Search — Theology Explorer

Romans 5 (peace with God) faith alone works as evidence faith alone

Q: Does "saved by faith alone" mean you can sin and still be saved? In one sense yes — salvation is grounded on grace, not works (Romans 5: "having been justified by grace, we have peace with God"). But genuine salvation produces the Holy Spirit, which works out into good works. Works are evidence of salvation, not the means of maintaining it. A person living in reckless sin may never have been saved.

Q&A — faith alone and ongoing sin

false teachers false teachers essential vs secondary doctrines

Q: Difference between a false teacher and someone you disagree with? False teachers violate essential Christian truths (e.g., denying Christ's deity). Secondary issues (like inerrancy debates) are in-house disagreements, not false teaching. The line can get blurry on some issues.

Q&A — false teachers vs disagreement

virgin birth inspiration of Scripture virgin birth

Q: Evidence for the virgin birth? Not as strong as resurrection evidence, but that's okay — not every doctrine needs the same burden of proof. Mike believes it because Scripture teaches it. The argument chain: resurrection → inspiration of Scripture → virgin birth. The central claim (resurrection) carries the secondary claims.

Q&A — evidence for the virgin birth

Q: Why can an atheist be a "better person" than a Christian? Because humans have free will. But our standard for "good person" is skewed — we judge by how someone treats us, ignoring whether they love God. Rejecting the Creator is a massive moral failure regardless of philanthropy. We evaluate select pockets while ignoring what matters most to God.

Q&A — atheists being "better" than Christians

free will free will

Lee Strobel William Lane Craig William Lane Craig

Q: Good apologetics books? On Guard by William Lane Craig (accessible) or Reasonable Faith (scholarly). The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel for overall Christianity evidence — the first apologetics book Mike ever read.

Q&A — apologetics book recommendations

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-11

Q&A: Who should we direct prayers to? Generally to the Father (Matthew 6:6), but praying to Jesus or the Holy Spirit is acceptable. "In Jesus' name" is not a required phrase — you pray through Christ whether you say it or not because he is your mediator.

Q&A — directing prayer

Matthew 6:6 prayer direction Matthew 6:6

Luke 9:50 Luke 11:23 body of Christ body of Christ Luke 9:50

Q: Luke 9:50 vs Luke 11:23 — "not against you is for you" vs "not with me is against me." No contradiction: both affirm there's no middle ground — you're either in the kingdom or out. The first passage shows the kingdom is bigger than your local group; people can serve Jesus without being part of your organization.

Q&A — apparent contradiction in Luke

apostolic martyrdom sincerity of testimony

Q: Could Christians have made up martyrdom claims? Unreasonable for Peter, James, and John — first-century evidence of their martyrdom is strong. Some later apostle martyrdom stories may have been embellished, but the core eyewitnesses clearly suffered for their resurrection claims. Martyrdom proves sincerity, not necessarily truth — but combined with ruling out hallucination, the case is strong.

Q&A — historicity of apostolic martyrdom

Q: New church member sharing New Age content. Options: approach the person gently, or approach leadership. Example: Doreen Virtue (former New Age guru) became Christian but retained New Age practices — no Christians helped correct her, they just condemned her. New believers need patient discipleship, not condemnation.

Q&A — New Age content in church

New Age Doreen Virtue

Matthew 6:33 Philippians 4:12 2 Corinthians 11:25-27 Matthew 6:33 Philippians 4:12 2 Corinthians 11:25-27

Q: Matthew 6:33 — seek first God's kingdom and he'll provide necessities. But Christians sometimes lack essentials. Mike's view: this is a general promise with exceptions. Paul experienced hunger, nakedness, and need (Philippians 4:12, 2 Corinthians 11:25-27) while faithfully serving God. Suffering doesn't invalidate the promise — it's for God's greater purposes.

