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All (494) Scripture Commentary (79) Theology (26) Mike Winger (388) Pulpit (1)
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

Verifiability: Simmons's claims are provably false by checking the Greek text; the apostolic claims are historically robust.

Third distinction: the content of the claims can be tested.

Romans 1 Brian Simmons William Lane Craig Gary Habermas
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-05

Who is a brother or sister in Christ? Core doctrines required: the identity and saving work of Jesus — his real existence, death, resurrection, and forgiveness of sins through faith.

Question from Rosie A. about the minimum beliefs required to consider someone a fellow Christian.

James 2 James 2 Christian essentials Salvation theology
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

Belief in Christ's resurrection transforms the believer's relationship to death — to die is to pass into God's presence

Mike continues his counsel on fear of death, drawing on the resurrection and Paul's teaching.

2 Corinthians 5:8 John 11 Paul the Apostle resurrection 2 Corinthians 5:8
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

1 John 4:18 — perfect love casts out fear; fear of punishment stems from insufficient awareness of God's love

Mike addresses the secondary fear connected to death — fear of divine judgment and punishment.

1 John 4:18 assurance of salvation God's love fear of judgment
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-12

God's timing for the Incarnation was strategically optimal — Jesus came when manuscript distribution, roads, and population growth maximized gospel spread

Mike continues the Matthew 11 answer by addressing why Jesus did not go to Sodom in the past.

Matthew 11:22-24 manuscript evidence apologetics Providence
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-19

Christ's human nature died; his divine nature explains the resurrection

The two-natures framework resolves the death/deity tension: humanity accounts for his death, deity makes his resurrection inevitable.

Acts 2:24 resurrection hypostatic union death of Christ
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-19

Question: What happens to animals and insects when they die?

Viewer Samantha Hott asks whether animals and insects have souls and what becomes of them at death.

death soul new creation
Mike Winger idea 2020-12-04

How to find God: Christianity's goal is not emotional comfort but truth and relationship; reading and praying without trusting Christ is insufficient.

Question from an anonymous person (username 'it's me') who found comfort in the New Age but confusion in Christianity after 5 months of reading and prayer.

Assurance of salvation New Age spirituality Conversion and faith
Mike Winger idea 2021-01-22

Religion as social control: a compliment, not a refutation

Summer Monsoon asked how to respond to the claim that religion is just a mechanism for social control and helps people cope with death.

Mormonism Islam resurrection
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Cremation does not threaten resurrection or salvation

Anonymous questioner facing financial hardship asks if cremation prevents resurrection or constitutes sin. A nearby pastor told the questioner that cremation is pagan and only burial is biblical.

salvation resurrection cremation
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Dust-to-dust theology supports cremation being theologically neutral

Mike grounds the cremation discussion in Genesis and the nature of death as returning to dust.

Genesis 3 Genesis 3 resurrection cremation
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: death by fire carries no threat to eternal future

Mike uses Daniel as a typological support that fire or destruction of the body does not threaten resurrection.

Daniel 3 resurrection fire cremation
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Burial symbolism matters even though cremation is permissible

Mike affirms cremation is acceptable but argues for the value of burial symbolism and honoring the dead.

Luke 23 Leviticus Luke 23 Leviticus burial
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Non-negotiable Christian doctrines — essentials vs. secondary issues

DJ Diner asks what doctrines Christians should plant their flag on and never back down from.

Mormonism biblical inerrancy Trinity
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Where are we judged — earth, heaven, or in between? Eschatological timeline

Damon Brook asks where humans are located during the final judgment.

Revelation 21 millennium eschatology second coming
Mike Winger idea 2021-02-26

Saints rising from tombs after the crucifixion (Matthew 27) — who were they?

James and Lindsey ask about the people coming out of tombs after Jesus's resurrection in Matthew 27 — did they continue living or ascend?

Matthew 27:52-53 Lazarus crucifixion Matthew 27:52-53
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-05

The empty tomb was verifiable: women as witnesses (embarrassing to early church = authentic), the women are named (eyewitness identification per Bauckham), Roman guards monitored it

Responding to how anyone could be sure the right tomb was checked if Jesus was beaten unrecognizably

Mark's Gospel Matthew 27:62-66 Richard Bauckham resurrection apologetics
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Practical advice for an agnostic seeking to believe

Question from "It's Flawless," an agnostic trying to believe.

Gospel of John Apologetics Agnosticism / seeking faith
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

The Mandela Effect cannot explain the disciples' confidence in the resurrection

Hypothetical question from Ethan Hawking about whether the Mandela Effect could account for disciples' resurrection belief.

1 Corinthians 15 1 Corinthians 15 Apologetics Burden of proof
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Do unbelievers receive resurrected physical bodies at the final judgment?

