Search — Theology Explorer

1 Thessalonians (rapture) rapture rapture pre-tribulation

Q: Rapture timing — pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib? Mike isn't settled. Pre-trib arguments: God hasn't appointed us to wrath (1 Thess), John caught up in Rev 4 pictures the church. Post-trib argument: only one more coming of Jesus (first and second), no secret third appearance. Mid-trib/pre-wrath: Great Tribulation starts halfway through the 7-year period.

Q&A — rapture timing

John 2 wedding at Cana John 2 wine in the Bible

Q: Did Jesus enable drunkenness at the wedding in Cana (John 2)? No. Weddings lasted days, so "well drunk" doesn't mean currently intoxicated. The master of the feast comments that the best wine usually comes first — he's surprised, not diagnosing drunkenness. Jesus providing wine doesn't excuse individual lack of self-control.

Q&A — wedding at Cana and drunkenness

Genesis 6 sons of God Nephilim Nephilim Genesis 6 sons of God

Q: Who are the "sons of God" in Genesis 6? Mike leans toward angelic beings who possessed humans to fornicate with human women, producing the Nephilim. Alternative view: the "sons of God" are the godly line of Seth corrupted by marrying ungodly women. Mike has a detailed video in his 1 Peter series.

Q&A — sons of God in Genesis 6

hell annihilationism hell

Q: Does annihilationism follow from eternal life being dependent on salvation? No — eternal life in Scripture means more than mere existence. People physically alive are called "dead" (spiritually); believers have "eternal life" now while still mortal. Life and death are more than existence and non-existence.

Q&A — annihilationism

2 Peter 3:16 Revelation 2:2 2 Peter 3:16 Paul false apostle claim Revelation 2:2

Q: Was Paul a false apostle (Revelation 2:2)? No — Revelation 2:2 actually proves Paul IS a true apostle. The Ephesians could identify false apostles AND they received Paul warmly (Ephesians letter, Acts 20). Peter calls Paul's writings "Scripture" (2 Peter 3:16). Paul-denial movements strip the NT to smuggle in cult theology.

Q&A — Paul as false apostle (Revelation 2:2)

Romans 13 Romans 13 Romans 13 Romans 13 church closures

Romans 13: Christians should generally obey government unless commanded to sin. Closing churches during a global health crisis isn't persecution — it's a quarantine affecting everyone. Government conspiracy theories about using COVID to target churches are unfounded (China was already persecuting churches without needing excuses). The line: obey until they demand disobedience to God.

Government authority and Romans 13

Q&A: How to read Revelation. Don't force interpretations — let unclear things sit. Read large amounts casually first. Notice "like" and "as" for symbolic language. Get Hollywood imagery out of your head. Don't answer every question on first read.

Q&A — reading Revelation

reading Revelation

Luke 13:4-5 Tower of Siloam Luke 13:4-5 pastoral arrogance

Q: Is COVID God's judgment? Maybe, but claiming to know is pastoral arrogance. Jesus addressed this with the Tower of Siloam (Luke 13:4-5): those who died weren't worse sinners — but if you don't repent, you'll perish too. Judgment stands over all humanity; any time God doesn't judge is grace. The right response to any disaster: get your life right with God.

Q&A — is COVID God's judgment? (Tower of Siloam)

Hebrews 10:25 Hebrews 10:25 government obedience forsaking assembly

Q: Is this a case of obeying authorities when it doesn't conflict with God's law? Yes. If not going to church were sinful, defy the order. But missing a season of gathering isn't forsaking fellowship — people hospitalized for a month aren't forsaking fellowship either. The principle is proportionate and temporary.

Q&A — obeying authority and church attendance

Romans 6:23 Isaiah 59:2 Colossians 1:21 Romans 6:23 wages of sin Isaiah 59:2

Consequences of sin: (1) relational separation from God (Isaiah 59:2, Adam and Eve expelled from Eden, Colossians 1:21 — alienated and enemies in our minds); (2) future judgment — God is a just judge who must deal with sin. Romans 6:23: wages of sin is death (separation, judgment, hell). Our goodness can't fix it — we've already failed.

