Search — Theology Explorer

apologetics truth discipleship

Holistic discipleship: the false dichotomy between relationships and truth must be rejected

McDowell and Mike discuss the thesis of the book

evangelism apologetics Generation Z

Mike's rationale for being on YouTube: putting apologetics answers where people are already looking

Mike explains his YouTube ministry philosophy

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

Romans 7 biblical interpretation apologetics methodology fact-checking

Q&A: Handling unreliable sources and fact-checking in a Wikipedia age — do your diligence, own mistakes, and nuance statements to match the strength of evidence

Final audience question about fact-checking and epistemic responsibility

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

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

evangelism apologetics human responsibility

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

Winger holds a dualist view of the soul: the soul is distinct from the brain and body, uses the body to interact with reality, and persists after bodily death

Response to question about the nature of the soul

soul dualism body-soul distinction

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-30

Definition of limited atonement: Jesus's death only paid for the sins of the elect

Winger defines limited atonement as the doctrine that God only provided payment for the sins of certain people (the elect), not for all humanity.

Calvinism limited atonement TULIP

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-30

Three aspects of the atonement framework: intent, extent, and application

Winger introduces a three-part analytical framework for the atonement, crediting Dr. David Allen for helping him prepare.

atonement intent of atonement extent of atonement

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-30

Q&A: How to respond to someone who believes all religions are true (omnism) — expose internal contradictions, reconstruct their actual theology

Viewer Q&A: how to engage someone who holds that all religions are equally true.

Islam apologetics Christianity

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-13

The Christian message holds two truths together: all have sin AND God loves and saves

Proper gospel balance

gospel God's love universal sinfulness

Lee Strobel Mike Licona University of Pretoria

Guest introduction: Dr. Mike Licona, historical Jesus scholar with PhD from University of Pretoria

Guest credentials and background

John F. Kennedy Abraham Lincoln Jesus mythicism Barack Obama

Analogy: Compositing Lincoln, JFK, and fictional David Palmer to "prove" Obama is a myth illustrates the fallacy of the mythicist composite method

Illustrating the logical fallacy in compositing pagan parallels

scholarly consensus Bart Ehrman historicity of Jesus

Bart Ehrman is in a small minority who deny Jesus was known as a miracle worker during his lifetime; most scholars disagree

Noting limits and minority positions within the broader consensus

scholarly consensus historicity of Jesus Jesus's miracles

Audience question: "Consensus holds Jesus existed but was not the Christ of the Gospels" — Licona: that is not a consensus position

Audience Q&A — addressing the claimed scholarly consensus against Gospel accounts

scholarly consensus Richard Carrier Jesus mythicism

Only a handful of bona fide scholars deny Jesus's existence — Carrier said there were seven including himself, none widely respected in their disciplines

Quantifying the scholarly minority who deny Jesus's historical existence

cessationism continuationism spiritual gifts

Cessationism defined: miraculous gifts belonged to the apostolic era only, served a unique founding purpose, and ceased before the canon closed.

Winger reads a definition from Theapedia. He contrasts it with continuationism, which holds the gifts are normative and available today.

1 Corinthians 14 Romans 8 1 Corinthians 13:1 1 Corinthians 14 Romans 8 spiritual gifts

Q&A: Tongues in 1 Cor 14 are actual languages; tongues always requires genuine linguistic communication; "groaning" in Romans 8 is distinct from the gift of tongues.

Response to viewer question about whether 1 Cor 14 tongues are languages or ecstatic utterances.

John Piper John Piper cessationism continuationism

Cessationism is more common in Reformed theology but not universal; John Piper and Paul Washer are examples of Reformed non-cessationists.

Q&A response on whether cessationism is tied to Reformed or dispensationalist theology.

Romans 8 Romans 8 spiritual gifts tongues

Can a person speak in tongues without having the gift of tongues? Possibly — but Romans 8 groaning is distinct: it is heart-pouring to God, not a spiritual gift requiring impartation.

Q&A — question about whether tongues-speaking requires the specific gift.

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-17

Q&A: NIV Morningstar — does the NIV call Jesus Satan?

Question about why the NIV uses "Morningstar" for both Isaiah 14:12 (apparently referring to Satan) and Revelation 22:16 (Jesus).

Isaiah 14:12 Revelation 22:16 NIV translation Satan Isaiah 14:12

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-17

Q&A: Luke 21 and preterism — is it fulfilled prophecy?

Question from a self-identified preterist asking why Winger does not see Luke 21 as fulfilled prophecy.

