Search — Theology Explorer

Is Common Sense an Argument for God?: Some weeks ago you said you believed common sense is the best argument for God. Can you elaborate?

Q&A question: Is Common Sense an Argument for God?

Do Punishments Get Passed Down?: Does God punish children for the sins of their fathers?

Q&A question: Do Punishments Get Passed Down?

parenting

Matthew Matthew 7 Matthew Matthew 7

Can Non-Believers Bear Fruit?: Can a non-believer bear the fruit of the Spirit? (Matthew 7:17) How can this be, and is it an argument in favor of secular morality?

Q&A question: Can Non-Believers Bear Fruit?

salvation Philip Philippi

How to “Work out our Salvation”: I read a commentary on Philippians 2:12 and it was implied that salvation is not complete, what does that mean? Are we not fully saved?

Q&A question: How to “Work out our Salvation”

Clinging to Hope in Tough Circumstances: My husband had a vasectomy before we got together. I used to be WOF and "claimed" a baby but now know that movement is heretical. Is it dumb to still believe in having a baby?

Q&A question: Clinging to Hope in Tough Circumstances

marriage heresy

How to Respond to Unbiblical Statements: I was wondering of a kind way to correct people who just say "God just wants me to be happy.”

Q&A question: How to Respond to Unbiblical Statements

About the phrase “Son of Perdition”: What is the Greek meaning of “Son of Perdition”? Is it a specific person, or a general statement?

Q&A question: About the phrase “Son of Perdition”

Should Atheist Arguments Concern Us?: Should we be concerned about counterarguments that atheists and skeptics present to our faith?

Q&A question: Should Atheist Arguments Concern Us?

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2021-07-30

Am I Rightly or Wrongly Judging?: How do I know if I have a judgmental attitude toward someone or an honest concern about their sin?

Q&A question: Am I Rightly or Wrongly Judging?

What does Ecumenical Mean?: I'd rather not identify myself with any particular denomination. What does it mean to be an ecumenical Christian?

Q&A question: What does Ecumenical Mean?

Mike Winger idea 2021-07-30

Is the Fire Mentioned in 2 Peter Literal?: In 2 Peter 3: 10 it says that on the "Day of the Lord" God will destroy the world and "its elements" with fire. Is this a literal or figurative fire, and why?

Q&A question: Is the Fire Mentioned in 2 Peter Literal?

Peter

Did Jesus Consider the OT to be Scripture?: You said in a past Q&A session that Jude references Enoch, and your best explanation is that it's just to make a point, not to say that Enoch is canon or inerrant. But that's also my conclusion about when Jesus refers to the Old Testament. Isn’t it the same for when Jesus refers to the Old Testament?

Q&A question: Did Jesus Consider the OT to be Scripture?

Jesus Enoch

How did OT Punishments Display God’s Love?: What was the point of capital punishment in OT, which was way too harsh to the point that it was not strictly followed back then? How does it display God's love when people are killed for not obeying?

Q&A question: How did OT Punishments Display God’s Love?

Reconciling Two Verses: How does Ecclesiastes 9:4-6 reconcile with Paul’s statement that “to live is Christ and to die is gain”? Am I misreading it?

Q&A question: Reconciling Two Verses

Using Apologetics to Reach Friends: How do you recommend bringing up apologetics with unbelieving friends?

Q&A question: Using Apologetics to Reach Friends

apologetics

Should we be Worried about Gov’t Control?: Should Christians be worried about government control? I have friends not getting the Covid vaccine because "it's a way to be controlled by the government.” I want to think biblically about this.

Q&A question: Should we be Worried about Gov’t Control?

Galatians 1 Acts 9 Galatians 1 Acts 9

About Paul and a Time Gap in Scripture: Why didn’t Luke mention the time gap that took place during Acts 9: 20-26, that Paul mentioned in Galatians 1: 17-18?

Q&A question: About Paul and a Time Gap in Scripture

Can we be Confident in God’s Existence?: How can one ever be sure that the arguments for God’s existence are truly sound? Is it because all current objections fail? Maybe there is an Achilles heel that has not come up yet.

Q&A question: Can we be Confident in God’s Existence?

Finding Hope in Difficult Situations: How do you interpret the hopelessness of Psalm 88? How can you comfort someone who feels what Psalm 88:18b (NIV) implies?

Q&A question: Finding Hope in Difficult Situations

hermeneutics

anxiety and mental health

Is Receiving Mental Health Therapy Biblical?: Is it a sin for Christians to see a mental health therapist/psychiatrist? Is biblical counseling the only option for Christians?

Q&A question: Is Receiving Mental Health Therapy Biblical?

Is God Actively Judging Today?: Is God actively judging the world today or is all judgment held out ‘till the second coming? When negative things happen like natural disasters, how much of this can we say is God’s judgment?

Q&A question: Is God Actively Judging Today?

second coming

Bible Study Resource Recommendations?: Do you know of any good Bible Study resources for a group with no teacher, only facilitators?

Q&A question: Bible Study Resource Recommendations?

Bible study

Matthew 10 Matthew Matthew 10 Matthew

When to “Shake the Dust from our Feet”: At what point are we to "shake off the dust from our feet" as mentioned in Matthew 10: 14 when trying to witness to friends, strangers, loved ones, etc.?

Q&A question: When to “Shake the Dust from our Feet”

Historical Evidence for God’s Judgments?: Is there any historical evidence for any of the prophets of the old testament or for any judgments God pronounced on people?