Consequences of sin — separation and judgment

Matthew 26:28 substitutionary atonement OT sacrificial system Matthew 26:28

The OT sacrificial system was a dress rehearsal for the cross. Israel given the law → failed repeatedly → sacrifices provided forgiveness and fellowship. Jesus fulfills this: lives a perfect life, dies sacrificially in our place (Matthew 26:28 — blood of the covenant poured out for forgiveness of sins), and rises from the dead as proof of victory and eternal life.

The cross — sacrifice and resurrection

Romans 10:9 repentance repentance Romans 10:9

What to do to be saved (Romans 10:9): (1) "Believe in your heart" = intellectual belief PLUS reliance/trust (Greek pisteuo = entrust). Know the resurrection is true AND rely on Christ for salvation. (2) "Confess Jesus is Lord" = honest commitment to his authority, not just saying words. Lordship means he's your boss, king, authority. Repentance = turning from rebellion to yielding to God.

How to respond — belief and confession

repentance gospel presentation repentance

Mike leads a salvation prayer: admitting sin, believing in Jesus's death and resurrection, confessing him as Lord, thanking God for forgiveness, asking to be filled with the Spirit to walk in new life. He emphasizes the prayer is a step of faith — salvation comes from the heart posture, not the words themselves.

Salvation prayer

parenting parenting kids apologetics

Research shows 60-90% of kids from Christian homes walk away from faith. Parents often have a false sense of security because their kids aren't currently questioning. But kids absorb worldview from culture, not just church. The Bible calls parents to disciple kids — what that requires changes as the cultural environment changes.

Why parents need apologetics — the youth exodus

secular vs biblical love greatest commandments worldview assumptions

Biblical love vs. secular love: secular love = affirming whatever someone wants for themselves (happiness as highest good). Biblical love = wanting for others what GOD wants for them, which may differ from what they want. The key: the two greatest commandments in order — love God first, then love others. Loving others is contextualized by loving God first.

Teaching kids about love — biblical vs secular

Matthew 7:1 John 7:24 Matthew 7:1 dont judge hypocritical judgment

Teaching kids about judging: Matthew 7:1 ("do not judge") is about hypocritical judgment, not prohibition of all discernment. Read the full passage — Jesus says remove the log from your own eye FIRST, then help your brother. John 7:24: "judge with right judgment." Discernment between right/wrong is essential. Irony: saying "don't judge" is itself a judgment.

Teaching kids about judging — Matthew 7 in context

1 Timothy 2:12 women in ministry complementarianism complementarianism

Mike on women in ministry: he's complementarian — the highest leadership/preaching/governing role is reserved for men God has called. But he struggles with how to apply this to the wide variety of modern ministry situations. Women can teach; the question is in what contexts. He encourages women to study Scripture carefully and let it guide their choices.

Women in ministry — complementarian but cautious on application

Psalm 22 Psalm 22 Matthew 27:46 Psalm 22 Psalm 22 Matthew 27:46

Matthew 27:46 ("My God, why have you forsaken me?") — Jesus is quoting Psalm 22, which his Jewish audience would mentally load in full. Psalm 22 describes crucifixion in detail (pierced hands/feet, bones out of joint, garments divided, dehydration), then shifts to RESCUE and resurrection, followed by Gentiles from all nations worshipping God. "Forsaken" = given over to suffering and death, NOT Trinitarian separation. The Father/Son cannot ontologically separate without violating God's nature.

My God why have you forsaken me — Psalm 22

two types of forgiveness heart forgiveness relational restoration

Forgiveness: two types. (1) Heart forgiveness — releasing desire for vengeance/punishment — should be given to everyone unconditionally. (2) Relational restoration — actually restoring the relationship — reserved for those who repent, especially in cases of serious offenses. Parallels how God forgives: the cross pays for all sin, but it's not received until one comes with repentance.

Two types of forgiveness

perseverance of the saints eternal security eternal security

Can you lose salvation if Jesus paid for your sins? Depends on your view of the atonement. Calvinist (limited atonement): Jesus only paid for the elect's sins, so losing salvation would mean he 'unpaid' — impossible. Non-Calvinist (unlimited atonement): Jesus paid for all sins; the APPLICATION is upon those who receive Christ. If someone walks away, it's not that payment was reversed but that they left the relationship.