Q&A — Matthew 6:33 and Christian suffering

2 Corinthians 3:17 Trinity Trinity 2 Corinthians 3:17

Q: 2 Corinthians 3:17 ("the Lord is the Spirit") — does it teach Jesus is the Holy Spirit? It affirms oneness in God but not Oneness Pentecostal theology. The Spirit is sometimes called the Spirit of Jesus; the Holy Spirit is Christ's presence with us. But the full NT also affirms distinct persons of the Trinity.

Q&A — 2 Corinthians 3:17 and the Trinity

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-16

Not going to church during a pandemic is wisdom, not fear. Two types of fear: (1) terror about what might happen (unnecessary — God is sovereign even in worst outcomes), (2) proper respect/prudence that avoids testing God. Proverbs 27:12: "The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it."

Wisdom vs fear — prudence in Proverbs

Proverbs 27:12 Proverbs 8:5 Proverbs 27:12 prudence Proverbs 8:5

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-16

Romans 13: Christians should generally obey government unless commanded to sin. Closing churches during a global health crisis isn't persecution — it's a quarantine affecting everyone. Government conspiracy theories about using COVID to target churches are unfounded (China was already persecuting churches without needing excuses). The line: obey until they demand disobedience to God.

Government authority and Romans 13

Romans 13 Romans 13 Romans 13 Romans 13 church closures

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-16

Q: Is this a case of obeying authorities when it doesn't conflict with God's law? Yes. If not going to church were sinful, defy the order. But missing a season of gathering isn't forsaking fellowship — people hospitalized for a month aren't forsaking fellowship either. The principle is proportionate and temporary.

Q&A — obeying authority and church attendance

Hebrews 10:25 Hebrews 10:25 government obedience forsaking assembly

John 3:16 Hebrews 4:16 John 3:16 Hebrews 4:16

John 3:16: "God so loved the world" means God loved the world IN THIS WAY — by giving his Son. Whoever believes should not perish but have eternal life. Hebrews 4:16: because of Jesus, we can now confidently approach God's throne to receive mercy and grace despite our sin.

God's love and access to grace

Romans 10:9 repentance repentance Romans 10:9

What to do to be saved (Romans 10:9): (1) "Believe in your heart" = intellectual belief PLUS reliance/trust (Greek pisteuo = entrust). Know the resurrection is true AND rely on Christ for salvation. (2) "Confess Jesus is Lord" = honest commitment to his authority, not just saying words. Lordship means he's your boss, king, authority. Repentance = turning from rebellion to yielding to God.

How to respond — belief and confession

Ephesians 2:8-10 Luke 18:9-14 Ephesians 2:8-10 grace through faith Luke 18:9-14

Works come AFTER salvation, not before. Ephesians 2:8-10: saved by grace through faith, not of works — but created in Christ Jesus FOR good works. You don't earn forgiveness; you receive it and then good works flow from the new life. The danger: thinking you need to be a better person first.

Works after salvation — Ephesians 2:8-10

1 John 3:1 Titus 3:5 regeneration born again 1 John 3:1

What salvation produces: (1) Adoption as God's children (1 John 3:1); (2) Indwelling of the Holy Spirit — born again, new creation (Titus 3:5, 2 Cor 5:17); (3) Complete forgiveness of sins; (4) Eternal life — not ethereal existence but new heaven and new earth with perfect fellowship. Simple to receive, vast in scope.

Results of salvation — adoption, Spirit, eternal life

repentance gospel presentation repentance

Mike leads a salvation prayer: admitting sin, believing in Jesus's death and resurrection, confessing him as Lord, thanking God for forgiveness, asking to be filled with the Spirit to walk in new life. He emphasizes the prayer is a step of faith — salvation comes from the heart posture, not the words themselves.

Salvation prayer

Natasha Crain kids apologetics Talking with Your Kids about Jesus

Mike interviews Natasha Crain, author of "Talking with Your Kids about Jesus" — an apologetics book for parents covering 30 conversations about Jesus that kids need in today's world. Five sections: identity, teachings, death, resurrection, and difference Jesus makes.

