Search — Theology Explorer

Genesis 6:3 Holy Spirit Calvinism TULIP

Total Depravity defined as "total inability" — Mike rejects it

First point of TULIP addressed in detail.

Isaiah Isaiah 53 Isaiah 52 Jesus Isaiah Isaiah 53

Deutero-Isaiah / multiple authorship of Isaiah — Mike skeptical

Q from "Skeptic Reviews" about the scholarly view that Isaiah had multiple authors.

Isaiah 53 Isaiah 52 Isaiah 53 Hermeneutics Isaiah 52

How to construct a biblical theology — start with contextual reading plus the doctrine of inspiration

Q from Nick (Quint/Quiet) about building a biblical theological method.

Evangelism Holiness Family Relationships

Living with non-Christian parents who swear, drink, and watch vulgar content

Q from Soul about navigating holiness when living with ungodly parents.

Government Voting Civic Responsibility

Voting as a Christian moral obligation in a democracy

Q from Woolpack about whether it is a sin for a Christian not to vote.

Jeremiah 31 Matthew 5:17 Galatians 3 Jeremiah 31 New Covenant fulfillment of the law

The Old Covenant is "eternal" in the sense that Christ fulfilled it — fulfillment, not destruction, transitions to the New Covenant

Question from Jason and Alana about how the Old Covenant can be everlasting yet superseded.

Proverbs Proverbs 13:24 Proverbs parenting corporal punishment

Proverbs 13:24 — the rod is literal corporal punishment; wisdom literature genre does not dissolve literal content

Question from Bethany Ferguson about whether "the rod" is physical punishment or a metaphor for accountability.

1 Corinthians 3 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 salvation judgment 1 Corinthians 3

1 Corinthians 3 — believers are judged at the Bema for their works (gold/silver/precious stones vs. wood/hay/straw), not for salvation

Question from Emily Bain about how forgiveness of sins relates to judgment day.

stewardship mission trips short-term missions

Short-term mission trips are often inefficient — local missionaries are more effective with the same funds

Mike continues on the mission trip question with personal experience and practical critique.

Trinity heresy Oneness Pentecostalism

Oneness Pentecostalism: critique of modalism and concern about authoritarian/bully theology

Question from Stephen Serrano about Oneness Pentecostalism.

parental authority communion children and church

Children and communion: readiness is knowledge-based not age-based; parents decide, not the church

Question from Kimberly Mencina about a four-year-old not participating in communion.

soul trichotomy biblical anthropology

Spirit, soul, mind, body, heart: biblical anthropology terms overlap and resist precise systematic separation

Question from Juris de los Santos about the distinct biblical components of human nature.

Romans 12:18 Romans 12:18 conflict resolution peacemaking

Living peaceably with a difficult family member: Romans 12:18 — 'as much as it depends on you'

Question from Josiah about conflict with a family member at home.

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-06

Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 do speak about Satan, contra the scholarly majority

Responding to a question from Nathanael H about whether these passages reference Satan

Isaiah 14 Ezekiel 28 biblical theology Satan Isaiah 14

Matthew 5:20 imputed righteousness righteousness Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:20 — Righteousness exceeding the scribes and Pharisees

A viewer asks what Jesus meant in Matthew 5:20 about righteousness exceeding that of the scribes and Pharisees.

1 Corinthians 6 1 Corinthians 6:3 judges of Israel 1 Corinthians 6 Gideon 1 Corinthians 6:3

1 Corinthians 6:3 — We will judge angels: ruling/leading rather than condemning

A viewer asks what Paul meant when he said believers will judge angels.

Bill Johnson charismatic movement Mike Bickle

Mike Bickle and IHOP — cautious non-answer; requires 60+ hours of research before opining

A viewer asks Mike's opinion of Mike Bickle and the International House of Prayer.

Christian ethics cultural engagement gender identity

Preferred pronouns — Mike cannot use false pronouns because it constitutes dishonest support of a delusion

A viewer asks whether Christians should use preferred pronouns as this becomes a larger cultural issue.

Matthew 24:15 Acts 1:7 Matthew 24:15 eschatology Martin Luther

Are we the last generation? — Acts 1:7 epistemic humility; abomination of desolation as one signpost

A viewer asks if Mike believes we are the last generation before Christ's return.

1 Corinthians 6:16 Deuteronomy 22:28-29 Exodus 22:16 marriage one flesh sexual ethics

Does intercourse constitute marriage? — No; vows before witnesses and God define marriage

Mike reads an email asking whether sleeping with someone makes you married.

