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Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Symmetry of creation and salvation: both occur through the Son

Theological reflection on Hebrews 1:2 and its implications

Genesis 1 John 1 Hebrews 1:1-2 Genesis 1 soteriology John 1
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

John 1 — the Logos made all things; parallel to Genesis 1 and Hebrews 1

Cross-reference supporting the creation-through-Son theology

John 1 John 1 economic Trinity creation through Christ
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Knowing the Holy Spirit: the Spirit's leading will always be consistent with Scripture

Q&A from Tia Jane about having a relationship with the Holy Spirit beyond gifts

discernment Holy Spirit leading of the Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Track record in discerning Spirit leading is a practical check

Additional criteria for discerning Holy Spirit leading

discernment Holy Spirit leading of the Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Romans 8 on the Spirit crying Abba Father: relationship with the Spirit unrelated to miraculous gifts

Resource recommendation for the relational aspect of the Holy Spirit

Romans 8 Abba Father Romans 8 Holy Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Attending a same-sex wedding generally expresses affirmation, not merely love — Christians should decline

Q&A from Joel Holmberg about attending a same-sex wedding

Christian ethics same-sex marriage sexual ethics
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

1 John 4 on love and assurance: knowing and believing God's love is the foundation for freedom from fear about the afterlife

Q&A from Taste Remains about anxiety regarding the afterlife and assurance of salvation

1 John 4:7-16 propitiation assurance of salvation 1 John 4:7-16
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

1 John 4:17-18 — perfect love casts out fear; God's love applied to judgment produces confidence

Continuing the 1 John 4 reading and application

1 John 4:17-18 atonement assurance of salvation fear of judgment
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

1 John 3:19-20 — God is greater than our condemning heart and knows everything

Additional passage addressing the fear and self-condemnation of the questioner

1 John 3:19-20 assurance of salvation fear of judgment 1 John 3:19-20
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Anxiety about the afterlife hinders prayer and joy; confidence before God enables effective prayer

Pastoral application of the 1 John 3 text

1 John 3:21-22 prayer assurance of salvation fear of judgment
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Presuppositional apologetics debate: Mike rejects the claim that evidential apologists need shared worldview common ground

Q&A from Daniel C about whether neutral or common ground exists in apologetics

apologetics presuppositional apologetics evidential apologetics
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Presuppositional apologetics requires assuming Christianity true rather than proving it — Mike disagrees

Specific critique of presuppositionalism

apologetics presuppositional apologetics epistemology
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Christians playing RPG video games: Romans 14 gives space for different convictions

Q&A from Gwen Gazette about RPGs and fantasy magic in video games

Romans 14 Romans 14 Christian liberty Christian ethics
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Video game content issues: overconsumption/obsession is a separate concern from content itself

Principles for evaluating video game engagement

Christian liberty Christian ethics self-control
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Sexual content in any media is a hard redline for Christians; violence is treated differently in Scripture

Distinguishing sexual content from violent content in media evaluation

Judges 4 Judges 4 Christian ethics video games
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Fantasy magic vs. actual witchcraft: the distinction matters for whether a video game element is spiritually dangerous

Applying principles to the specific RPG magic question

Christian ethics video games witchcraft
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Two problematic extremes: hyper-strict rules and almost no rules about entertainment — both are spiritually dangerous

Summation of the video game and entertainment ethics discussion

discernment Christian liberty Christian ethics
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Mike's personal experience of what he believes was genuine speaking in tongues during times of hardship

Anecdotal response to a question about scientific evidence for tongues

personal testimony speaking in tongues gifts of the Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Luke 22:36 — "sell your cloak and buy a sword": Jesus wanted the disciples armed for personal protection in Gethsemane

Q&A from Micah about the meaning of Jesus's command to buy a sword

Luke 22:36 Christian ethics Gethsemane Luke 22:36
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Peter using the sword in Gethsemane: Jesus stopped him — sword was for deterrence, not offensive action

Interpreting the immediate context of Luke 22:36

Luke 22:36 Peter Gethsemane Luke 22:36
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Christians may use lethal force in self-defense but not premeditated violence; Christian pacifism is mistaken

Applying the Luke 22:36 principle to the Christian ethics of self-defense

Luke 22:36 Christian ethics martyrdom Luke 22:36
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Fasting: the question is better framed as "is it good?" rather than "must I?"

Q&A from Sweet Eats 2 about whether Christians should fast

Christian ethics spiritual disciplines fasting
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Fasting's primary purpose is denying the flesh and gaining mastery over physical desires, not achieving spiritual mountaintop experiences

Correcting a common misunderstanding about fasting

spiritual disciplines self-denial fasting
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Fasting creates additional prayer time and a spiritually focused mindset

Additional practical benefits of fasting

prayer spiritual disciplines fasting
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Scripture assumes fasting is part of normal Christian life without mandating specific schedules; fasting for a single meal is valid

Scope and flexibility of fasting

spiritual disciplines fasting
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Exodus 7: Pharaoh's magicians reproduced some of Moses's signs — two possible explanations: sleight of hand or demonic power

Q&A from Garrett De Jong about how the magicians duplicated the signs

Exodus 7 Satan Exodus 7 Pharaoh's magicians
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Pharaoh's magicians' inferior reproductions reveal lesser power than Moses — turning fresh water to blood instead of reversing the Nile