Losing salvation and the extent of the atonement

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-19

Mike presents 24-26 ways Passover was prophetically fulfilled by Jesus. Passover is a typological prophecy — not direct prediction/fulfillment but symbolic correspondence between OT events and Christ's work. 1 Corinthians 5:7: "Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed." Jesus chose to die during Passover week — his timing was deliberate.

Introduction — Passover as prophetic type

1 Corinthians 5:7 Passover Passover Passover as prophecy

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-19

Points 1-2: (1) A sacrificial lamb — Jesus is the lamb offered for us (Hebrews 9:12-14, 10:1-14). OT sacrifices were shadows; Jesus is the reality. He offered himself ONCE vs yearly repetition. (2) Purpose: avoiding punishment for sin — Passover was explicitly a judgment (Exodus 12:12). Israel needed the lamb too because they were also guilty of idolatry (Ezekiel 20:7). The cross saves us from God's wrath.

Points 1-2 — sacrificial lamb and dealing with sin

Exodus 12 Hebrews 9:12-14 Hebrews 10:1-14 wrath of God substitutionary atonement wrath of God

Mike Winger idea 2020-04-19

Point 13: Blood applied to the doorposts — possibly in the shape of a cross (top lintel and two side posts). Jesus says "I am the door" (John 10:9) — entry through him means salvation. The blood-covered door is the access point to safety from judgment, just as Jesus is the access point to God.

Point 13 — blood on doorposts and Jesus as the door

John 10:9 Passover Passover John 10:9

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-23

Context: Mark 8-10 reveals the messianic mystery — Jesus has TWO comings (suffering first, glory later), but the disciples only expect one glorious military conquest. Their argument about who's greatest stems from thinking they're about to rule in an earthly kingdom. They're wrong about both timing and values.

Context — the messianic mystery in Mark

Mark 8:22-24 messianic mystery two comings of Christ Mark 8:22-24

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-23

Mark 9:38-40: A man casting out demons in Jesus's name but not part of the Twelve. The disciples tried to stop him. Jesus: "Do not hinder him — whoever is not against us is for us." The organic growth of Christianity always outpaces organizational growth. We must resist suspicion toward genuine believers outside our circle/denomination.

Don't hinder outsiders — the church is bigger than your group

Mark 9:38-40 ecumenism ecumenism Mark 9:38-40

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-23

Mark 9:41-42: Whoever gives a cup of water to a believer won't lose their reward; whoever causes a believer to stumble, it'd be better to have a millstone hung around their neck and be cast into the sea. Galatians 6:10: do good to all people, ESPECIALLY to the household of faith. The church's primary charitable focus should be caring for fellow believers.

Rewards for blessing believers, judgment for harming them

John 13:35 Mark 9:41-42 Galatians 6:10 John 13:35 Mark 9:41-42 millstone judgment

Mark Strauss Craig Blomberg Brian Simmons Passion Translation

Mike announces his "passion project": hiring 5+ well-respected scholars (Craig Blomberg, Mark Strauss, Darrell Bock, Tremper Longman, Nijay Gupta) to each evaluate different books of the Passion Translation by Brian Simmons, producing free 5-page papers and video interviews. Goal: provide definitive scholarly assessment showing pervasive (not just isolated) problems with the translation.

Passion Translation scholarly project announcement

Romans 13:4 Genesis 9:5-6 Romans 13:4 imago Dei death penalty

Q&A: Death penalty is biblically valid. Genesis 9:5-6 (pre-Mosaic, given to all humanity): whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed — because man is made in God's image. Society has a mandate to execute justice. Romans 13:4: government bears the sword as God's servant/avenger. The sword = general governmental authority, which includes capital punishment for murder under certain conditions.

Q&A — death penalty

2 Corinthians 5:10 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 2 Corinthians 5:10 2 Corinthians 5:10 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 2 Corinthians 5:10

Q&A: Will saved Christians be punished on Judgment Day? Not punished in the hell sense — Jesus took that punishment. But 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 shows believers' works will be tested by fire: gold/silver/precious stones survive (pure ministry); wood/hay/straw burn up (compromised service). The person is saved but may suffer loss of ALL rewards. 2 Corinthians 5:10: we receive what is due for what we've done — this is loss of reward, not punishment.

