Search — Theology Explorer

prayer prayer financial stewardship

Q&A: How to test if a financial blessing is from God. Look at whether it came through godliness, follow biblical prayer principles (asking in God's will, not selfish motives), and use money to seek God's kingdom first.

Q&A — financial blessings and stewardship

multiverse infinite past cyclical universe models

Q&A: An infinite universe causing our universe in a "bounce" still faces the same problems — an infinite past of cycles can't be traversed, and a meta-timeline outside ours would need its own cause.

Q&A — cyclical/bounce universe models

Revelation 2 (Ephesus) first love Revelation 2 (Ephesus) spiritual stagnation

Q&A: When a Christian feels static in their walk, the answer is to fall in love with Jesus again rather than legalistically checking boxes. Pray for increased love and dedication; remember first works (Revelation 2, Ephesus).

Q&A — spiritual stagnation

evidence for God evidence for God Braxton Hunter

Closing: Mike encourages viewers who are convinced to start seeking God, praying, and paying attention to Christ. He promotes Braxton Hunter's YouTube channel as a resource for apologetics.

Closing exhortation and promotion

problem of evil problem of evil trilemma

Drew's Question 1: Why did God communicate through literature? Literature demands interpretation, leading to contradictory sects and suffering (e.g., JW blood transfusions). If God couldn't do better, he's not omnipotent; if he didn't know, not omniscient; if he didn't care, not omni-benevolent.

Presenting Drew's argument — literature and the problem of evil

John McCrae hermeneutics hermeneutics sin nature

John McCrae adds: our sin nature explains interpretive divergence — we read preferences into Scripture. The Bible calls us to strive for truth (narrow gate), which makes the relationship with Christ richer. Drew's question is really just the problem of evil focused on one aspect.

Additional response to Q1 — sin nature and striving

false dichotomy Pascals wager

Drew's false dichotomy objection fails because Pascal's wager can be constructed to meet people where they are. If someone is between Christianity and atheism specifically, it's not a false dichotomy — it's their actual situation. Drew also inadvertently grants theism when proposing alternative gods.

Response to Q2 — false dichotomy and evidential grounding

animal suffering evolutionary morality

Drew claims religious people invented doctrines to morally justify killing animals. John turns this around: on Drew's evolutionary morality, survival-promoting beliefs ARE morality — so religion doing this would be moral by his own framework. Also, most non-religious people eat meat too, so religion isn't the explanation.

Response to Q3 — evolutionary morality is self-defeating

Isaiah 11 problem of evil problem of evil skeptical theism

Cameron and Mike discuss animal suffering as a serious philosophical problem, but note: (1) atheism offers no solution to suffering at all, (2) Christianity promises resolution (Isaiah 11 — wolf lies down with lamb), (3) Stephen Wykstra's no-see-um principle: we wouldn't expect to perceive overarching goods from specific instances of suffering.

Animal suffering — atheism vs Christianity

free will problem of evil problem of evil

Drew's Question 4: If God knows who will choose him, why not only create those people and skip earthly suffering? If free will is the answer, that implies heaven lacks free will (since there's no suffering there), making earth better than heaven.

Presenting Drew's argument — why create the non-elect?

free will Alvin Plantinga free will

Good #1: Freely choosing to enter a loving relationship with God is a great good — a love potion analogy shows forced love isn't real love. Good #2: Alvin Plantinga's supralapsarianism theodicy — the Incarnation and atonement (Christ dying for those who hate him) is among the greatest conceivable acts of love, only possible in a world with sin.

Response to Q4 — goods requiring earth (love and atonement)

theodicy theodicy Genetically Modified Skeptic

Drew repeatedly says "there's another option: God isn't real" — but easy explanations aren't necessarily good explanations. The tri-omni concept doesn't "fall apart under momentary consideration" — the problem requires more than momentary consideration.

Response to Q4 — easy vs good explanations

apologetics apologetics questions are not arguments

Mike's closing: Drew's journey to atheism appears to involve accumulating unanswered tough questions — a shallow understanding of Christianity where questions pile up without pursuing answers. Christianity shows itself to be true; questions may make you an atheist, but answers will make you a Christian.

Closing — questions vs answers

John McCrae Cameron Bertuzzi John McCrae David Wood

The panelists stress that responses to atheist content are meant to open conversation, not tear people down. YouTube is an uncharted mission field. Apologists should collaborate rather than compete.

Closing — collaborative apologetics

abortion pro-choice propaganda Tatiana Gill

Mike introduces a response to pro-choice artist Tatiana Gill who drew images of Jesus supporting abortion using the phrase "with you always." She blocked Mike when he reached out privately for clarification.

Introduction — responding to pro-choice art

dehumanization abortion pro-choice propaganda

Analysis of two abortion artwork images: both completely omit the baby. Image 1 shows Jesus as a clinic escort blocking protesters. Image 2 shows Jesus holding a woman's hand during an abortion. The missing baby is the central issue with pro-choice propaganda.

Art critique — the missing baby

Jesus would not support abortion: (1) He affirmed the Old Testament which teaches humans are made in God's image, (2) "You shall not murder" protects innocent human life based on innate human nature, not capability or intelligence.