Introduction — Natasha Crain interview

Natasha Crain apologetics apologetics

Natasha's journey: started a devotional blog in 2011 with three kids under 3. Skeptics began challenging her on her blog — she couldn't answer questions about biblical errors, Jesus's historical existence, science disproving God. Realized her kids would face these challenges and she needed to equip them. Discovered the world of apologetics.

Natasha's journey into apologetics

parenting parenting kids apologetics

Research shows 60-90% of kids from Christian homes walk away from faith. Parents often have a false sense of security because their kids aren't currently questioning. But kids absorb worldview from culture, not just church. The Bible calls parents to disciple kids — what that requires changes as the cultural environment changes.

Why parents need apologetics — the youth exodus

secular vs biblical love greatest commandments worldview assumptions

Biblical love vs. secular love: secular love = affirming whatever someone wants for themselves (happiness as highest good). Biblical love = wanting for others what GOD wants for them, which may differ from what they want. The key: the two greatest commandments in order — love God first, then love others. Loving others is contextualized by loving God first.

Teaching kids about love — biblical vs secular

Matthew 7:1 John 7:24 Matthew 7:1 dont judge hypocritical judgment

Teaching kids about judging: Matthew 7:1 ("do not judge") is about hypocritical judgment, not prohibition of all discernment. Read the full passage — Jesus says remove the log from your own eye FIRST, then help your brother. John 7:24: "judge with right judgment." Discernment between right/wrong is essential. Irony: saying "don't judge" is itself a judgment.

Teaching kids about judging — Matthew 7 in context

1 Corinthians 15:14 Gary Habermas Gospel of Mark Gospel of Mark

Building a case for Jesus's miracles with kids: (1) If God exists, miracles are possible — this is a worldview starting point. (2) Earliest sources (Mark) describe a miracle-working Jesus — 40% of Mark's narrative involves miracles. (3) No sources describe a non-miracle-working Jesus. (4) Miracles are integrally woven into the narrative — you can't remove them without the story collapsing. (5) Virtually all historians agree Jesus drew large crowds doing something remarkable. (6) The resurrection is the central miracle with significant historical evidence.

Case for Jesus's miracles — for kids

Natasha Crain kids apologetics conversation guides

Each chapter has a conversation guide: (1) "Open the conversation" — easy questions to get kids talking without intimidation. (2) "Advance the conversation" — deeper questions with tips in parentheses guiding parents on key points to cover. Designed to move from kids' heads to actual parent-child dialogue.

Conversation guide structure

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-15

Can you lose salvation if Jesus paid for your sins? Depends on your view of the atonement. Calvinist (limited atonement): Jesus only paid for the elect's sins, so losing salvation would mean he 'unpaid' — impossible. Non-Calvinist (unlimited atonement): Jesus paid for all sins; the APPLICATION is upon those who receive Christ. If someone walks away, it's not that payment was reversed but that they left the relationship.

Losing salvation and the extent of the atonement

perseverance of the saints eternal security eternal security

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-19

Mike presents 24-26 ways Passover was prophetically fulfilled by Jesus. Passover is a typological prophecy — not direct prediction/fulfillment but symbolic correspondence between OT events and Christ's work. 1 Corinthians 5:7: "Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed." Jesus chose to die during Passover week — his timing was deliberate.

Introduction — Passover as prophetic type

1 Corinthians 5:7 Passover Passover Passover as prophecy

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-19

Points 1-2: (1) A sacrificial lamb — Jesus is the lamb offered for us (Hebrews 9:12-14, 10:1-14). OT sacrifices were shadows; Jesus is the reality. He offered himself ONCE vs yearly repetition. (2) Purpose: avoiding punishment for sin — Passover was explicitly a judgment (Exodus 12:12). Israel needed the lamb too because they were also guilty of idolatry (Ezekiel 20:7). The cross saves us from God's wrath.