1 Kings 21 Genesis 4 Exodus 20 theocracy 1 Kings 21 right to life

Biblical basis for rights to life, liberty, and property

Question asking for verses that imply life, liberty, and property are inalienable rights.

Acts 5:29 Acts 5:29 conscience civil disobedience

Christian liberty includes disobeying government when God's commands conflict with the state

Continued discussion of biblical liberty.

anachronism church history sola scriptura

Early church creeds: authoritative insofar as they reflect Scripture, not equal to Scripture; beware anachronism

Question about the Athanasian Creed and whether it is biblical, specifically the implication that one must believe in the Trinity to be saved.

Romans 13 theocracy justice Romans 13

No single biblical form of government; Christianity fits any system through principles

Question about biblical support for monarchy and the Christian attitude toward it.

1 Corinthians 7:12-14 apostolic authority marriage 1 Corinthians 7:12-14

1 Corinthians 7:12-14 - Paul says "not the Lord" meaning he gives apostolic instruction without a direct quote from Jesus; believers married to unbelievers should not divorce.

Question about 1 Corinthians 7:14 and sanctification of unbelieving spouse

Genesis Genesis Elohim Evidence That Demands a Verdict

The Documentary Hypothesis (JEDP theory) has largely died out in scholarship; the old version attacked in apologetics works like Evidence That Demands a Verdict is mostly obsolete.

Question about the Documentary Hypothesis

women in ministry egalitarianism gender roles

Women speaking in Bible study (reading, praying, giving commentary but not teaching) - Mike's short answer is that none of those things are prohibited; the restriction relates to formal teaching authority.

Question about women speaking during Bible study

Romans 14 Romans 14 eschatology Hebrew Roots Movement

A future millennial observance of feasts does not obligate Christians now; present-tense New Testament teaching (Romans 14) is the relevant authority for current practice.

Millennial feast observance and current Christian obligation

Mike Winger Hebrew Roots Movement Gentiles

Mike's Hebrew Roots Movement playlist covers Acts, Romans, and Jesus's own teaching on how the law applies to Gentiles - recommended for deeper study.

Resource recommendation on Jewish law and Gentile Christians

Song of Solomon Hebrews 13:4 marriage Song of Solomon sexual ethics

Sexual passion within marriage is good and to be celebrated; the fire/fireplace metaphor: sex in marriage is beautiful like fire in a fireplace, destructive outside it.

Affirming marital sexuality

Genesis 9:1 Genesis 9:7 Noah Be Fruitful and Multiply Genesis 9:1

Genesis 9:1,7 re-issues the fruitful-and-multiply command to Noah and his sons after the flood, emphasizing the command operates in the context of a very low world population.

Canonical survey — the command is repeated in Genesis 9 after the flood.

Brian Simmons Passion Translation False Prophecy

Brian Simmons (Passion Translation author) has uttered false prophecy on record — Mike found hours of footage while researching for his Passion Translation project and plans to release a video exposing this.

Announcement during Q&A transition.

Romans 9-11 Shmuley Boteach Anti-Semitism and the New Testament Romans 9-11

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach's claim that the NT contains anti-Semitic propaganda and forged passages is theologically foolish — it substitutes his personal agenda for textual criticism and makes him the effective authority over Scripture.

Q: What do you think of Shmuley Boteach's claim that the NT has anti-Semitic propaganda Christians should reject as forgeries?

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.

Darrell Bock Textual Criticism Pauline Epistles — Authorship

Mike has authorship of the contested Pauline epistles on his list but far down in priority; he recommends Darrell Bock as an existing resource for those who need it now.

Q: Do you ever plan to do a deep dive into the authorship of the contested Pauline epistles?

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?

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?

women in ministry complementarianism egalitarianism

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

2021 ministry plans

divorce and remarriage biblical research methodology

Divorce and remarriage study as model for deep-topic research projects

Ministry methodology

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)

Matthew Vines biblical authority apologetics homosexuality

Diagnosing the root belief driving a gay-identifying Christian friend — four possible positions

Continuing Q8 — strategy for engaging friend

Proverbs 3:5 biblical authority cultural pressure homosexuality

Trusting man vs. trusting God: the distinction is priority, not binary rejection of human sources

Continuing Q14 on trusting man vs. God

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

Ephesians 6:1 Ephesians 5:22 Ephesians 6:4 submission hupotasso marriage

Wives submit vs. children obey — different words, different authority structures; discipline is for children not wives

Continuing Q19 on husband-wife authority vs. parent-child authority

Matthew 25:41 Revelation 20:10 metaphor eschatology fire

Q20: Is hell a literal place of fire and gnashing of teeth, or metaphorical? Open question, research project planned

Response to question about the nature of hell

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