Search — Theology Explorer

1 Corinthians 13 prophecy word of knowledge 1 Corinthians 13

1 Corinthians 13 "the perfect" does not refer to the completed canon — cessationism refuted

Q&A question about whether 1 Corinthians 13 latter half refers to the completed canon of Scripture.

1 Corinthians 13:12 eschatology face to face with God 1 Corinthians 13:12

1 Corinthians 13 face-to-face language connects to the new creation

Mike links 1 Corinthians 13:12 to the new heavens and new earth discussion.

faith in Christ Hebrew Roots Movement Law of Moses

Hebrew Roots Movement: Should Christians uphold the Law of Moses?

Q&A on whether Christians should uphold the Law as Jesus did, since he was sinless in following it.

typology Passover Law of Moses

Christ as fulfillment of OT ceremonial types (Passover, Day of Atonement)

Mike argues that trusting in Christ means participating indirectly in the fulfillment of OT ceremonial law.

false teaching heresy Rob Bell

When should a pastor call out another pastor as a heretic?

Q&A on the pastoral responsibility to call out heretical teaching from other pastors.

1 Timothy 3 Titus 1 elder bishop 1 Timothy 3

Husband of one wife (1 Timothy 3) refers to polygamy, not divorce

Q&A on the pastoral qualification "husband of one wife" in the pastoral epistles.

Mark unforgivable sin rejection of Christ blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit: not accidentally saying a wrong phrase

Q&A on the meaning of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Mark 13:32 second coming Trinity Mark 13:32

Mark 13:32 — Jesus not knowing the hour does not threaten his deity

Viewer question about the Trinity and whether Jesus' limited knowledge in Mark 13:32 undermines his divinity

Islam Jehovah's Witnesses Trinity

Defending the Trinity against Jehovah's Witnesses: Mike's teaching video addresses their specific objections

Viewer asking for Bible verses to defend Trinity against JW challenges

1 Corinthians 11:16 head coverings 1 Corinthians 11:16 women in worship

1 Corinthians 11:16 head coverings: Mike does not believe it is binding today but acknowledges difficulty

Viewer asking whether women should still cover their heads based on 1 Corinthians 11

pastoral ministry church and denomination integrity in ministry

A pastor considering a church of a different denomination should front-load doctrinal disagreements before accepting the role

Viewer who is a young preacher considering pastoring a church with doctrinal differences from his own convictions

Bart Ehrman community tradition view oral transmission

Bart Ehrman's telephone-game argument against Gospel reliability

Mike quotes and plays audio of Bart Ehrman presenting the community tradition / oral telephone-game view of Gospel transmission.

James John Matthew Peter James John

Papias's key quotation about seeking living witnesses over written sources

The primary Papias text Mike uses to establish the eyewitness-guarantor model.

Matthew Mark Luke Richard Bauckham Matthew Mark

The timing of Gospel writing corresponds to the last generation of living eyewitnesses

Argument that the Gospels were intentionally written when eyewitnesses were dying out.

Luke 1:1-4 Luke eyewitness testimony Gospel historicity Luke 1:1-4

Luke 1:1-4 — Luke's prologue as an explicit historical/eyewitness methodology statement

Second major line of evidence: the Gospel of Luke's own self-description.

Luke 24:18 John 19:25 eyewitness guarantors named individuals in Gospels Luke 24:18

Cleopas in Luke 24 and Clopas in John 19 — the same person as a named eyewitness source

Case study in named eyewitness sourcing: the road to Emmaus account.

Mary Magdalene Richard Bauckham resurrection

Women as named eyewitness sources at the death, burial, and empty tomb of Jesus

The Gospel pattern of naming women at the passion events as eyewitness sourcing.

Mark 15:21 Matthew 27:32 Luke 23:26 eyewitness guarantors named individuals in Gospels passion narrative

Simon of Cyrene named with his sons Alexander and Rufus as eyewitness sourcing (Mark 15:21)

Another case study in named eyewitness sourcing from the passion narrative.

1 Timothy 3 Titus 1 1 Timothy 3 husband of one wife Titus 1

Q&A: Titus and 1 Timothy pastoral qualifications — "husband of one wife" and "having children"

Q&A on elder/bishop/pastor qualifications in the Pastoral Epistles.

Christian living hearing from God spiritual discernment

Q&A: How does God speak to new Christians? Live by biblical principles, not impressions

Q&A pastoral advice for new Christians wondering about hearing from God.

Bart Ehrman Gospel reliability harmonization

Q&A: Bart Ehrman's claim that harmonizing Gospels means writing a new Gospel — video reference

Second pass at the harmonization question with a specific resource recommendation.

Isaiah 53 Psalm 22 Pentecost apologetics fulfilled prophecy

Q&A: Did New Testament writers invent Gospel narratives from OT prophecies? — Refuted by extra-biblical confirmation of historical facts

Q&A from a persistent atheist questioner (Doug) suggesting Gospels were reverse-engineered from OT texts.

1 John 2:16 Prosperity gospel Lust of the eyes Lust of the flesh

Prosperity gospel critique: misappropriates OT promises to Israel, ignores Jesus's teachings on suffering and cross-bearing.

Continuing the prosperity gospel discussion.

Luke 3:8 Acts 26:20 Hebrews 6:1 metanoia Repentance Luke 3:8

Metanoia encompasses both attitudinal and behavioral change; Luke 3:8 and Acts 26:20 illustrate the distinction.

Further nuance on the meaning of repentance.

Contextual reading Bible study methodology Hermeneutics

Bible study tip: spend more time reading the text itself before turning to commentaries.

Joey Fisher asks for study tips for going deeper in the Bible.