Q&A — believers' judgment and rewards

Deuteronomy 18:22 Deuteronomy 18:22 modern prophecy testing prophets

Q&A: How to evaluate modern self-proclaimed prophets who get prophecies wrong. Mike's position: if they get one wrong, he no longer trusts they're hearing from God (Deuteronomy 18:22 principle). He gives leeway to sincere believers who may have confused their own heart for the Holy Spirit, but consecutive failures warrant stronger stance.

Q&A — evaluating modern prophets

apostolic martyrdom Sean McDowell conspiracy hypothesis

Mike interviews Dr. Sean McDowell about his doctoral research on apostolic martyrdom as evidence for the resurrection. The argument: martyrdom proves sincerity (not truth), which eliminates the conspiracy/lying hypothesis. It's one piece of a larger resurrection argument, not standalone proof.

Introduction — apostolic martyrdom and the resurrection

Candida Moss Myth of Persecution persecution vs prosecution

Where McDowell agrees with Candida Moss: many Christians overstate early persecution. There wasn't official statewide persecution until 3rd-4th centuries. Moss correctly notes that many martyrdom accounts are exaggerated. But she takes the correction too far by dismissing all early persecution evidence.

Agreement with Moss — overstated persecution

multiple attestation Tacitus Clement of Rome

Evidence for early Christian persecution: (1) Multiple attestation across the entire NT — Gospels, Acts, Hebrews, James, 1 John, Peter, Revelation all attest to Christians paying a price for faith. (2) Earliest church fathers (Clement, Ignatius, Polycarp) confirm the theme. (3) Non-Christian sources (Tacitus, Suetonius) confirm persecution under Nero.

Evidence for early persecution — multiple independent sources

James brother of Jesus James son of Zebedee James brother of Jesus Sean McDowell James son of Zebedee

The actual historical evidence for specific apostolic martyrdoms: strong for Peter, Paul, James son of Zebedee, James brother of Jesus (early, multiple sources). Possible for Thomas (some 2nd century evidence). For the rest (Bartholomew, Matthew, Matthias etc.) — 3rd-5th century accounts that are contradictory and likely fictional. McDowell and Moss agree on the later accounts being unreliable.

Evidence tiers for apostolic martyrdoms

Matthew 10 apostolic martyrdom Matthew 10 sincerity of apostles

The Apostles' willingness to suffer demonstrates sincerity even without formal recantation opportunities. They knew what they were signing up for: Jesus told them they'd be brought before governors and kings (Matthew 10). They watched Stephen die, John the Baptist get executed, and Jesus himself crucified. They repeatedly chose to keep preaching despite imprisonment and beatings (Acts).

Sincerity without formal recantation opportunities

Lee Strobel empty tomb apostolic martyrdom

How the martyrdom argument fits the larger resurrection case: the resurrection rests on multiple facts (Jesus lived, died, was buried, tomb was empty, early appearance claims to women, the 500, apostles, Paul). The apostles' willingness to suffer gives credibility specifically to the appearance claims — they weren't lying about having seen the risen Jesus. Lee Strobel said this was the most convincing evidence to him.

Martyrdom as sub-argument within resurrection case

gospel reliability geographic evidence Palestinian geography

Geographic knowledge in the gospels: the four gospel writers demonstrate detailed knowledge of Palestinian geography — small villages (Bethany, Bethphage, Chorazin), sub-village locations (Garden of Gethsemane = "oil press" on the Mount of Olives), topography ("went DOWN from Jerusalem to Jericho" — correct elevation change), and traveling times. This knowledge couldn't come from other ancient sources (Strabo, Pliny, Josephus don't have this level of detail). Only two explanations: the writers visited or spoke with eyewitnesses.

Geographic evidence — local knowledge test

Luke 19 (Zacchaeus) gospel reliability botanical evidence sycamore in Jericho

Botanical evidence: plants mentioned in the gospels match the specific micro-climates where stories are set. Sycamore tree in Jericho (Luke 19, Zacchaeus) — sycamores grow in Jericho's low-altitude tropical climate but not in Turkey, Greece, or Italy where the gospels were later circulated. Palm branches on the Mount of Olives, mint/rue tithed by Pharisees — all botanically correct for the region.