Evidence that the magicians operated with limited power

Exodus 7 Exodus 7 Pharaoh's magicians demonic power
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Response to the charge that the church is a bloody, evil institution: distinguish Christ from institutional church history

Q&A from Connor Robinson about the church's violent history as an apologetic challenge

church history apologetics Jesus
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Jesus's letters to the seven churches in Revelation show the visible church often fails to represent Christ

Biblical support for why church failures do not disprove Christianity

Revelation 2-3 church history Revelation 2-3 seven churches of Revelation
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Parable of the Wheat and Tares explains the presence of ungodly people within the visible church

Second biblical resource for answering the bloody-church-history objection

Matthew 13 church history visible vs invisible church Parable of the Wheat and Tares
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

The Crusades: more defensible than popular narrative but also included real atrocities including use of child soldiers

Specific application of the church-history response to the Crusades

church history apologetics Christianity and violence
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-25

Upcoming Monday teaching: the strongest word-of-faith passage in Mark — assessing Kenneth Copeland's claims about faith and prayer

Preview of next teaching in the Mark series

Mark (gospel) prayer Kenneth Copeland faith
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Christians are not required to tithe (give 10%), but are absolutely required to give generously

Opening question from Facebook: are Christians supposed to tithe?

tithing New Testament ethics Christian giving
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Malachi 3:8 is the most-cited pro-tithe verse but is addressed to the nation of Israel under the Mosaic law, not to Christians

Examining the primary Old Testament tithing passage used to support Christian tithing

Malachi 3:8 Malachi 3:10 hermeneutics tithing Malachi 3:8
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

The Malachi tithe rebuke also includes offerings (firstborn animals), which modern tithe-preachers ignore — revealing selective application

Expanding the argument that the Malachi tithe command is being applied inconsistently

Malachi 3:8 hermeneutics tithing Malachi 3:8
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

In the Old Testament law the tithe went to Levites and priests, not to local pastors — so enforcing a 10% tithe should logically send money to Jewish Levites

Continuing the argument against applying the Malachi tithe to modern churches

hermeneutics tithing Levites
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Jesus mentions tithing twice but always speaking to Jews under the law; this cannot be extended to Gentile Christians

Surveying New Testament evidence for tithing

tithing New Testament ethics Mosaic Law applicability
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

New Testament giving priorities: the poor, the persecuted church, local ministers, and generosity as lifestyle — not limited to 10%

Constructive answer on what Christian giving should look like without a tithe mandate

James 1 Corinthians 9 James 1 Corinthians 9 Christian giving
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Christians have a biblical duty to protect others — pacifism taken to its logical extreme is evil

Question from Spazzy Jazzy about the extent to which Christians should protect and retaliate against abuse

violence Old Testament ethics self-defense
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Old Testament law: killing in self-defense carried no penalty, establishing self-defense as a legitimate moral category

Biblical grounding for self-defense

Mosaic Law self-defense homicide law
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Jesus commanded disciples to carry swords before his betrayal, indicating readiness for self-defense is a godly posture

New Testament grounding for self-defense, contrasted with earlier sending-out instructions

Luke 22:36 Peter Gethsemane Luke 22:36
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Balance principle: being armed and ready for self-defense is healthy; preemptive strikes from anger or against God's will for martyrdom are not

Synthesizing the sword/Gethsemane discussion into a practical principle

violence discernment self-defense
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Paying a discipler is wrong; a paywall on discipleship disqualifies the discipler

Question from Blake about someone offering to disciple him for payment

Acts 2:42 1 Timothy 5:18 Luke 8:3 Paul Acts 2:42 1 Timothy 5:18
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Hebrews 10:26-27 "sinning willfully" refers specifically to rejecting the gospel after knowing its truth, not to any deliberate sin

Question from Caleb McCurdy about Hebrews 10:26-27 and whether it implies differentiated judgment for those who never heard the gospel

Hebrews 10:26-27 judgment apostasy Hebrews 10:26-27
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Degrees of judgment in hell: God factors in knowledge when judging — sinning in ignorance vs. sinning with full knowledge results in different severity of judgment

Expanding the Hebrews 10 discussion to address differentiated eschatological judgment

Luke 12:47-48 judgment unevangelized hell
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Sinning in dreams: only requires repentance if you yielded your will to it in the dream; involuntary dream content is not sin

Question from Christian Liang about whether to repent for sins committed in dreams

repentance sin dreams
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Advice for young ministers: teach verse-by-verse through whole books rather than purely topical studies

Question from Andrej Pollock about practical advice for a young man called to ministry in a small church

Galatians Galatians preaching methodology verse-by-verse teaching
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Advice for young ministers: root out pride continually — comparing yourself to other ministers is a major red flag

Continued advice for Andrej Pollock on young ministry pitfalls

humility preaching methodology ministerial formation
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Hebrews 6:4-6 is the most challenging apostasy passage in the Bible; Mike is not yet ready to give a definitive answer on it

Question from Folky about the warning in Hebrews 6:4-6 regarding those who seem to have experienced salvation but then fall away

Hebrews 6:4-6 eternal security apostasy Hebrews 6:4-6
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Calvinism: regeneration precedes faith — the Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner first, making belief inevitable

Question from Jason Staub about whether faith from a fallen nature is "fruitful" faith, touching on the Calvinist doctrine of regeneration preceding faith

Calvinism soteriology total depravity
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