Search — Theology Explorer

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

scholarly consensus Jesus mythicism historicity of Jesus

Joseph Hoffmann (agnostic, Harvard/Oxford) calls mythicists the greatest threat to calm academic study of religion next to fundamentalism

Third non-Christian scholar quoted condemning mythicism

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

apologetics atheism Jesus mythicism

Pastoral observation: many Jesus mythicists are atheists/agnostics who find it convenient to deny Jesus existed rather than grapple with who he claimed to be

Winger's pastoral/spiritual observation about mythicists' motivations

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 in context: the love passage is embedded within 1 Cor 12-14, a sustained section on spiritual gifts.

Winger reads the passage aloud (1 Cor 13:8-13) and establishes its literary context before presenting cessationist interpretations.

1 Corinthians 12-14 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 1 Corinthians 12-14 prophecy word of knowledge

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Views on gifts are often driven more by experience than Scripture; the exegetical case against cessationism from 1 Cor 13 is strong but trajectory arguments for cessationism are weak.

Q&A — viewer asks whether people's positions on sign gifts are experience-based more than Scripture-based.

biblical authority cessationism continuationism

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Resource recommendation for documented modern miracles: Craig Keener's two-volume work "Miracles" provides medical/testimonial evidence catalogued by a respected scholar.

Q&A — viewer asks for visible evidence that gifts of healing are active today.

Craig Keener spiritual gifts healing

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-03

Good derives from God's nature; evil is the contrast to God's goodness, requiring permission not creation

Positive account of where good and evil come from

free will evil as privation origin of evil

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-03

Resolution: Euthyphro dilemma is a false dilemma — third option is that God IS the good

Mike provides the Christian response to the Euthyphro dilemma

nature of God divine goodness Euthyphro dilemma

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-17

Calling to online ministry: A strong sense of divine compulsion in 2012

Winger describes how in 2012 he experienced an unusual, intense sense that he had to do something in ministry beyond his local church.

calling youth ministry Hosanna Christian Fellowship

James White James White Calvinism soteriology

Introduction: inside-baseball soteriology debate; response to James White on limited atonement

Mike opens the livestream framing the discussion as Calvinist vs. non-Calvinist soteriology, noting this is a response to James White's critique of Mike's earlier limited-atonement video.

Scripture authority unlimited atonement universal atonement

Mike's overall conviction: Scripture clearly teaches Jesus died for everyone

Before diving into objections, Mike states his position and epistemic posture.

Calvinism theological method Scripture authority

Scripture should trump philosophical reasoning; most limited atonement arguments are not exegetical

Mike's meta-level argument about the structure of Calvinist argumentation for limited atonement.

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

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.

Mike Winger idea 2019-08-07

Positional 'in Christ' removes believers from the domain of God's wrath

Mike clarifies how believers relate to divine wrath in light of the question about prosperity gospel preachers.

Ephesians 1-3 in Christ salvation Ephesians 1-3

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 2019-08-07

Q&A: Why doesn't the death penalty for homosexuality apply today? — Old Testament law and Christ

Viewer asks why the Old Testament death penalty for various sins does not apply under the new covenant.

new covenant progressive revelation the cross

Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

JW argument: cross symbol is pagan; cross = apostasy for other Christians

The Watchtower extends the stake argument to claim that the cross symbol is a pagan symbol that infiltrated Christianity. Anyone using a cross is therefore practicing paganism. This becomes a recruitment device: become a JW to fix your corrupted Christianity.

New World Translation apostasy Jehovah's Witnesses

Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

The etymological fallacy: a word's origin does not fix its meaning

The core linguistic error in the JW argument is the etymological fallacy — assuming that the root meaning of a word is always its current or proper meaning. Winger explains this is a recognized fallacy in linguistics.

etymological fallacy linguistics stauros

apologetics exclusivity of Christ religious pluralism

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

reductio ad absurdum cults religious pluralism

Refutation of "all religions work": Jim Jones and the Jonestown Massacre as a test case

First reductio ad absurdum argument against religious pluralism

Matthew 5:27-28 Matthew 5:21-22 lust inner life total depravity

Jesus raises the moral standard inward: lust as adultery, hatred as murder — God judges the inner person

Scriptural grounding for total depravity / the inadequacy of external goodness

Holy Spirit atonement grace

Conclusion: Jesus is the only way because he alone paid the full price for sin; Christianity makes real sense of human suffering

Final summary and invitation

Ezekiel 33:11 John 3:16 Psalm 5:5 God's love Ezekiel 33:11 John 3:16

Q&A: Does God have divine hatred? — Yes, Scripture affirms it, alongside God's love

Viewer question from Johnny

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

Acts 2:38 — baptism is commanded alongside repentance, ruling out infants; "for your children" means descendants not infants

Winger analyzes Peter's Pentecost sermon as establishing the baptism-repentance link and addresses the "for your children" clause.

Acts 2:38 Acts 2:39 Pentecost repentance covenant

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-31

Part 5: Church history arguments for infant baptism should not override Scripture

Winger addresses the appeal to church tradition as evidence for infant baptism.

Mark 7:8 biblical authority church history tradition

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

The inner witness of the Holy Spirit gives Christians warrant regardless of external evidence

Explaining how the witness of the Spirit functions as epistemic justification independent of external arguments

epistemology faith and reason warrant

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Everything genuinely from God is true; the problem is misidentifying non-divine impressions as God speaking

Q&A: pastoral guidance on how to handle perceived divine guidance that turns out to be wrong

prophecy witness of the Holy Spirit divine communication

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

On original sin: some form of sin nature is required by orthodoxy but the exact mechanism may be debated

Q&A: whether denying the imputation of Adam's guilt is outside orthodoxy

Romans 5 Romans 5 original sin anthropology

Revelation Isaiah biblical hermeneutics Revelation Isaiah

Scriptural language about things not being "remembered" in heaven means no bitter grief, not literal loss of memory

Side note during the heaven/marriage question, addressing a teaching that people will have no memories in heaven based on Isaiah.

Recommended Bible study resources for non-original-language readers: multiple translations, NET Bible, STEP Bible, Blue Letter Bible

Question from Naomi about where to start studying the Bible verse-by-verse without knowledge of original languages.

NET Bible ESV NASB

healing false prophecy pastoral care

When a Christian falsely promises healing and the person dies, address the false prophet privately in love; be present for the sick person without making promises

Question from Alex M about how to speak to someone dying of cancer whose hope was falsely raised by another Christian claiming God said the cancer would not return.

Roman Catholicism church history marriage

Catholic claim that marriage outside the Church is invalid is wrong — it is not sacramental but is still a real marriage; the Catholic doctrine of 7 sacraments is historically late

Question from Lindsey whose husband's Catholic family claims they are not really married because they were not married by the Catholic Church.

Proverbs 1 Corinthians 12 word of wisdom wisdom prayer

God gives wisdom primarily through Scripture, secondarily through the word of wisdom gift and through other believers

Q from Will Kozab about how God replies when you ask him for wisdom—does he send thoughts?

Hebrews 6:4 eternal security apostasy Hebrews 6:4

Hebrews 6:4 requires thorough study; Mike plans a verse-by-verse Hebrews series after Mark

Q from Jeff Shoemaker asking about Hebrews 6:4 and whether it refers to backsliding or losing salvation.

Genesis 2 Numbers 30 Genesis 2 honoring parents parental authority

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.