Search — Theology Explorer

Ephesians 5:32 Reformation Jerome Latin Vulgate

Jerome's Latin Vulgate mistranslated "mystery" (mysterion) as "sacrament" in Ephesians 5:32, contributing to the Roman Catholic doctrine of marriage as a sacrament.

Mark H asks about doctrinal changes Jerome introduced in the Vulgate around 400 AD.

1 Corinthians Ephesians 5:5 BDAG lexicon 1 Corinthians assurance of salvation

Ephesians 5:5 — "impure" (akathartos) refers to moral impurity; the passage warns that a lifestyle of immorality, impurity, or covetousness calls salvation into question.

Nero Manser asks what Paul means by "impure" in Ephesians 5:5.

Acts 1 Matthew 19:28 Luke 22:28-30 eschatology Judas Iscariot Acts 1

Matthew 19:28 — the promise of 12 thrones for those who followed Jesus does not necessarily include Judas; Matthias' replacement and the symbolic nature of the number 12 both resolve the tension.

Robo King asks whether Judas still has a throne since Jesus promised 12 thrones to the Twelve in Matthew 19:28.

Matthew 7:13-14 discipleship salvation Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 7:13-14 — the narrow gate refers to the demanding and counter-cultural teachings of Christ, not to a works-salvation effort; few receive it because most reject it.

Jilly Bean from Finland asks what the narrow gate means in practice.

Hebrews 10:25 Hebrews 10:25 Christian conscience Corporate worship / assembly

Hebrews 10:25 and the obligation to gather: absolute or contextual?

Question from The Invisible Hand about online-only churches during COVID and whether they violate the command not to forsake assembling.

Deuteronomy / Joshua conquest texts Theodicy Children and salvation Canaanite conquest

The Canaanite genocide: why God commanded Israel to kill rather than drive out or convert

Question from Lindsey Kelso about the moral difficulty of God commanding Israel to kill thousands of Canaanites.

James 3:1 Galatians (uncircumcision passage) Hermeneutics James 3:1 Biblical scholarship

How to evaluate scholarship that challenges traditional OT interpretation through cultural/linguistic arguments

Question from True West about scholarship that challenges OT translations and cultural understandings.

Mark 2:10 Mark 8:31 Mark 9:9 Christology Transfiguration Son of Man

Son of Man in Mark's Gospel: Jesus clearly uses the title self-referentially

Question from Skeptic Reviews claiming Jesus used "Son of Man" in the third person to refer to someone other than himself.

1 Samuel 15:3 theodicy infant salvation divine sovereignty

God's command to kill the Amalekites (including infants) in 1 Samuel 15:3 is addressed through hyperbolic language theory, military depot context, and divine sovereignty.

Q4 from Jay: how does one justify God's directive to kill the Amalekites including children and infants (1 Samuel 15:3)?

Hebrews 12:5-6 Proverbs 3:11-12 Septuagint (LXX) Hebrews 12:5-6 Proverbs 3:11-12

Hebrews 12:6 uses "scourges" (from the Septuagint of Proverbs 3:12) to describe God's fatherly discipline; the intensified language is contextually appropriate fatherly correction, not brutal punishment.

Q6 from Stephanie: Hebrews 12:5-6 quotes Proverbs 3:11-12 but ends with "scourge" — why does it imply God brutally whips every believer?

James 1:13-15 Richard Carrier James 1:13-15 progressive Christianity

James 1:15 — desire conceived becomes sin; sin full-grown brings death. The passage primarily warns against blaming God for temptation and shows sin's natural progression.

Q8 from Kristen: James 1:15 says sin when full-grown "gives birth to death" — what does "death" mean for those in Christ?

Deuteronomy 22:28-29 2 Samuel 13 (Amnon and Tamar) Deuteronomy 22:28-29 2 Samuel 13 (Amnon and Tamar) sexual ethics (OT law)

Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (man seizes virgin) is best read as maximizing the woman's rights and removing the man's after a sexual violation; it reflects the law making the best of a sinful situation.

Q12 from Tyler: trouble understanding the morality of Deuteronomy 22:28-29; some say it's consensual, but 2 Samuel 13 (Amnon and Tamar) seems to contradict that.

Jeremiah 17:9 (deceitful heart) 2 Corinthians 10:12 women's ministry humility human dignity

Biblical self-worth holds extreme value (image of God) and extreme humility (sinfulness) in tension; neither arrogance nor false modesty is biblical.

Q13 from unnamed questioner: what is the biblical view of self-worth, asked in the context of a young ladies' group?

love your neighbor community and congregation COVID-era church life

Loving neighbors in restricted-mobility times means reorienting attitude and creativity, not relying on physical proximity.

Q15 from Joel Holmberg: how can we love our neighbor and honor God when we cannot congregate (COVID-era context)?

John 7:8-10 John 7:8-10 Jesus and truthfulness triumphal entry (Palm Sunday)

John 7:8-10 — Jesus did not lie when he said he was "not going up" to the feast; he meant he would not go publicly/openly as his brothers were urging, and he did go privately.