Kent Hovind BioLogos Young earth creationism

Hovind vs. Falk (BioLogos) debate moderated by Mike: the debaters talked past each other on different topics.

Justin Barnes asks Mike about the debate he moderated between Kent Hovind and a BioLogos evolutionist.

1 Corinthians 6:9 1 Corinthians 6:9 Easy believism Gospel

Easy believism: allowing people to remain in lifestyle sin while claiming salvation is a false gospel.

Mike argues that teaching sexual sins are acceptable amounts to leading people to hell.

1 Timothy 2:11-15 1 Timothy 2:8-10 1 Timothy 2:11-15 Modesty 1 Timothy 2:8-10

1 Timothy 2:11-15 context: instructions to men (avoid anger/quarreling in prayer) and women (modesty, inner vs. outer beauty).

Lady D asks about 1 Timothy 2:11-15 regarding women being silent and not having authority.

1 Timothy 3:1-7 1 Timothy 3:1-7 Complementarianism Overseer

1 Timothy 3 qualifications for overseers (bishops/pastors/elders — synonymous terms) flow directly from 2:11-12 and use masculine language.

Mike shows the literary connection between 1 Timothy 2 and 3.

Women in ministry Complementarianism Calling vs. capability

Difference between ability/capability and calling: women may be skilled teachers but are not called to the pastoral role.

Addressing the emotional objection that restricting women from pastoral roles implies lesser capability.

1 Timothy 2 1 Timothy 2 Women in ministry Complementarianism

Women teaching men in a pastoral/leadership role: Mike reiterates his complementarian position.

Emily Espinal asks the biblical view on women teaching men in a pastoral role.

1 Corinthians 11 1 Corinthians 11 Head coverings Women in worship

Head coverings for women: Mike holds tentatively that they are not necessary today, but acknowledges he wants to study the passage more.

Riatoon asks whether Christian head coverings are biblical.

Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Cameron Bertuzzi (Capturing Christianity): inability to answer a question doesn't mean Christianity is false; testimony is a legitimate epistemic basis

Video clip from Cameron Bertuzzi with pastoral/apologetic advice for Christians facing SE

Apologetics Capturing Christianity Cameron Bertuzzi

crucifixion of Jesus Pontius Pilate early Christian persecution

Tacitus (Annals, 109 AD) as non-Christian confirmation of early Christian persecution, crucifixion of Christ under Pontius Pilate, and the movement's origin in Judea

Mike quotes Tacitus as an external, non-Christian source confirming early persecution

1 Peter Romans 8 Revelation 2-3 1 Peter Romans 8 Revelation 2-3

Prison epistles and other NT letters as evidence that suffering was a church-wide reality needing sustained pastoral address

The pervasive theme of persecution across the entire NT corpus

John 21:18-19 apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle John 21:18-19

John 21:18-19 — Jesus's prediction of Peter's death (stretching out his hands) as biblical evidence for Peter's martyrdom, with dual-hypothesis argument

First biblical source for Peter's martyrdom

John 13:36-38 apostolic martyrdom Peter the Apostle John 13:36-38

John 13:36-38 — Jesus tells Peter he cannot follow now but will follow later; Peter's boast and denial as literary and historical backdrop for his ultimate martyrdom

John 13 passage linking Peter's discipleship trajectory to eventual death

Philippians Paul the Apostle apostolic martyrdom apostle sincerity

Philippians — Paul's pastoral management of his congregation's grief over his suffering as evidence that his persecution was a given, publicly known reality

Paul's suffering was so consistent and well-known that he had to repeatedly address the pastoral fallout from it

James the brother of Jesus James the Just apostolic martyrdom Hegesippus legendary development

Hegesippus's account of James the Just's martyrdom — legendary elements identified and evaluated; the historical core extraction methodology applied

Primary patristic source for the martyrdom of James, with critical methodology

James the brother of Jesus James son of Zebedee Clement of Alexandria apostolic martyrdom Eusebius

Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-250 AD, preserved in Eusebius) on two men named James: one thrown from the Temple pinnacle and beaten to death with a fuller's club, one beheaded

Additional patristic attestation of James's death, clarifying the two men named James

Revelation 6:11 eschatology martyrdom Revelation 6:11

Revelation 6:11 — question about whether the passage refers to martyrs specifically or all believers; Mike declines to give a definitive answer

Viewer Q&A on an eschatological passage

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Street Epistemology question about ranking faith in pin-falling vs. resurrection — Mike argues it is designed to produce doubt, not seek truth

Q&A: Doug (Street Epistemology type) asks if faith in pin falling and faith in resurrection can be ranked

resurrection of Jesus Street Epistemology faith and doubt

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Disciples' failure to cast out demons vs. faith as a mustard seed — two distinct teachings not to conflate

Q&A: Haggar Vid asks about the disciples having little faith and the mustard-seed faith saying

mustard seed faith disciples casting out demons little faith (oligopistia)

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

Advice to a 15-year-old aspiring pastor: character comes before ministry; study the pastoral epistles

Q&A: Isaiah Jones (age 15) asks for advice on becoming a pastor

1 Timothy Titus 2 Timothy 1 Timothy Titus pastoral qualifications

youth ministry apologetics J. Warner Wallace

Book: "The Next Generation Will Know" co-authored with J. Warner Wallace

McDowell introduces his new book releasing May 1

youth ministry Greg Koukl apologetics

The book is motivated by McDowell's own children and 20 years of ministry focus on the next generation

McDowell explains the need driving the book project

evangelism gospel Millennials

The problem with having a negative or contemptuous attitude toward a generation you are trying to reach with the gospel

Mike reflects on the pattern of older generations despising younger ones