Question about whether those who reject Christ also receive physical bodies at the resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15 Revelation 20 1 Corinthians 15 Revelation 20 Bodily resurrection
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-23

The claim that Jesus was based on Jesus ben Ananias (from Josephus) is historically untenable given the robust bedrock consensus of historical facts about Jesus.

Q16 from Aaron Rampersad: what do you think about the claim that Jesus Christ was based on Jesus ben Ananias in Josephus's Jewish War?

Josephus apologetics Richard Carrier
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

1 John 3:4-10 does not teach sinless perfectionism — the Greek present tense indicates habitual lifestyle of sin, not single acts

Q14 from Shauna Whitting: Does 1 John 3:4-10 mean you are not a real Christian if you still struggle with sin?

1 John 2:1 1 John 3:4-10 habitual sin limited atonement propitiation
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-19

Kalam as a bridge to Christianity; deism rebutted; Mormonism incompatible

Wrapping up the Kalam answer, addressing deism and Mormonism.

Mormonism Joseph Smith Kalam Cosmological Argument
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 2021-04-30

God chose to redeem through the cross to display his love, patience, righteousness, and desire for relationship simultaneously.

Question 15 from Daniel James about why God chose death and resurrection as the method of redemption.

John 3:16 atonement Incarnation righteousness of God
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-12

Objection: this only gets you to generic theism, not the Christian God. Response: each attribute (spaceless, timeless, etc.) was justified, not ad hoc; the Kalam is meant to be followed by evidence for the resurrection to identify the God.

Objection — doesn't prove the Christian God

Kalam cosmological argument cumulative case apologetics Kalam cosmological argument
Mike Winger idea 2020-02-12

Q&A: Revelation 21:1-2 and time in heaven. Heaven will involve time — months, sequential experiences — in physical resurrected bodies in the new creation. "Time will be no more" is poetic for everlasting, not literal timelessness.

Q&A — time in heaven (Revelation 21-22)

Revelation 21:1-2 Revelation 22:1-2 new heaven and new earth William Lane Craig physical resurrection
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-04

Q: Difference between a false teacher and someone you disagree with? False teachers violate essential Christian truths (e.g., denying Christ's deity). Secondary issues (like inerrancy debates) are in-house disagreements, not false teaching. The line can get blurry on some issues.

Q&A — false teachers vs disagreement

false teachers false teachers essential vs secondary doctrines
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-04

Q: Evidence for the virgin birth? Not as strong as resurrection evidence, but that's okay — not every doctrine needs the same burden of proof. Mike believes it because Scripture teaches it. The argument chain: resurrection → inspiration of Scripture → virgin birth. The central claim (resurrection) carries the secondary claims.

Q&A — evidence for the virgin birth

virgin birth inspiration of Scripture virgin birth
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-04

Q: Good apologetics books? On Guard by William Lane Craig (accessible) or Reasonable Faith (scholarly). The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel for overall Christianity evidence — the first apologetics book Mike ever read.

Q&A — apologetics book recommendations

Lee Strobel William Lane Craig William Lane Craig
Mike Winger idea 2020-03-18

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

apostolic martyrdom sincerity of testimony
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

Mike presents a detailed gospel message: how to get saved. Romans 10:9 is the core verse — confess Jesus is Lord, believe God raised him from the dead, and you will be saved. Simple but with deep layers when you zoom in.

Introduction — how to get saved

Romans 10:9 gospel presentation Romans 10:9 how to get saved
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

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

Matthew 26:28 substitutionary atonement OT sacrificial system Matthew 26:28
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

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

Romans 10:9 repentance repentance Romans 10:9
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

What salvation produces: (1) Adoption as God's children (1 John 3:1); (2) Indwelling of the Holy Spirit — born again, new creation (Titus 3:5, 2 Cor 5:17); (3) Complete forgiveness of sins; (4) Eternal life — not ethereal existence but new heaven and new earth with perfect fellowship. Simple to receive, vast in scope.

Results of salvation — adoption, Spirit, eternal life

1 John 3:1 Titus 3:5 regeneration born again 1 John 3:1
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

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

repentance gospel presentation repentance
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

Mike interviews Natasha Crain, author of "Talking with Your Kids about Jesus" — an apologetics book for parents covering 30 conversations about Jesus that kids need in today's world. Five sections: identity, teachings, death, resurrection, and difference Jesus makes.

Introduction — Natasha Crain interview

Natasha Crain kids apologetics Talking with Your Kids about Jesus
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-08

Building a case for Jesus's miracles with kids: (1) If God exists, miracles are possible — this is a worldview starting point. (2) Earliest sources (Mark) describe a miracle-working Jesus — 40% of Mark's narrative involves miracles. (3) No sources describe a non-miracle-working Jesus. (4) Miracles are integrally woven into the narrative — you can't remove them without the story collapsing. (5) Virtually all historians agree Jesus drew large crowds doing something remarkable. (6) The resurrection is the central miracle with significant historical evidence.

