Search — Theology Explorer

Matthew 24:7-14 Matthew 24:7-14 Proof-texting Composite sign

JW article's proof-texting strategy: the 'composite sign'

JW argument begins with Matthew 24:7-14 as the 'composite sign'

Matthew 24:7-14 Matthew 24:7-14 Inter-advent period Church history

Matthew 24:7-14 describes inter-advent period, not end-time

Clarifying what the 'composite sign' actually refers to

Matthew 28:6 Matthew 28:6 Empty tomb Bodily resurrection

Proof text #2: Matthew 28:6 and the empty tomb

Evidence that the tomb was genuinely empty

Titus siege AD 70 Full Preterism Realized eschatology

Q&A: Full Preterism and the AD 70 argument

Responding to alternative end-times views

Bill Johnson gospel healing

Bethel's gospel is mostly intact but distorted by the addition of physical healing as a central gospel promise

Mike assesses the core gospel content at Bethel

Galatians 1:8-9 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 Bill Johnson Galatians 1:8-9 2 Corinthians 12:7-9

Bill Johnson quotes Galatians 1 anathema to condemn anyone who teaches that sickness can be God's will — including Paul's thorn in the flesh interpretations

Mike plays and analyzes a provocative Bill Johnson video on the anathema of Galatians 1

Matthew 26:11 Bill Johnson hermeneutics prosperity gospel

Examining 'Jesus-only' theology on its own terms: if we take only Jesus' three-and-a-half years, did he teach full present-tense prosperity? Matthew 26:11 — 'The poor you will always have with you'

Mike tests Bethel's Jesus-only hermeneutic against actual teachings of Jesus

evangelism Bill Johnson gospel

Q&A — Has Mike ever heard Johnson preach a clear gospel message? No — he's heard Johnson affirm the gospel but it's always followed by a pivot to signs and wonders

Q&A question from Chavita

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-21

The worst Watchtower error is not the blood doctrine but the false gospel — which condemns souls, not just physical bodies.

Mike closes his main argument by placing the blood transfusion issue within the broader context of JW false gospel teaching.

evangelism Jehovah's Witnesses Watchtower

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-07

Todd White's ministry approach of showing love and compassion is genuinely effective as a witness — but his repeated formula of 'Jesus thinks you're amazing' strips truth of important counterbalancing truths.

Evaluating the positive and problematic aspects of Todd White's interpersonal approach.

Psalm 139:14 Todd White gospel presentation Psalm 139:14

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-07

Q&A: Mark 7:32-34 and Jesus spitting/making mud — Mike lacks a definitive interpretation but shares a missionary anecdote about a tribe that attributed magical powers to shamans' spit, making Jesus' spitting highly significant for them.

Viewer question from TruthandGrace about the theological significance of Jesus using spit in healing.

Mark 7:32-34 John 9 hermeneutics Mark 7:32-34 John 9

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-18

Q&A: Pre-trib vs. post-trib rapture — Mike's personal uncertainty and call not to divide over it

Question from 'Detective in Christ' about the timing of the rapture.

Calvary Chapel eschatology rapture

Mike Winger idea 2017-12-27

Mike's personal ministry goal: maximize online reach as a form of global gospel stewardship

Q&A/closing section. Mike shares his own goals for the new year as a personal application of the tips.

evangelism apologetics stewardship

Joseph Smith God was once a man King Follett Sermon

King Follett Sermon quote: 'God himself was once as we are now and is an exalted man' — Joseph Smith teaches that God's pre-divine humanity is the 'great secret.'

Direct quotation from the King Follett Sermon establishing the Mormon doctrine that God was once a mortal man.

Joseph Smith God was once a man King Follett Sermon

Joseph Smith teaches that God lived on another earth, was born, lived, died, and was resurrected — just like Jesus — before becoming God.

Continuation of the King Follett Sermon quote, extending the doctrine that God was once a man by drawing an explicit parallel with the life of Jesus.

Mormonism vs. Christianity doctrine of God blasphemy

Christian and Mormon concepts of God are mutually exclusive — not just different perspectives but contradictory definitions of what God is.

Mike wraps up the 'God' vocabulary section by emphasizing the incompatibility is categorical, not merely a difference of emphasis.

Christian soteriology gospel faith

Christian definition of the gospel: the good news of forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection — sufficient for complete salvation.

Ninth vocabulary comparison: 'the gospel.' For Christians, the gospel is straightforward good news requiring faith, not works.

Pharisaism Joseph Smith works-based salvation

Mormon definition of the gospel: a complex set of new teachings restored by Joseph Smith that must be learned and performed — not 'good news' but a difficult path.

The Mormon gospel adds a body of doctrine and performance requirements that make it not 'good news' in any conventional sense.

apologetics Mormonism vs. Christianity interfaith categories

Conclusion: Mormonism and Christianity use the same vocabulary but are completely opposed in meaning — Mormonism is a false Christianity that fails historically, biblically, and rationally.

Mike summarizes the entire vocabulary comparison section and delivers his conclusion about the categorical incompatibility of the two faiths.

sola gratia works-based salvation cults and false gospels

Christian cults always remove salvation by grace — Mike attributes this pattern to demonic influence, citing the book of Galatians.

Viewer question from 'Douglas Dobbins': 'Have you ever noticed that Christian cults always throw out salvation by grace?'

Pearl of Great Price Book of Mormon Doctrine and Covenants

The LDS church is quietly distancing itself from past presidential statements and Journal of Discourses rather than formally changing doctrine — 'plausible deniability.'

