Search — Theology Explorer

Abraham stewardship planning and providence

Planning for the future is a Christian responsibility, not a lack of faith

Trusting God does not mean refusing to make plans; irresponsible non-planning can become a cover for laziness.

2 Timothy 2:20-21 Romans 9:20-23 hermeneutics sanctification Calvinism

The two vessel passages should not be conflated — different contexts, different applications

Mike's conclusion: 2 Tim 2:20-21 and Romans 9 use the same metaphor for different purposes and cannot be merged to make a doctrinal argument about total depravity.

justification Catholic soteriology Protestant-Catholic debate

Catholic apologetics tactic: confusing initial justification with final justification

A key source of confusion in Protestant-Catholic dialogue is the conflation of two distinct Catholic doctrines.

Matthew 23 apologetics Catholicism Pharisees

Warning against making theological decisions based on aesthetics — beauty of Catholic churches and liturgy is irrelevant to truth

People in doctrinal confusion sometimes drift toward Catholic practice for aesthetic or experiential reasons rather than theological ones.

church unity Calvary Chapel secondary issues

Question: Thoughts on the ecumenical movement — should I leave a church that is part of it?

Viewer in Finland asks about ecumenism, since most Finnish churches are officially part of the ecumenical movement.

Galatians 1 repentance false gospel church discipline

Lines Mike will not cross for ecumenism: false gospel and sexual ethics compromise

Where qualified ecumenism ends — the gospel and moral compromise that hinders repentance.

eschatology prophetic fulfillment futurism

Rebuilt temple does not need to be ritually valid — prophecy requires existence, not divine approval

Clarification of what prophetic fulfillment requires regarding the third temple.

Proverbs Christian ethics fear of God Proverbs

Question: Is there anything Christians should fear apart from God?

Viewer Omar Barr asks whether there are legitimate objects of fear for Christians beyond fearing God.

John 8:30-38 John 1:11 perseverance of the saints John 8:30-38 belief in John

Interpretive options for belief in John 8:30 — salvific vs. surface belief; audience complexity

The theological puzzle: was this salvific belief that was then lost, or was it never salvific to begin with?

Genesis 3 Genesis 3 Christian ethics cultural Christianity

Question: What does the Bible say about modesty? Is a bikini sport uniform sinful?

Viewer Austin Holloman asks for biblical guidance on modesty and whether sports requiring bikinis should be avoided.

Christian ethics modesty sexuality and culture

Sports requiring bikini uniforms have immorality built in; empowerment framing of immodesty is backwards

Mike's stronger statement about institutionalized immodesty in competitive sports and the cultural narrative of empowerment through immodesty.

Ephesians 6:14 integrity armor of God Ephesians 6:14

Belt of Truth — sincerity, integrity, and holding to Christian truth

First piece of armor explained.

Ephesians 6:17-18 prayer armor of God Ephesians 6:17-18

Sword of the Spirit (Word of God) — the only offensive weapon; prayer as the capstone

Sixth and final piece of armor: the one offensive weapon in the full armor. Paul adds prayer outside the armor list.

Psalm 121 Song of Ascents hermeneutics Israel divine protection

Question: Does Psalm 121:6 protect against sunburn? Analysis of the psalm as an Israel protection psalm

Viewer Brunette Family asks in a lighthearted way whether Psalm 121:6 permits skipping sunscreen.

Revelation Luke 16 millennium eschatology Revelation

Question: What is the difference between Hades and Hell — do people go directly to hell at death?

Viewer Henry Avery's Gravery asks Mike to elaborate on his view that people do not go directly to hell when they die.

Genesis 1-2 Genesis 1-2 hermeneutics evolution

Question: How do you interpret Genesis 1-2 given the evidence for evolution?

Viewer Johnny Quick cites the scientific consensus for evolution and asks how Mike interprets Genesis 1-2.

Genesis 1-2 John Walton Genesis 1-2 Michael Heiser hermeneutics

Survey of interpretive views on Genesis 1-2: gap theory, day-age, young earth, progressive creation, Walton, Heiser, William Lane Craig

Mike surveys the major interpretive frameworks for Genesis 1-2 without committing to one.

Genesis 1-2 Genesis 1-2 hermeneutics young earth creationism

Interpretation of Genesis must be driven by hermeneutics, not science

Mike's methodological conclusion on the Genesis-evolution question.

mental illness ADHD sin and biology

Question: A website claims ADHD and all mental illness are caused by sin or the devil

Viewer Dora has ADHD and found a website attributing all mental illness to sin or demonic influence, claiming ADHD is a parental discipline failure.

eschatology second coming pastoral care

Closing encouragement: abide in Christ as the first peg; upcoming study on the return of Jesus

Mike closes the Q&A with pastoral encouragement and preview of upcoming content.

