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All (69) Mike Winger (69)

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-30

Hebrews 10:19-22 — believers can enter the holy places directly through Jesus's blood

Mike uses Hebrews to demonstrate that all believers have direct access to God without a mediator.

Hebrews 10:19-22 priesthood mediation Hebrews 10:19-22

Mike Winger idea 2022-12-04

Hebrews 13:17 and 2 Timothy 2:2 -- elders watch over souls and guard doctrine

Mike cites additional passages showing elders' responsibility to guard what the congregation receives.

1 Timothy 3:2 Hebrews 13:17 2 Timothy 2:2 elder qualifications 1 Timothy 3:2 Hebrews 13:17

Mike Winger idea 2024-03-01

Definition of pastor: a shepherding/caretaking leadership term synonymous with elder

Mike defines how he uses the word 'pastor' based on scripture.

Ephesians 4:11 1 Peter 2:25 Hebrews 13:20 Ephesians 4:11 1 Peter 2:25 Hebrews 13:20

Mike Winger idea 2023-11-22

Linda Belleville's argument: elders don't have authority anyway

Mike addresses the egalitarian claim that NT church leaders had no special authority.

Hebrews 13:17 Matthew 18 1 Corinthians 5 Nympha argument from silence exousia

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-29

Aaron Ra's bold claim: 'Everything the Bible says about any field of science is laughably wrong'

Ra makes a sweeping claim that nothing in the Bible is scientifically accurate

Genesis 1 Job - water cycle Hebrews 11 Genesis 1 Bible and science Job - water cycle

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-11

Reason 6 addressed: Scientific foreknowledge in the Bible — prophecy is superior to scientific insight as apologetic evidence

The skeptic argues an inspired Bible would contain scientific knowledge humans couldn't have had (e.g., quantum mechanics, germ theory). Mike largely treats this as a restatement of Reason 5.

Hebrews 10:19-22 — believers can enter the holy places directly through Jesus's blood

Hebrews 13:17 and 2 Timothy 2:2 -- elders watch over souls and guard doctrine

Definition of pastor: a shepherding/caretaking leadership term synonymous with elder

Linda Belleville's argument: elders don't have authority anyway

Aaron Ra's bold claim: 'Everything the Bible says about any field of science is laughably wrong'

Reason 6 addressed: Scientific foreknowledge in the Bible — prophecy is superior to scientific insight as apologetic evidence

Hebrews 10:28-29 — Rejecting the gospel of Christ deserves a worse punishment than violating the Mosaic law, establishing a clear hierarchy between sins.

Hell likely involves graded punishment — Jesus' teaching about more or less tolerable judgment supports the idea that individual experience in final condemnation varies.

Zahnd claims the Bible contradicts itself and that the Psalms/Prophets argue against the Torah — both claims are false

Hebrews 10 and Mark 1:44 show that Jesus fulfilled the sacrificial system rather than rejecting or editing it

Pivot to objections: addressing 'but what about?' passages that skeptics use to support the faith-without-evidence definition

Hebrews 11:1 — introduction and reference to Amy Hall's article at STR.org

Hebrews 11:1 is a description of what faith looks like, not a definition of why or how we believe

Hebrews 11: 'not seen' means future realities not yet occurring, not things lacking evidence — illustrated by Noah building the ark

Abraham and Sarah in Hebrews 11: faith as trust in specific divine promises, not evidence-free belief

The Hebrews 11 heroes had concrete reasons for their faith: direct speech from God, angelic visitations, inherited testimony

119 Ministries' core philosophical claim: Jesus is the Word, therefore Jesus is the Bible, therefore obeying Jesus means obeying OT law — Mike calls this irrational

119 Ministries uses Hebrews to argue Jesus does not change, therefore the Bible does not change, therefore you must obey OT law — Mike dissects this logical chain

John 6:53 — "eat my flesh and drink my blood" is symbolic, not a basis for the Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist

Q&A: Why is Samson in the Hebrews Hall of Faith? Was Samson saved?

Hebrews 1 supports the distinction: Jesus is the radiance/imprint of God, not God the Father himself.

Boghossian redefines "faith" as "pretending to know things you don't know"

The false definition of faith makes Christian claims appear unreasonable before dialogue even begins

Q&A: Hebrews 11:1 is a description of faith in action, not a definition of faith

Greg Mater (former Christian) incorrectly cited Hebrews 11:1 as a definition of faith rather than a description

Hebrews 6 is best read as a corporate statement about Israel rather than individuals losing their salvation; Hebrews 10 is easier to reconcile with eternal security

Q&A: Jehovah's Witnesses and Hebrews 1:8 — 'Your throne, O God' vs. 'God is your throne'

Hebrews 1:1-2 — God created the world "through" his Son: economic Trinity and the agency of the Son in creation

Symmetry of creation and salvation: both occur through the Son

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

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

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

Perseverance of the Saints — Mike is unresolved, not firmly opposed

Christian self-improvement is valid but must be reframed biblically: strength in weakness, contentment from God's presence not wealth

Hebrews 1:1-2 does not prohibit God from speaking to individuals today

Hebrews 13:2 - entertaining angels unawares; the word angelos means messenger but probably refers to spiritual beings here, based on OT cross-references (Genesis 18-19).

Entertaining angels unawares is a super-rare event in Scripture; the main application of Hebrews 13:2 is the importance of showing kindness to strangers, not predicting frequency of angelic visits.

Sexual passion within marriage is good and to be celebrated; the fire/fireplace metaphor: sex in marriage is beautiful like fire in a fireplace, destructive outside it.

Typological reading of Cain/Abel: works vs. faith — valid typology but not the cause of rejection

Hebrews 11:4: Abel's sacrifice was better because it was offered by faith

Q13: Anxiety about salvation and blasphemy of the Holy Spirit — prayer and resource recommendation

Rahab's deception of those seeking the spies is commended in Hebrews 11, suggesting not all deception is sinful

Romans 13:1 requires submission to governing authorities, but the command to gather (Hebrews 10:25) creates a potential tension during COVID restrictions

Divine discipline in Hebrews 12: suffering is God's loving discipline and can be broad — including consequences of sin or trials for character formation.

Matthew 13:44-46 (Pearl of Great Price / Treasure in the Field): interpretation debate — is the person Jesus or the believer? Mike leans toward Jesus as the buyer.

Mark 8:5-9 — Jesus asking for the loaves teaches using what you have; what Jesus chose not to do does not define the limits of his power.

Hebrews 12:1 — the cloud of witnesses is the inspiring example of their lives, not people watching from heaven; secular inspiring figures are fine but cannot be primary mentors

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

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.

Kalam leads to God with biblical attributes via conceptual analysis

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