Points 1-2 — sacrificial lamb and dealing with sin

Exodus 12 Hebrews 9:12-14 Hebrews 10:1-14 wrath of God substitutionary atonement wrath of God

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-19

Points 3-5: (3) Lamb had to be male — Jesus as male representative of all humanity, as Adam represented all (1 Cor 15:22,45). (4) Without blemish — Jesus was sinless (Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 1:18-19: "precious blood of Christ, like a lamb without blemish"). YOU didn't have to be holy; your SACRIFICE had to be holy. (5) Lamb was examined/inspected before sacrifice — Jesus was examined by Pilate, Herod, Sanhedrin and found faultless (John 19:4-6).

Points 3-5 — male, without blemish, inspected

1 Corinthians 15:22 1 Corinthians 15:45 Hebrews 4:15 1 Corinthians 15:22 1 Corinthians 15:45 Hebrews 4:15

Mark 9:33-42 Mark Series servant leadership Mark 9:33-42 Mark Series

First livestreamed Sunday night Bible study (during COVID). Mark Series Pt 32 covering Mark 9:33-42 — unnecessary division, competition in Christian leadership, and why pastors shouldn't be CEOs.

Introduction — Mark 9:33-42

Mark 8:22-24 messianic mystery two comings of Christ Mark 8:22-24

Context: Mark 8-10 reveals the messianic mystery — Jesus has TWO comings (suffering first, glory later), but the disciples only expect one glorious military conquest. Their argument about who's greatest stems from thinking they're about to rule in an earthly kingdom. They're wrong about both timing and values.

Context — the messianic mystery in Mark

Matthew 6:1-6 1 Peter 5:3 servant leadership servant leadership Matthew 6:1-6

Mark 9:35: "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." Jesus flips worldly leadership upside down. Parallel: Matthew 6:1-6 — Pharisees do good works for human recognition and get no reward from God. 1 Peter 5:3: lead by example, don't lord over people. The test: if everyone treated people the way you treat people, would it make a healthy church?

Servant leadership vs worldly leadership

Mark 9:36-37 Matthew 25:34-40 Mark 9:36-37 receiving the least Matthew 25:34-40

Mark 9:36-37: Jesus uses a child (culturally unimportant, not romanticized as today) to illustrate that receiving ANY believer — even the least significant by worldly standards — is receiving Jesus himself. Matthew 25:34-40 confirms: what you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. Ministry to any Christian = ministry to Christ.

Receiving the least = receiving Jesus

Mark 9:38-40 ecumenism ecumenism Mark 9:38-40

Mark 9:38-40: A man casting out demons in Jesus's name but not part of the Twelve. The disciples tried to stop him. Jesus: "Do not hinder him — whoever is not against us is for us." The organic growth of Christianity always outpaces organizational growth. We must resist suspicion toward genuine believers outside our circle/denomination.

Don't hinder outsiders — the church is bigger than your group

John 13:35 Mark 9:41-42 Galatians 6:10 John 13:35 Mark 9:41-42 millstone judgment

Mark 9:41-42: Whoever gives a cup of water to a believer won't lose their reward; whoever causes a believer to stumble, it'd be better to have a millstone hung around their neck and be cast into the sea. Galatians 6:10: do good to all people, ESPECIALLY to the household of faith. The church's primary charitable focus should be caring for fellow believers.

Rewards for blessing believers, judgment for harming them

Joel Osteen Joel Osteen Mark 9:41-42 Joel Osteen Joel Osteen Mark 9:41-42

Q&A: Mark 9:42 "little ones" = any Christian of any status, not just children or Jews. Joel Osteen: Mike hasn't studied him enough to categorize fully, but what he's heard is "sub-Christian, sub-biblical" teaching. Being "for us" doesn't mean everything someone does is approved — there's still room for church discipline and correction.

Q&A — little ones, Joel Osteen

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-29

Q&A: Will saved Christians be punished on Judgment Day? Not punished in the hell sense — Jesus took that punishment. But 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 shows believers' works will be tested by fire: gold/silver/precious stones survive (pure ministry); wood/hay/straw burn up (compromised service). The person is saved but may suffer loss of ALL rewards. 2 Corinthians 5:10: we receive what is due for what we've done — this is loss of reward, not punishment.

