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All (15) Scripture Commentary (1) Mike Winger (14)
Scripture Commentary article 2018-03-22

Was the death of Jesus evil? Calvinism and ordained evil

This question is often asked of those of us who do not believe that God initiates evil. If God predestined the death of Jesus, does this mean that God commanded or ordained the evil acts of men? A Calvinist website describes God’s ordaining of evil this way:

2 Corinthians 5:21 Acts 4:27-28 Acts 5:27–30 Soteriology Calvinism Atonement
Mike Winger idea 2018-10-17

John 19:11 — Jesus tells Pilate that the one who handed him over 'has the greater sin,' demonstrating a qualitative comparison of two specific sins.

Mike examines the conversation between Jesus and Pilate during the Passion narrative as a direct statement by Jesus about comparative sin.

John 19:11 hierarchy of sin Jesus John 19:11
Mike Winger idea 2019-02-20

Cleopas in Luke 24 and Clopas in John 19 — the same person as a named eyewitness source

Case study in named eyewitness sourcing: the road to Emmaus account.

Luke 24:18 John 19:25 eyewitness guarantors named individuals in Gospels Luke 24:18
Mike Winger idea 2019-02-27

Burial on day of preparation before Sabbath - corroborated across Gospels

Internal consistency of burial timeline

Preparation day Sabbath Internal consistency
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

James the brother of Jesus — conversion from skeptic to martyr

McLatchie presents the conversion and martyrdom of James, Jesus's brother, as particularly strong evidence for the resurrection.

Acts 1 James the brother of Jesus John 7:5 Josephus resurrection of Jesus Acts 1
Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Gospel evidence: titulus (sign above head) requires a lowercase-T cross, not a stake

Two of the four Gospels record that a sign (the titulus) was placed above Jesus's head on the cross, naming his charge. This detail is evidence for a lowercase-T shaped cross rather than a torture stake.

Matthew 27 John 19 crucifixion cross Matthew 27
Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

The real Watchtower error: denying the sufficiency of Christ's atonement, not just the shape of the cross

Winger argues that the cross-shape dispute, while useful in exposing Watchtower unreliability, is secondary to the far more serious Watchtower error: they deny that Jesus's death on the cross was sufficient to pay for sin.

Ephesians 2:8-9 John 19:30 justification by faith atonement Ephesians 2:8-9
Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Q&A: Does the Watchtower's New World Translation include a sign above Jesus's head on the stake?

A viewer asks whether the New World Translation includes the Gospel detail of a sign above Jesus's head, since that detail would complicate the torture-stake theory.

John 19:19 New World Translation cross torture stake
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-30

'It is finished' — full payment was complete at the moment of death; descent to spirits in prison was proclamation, not suffering

Follow-up on the atonement question about whether Jesus experienced the equivalent of hell.

John 19:30 1 Peter 3:18-20 atonement descent into hell it is finished
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-26

Ephesians 5:25-32 — the mystery of marriage as a typological picture of Christ and the church, rooted in the Adam-Eve narrative.

Discussing the "mystery" Paul refers to in Ephesians 5:32 while addressing the Vulgate question.

Ephesians 5:25-32 John 19:34 Christ and the Church typology Adam and Eve
Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Mary did not remain a perpetual virgin — Scripture clearly indicates she had other children with Joseph after Jesus

Q11 from Lovisa Bengtsen: Did Mary remain a virgin? Were the brothers of Jesus actually cousins? If she had other sons, why did John need to care for her?

James (brother of Jesus) John the Apostle John 19:26-27 James (brother of Jesus) John the Apostle brothers of Jesus
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-19

Points 3-5: (3) Lamb had to be male — Jesus as male representative of all humanity, as Adam represented all (1 Cor 15:22,45). (4) Without blemish — Jesus was sinless (Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 1:18-19: "precious blood of Christ, like a lamb without blemish"). YOU didn't have to be holy; your SACRIFICE had to be holy. (5) Lamb was examined/inspected before sacrifice — Jesus was examined by Pilate, Herod, Sanhedrin and found faultless (John 19:4-6).

Points 3-5 — male, without blemish, inspected

1 Corinthians 15:22 1 Corinthians 15:45 Hebrews 4:15 1 Corinthians 15:22 1 Corinthians 15:45 Hebrews 4:15
Mike Winger idea 2020-04-19

Points 8-12: (8) Lamb substituted for the firstborn — Jesus is God's firstborn/only-begotten (John 3:16, Col 1:15, Heb 1:6). (9) No bones broken — Exodus 12:46, fulfilled in John 19:33-36 when soldiers didn't break Jesus's legs. (10) Offered for the household/family — Jesus creates a new family of God (John 1:12). (11) Lamb had to be slain/die — the death was required, not optional; Jesus said he MUST be killed (Mark 8:31). (12) Had to be at Jerusalem — Deuteronomy 16:5-6; Jesus crucified in Jerusalem.

Points 8-12 — firstborn, bones, household, death, location

John 1:12 Mark 8:31 Colossians 1:15 firstborn John 1:12 children of God
Mike Winger idea 2021-09-24

Were Any of Jesus’ Bones Broken?: If the nail of a crucified victim was inserted through the heel bone or ankle bone, how should we interpret John 19: 36? Wouldn’t a nail cause the bone to break?

Q&A question: Were Any of Jesus’ Bones Broken?

John 19 Jesus John 19
Mike Winger idea 2022-08-13

Communion Elements/Did Jesus Drink Wine?: My family and I attend a church that is in fellowship with an organization that uses water during communion instead of wine or grape juice. They attempt to use John 19: 34 to justify this, and they also believe Jesus never consumed wine. Is this biblical?

Q&A question: Communion Elements/Did Jesus Drink Wine?

John 19 Jesus communion John 19