Mike explains the mechanism by which Mormonism is changing: not reforming doctrine but retreating from its sources.

Mormonism Jehovah's Witnesses sola fide

Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses all oppose sola fide — Mike sees their agreement as confirming the unique gospel

Positioning the debate lines

James 2 apologetics James 2 works as symptom of faith

James 2 is 'radically abused' by false groups to twist the gospel — knowing it is necessary for apologetics

Summary statement on the misuse of James 2

James 2 James 2 sola fide dead faith

Summary of theological points: James does not contradict sola fide; it combats dead faith / easy believism

Theological summary after the verse-by-verse study

James 2 repentance James 2 dead faith

Pastoral warning: there are people who think they know Christ but do not — James 2 is a wake-up call, not a condemnation

Pastoral application before Q&A

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

The foundation metaphor: Jesus Christ is the foundation; building on it = post-salvation ministry to believers

Exegesis of 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 and the nature of building on the foundation

1 Corinthians 3:10-11 Paul discipleship Jesus Christ

resurrection alternate theories conspiracy theory (resurrection)

Conspiracy theory: the disciples deliberately stole or fabricated the empty tomb story

Seventh alternate theory — described as the oldest, going back to first-century opponents of Christianity

Gospel origins Richard Carrier ad hoc reasoning

Carrier constructs a 'Frankenstein theory' drawing on ancient literature to claim Gospel narratives were plagiarized from myths

Carrier's literary dependence argument for the Gospel narratives

resurrection Dan Barker methodological naturalism

Dan Barker's four reasons to reject the resurrection: problem of history, possible natural explanations, internal Bible contradictions, legendary growth

Overview of Barker's case against the resurrection

resurrection Dan Barker historical method

Barker's internal contradictions objection is a red herring — the five historical facts don't depend on biblical inerrancy

Mike's critique of Barker's third objection

Markan priority Gospel origins resurrection Dan Barker

Barker's legendary growth argument cherry-picks data — each Gospel sometimes has more miraculous content, sometimes less

Mike's critique of Barker's fourth objection

salvation Holy Spirit easy believism

'Easy believism' — intellectual assent alone does not save; genuine faith produces transformation and works

Q&A — response to JD Wolfe's question about 'easy believism'

N.T. Wright resurrection spiritual resurrection theory

The Episcopal Church's spiritual resurrection view contradicts the Jewish meaning of 'resurrection' — N.T. Wright and the physical risen Lord

Q&A — response to Philip Rushing's question about churches denying the physical resurrection

Markan priority New Testament Gospel origins Markan priority

Which Gospel was written first — Mike defers to scholarly consensus and warns of the 'house of cards' nature of Gospel dating arguments

Q&A — Cam Spears's question about Gospel authorship dates

gospel resurrection atonement

The resurrection as the seal of approval on all Christian claims — it validates God's love, Jesus's atoning sacrifice, and the truth of the gospel

Q&A — response to Rachel Novoselac's question about how to know Jesus cares after the resurrection

New Testament Gospel historicity

Mike answers 'no' when asked whether any factual claim in the Gospels probably didn't occur

Q&A — Cam Spears's question about Gospel historicity

New Testament historical method multiple attestation

Multiple attestation as a confidence-builder: single-source claims generally receive lower historical confidence

Q&A — response to Doug's question about lowering confidence for single-source historical claims

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-29

Psalm 22 describes crucifixion hundreds of years before it was invented

Continuing analysis of Psalm 22 as a crucifixion prophecy

Psalm 22 Messianic prophecy Psalm 22 Crucifixion prophecy

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-29

Q&A: Matthew 26:23 vs. John 13:26 — apparent contradiction at the Last Supper

Viewer question about differences between Matthew 26:23 and John 13:26 in identifying the betrayer

Matthew 26:23 John 13:26 Matthew 26:23 John 13:26 Last Supper

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-11

The 'God only acts in the Middle East' meme refuted as incoherent special pleading

Between numbered reasons, the article inserts a meme claiming all of God's actions in the Bible occur in a tiny geographic circle around the Middle East, ignoring Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

geographic objection special pleading meme apologetics

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-11

Q&A: The pericope adulterae (John 7:53–8:11, woman caught in adultery) was likely not in the original Gospel of John

Viewer asks about the scholarly conclusion that the 'cast the first stone' story is a later addition.

John 7-8 textual criticism manuscript variants pericope adulterae

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-11

Q&A: How did Paul know so much about Jesus if he did not personally follow him?

Viewer question about the source of Paul's detailed knowledge of Jesus's teaching and gospel.

revelation Galatians 1 oral tradition Paul apostolic tradition

Mark 13:9-13 Mark 13:9-13 persecution gospel to all nations

Mark 13:9-13 — the disciples' calling is faithful witness unto death, not watching for signs

Mike reads the persecution section of Mark 13 and draws out its theological implication for the disciples' posture.

doctrinal triage gospel essentials eschatological humility

Holding eschatological views with appropriate grip: core gospel vs. peripheral doctrines

Mike pauses to address his hermeneutical and pastoral posture toward disagreement on eschatology.

Matthew 16:28 Mark 9:1 Matthew 17 Matthew 16:28 Mark 9:1 Transfiguration

Matthew 16:28 — 'some will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom' fulfilled at the Transfiguration

Mike addresses the final major verse used to support an imminent second-coming expectation.