Psalm 1 The Message Bible Eugene Peterson Paraphrase vs. translation

The Message Bible is a very loose paraphrase — idiomatic, interpretive, and potentially misleading, but not heretical; inadvisable as a primary study Bible.

Question from Jeanette Perry about the Message Bible and Nicky Gumbel/Alpha.

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.

Matthew commentary Bible study methodology R.T. France Scholarly research tools

How to find scholarly resources for Bible study: use academic commentaries, EBSCO, Google Scholar, and Google Books.

Question from Derek Johnson about finding scholarly articles for a Matthew study.

Isaiah 6 Isaiah 1:18 Atonement Isaiah 6 Divine sovereignty and human responsibility

Isaiah 6's commissioning does not mean God does not want Israel healed — the prophet's message hardens already-rejecting hearts, and God's overall posture throughout Isaiah is restorative.

Question from V Palumbi about Isaiah 6 and God's apparent unwillingness for the people to return and be healed.

Matthew 5:38-42 Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:38-42 Turn the other cheek

Matthew 5:38-42 addresses personal vengeance, not self-defense or courtroom justice — and does not require total pacifism.

Question from Adriano about the Sermon on the Mount passages on non-retaliation and self-defense.

Matthew 5:42 Kenneth Copeland Prosperity gospel Matthew 5:42

Matthew 5:42 ('give to him who asks') must be applied with wisdom — naive application would mean giving to every fraudster.

Continued discussion of Matthew 5:42 on generosity.

Abraham Old Testament saints Salvation exclusivism

Accepting Jesus is the only way to heaven, but those who never heard the gospel may be saved through faithful response to lesser revelation — analogous to Abraham.

Question from Jack Bradley about salvation for those who never heard or only heard harmful versions of the gospel.

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.

Assurance of salvation New Age spirituality Conversion and faith

How to find God: Christianity's goal is not emotional comfort but truth and relationship; reading and praying without trusting Christ is insufficient.

Question from an anonymous person (username 'it's me') who found comfort in the New Age but confusion in Christianity after 5 months of reading and prayer.

Proof-texting Hermeneutics Original audience interpretation

Proper Bible study: identify what the text meant to the original audience before asking how to apply it; context prevents proof-texting.

Question from Natural Glory about how to study the Bible properly.

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 1-2 Genesis as history vs. mythology Genesis 1-2 Young earth creationism Old earth creationism

Genesis 1-2 and the age of the earth: Winger is no longer confident in young-earth creationism based on exegesis alone; plans a full research project.

Question from Ethan Tucker about whether early Genesis is mythology or history.

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.

judgment age of accountability heaven

Severe dementia and moral accountability: judgment follows capacity

Mario Tucci connected the question to Mike's earlier teaching that babies go to heaven and asked whether it applies to those with severe dementia.

Mormonism Islam resurrection

Religion as social control: a compliment, not a refutation

Summer Monsoon asked how to respond to the claim that religion is just a mechanism for social control and helps people cope with death.

1 Timothy 3 Galatians 3:28 Matthew 23:8-12 servant leadership overseer episkopos

Ministry titles and the clergy-laity distinction: what Jesus really forbade in Matthew 23

Chris Horn asked whether Matthew 23:8-12 prohibits using ministry titles like pastor or elder.

evangelism Greg Koukl apologetics

Sharing the gospel with resistant loved ones: grace, strategy, and the book Tactics

Hannah/Henry Belvall asked for advice on humbly sharing Jesus with struggling loved ones who become defensive.

Romans proof-texting discernment false teaching

Protecting against false doctrine without a complete Bible knowledge: read in context and check the text

Katie, a newly saved teen (about 10 months old in the faith), asked how to guard against false teaching when she has not yet read the entire Bible.

Romans 16:20 Hebrews 2:14 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 millennium eschatology Satan

Fate of the devil: destruction, lake of fire, and whether Satan is annihilated

New Testament Theologist cited Romans 16:20, Hebrews 2:14, and 1 Corinthians 15:24-28 to ask about the ultimate fate of Satan.

Luke 11:24-26 atonement false teaching spiritual warfare

Generational curses: pastoral concern and theological rejection

Studio asked whether believers can be cursed by ancestral actions or ethnic heritage (specifically Native American bloodline).

Holy Spirit discernment prophecy

Testing whether a vision or impression is from the Holy Spirit

UK Dove Girl asked how to know whether a lucid open-eyed vision comes from the Spirit rather than the subconscious.

Hebrews 7:7 spiritual authority Levitical priesthood Abraham

Pronouncing a blessing on others: Hebrews 7:7 and mutual blessing in the body of Christ

Andrej asked whether saying "I bless you" to someone implies a hierarchical superiority that is inappropriate between equals.

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.

evangelism repentance personal holiness

Ministry in strip clubs: evangelism principles and personal holiness

Carmen described joining a ministry that goes into strip clubs to spend time with women there and received family backlash.

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.