What would Jesus say about abortion — OT affirmation

imago Dei abortion

abortion pro-life single-issue voting

Q&A: Single-issue (pro-life) voting is legitimate because abortion is a deal-breaker moral issue. Mike would vote for a pro-life candidate with bad economic policies because saving lives outweighs financial pain.

Q&A — single-issue voting on abortion

1 Peter (wives and husbands) 1 Corinthians (church discipline) family vs fellowship 1 Peter (wives and husbands) 1 Corinthians (church discipline)

Q&A: Family members with distorted gospels — separate fellowship/church from family. 1 Peter teaches a wife should stay committed to an unbelieving husband. Family is not the same as church partnership; maintain relationship while not partnering in false ministry.

Q&A — family with distorted beliefs

Ezekiel (sins of the father) abortion rape and incest Ezekiel (sins of the father)

Q&A: Rape/incest don't justify abortion. Ezekiel teaches the child won't die for the father's sin. If a one-month-old baby were discovered to be a product of rape and incest, no one would say it's okay to kill it — so what's different about the same baby six months earlier?

Q&A — abortion in cases of rape and incest

abortion pro-life human rights

Q&A: The pro-life movement doesn't need to provide free healthcare to oppose murder. You don't need to build houses for Holocaust victims to tell Nazis to stop. The pro-life movement does help women through pregnancy and beyond, but that's separate from the moral argument.

Q&A — pro-life movement and healthcare

abortion life of the mother exception

Q&A: When the mother's life is in danger and both will die, abortion to save the mother is the one exception most pro-lifers accept. Analogous to separating conjoined twins when one is dying — saving one life rather than losing both.

Q&A — life of the mother exception

imago Dei when life begins scientific consensus on life

Reason 2 (Teaser Money): Learning that scientific consensus (95% of biologists) affirms human life begins at conception. Since he already believed humans are made in God's image, the biological confirmation made the moral conclusion obvious.

Reason 2 — scientific consensus + imago Dei

abortion Incarnation and atonement

Mike's closing appeal: abortion is not a women's rights issue — it's a human rights issue. For those who've had abortions: Jesus died for sinners, not just people with minor issues. The cross offers full forgiveness. Don't hide from guilt; take it to the cross.

Closing — gospel appeal

Job 14:4 Job 14:4 vaccines and abortion

Q&A: On vaccines containing cells from aborted babies — morally wrong if true. Job 14:4 ("who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean?") is about Job's mortal condition, not vaccines. Jesus DID bring clean from unclean. The health safety of vaccines is a separate question from the abortion ethics question.

Q&A — vaccines and abortion

sexual purity sexual purity

Q&A: Losing virginity doesn't eliminate the point of sexual purity going forward. The principle of "I already blew it so why bother" would justify stealing cars forever after the first theft. Sexual faithfulness continues to matter after sexual failure.

Q&A — sexual purity after failure

Luke 14:33 Luke 12:33 Luke 14:33 Luke 12:33 Lydia (seller of purple)

Q&A: Luke 14:33 ("renounce all you have") and Luke 12:33 ("sell your possessions") are hyperbolic expressions of total dedication to Jesus, not literal commands for universal poverty. Lydia continued her business after conversion and used profits to support missionaries.

Q&A — sell everything and follow Jesus

Genesis interpretation Genesis interpretation Noahs flood scope of the flood

Q: Was the flood global or local? Mike is on the fence. The Hebrew word "earth" often means dry ground/land, not planet — even in Genesis where "everyone throughout the earth" comes to Egypt during the famine, it clearly doesn't mean globally. The theology (God judging sin, picture of Christ) is unaffected by scope.

Q&A — scope of Noah's flood

Markan sandwich Mark 11 fig tree cursing Markan sandwich temple cleansing

Q: Why did Jesus curse the fig tree (Mark 11)? It's a Markan sandwich — the cursing of the fig tree frames the temple cleansing. The fig tree represents Israel: no fruit (not ready for Messiah), so judgment comes. The temple similarly had no spiritual fruit. The temple was destroyed in 70 AD, but Israel will be restored per NT prophecy.

Q&A — cursing the fig tree (Mark 11)

John 3:5 Acts 10 Cornelius John 3:5 born of water baptism and salvation

Q: What does "born of water" mean in John 3:5? Two interpretations: (1) physical birth (water/amniotic fluid) vs. spiritual birth — two births, not three; (2) "water and spirit" as one birth in Greek, referring to the spiritual reality baptism represents, not literal water baptism. Cornelius (Acts 10) proves baptism isn't required for salvation.

Q&A — born of water (John 3:5)

John 14:15 loving God John 14:15

Q: How do you love God more? (1) Obey his commands — Jesus said "if you love me, obey my commands"; (2) prioritize him above everything; (3) delight in his Word. Obedience IS love. Priority means choosing Christ in any conflict of allegiance. "Hate father and mother" is a selection term, not literal hatred.

Q&A — loving God more

Galatians (walk in Spirit) spiritual warfare spiritual warfare prayer and fasting

Q: Feeling attacked by the enemy. Read Galatians on victory over the flesh (crucified with Christ, walk in Spirit vs flesh). Prayer and fasting (Jesus said "this kind only comes out by prayer and fasting"). Deal with obvious sin areas. Trust God even in situations beyond your capacity.