Botanical evidence — plants match locations

John James Blunt John 6 feeding 5000 Bethsaida undesigned coincidences Bethsaida

Undesigned coincidences: subtle agreements between independent gospel accounts that are too incidental to be deliberate. Example: John says Jesus asked Philip where to buy bread (John 6); only Luke says the feeding was near Bethsaida; only John says Philip and Andrew were from Bethsaida. The connection (Jesus asked the local guys) only appears when you combine the accounts — no single author engineered it.

Undesigned coincidences — cross-gospel subtle agreements

burden of proof Bart Ehrman Bart Ehrman

Gospel contradictions: Williams argues the burden of proof is on the person claiming two accounts CAN'T fit together, not on the believer to provide the exact harmonization. The Judas death example (Matthew: hanged; Acts: fell and burst open) — multiple scenarios fit both descriptions. Ancient reporting conventions (no quotation marks, different summarization styles, legal naming conventions) explain most alleged contradictions.

Gospel contradictions — burden of proof and Judas

divorce and remarriage BibleThinker ministry

Mike announces BibleThinker is now its own incorporated ministry organization, separate from his local church (while still attending). Also previews follow-up to his marriage/divorce/remarriage study — longest teaching he's ever done (3 hours), nearly 1,000 comments in one week.

Announcements — BibleThinker incorporation, divorce study

1 Peter 2:24 physical resurrection 1 Peter 2:24 healing in the atonement

1 Peter 2:24 ("by his wounds you have been healed") does refer to physical healing in Mike's view, but the TIMING is the issue. Many benefits of the cross aren't received now — we still die, still have corruptible bodies. Full physical healing comes in the resurrection. It's theologically inconsistent to demand healing for the common cold while accepting death from old age. The "healing in the atonement" teaching overreaches on timing, not content.

Healing in the atonement — timing issue

apologetics apologetics new believers

Advice for new believers encountering militant anti-theists: (1) Don't spend most of your time with them — get grounded in biblical truth first. (2) Many militant atheists repeatedly ask the same questions, get good answers, and ignore them — they want to stump, not learn. (3) If your good answers only generate more questions with no acknowledgment, you may be wasting your time. Focus on learning truth before combating error.

New believers and militant atheists

1 Corinthians 6:19 James 4:7 spiritual warfare spiritual warfare 1 Corinthians 6:19

Can a Christian be demon-possessed? Mike distinguishes possession from influence/oppression. Christians have the Holy Spirit indwelling them — demon possession (ownership/control) seems incompatible with the Spirit's presence. But Christians can be oppressed, influenced, and harassed by demons. The demoniac in Mark 5 was fully controlled; Christians may experience lesser forms of spiritual attack but not total possession.

Demon possession vs oppression in Christians

Follow-up to Mike's 200+ hours of research and 3-hour teaching on divorce and remarriage. He combed through 1,000+ comments and selected 29 issues to address — questions, pushback, and scenarios he hadn't covered.

Introduction — divorce/remarriage follow-up

divorce and remarriage

Jeremiah 3:13 Jeremiah 3:13 God divorced Israel Catholic annulment

Jeremiah 3 shows God divorced Israel — this disproves the Catholic position that divorce is ontologically impossible. But Mike's point is about divorce, NOT remarriage. God's response: reconciliation is offered but CONDITIONED on Israel's repentance (Jeremiah 3:13). God requires acknowledgment of guilt before restoration — not unconditional reunion.

Jeremiah 3 — God divorced Israel, conditional reconciliation

repentance repentance unjust divorce and remarriage

Can someone who unjustly divorced, repented, but whose ex has remarried, now marry someone else? Yes — the previous marriage is clearly over both legally and morally once the ex has remarried. The wrongly-divorcing party has repented. The alternatives (permanent singleness as unforgivable punishment, or pretending the marriage still exists) don't make biblical sense.

Unjust divorce + ex remarried = free to remarry after repentance