Q&A — believers' judgment and rewards

2 Corinthians 5:10 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 2 Corinthians 5:10 2 Corinthians 5:10 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 2 Corinthians 5:10

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-29

Q&A: How to deal with worry about death as a young Christian. The gospel IS the solution to death: Jesus's empty tomb means resurrection is real. Mike shares attending an atheist's funeral — no comfort, only empty cliches. Christian "cliches" about being with the Lord and seeing loved ones again are actually TRUE. Re-read the resurrection accounts and biographies of faithful saints.

Q&A — fear of death

gospel presentation fear of death resurrection hope

Candida Moss Myth of Persecution persecution vs prosecution

Where McDowell agrees with Candida Moss: many Christians overstate early persecution. There wasn't official statewide persecution until 3rd-4th centuries. Moss correctly notes that many martyrdom accounts are exaggerated. But she takes the correction too far by dismissing all early persecution evidence.

Agreement with Moss — overstated persecution

multiple attestation Tacitus Clement of Rome

Evidence for early Christian persecution: (1) Multiple attestation across the entire NT — Gospels, Acts, Hebrews, James, 1 John, Peter, Revelation all attest to Christians paying a price for faith. (2) Earliest church fathers (Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp) confirm the theme. (3) Non-Christian sources (Tacitus, Suetonius) confirm persecution under Nero.

Evidence for early persecution — multiple independent sources

Acts 11:26 Tacitus Candida Moss Suetonius

McDowell responds to Moss's dismissal of Nero persecution: (1) 50-year gap doesn't warrant dismissal — McDowell's father remembers Nixon 50 years ago. (2) Suetonius provides additional support she doesn't cite. (3) Her claim that "Christian" wasn't used until end of first century is false — Acts records the term at Antioch c.47 AD. (4) Tacitus says "great multitude" — not a handful. Nero needed a sufficiently large scapegoat group.

Responding to Moss on Nero — four rebuttals

James brother of Jesus James son of Zebedee James brother of Jesus Sean McDowell James son of Zebedee

The actual historical evidence for specific apostolic martyrdoms: strong for Peter, Paul, James son of Zebedee, James brother of Jesus (early, multiple sources). Possible for Thomas (some 2nd century evidence). For the rest (Bartholomew, Matthew, Matthias etc.) — 3rd-5th century accounts that are contradictory and likely fictional. McDowell and Moss agree on the later accounts being unreliable.

Evidence tiers for apostolic martyrdoms

Galatians 6:1 Romans 12:21 imago Dei Galatians 6:1 Good Samaritan

Mike addresses the George Floyd protests and racism from a biblical perspective: (1) All humans are made in God's image — foundational to human rights. (2) Race as commonly discussed doesn't fit the Christian worldview — skin color is irrelevant to human value. (3) Romans 12:21: don't let others' sin trigger your sin. (4) Galatians 6:1: restore in gentleness, keep watch on yourself lest you be tempted. The key warning: don't justify rebellion against God in the name of righteousness.

Biblical response to George Floyd and racism

1 Peter 2:24 physical resurrection 1 Peter 2:24 healing in the atonement

1 Peter 2:24 ("by his wounds you have been healed") does refer to physical healing in Mike's view, but the TIMING is the issue. Many benefits of the cross aren't received now — we still die, still have corruptible bodies. Full physical healing comes in the resurrection. It's theologically inconsistent to demand healing for the common cold while accepting death from old age. The "healing in the atonement" teaching overreaches on timing, not content.

Healing in the atonement — timing issue

apologetics apologetics new believers

Advice for new believers encountering militant anti-theists: (1) Don't spend most of your time with them — get grounded in biblical truth first. (2) Many militant atheists repeatedly ask the same questions, get good answers, and ignore them — they want to stump, not learn. (3) If your good answers only generate more questions with no acknowledgment, you may be wasting your time. Focus on learning truth before combating error.

New believers and militant atheists