Q19 from Jody Wainwright: did Jesus lie to his brothers in John 7:8-10 when he said he was not going to the feast but then went anyway?

Galatians 5:22-23 2 Timothy 4:10 Holy Spirit fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22-23

Fruits of the Spirit in believers vs. unbelievers: the difference is source (Holy Spirit) and ultimate quality/context, not the complete absence of these qualities in unbelievers.

Q20 from Craig Burnett: what is the difference in gifts/fruits of the Spirit between a Christian and a non-Christian displaying the same qualities (patience, gentleness, peace)?

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Does God have a sense of humor? Yes — Scripture confirms it, and pleasure/humor are good gifts not inherently sinful

Q4 from Silas Abrahamson: Does God have a sense of humor?

Psalm Matthew 7 God's character asceticism humor

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Are the gods of other religions real? Three views: false polytheism, Heiserian divine council, and Pauline demonic identification

Q6 from Loretta Taylor: Numbers 33:3-4 says Yahweh executed judgments on Egypt's gods — does this mean gods like Allah and Zeus are real?

1 Corinthians 10:19-20 Numbers 33:3-4 Exodus plagues Michael Heiser elohim 1 Corinthians 10:19-20

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Mandating church traditions as biblical commands is wrong; Proverbs 22:28 and Matthew 18:18 do not support it

Q8 from John Doe: A church mandates women wear dresses and men be clean-shaven using Proverbs 22:28 and Matthew 18:18 — is it biblical to mandate adherence to tradition?

Proverbs 22:28 Matthew 18:18 church authority spiritual abuse tradition vs Scripture

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

How to determine transcultural vs. culturally-bound biblical instructions

Anonymous listener (username: "hi pastor mike") asks how to distinguish timeless biblical commands from culturally-specific ones.

Ephesians Acts 15 Ephesians Acts 15 Proof-texting

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

Why is Esther in the Bible? Self-defense in Esther 8-9 is not problematic

Listener The Christian Metalhead questions the moral purpose of Esther and finds the final chapters' battle "dangerous."

Esther Ecclesiastes 3:3 Old Testament canon Typology Pacifism

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

1 Corinthians 5:11 "do not eat with them" — does not apply to family relationships

Listener Melissa Heeg asks whether 1 Corinthians 5:11's instruction not to eat with a sinning "brother" applies to family gatherings.

1 Peter 3 1 Corinthians 5:11 1 Peter 3 Lifestyle sin 1 Corinthians 5:11

Mike Winger idea 2021-04-30

The gospel presentation should be adapted to the individual; the content stays constant but the approach changes.

Question 13 from Steph T about how to summarize the gospel with strangers or those from different religions.

Acts 17 Paul Acts 17 evangelism

Mike Winger idea 2020-01-08

Mike responds with three problems: (1) Drew misrepresents Pascal's wager as "believe whatever promises the most" — Pascal actually included evidential evaluation; (2) modern proponents like Michael Rota and Liz Jackson pair evidence with the wager; (3) Pascal's wager is decision theory, not blind gambling.

Response to Q2 — Pascal's wager is misrepresented

Pascals wager decision theory Michael Rota

Mike Winger idea 2020-02-19

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

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

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-04

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

Mike Winger idea 2020-03-04

Q: Acts 4:32-37 communal living — why don't churches do this? Context: Jews from around the world came to Jerusalem for Pentecost, got saved, and didn't want to leave. They sold possessions to pool resources and learn from the apostles. This was a unique situation, not a policy — it doesn't appear in Ephesus, Corinth, or Antioch.

Q&A — Acts 4 communalism

Acts 4:32-37 Pentecost Pentecost Acts 4:32-37

hermeneutics hermeneutics biblical cosmology

Mike introduces a study on flat earth Bible verses. His goal is not to argue about the shape of the earth but to show that the Bible does NOT teach flat earth. Ground rules: not about conspiracies, geocentrism, or the firmament — only about whether specific verses teach a flat earth.

Introduction — flat earth Bible study

Deuteronomy 28:49 Nehemiah 1:8 flat earth ends of the earth Deuteronomy 28:49

"Ends of the earth" doesn't mean the earth has edges. Biblical usage shows it means distant nations/peoples. Deuteronomy 28:49 prophesies nations from "the end of the earth" attacking Israel — fulfilled by Babylon/Assyria. Nehemiah 1:8 identifies "uttermost parts" as Susa, Iran — only 1,035 miles from Jerusalem.

Ends of the earth — not physical edges

biblical cosmology flat earth biblical cosmology

The Hebrew word "erets" (earth) rarely means the whole planet. Genesis 1:10: God called dry land "earth." Genesis 11:1: "the whole earth" means all people. Genesis 13:6: "the land" couldn't support Abraham and Lot — obviously local, not planetary. Most flat earth arguments collapse once you understand this word.

The word "earth" (erets) doesn't mean planet