Search — Theology Explorer

Isaiah 53 apologetics Isaiah 53 messianic prophecy

Isaiah 53 is a powerful messianic prophecy whose parallels to Jesus are so strong that people often do not realize it predates the New Testament

Continuation of response about compelling prophecies for skeptics

apologetics William Lane Craig Big Bang

The Kalam Cosmological Argument leads from two premises to the conclusion that the universe has a cause with properties matching classical theism; William Lane Craig has defended it extensively

Response to question about atheist objections to the Kalam

1 Corinthians 10:13 temptation 1 Corinthians 10:13 suicide

1 Corinthians 10:13 refutes the idea that any temptation including suicidal impulse is unavoidably overpowering; God always provides a way of escape; the sense of enslavement is often a lie believed about oneself

Response to question about Christianity and suicide and whether God ever gives more than one can bear

Romans 14 Romans 6 1 Corinthians 10:13 Romans 14 temptation sanctification

Multi-step biblical strategy for overcoming lust: believe 1 Cor 10:13, make no provision for the flesh, remove high-value stumbling blocks, and fight temptation at its earliest stage not its peak

Response to question about being enslaved to the sin of lust

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

Antony Flew's conversion from atheism due to biological complexity

Winger cites Antony Flew as a historical example of someone persuaded by biological complexity to abandon atheism.

biological fine-tuning intelligent design Antony Flew

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

The cumulative case — power and robustness of multiple converging arguments

McLatchie explains the logic and strength of the cumulative case approach as the seventh and final major point.

apologetics cumulative case apologetics Jonathan McLatchie

Romans 7:8 law and sin connection Romans 7:8 power of sin

Romans 7:8 — sin uses the commandment as an opportunity; apart from the law sin is dead

Scriptural support for law-sin connection

1 Corinthians 15:56 law and sin connection power of sin 1 Corinthians 15:56

1 Corinthians 15:56 — the power of sin is the law

Scriptural support for law-sin connection

Romans 6:14 Romans 6:15 Law of Moses under the law Romans 6:14

Romans 6:15 refutes 119's interpretation of Romans 6:14 by context

Contextual argument using the immediately following verse

Romans 2:12 Law of Moses Romans 2:12 under the law

Romans 2:12 — "under the law" refers to Jews who have the Law of Moses

Surveying Pauline uses of "under the law" — first instance

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-30

1 John 5:19 — 'the whole world lies under the power of the evil one' clinches the meaning of 'whole world' in 1 John 2:2

Winger uses 1 John 5:19 to confirm 'the whole world' in 1 John 2:2 refers to ungodly humanity.

1 John 2:2 1 John 5:19 extent of atonement 1 John 2:2 propitiation

Mike Winger idea 2019-05-30

Q&A: The witch of Endor and Samuel's appearance to Saul (1 Samuel 28) — God sovereignly brought Samuel to rebuke Saul, not to help him

Viewer Q&A: explaining the difficult passage of the medium at Endor and Samuel's appearance.

1 Samuel 28 Samuel Saul 1 Samuel 28

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-03

Isaiah 41:23 and Lamentations 3:38-39 corroborate that God bringing evil/bad = calamity, not moral evil

Supporting passages examined to reinforce the interpretation of Isaiah 45:7

Isaiah 41:23 Lamentations 3:38-39 divine judgment ra calamity vs moral evil

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-03

Euthyphro dilemma introduced: is something good because God wills it, or does God will it because it's good?

Mike introduces a classical philosophical challenge to theistic ethics

Euthyphro dilemma Socrates Euthyphro

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-03

Summary conclusion: God is source of goodness; evil is real by contrast but need not be created; God allows and will solve evil

Mike wraps up the theological teaching before Q&A

theodicy free will evil as privation

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-24

Salvation conditioned on faith is not a limitation on God's power but God's sovereign choice of conditions

Mike responds to White's charge that non-Calvinism makes God dependent on human cooperation.

James White Hebrews 7:25 James White faith divine sovereignty

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-24

1 John 4:3-5 and 5:19 — "the whole world lies under the power of the evil one" confirms kosmos is non-elect

Clinching evidence for the meaning of kosmos in 1 John from chapter 5.

1 John 4:3-5 1 John 5:19 limited atonement kosmos 1 John 4:3-5

Mike Winger idea 2020-08-28

A childhood "blood pact with Satan" has no power over someone who trusts in Christ — the cross cancels all such claims

Question about a friend who at age 12 signed his soul over to Satan in a blood pact and now feels he cannot be saved.

2 Corinthians 5:17 salvation Satan spiritual warfare

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

Parental authority over adult children: diminishes naturally with age; adult children make their own decisions while still honoring parents

Q from Joel Larson about how much authority a father has over adult children, and whether it differs for sons vs. daughters.

Genesis 2 Numbers 30 Genesis 2 honoring parents parental authority

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-11

Seeking God guarantees finding him, though not always in the expected way or with the expected results

Quick response to Cameron Powers asking if truly seeking God means he will show up.

Jeremiah 29:13 prayer faith seeking God

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Faith as small as a mustard seed — the call is to use existing faith, not to manufacture more

Question from Lavell Martinez about the tension between being told to have great faith and Jesus saying mustard-seed faith moves mountains.

Luke 17:5-6 faith discipleship mustard seed

Proverbs 18:21 Proverbs 18:20 hermeneutics Proverbs 18:21 Proverbs 18:20

Proverbs 18:21 — death and life in the power of the tongue; verses 20-21 are a unit

Q&A from Noah Lavell Martinez about the word-faith misuse of Proverbs 18:21

Proverbs 18:21 soteriology Proverbs 18:21 tongue and speech

Confessing Christ is the ultimate expression of life and death in the power of the tongue

Theological application of Proverbs 18:21

Exodus 7 Satan Exodus 7 Pharaoh's magicians

Exodus 7: Pharaoh's magicians reproduced some of Moses's signs — two possible explanations: sleight of hand or demonic power

Q&A from Garrett De Jong about how the magicians duplicated the signs