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Scripture Commentary article 2020-06-02

The Giving Part 2: Judas the Betrayer, a Balanced View of the Sovereignty of God

[Music] the giving is a balanced view of the sovereignty of God God's sovereignty is vitally important for us to know God yet it's God's sovereignty taught as a system of theological thought which can lead to a person reading into the biblical text an outside concept that is foreign to the writers i...

Luke 22:18 Luke 22:21 Luke 22:3 Soteriology Calvinism Atonement
Mike Winger idea 2022-05-09

Philip Payne's argument: traveling with Jesus full-time raised moral suspicions

Mike presents Payne's specific cultural argument.

Philip Payne moral suspicion argument women following Jesus
Mike Winger idea 2017-12-27

Q&A: Jesus's swords passage — 'have a sword but don't use it' and the principle of Christian self-defense

Live chat question from Ryan White about Luke 22:35-38 and Luke 22:49-51 / John 18:10-11.

Luke 22:36-38 Luke 22:49-51 John 18:10-11 Luke 22:36-38 Luke 22:49-51 John 18:10-11
Mike Winger idea 2019-02-20

Q&A: How did the disciples know what Jesus prayed in Gethsemane if he prayed alone?

Q&A on the epistemological basis for the Gethsemane prayer account.

Luke 22:41 Matthew 26:39 eyewitness testimony Holy Spirit inspiration private scenes in Gospels
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

The necessity of Christ's atonement is biblically defensible; Jesus's Gethsemane prayer implies there was no other way to redeem fallen humanity

Response to question about whether God needed Christ's sacrifice in order to cleanse us for indwelling by the Holy Spirit

Matthew 26:39 atonement Matthew 26:39 Gethsemane
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-18

Gethsemane — Jesus was not separated from the Father; "forsaken" means handed over to a terrible fate, not ontological separation of the Trinity

Question from Blake about whether Jesus was forsaken/separated from the Father in Gethsemane.

Psalm 22 Luke 22:44 Trinity Christology Psalm 22
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 2020-10-02

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

"Slain in the Spirit" is not taught in the Bible and is inconsistent with the Spirit's fruit of self-control

Question from Steph T about whether being slain in the Spirit is biblical and how to distinguish it from demonic possession

Galatians 5:23 John 18:6 Anaheim Vineyard self-control charismatic gifts
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-09

How Gospel writers knew what Jesus said when alone — Garden of Gethsemane example

Question from Meg Ward about eyewitness accounts for scenes where Jesus was alone

James John Matthew Peter James John
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-23

Matthew 26:46 — Jesus voluntarily walks forward into betrayal and crucifixion

Question from Hunter Clyce about Matthew 26:46.

Matthew 26:46 crucifixion Judas Iscariot Garden of Gethsemane
Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Can a Christian be demonized or possessed? — No, the Spirit-indwelt believer cannot be internally possessed

A viewer asks if a Christian can be demonized and if Mike has ever cast out a demon.

Matthew 4 1 Peter 5:8 Ephesians 6:12 spiritual warfare Holy Spirit indwelling exorcism
Mike Winger idea 2018-10-31

Mike argues that killing in self-defense is clearly permitted by Scripture, citing Old Testament law which imposed no penalty for legitimate self-defense, and Jesus’ instruction to the disciples to carry swords the night of his betrayal.

Response to viewer question about whether killing in self-defense is wrong in God’s eyes

Luke 22 Christian ethics just war Old Testament law
Mike Winger idea 2021-04-09

Resting in God does not mean absence of anguish — the "bedrock" model of Christian peace

Question from Faith Marie about resting in God's presence and staying connected throughout the day.

2 Corinthians 4:8 Rest in God Christian peace Suffering / trials
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

The NT reliably narrates events where Jesus was alone — he could have told disciples, and Holy Spirit aided gospel authors

Q19 from Stephen Richeson: How do we know the NT is reliable for events where Jesus was alone, such as the temptation in the wilderness or Gethsemane?

John 14:26 eyewitness testimony Holy Spirit inspiration temptation of Jesus
Mike Winger idea 2020-05-21

Geographic knowledge in the gospels: the four gospel writers demonstrate detailed knowledge of Palestinian geography — small villages (Bethany, Bethphage, Chorazin), sub-village locations (Garden of Gethsemane = "oil press" on the Mount of Olives), topography ("went DOWN from Jerusalem to Jericho" — correct elevation change), and traveling times. This knowledge couldn't come from other ancient sources (Strabo, Pliny, Josephus don't have this level of detail). Only two explanations: the writers visited or spoke with eyewitnesses.

Geographic evidence — local knowledge test

gospel reliability geographic evidence Palestinian geography
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 2020-09-28

Mark 14 (Gethsemane) is the intentional counterpoint to Mark 11 — Jesus with perfect faith, no sin, no unforgiveness prays and God says NO. Faith means trusting God both when he says yes AND when he says no.

The missing piece: Jesus' Gethsemane prayer as counterpoint to the prayer promise

Mark 14:35-36 Word of Faith Gethsemane prayer Word of Faith
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-28

Conclusion: Mark 11 teaches new-covenant prayer through Christ, accessed by faith (not works). Real faith believes both for miracles AND in suffering when God says no. The harder path of faith is trusting God's "no."

Summary of the full teaching on prayer from Mark 11 and 14

Mark 11:22-25 Mark 14:35-36 Kenneth Copeland Word of Faith Kenneth Copeland
Mike Winger idea 2023-12-16

Did Jesus Doubt?: Is it true to say that Jesus doubted? How would you respond to someone that claims that He did (in Gethsemane), implying it's OK to doubt?

Q&A question: Did Jesus Doubt?

Jesus
Mike Winger idea 2025-03-21

Garden of Gethsemane: What is The Cup?: In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prays for the Father to let the cup pass from Him. I've understood the cup to be God's wrath, but Jesus says a few chapters later that James & John will drink it, too.

Q&A question: Garden of Gethsemane: What is The Cup?

James James Jesus