Q&A question: Historical Evidence for God’s Judgments?

prophecy

1 Corinthians 11:7 complementarianism creation order headship

Winger admits he doesn't have a fully clear teaching on 1 Cor 11:7 (head coverings) but explains 'woman is the glory of man' as related to creation order: God made Adam from dust, then Eve from Adam. Paul draws a parallel suggesting an interrelationship between man and woman that relates to authority in the relationship.

Q&A: struggling with 1 Corinthians 11:7 — what does 'glory of man' mean?

Mike Winger idea 2021-07-02

The Deity of the Holy Spirit: I was wondering if the Bible mentions that the Holy Spirit was in the beginning with God the Father and the Son, and where is the Holy Spirit said to be God?

Q&A question: The Deity of the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit

About Apologetics being Used in Fiction: How effective do you believe apologetics can be done in works of fiction (like Narnia) rather than just straight arguments? Should there be more of it?

Q&A question: About Apologetics being Used in Fiction

apologetics

Mike Winger idea 2021-07-02

About the 24 Elders: Who are the 24 elders? They are not mentioned in the creation account. Are they a collection of people such as Enoch, Moses, etc.?

Q&A question: About the 24 Elders

elder qualifications Moses creation

Jeremiah Jeremiah 31 revelation Jeremiah Jeremiah 31 Jesus

Conscience before the New Covenant?: Based on Jeremiah 31: 33-34, did people before the New Covenant not have a conscience (innate knowledge of God and the ability to know right from wrong as we do now)? Based on the radical changes that Jesus and the Church brought to the world, and God seemingly needing to give people constant special revelation in the OT, could there be a case for this? Could the need for the cycle of sin-judgement-repentance/cry for help-deliverance be connected to this?

Q&A question: Conscience before the New Covenant?

Help for Maintaining a Godly Attitude: The Lord has blessed me tremendously in life. I love Him & want to please Him! But for some reason (& I have no excuse) I find it really hard to have a calm, grateful, God-honoring attitude. I'm easily irritated & find myself complaining about little things constantly, especially when I don't get my way or experience a minor inconvenience. I'm ashamed of this & don't want my attitude to be this way but I can't seem to change.

Q&A question: Help for Maintaining a Godly Attitude

anxiety and mental health

Is Depression Ever a Sin Issue?: Is there ever a point where depression can be a sin issue? How should I view it in light of what Scripture says about worrying, while being charitable toward those who are struggling?

Q&A question: Is Depression Ever a Sin Issue?

Should our Faith Make Sense?: Is Christianity a faith that should make sense, or is it just having the faith to believe? How can we believe if one person interprets the Bible this way and another the other way?

Q&A question: Should our Faith Make Sense?

hermeneutics

Jesus pastoral ministry Apostles

Why Didn’t Jesus Mention Paul?: Hello, I am a Christian, and it's been important to me to understand why the Lord Jesus didn't mention to the apostles or anyone that Paul would be coming to enlighten the Way for His Church. This question hasn't been addressed in any of the studies I've researched, nor by any of the pastors I listen to. But isn't this question a most serious matter, since Paul wrote the majority of our New Testament?

Q&A question: Why Didn’t Jesus Mention Paul?

Exodus 20 Exodus 20:4 Exodus 20 Exodus 20:4

Is it a Sin to Depict God?: I’m a new believer. I watched a Christian cartoon with my son, and it depicted God as a Santa-looking man. My son asked if we were breaking the 2nd commandment. Is it a sin to depict God in any way? (Exodus 20:4)

Q&A question: Is it a Sin to Depict God?

About a “Gap” in Scripture: Can you explain the gap between the early churches in the New Testament and the first Protestants like Martin Luther?

Q&A question: About a “Gap” in Scripture

Martin Luther

Mike Winger idea 2021-09-03

Men of Valor Living in Sin?: Why does the Lord call Gideon a mighty man of Valor when he had many wives? Was this always a sin? I'm confused about this, honestly.

Q&A question: Men of Valor Living in Sin?

Gideon

About the Moral Argument: My brother has a very biblical worldview despite being an agnostic (in terms of homosexuality and celibacy, etc.) based on science. How do I prove that morality comes from God?

Q&A question: About the Moral Argument

agnosticism homosexuality

Mike Winger idea 2021-09-03

About Demons and The Nephilim: Are demons the spirits of dead Nephilim? Genesis 6 explains that the Nephilim are the offspring of women and angels. Demons never materialize, but we know angels can. Luke 22:3 is not convincing to me.

Q&A question: About Demons and The Nephilim

Genesis Luke 22:3 Genesis 6 Genesis Luke 22:3 Genesis 6

Mike Winger idea 2021-09-03

About Asking for Forgiveness/Mark of the Beast: A popular internet ministry says Jesus never said we need to ask for forgiveness and the Bible doesn’t mention it. Is that true? They also say it’s impossible for a Christian to take mark of the beast. Is that true?

Q&A question: About Asking for Forgiveness/Mark of the Beast

Jesus forgiveness

1 Timothy 4:1 Timothy demons 1 Timothy 4:1

About the “Doctrines of Demons”: Can you give more examples about the “doctrines of demons” mentioned in 1 Timothy 4:1?

Q&A question: About the “Doctrines of Demons”

Responding to Mormon Arguments: What is your best answer to a Mormon responding to "There is only ONE God" by saying "Yes, only one God for US. Only one God we are to worship & that’s OUR Heavenly Father but there are others elsewhere"?

Q&A question: Responding to Mormon Arguments

worship Mormonism

Learning about Biblical Heroes: Some biblical characters are heroes in the faith, but not mentioned much in the Bible (people like Enoch and Melchizedek). How can I find out more about what was so special about their relationship with God?

Q&A question: Learning about Biblical Heroes

Melchizedek Enoch