Case for Jesus's miracles — for kids

1 Corinthians 15:14 Gary Habermas Gospel of Mark Gospel of Mark
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-15

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

Psalm 22 Psalm 22 Matthew 27:46 Psalm 22 Psalm 22 Matthew 27:46
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-29

Q&A: How to deal with worry about death as a young Christian. The gospel IS the solution to death: Jesus's empty tomb means resurrection is real. Mike shares attending an atheist's funeral — no comfort, only empty cliches. Christian "cliches" about being with the Lord and seeing loved ones again are actually TRUE. Re-read the resurrection accounts and biographies of faithful saints.

Q&A — fear of death

gospel presentation fear of death resurrection hope
Mike Winger idea 2020-05-06

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

apostolic martyrdom Sean McDowell conspiracy hypothesis
Mike Winger idea 2020-05-06

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

Lee Strobel empty tomb apostolic martyrdom
Mike Winger idea 2020-06-03

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

1 Peter 2:24 physical resurrection 1 Peter 2:24 healing in the atonement
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-12

Four things to know before historical investigation of Jesus: (1) Historical investigation is limited — historians intentionally bracket inspiration of Scripture. (2) Failure to confirm ≠ denial it happened. (3) History is probabilistic — the best verdict is "extremely likely," never 100%%. (4) Scholars are people with biases — Bart Ehrman rejects miracles by methodology, not evidence ("as a historian you're not allowed to posit miracles").

Framework for historical investigation of Jesus

Bart Ehrman Mike Licona Bart Ehrman
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-12

Argument 1 — Jesus's death predictions are very early: (a) Matthew 16:17-23 contains Semiticisms ("son of Jonah," "flesh and blood," "Hades") pointing to Aramaic origins, not later Greek tradition. (b) Mark 9:31 has a paronomasia (pun) in Aramaic: "son of man handed into the hands of men." (c) 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 (Last Supper) is written before the Gospels. (d) Paul distinguishes Jesus's commands from his own (1 Cor 7) — proving he doesn't invent words of Jesus.

Argument 1 — earliness of predictions

Matthew 16:17-23 Mark 9:31 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 Semiticisms Matthew 16:17-23 Mark 9:31
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-12

Argument 2 — Multiple attestation: Mike Licona found 19+ passages across Mark, M (Matthew-only), L (Luke-only), and John independently attesting Jesus's death/resurrection predictions. Historians consider TWO independent sources "pay dirt" — this has far more. Jesus's prayer in Gethsemane (knowing he'll die) is in Mark 14, Matthew 26, and Luke 22 independently.

Argument 2 — multiple independent attestation

Mike Licona multiple attestation Mike Licona
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-12

Argument 3 — Criterion of embarrassment: Jesus's predictions include embarrassing elements the early church wouldn't invent. (a) Peter rebukes Jesus for predicting his death — then Jesus calls Peter "Satan" (Mark 8:33). The leader of the church being called Satan is not something the church would fabricate. (b) Disciples repeatedly fail to understand Jesus's predictions — they argue about who's greatest right after. The church wouldn't invent their founders' incompetence.

Argument 3 — criterion of embarrassment

Mark 8:33 criterion of embarrassment Mark 8:33 Peter called Satan
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-12

Theological insight from the predictions: Jesus saw his death as purposeful sacrifice, not tragedy. He predicted specifics: delivered to chief priests, condemned, handed to Gentiles, mocked, spit on, scourged, killed — and rise three days later. Progressive Christians who reject substitutionary atonement must explain why Jesus described his death as sacrificial and purposeful in his own words. The predictions show Jesus understood himself as Isaiah's Suffering Servant.

Theological insight — purposeful sacrifice, not tragic death

Mark 10:32-34 Mark 10:45 Suffering Servant substitutionary atonement progressive Christianity
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-14

Richard Carrier's mythicist theory (Jesus in outer space, apostles were schizotypal): Carrier is credentialed but widely disrespected in his field, on the fringe of scholarship. His strength is recall of sources; his weakness is unjustified connections between data points. His scholarly language ("perhaps," "what if") masks the extreme nature of his claims. Put the burden of proof on him to defend his theory.

Richard Carrier mythicism — fringe scholarship

Richard Carrier mythicism historical Jesus
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-21

Mike affirms the rapture doctrine from 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 as plain biblical teaching. The Greek harpazo ("caught up") → Latin rapturus → English "rapture." He's unsettled on pre/mid/post-trib timing but firmly believes in the event itself. Holds a futurist view of Revelation — future events not yet fulfilled.

Rapture — affirmed, timing unsettled

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 rapture rapture 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
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