.

Epistemology Prior probability Human probability estimation

Problem 5: The slogan misapplies prior probability — humans are bad at estimating probabilities

Fifth and final critique, focused on the prior probability dimension.

Resurrection of Jesus Miracles Prior probability

The prior probability of the resurrection cannot be assessed by counting how many people have naturally risen — category error

Mike drills into the specific error of applying natural-process probability to a theistic miracle claim.

Epistemology Prior probability Confirmation bias

Practical illustration: reliable coworker Jeff missing work — evidence overcomes prior probability

Mike uses an everyday scenario to illustrate how evidence should override prior probability.

Christian living Church accountability Pastoral correction

Q&A: Is it wrong to approach a pastor who taught something theologically unsound?

Viewer question about church accountability.

Apologetics Evangelism Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence

Closing: five diagnostic questions viewers can use in conversation to expose the slogan as confirmation bias

Mike wraps the livestream with practical application.

discipleship evangelism church mission

The church must maintain evangelism as its primary posture toward unbelievers; community service without gospel proclamation is insufficient

Response to question about churches focusing solely on community service vs. discipleship and evangelism

evangelism apologetics human responsibility

It is not the Christian's job to change minds; our responsibility is to present truth and build a case, while God holds unbelievers accountable for their own response

Sidebar comment after discussing apologetic prophecies

1 John 4:2 Incarnation Scripture authority Messiah

1 John 4:2 — testing spirits by confession that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh carries the full theological weight of Messiah, incarnation, and OT fulfillment, not merely a verbal formula

Response to question about whether 1 John 4:2 is a sufficient test for false spirits

Colossians Romans 14 Colossians Romans 14 Christian freedom

The Sabbath is Saturday; Gentile Christians are free to observe or not observe it; the Sabbath did not move to Sunday; early church gathered on both days for different reasons

Response to question about whether the Sabbath is Saturday or Sunday and whether it matters for Gentiles

John 1:1-14 Trinity Incarnation Christology

Jesus had no pre-existent human body; John 1:14 says the Word 'became' flesh, not that he switched bodies; the Incarnation was a genuine becoming

Response to question about whether Jesus had a human body before the Incarnation

conscience stumbling block worship music

Worship songs with questionable original contexts may be acceptable in personal use but congregational use requires sensitivity to the consciences of all present

Response to question about whether it is okay to sing a song that in its original context is questionable but which people would interpret as worship to God

Romans 2 1 John 3:4 Hebrew Roots movement Romans 2 sin

The word 'law' in 1 John 3:4 does not specifically mean the Mosaic law but any law or command God has revealed; Gentiles had moral law before Moses

Response to question about whether Christians must keep the Mosaic Sabbath since sin is the transgression of the law

Hebrews 6 Hebrews 10 eternal security Hebrews 6 Hebrews 10

Hebrews 6 is best read as a corporate statement about Israel rather than individuals losing their salvation; Hebrews 10 is easier to reconcile with eternal security

Brief response to question about eternal security and Hebrews 6 and 10

John 20:17 Mary Magdalene John 20:17 Thomas

John 20:17 — 'Do not cling to me' means do not grasp or hold on, not 'do not touch'; the Greek haptomai connotes holding on, explaining why Jesus also allowed Thomas to touch him later

Response to question about why Jesus would not let Mary touch him but later allowed Thomas to touch him

Matthew 6:14-15 Philippians 2:13 assurance of salvation forgiveness Matthew 6:14-15

Matthew 6:14-15 has a direct and uncomfortable application; persistent unwillingness to forgive may be evidence of not being in Christ, not a cause of losing salvation

Response to question about applying Matthew 6:14-15 to life situations

1 Corinthians 10:13 temptation 1 Corinthians 10:13 suicide

1 Corinthians 10:13 refutes the idea that any temptation including suicidal impulse is unavoidably overpowering; God always provides a way of escape; the sense of enslavement is often a lie believed about oneself

Response to question about Christianity and suicide and whether God ever gives more than one can bear

John 16 Calvinism soteriology free will

Winger rejects irresistible grace: God's Spirit convicts all people universally but some freely reject him; Winger believes he personally would likely not believe without the Spirit's work

Response to question about whether Winger would believe in the Resurrection without God's testimony