Q&A — spiritual warfare

eternal security eternal security apostasy

Q: Can you lose your salvation? Mike is genuinely unsettled on this. The question is about apostasy (rejecting Christ), not just sinning. He doesn't have a public teaching on it because he hasn't fully worked through the relevant Scriptures to his own satisfaction.

Q&A — losing salvation

Romans 5 (peace with God) faith alone works as evidence faith alone

Q: Does "saved by faith alone" mean you can sin and still be saved? In one sense yes — salvation is grounded on grace, not works (Romans 5: "having been justified by grace, we have peace with God"). But genuine salvation produces the Holy Spirit, which works out into good works. Works are evidence of salvation, not the means of maintaining it. A person living in reckless sin may never have been saved.

Q&A — faith alone and ongoing sin

Q: Nudity in art. Mike opposes it. The argument "it's art so it's okay" fails: if a bad drawing of nudity is wrong, making it skillful doesn't change the morality. Rome and Las Vegas dress sin up beautifully. We honor the human form by covering it due to human sinfulness. Possible exception: medical textbooks.

Q&A — nudity in art

nudity in art

1 Timothy 4:1 demon possession 1 Timothy 4:1 demonic powers

Q: What powers do demons have? From Scripture: possession (even multiple demons), controlling actions, causing insanity (Mark 5), influencing thoughts (Satan put it in Judas's heart to betray Jesus — before possession), inspiring false doctrines ("doctrines of demons"), receiving worship through false religions and idol worship.

Q&A — demonic powers and abilities

Mormonism Book of Mormon Mormonism

Q: Is the Book of Mormon right? No. It lacks theology (just a long story), but fails on historical/archaeological claims: horses in pre-Columbian Americas, weapons and materials that didn't exist, no verifiable rivers/mountains/civilizations. Not a single Book of Mormon claim has been archaeologically confirmed, unlike the Bible.

Q&A — Book of Mormon

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-11

Refuting Dean Odel's claim that Job 38:14 describes a flat earth stamped like clay under a signet ring. Problems: (1) the seal is a cylinder seal rolled over clay, not a ring pressed flat; (2) the missing word "changed" shows this is about daily sunrise revealing contours, not cosmological design; (3) the context is about wicked hiding at night and being exposed at dawn.

Job 38:14 — cylinder seal, not flat stamp

Job 38:14 flat earth Job 38:14 cylinder seal

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-11

Pillar verses (1 Samuel 2:8, Job 26:10, Psalm 75:3) are all in poetic contexts. In 1 Samuel 2:8, "pillars of the earth" are leaders whom God exalts — the context is about God raising the poor to sit with princes. In Psalm 75:3, pillars are leaders God supports during upheaval. "Pillars of heaven" (Job 26) may just refer to mountains poetically.

Pillars of the earth — leaders, not literal supports

1 Samuel 2:8 1 Samuel 2:8 pillars of the earth poetic language in scripture

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-11

Matthew 4:8 (Satan shows Jesus all kingdoms from a high mountain) — this must be supernatural, not visual. The highest local mountains are ~2,700 ft. Even flat-earthers can't see China from Israel. Satan showed Jesus these things supernaturally. The theological point: Jesus succeeds where Israel failed — resisting idolatry at the "high places" where Israel repeatedly fell.

Satan's temptation on a high mountain — theological, not geographical

Matthew 4:8 temptation of Jesus temptation of Jesus flat earth

apostolic martyrdom sincerity of testimony

Q: Could Christians have made up martyrdom claims? Unreasonable for Peter, James, and John — first-century evidence of their martyrdom is strong. Some later apostle martyrdom stories may have been embellished, but the core eyewitnesses clearly suffered for their resurrection claims. Martyrdom proves sincerity, not necessarily truth — but combined with ruling out hallucination, the case is strong.

Q&A — historicity of apostolic martyrdom

Deuteronomy 30:6 circumcision circumcision Deuteronomy 30:6

Q: Why circumcision as the sign of the covenant? Not unique to Israel (others practiced it), but the meaning was unique. The NT reveals the deeper symbolism: putting off the flesh/sin nature. Circumcision of the heart (Deuteronomy 30:6) is the spiritual reality — the physical sign pointed to putting off carnality and becoming distinct from the world.

Q&A — why circumcision

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

hell memory in heaven hell

Q: Will we be sad in heaven about people in hell? No — because of resolution, not memory loss. "Former things not remembered" means not dwelling on them or worrying, not literal amnesia. In God's presence with his perspective, we'll understand his justice is right. The glory will outshine all grief.

Q&A — sadness in heaven over hell

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

Hebrews 10:25 Hebrews 10:25 COVID lockdown church closures

Selflessness should drive decisions — even if you're low-risk, older/vulnerable congregants face serious danger. Mike's personal practice: running errands for his elderly mother with COPD. Churches can close for a season without spiritual compromise — maintain community through calls, small groups, and online gatherings.

Selflessness and community during lockdown

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

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)