Psalm 22 Luke 21 eschatology preterism Psalm 22

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-24

Romans 10:21 — God holds out his hands to a disobedient people; implies genuine offer of salvation

Evidence for the Father genuinely desiring the salvation of non-elect Israel.

Romans 10:21 Isaiah 65:2 limited atonement Romans 10:21 genuine offer of salvation

Mike Winger idea 2019-08-07

God's wrath and love coexist; stripping either distorts the gospel

Mike addresses the theological error of removing wrath from God's character.

God's love God's wrath penal substitutionary atonement

Mike Winger idea 2019-08-07

Q&A: Believers not appointed to wrath — pre-trib rapture argument from 1 Thessalonians

Viewer raises the classic pre-trib rapture argument from 1 Thessalonians.

1 Thessalonians eschatology rapture tribulation

Mike Winger idea 2019-08-07

Q&A: Severity of the Oneness doctrine — compromises the very nature of God

Viewer asks about the theological severity of the Oneness Pentecostal position.

Trinity Christology theological error

Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Full quote from Douglas's New Bible Dictionary supports a traditional cross, not a stake

When the full entry from Douglas's New Bible Dictionary is read, it describes three historical types of crosses and leans toward the traditional lowercase-T cross for Jesus's crucifixion.

crucifixion stauros Douglas's New Bible Dictionary

Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Q&A: Sinless perfection — not achievable in this life; a new body required

A viewer asks about sinless perfection. Winger holds that sinless perfection is a future reality (resurrection/glorification), not a present one.

pride glorification resurrection

Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Q&A: Can a Christian be demon-possessed? Winger argues no, based on Jesus's parable of the unoccupied house

A viewer asks whether Christians can have an unclean spirit/demon, and whether Winger's view implies deliverance ministry is only for unbelievers.

Matthew 12:43-45 Todd White exorcism Holy Spirit indwelling

Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Introduction: "All roads lead to God" is simultaneously the most common and one of the worst objections to biblical Christianity

Opening segment where Winger frames the topic and establishes his thesis

apologetics exclusivity of Christ religious pluralism

Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Slogan 2: "Jesus is the only way — how arrogant" — two analogies: wrong road and cancer doctor

Third slogan addressed (Winger addresses it second in ordering)

John 14:6 apologetics John 14:6 exclusivity of Christ

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Christians have confident, warranted belief in Christianity apart from evidence through the Holy Spirit

Core thesis introduced: knowledge of Christianity's truth comes primarily through the Holy Spirit, not evidence

Holy Spirit epistemology faith and reason

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Moses is likely the primary author of the Pentateuch, though later editorial work under inspiration is possible

Q&A: Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch

Deuteronomy Deuteronomy biblical inspiration Mosaic authorship

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Presuppositionalism is not simply the transcendental argument; it assumes God without argument from the outset

Q&A: clarifying a common misunderstanding of presuppositionalism

presuppositionalism apologetic methodology classical apologetics

Mike Winger idea 2020-08-28

Christians are not under the Mosaic Law including the Sabbath; they are under the law of Christ and walk by the Spirit

Question from Cetl P about why Christians do not keep the Sabbath even though it is in the moral law and written by God's finger on stone.

Galatians hermeneutics Galatians Sabbath

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Jesus flipping tables does not justify violent protest or destruction of private property

Mike addresses a meme circulating after his Monday video on Jesus clearing the temple, which people were using to justify violent protests.

John 2:13-17 divine authority temple clearing violent protest

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Distinction between temptation and lust/sin: sin begins when the will yields to desire, not at first awareness of attraction

Response to Hot Wax 93 asking the difference between simple sexual attraction and lust.

James 1:13-15 Matthew 5:28 temptation sin sexual sin

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

What does the Bible teach on masturbation? — No direct address; biblical principles of lust, self-gratification, and marital fidelity apply

Question from Arvin Marlow.

marriage singleness biblical ethics

Exodus historicity Exodus dating archaeology historical reliability of Scripture Exodus historicity

Scholarly assumption of a late Exodus date (~1100 BC) obscures available evidence; biblical date (~1400 BC) has stronger support

Explaining why Exodus evidence has been underappreciated

Hebrews 1:1-2 dia Trinity Hebrews 1:1-2

Hebrews 1:1-2 — God created the world "through" his Son: economic Trinity and the agency of the Son in creation

Q&A from Ed Jacobson about the meaning of "through" in Hebrews 1:2

apologetics presuppositional apologetics evidential apologetics

Presuppositional apologetics debate: Mike rejects the claim that evidential apologists need shared worldview common ground

Q&A from Daniel C about whether neutral or common ground exists in apologetics