Search — Theology Explorer

Luke 10:39 Acts 22:3 N.T. Wright Luke 10:39 Mary and Martha

Argument 2 detail: N.T. Wright claims 'sat at the feet' is a technical phrase meaning rabbinical training

Wright argues that Mary sitting at Jesus's feet (Luke 10:39) means she was being trained to become a rabbi/teacher, not merely learning as a disciple.

Luke 8:35 sat at the feet Luke 8:35 Gerasene demoniac

Luke 8:35 uses the same phrase 'sitting at the feet of Jesus' for the healed demoniac — who was clearly not being trained as a rabbi

Mike finds a counter-example in the same gospel (Luke), only two chapters away, using the identical phrase.

Luke 10:39-42 Mary and Martha women in theological education Luke 10:39-42

Correction for complementarians: no theology is off limits to women

Mike uses the Mary passage to correct complementarians who would limit what theology women can learn.

Isaiah's wife Luke 2 Acts 21:9 Deborah women prophesying Miriam

Survey of women who prophesied in the Bible: Miriam, Huldah, Deborah, Isaiah's wife, Anna, Philip's four daughters

Mike establishes that women clearly prophesied throughout the Bible, both in the OT and NT.

Luke 2:36-38 women prophesying Anna Luke 2:36-38

Anna prophesied publicly at the temple to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem (Luke 2:36-38)

Mike presents Anna as another example of public, mixed-gender prophetic speech.

Mike Winger idea 2022-12-04

The utter silence view has a plain reading advantage but relies on verses out of context

Mike acknowledges the surface-level appeal of this view while noting its limitations.

Luke 14:26 plain reading verses out of context Luke 14:26

Mike Winger idea 2022-12-04

Additional scriptural examples of women prophesying publicly: Philip's daughters, Anna, Huldah, Deborah, Miriam

Mike cites multiple OT and NT examples of women prophesying publicly before mixed audiences.

Acts 21:9 Luke 2:36-38 Deborah Miriam Huldah

Mike Winger idea 2024-03-01

Proverbs 31 woman, Lydia, Priscilla, and women sponsors of Jesus as examples of women working

Mike gives biblical examples of women working outside the home.

Luke 8:1-3 Proverbs 31:16-24 Acts 16:14 Lydia Priscilla Aquila

Mike Winger idea 2024-03-01

Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38) — Jesus affirms theological learning over traditional hosting

Mike uses Mary and Martha as a key example for women's theological education.

Luke 10:38-42 N.T. Wright discipleship Mary and Martha

Mike Winger idea 2024-03-01

Women prophesying congregationally in the Bible — some speech to mixed groups is permitted

Mike uses biblical prophecy as evidence women can speak in congregational settings.

1 Corinthians 11 Luke 2 Acts 21 Deborah 1 Corinthians 11 women prophesying

Mike Winger idea 2018-01-10

Proof text #3: Luke 24:36-43 and anti-spirit-resurrection statement

Jesus' explicit claim about his resurrection body

Luke 24:36-43 Luke 24:36-43 Flesh and bones Spirit resurrection refuted

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-21

Jesus' principle of the greater good (Luke 14:1-6): even if blood transfusion were a moral rule violation, the greater good of saving life would override it.

Mike applies Jesus' Sabbath healing principle as a hypothetical override argument, granting the Watchtower's premise for argument's sake.

Luke 14:1-6 Sabbath healing blood as life symbol Luke 14:1-6

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-21

Luke 6: Jesus endorses David eating the bread of the Presence as evidence that preserving life can override ritual law.

Mike cites a second Sabbath/law-violation precedent from Jesus to reinforce the greater-good principle.

Luke 6 1 Samuel 21 greater good principle Jesus Luke 6

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-21

Summary of the biblical argument: blood transfusions are not eating blood; even if eating blood were prohibited, transfusions would be exempt; in Christ there is no food-purity prohibition at all; and even if there were, saving life overrides it.

Mike synthesizes the full biblical case before opening to Q&A.

blood transfusion Christian freedom greater good principle

Mike Winger idea 2018-02-07

Q&A: Distinction between a 'weak brother' (Romans 14) and a 'lukewarm brother' — the weak brother thinks something sinful that isn't; the lukewarm brother's love for God is waning.

Viewer question from TruthWatch about terminology from a previous video on being on fire for the Lord.

Romans 14 Revelation 3 lukewarm Romans 14 Revelation 3 weak brother

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 2018-01-24

Mormon terrestrial kingdom: middle level for 'lukewarm Mormons'; Jesus and Holy Spirit present, but no access to God the Father.

Details of the middle tier of the Mormon afterlife.

Mormon afterlife terrestrial kingdom LDS soteriology

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Luke 7:29 — tax collectors 'justified God' proves 'justified' can mean vindicated/validated, not salvifically made righteous

Key proof text showing non-theological use of 'justified' in the New Testament without needing Greek knowledge

Luke 7:29 semantic range dikaioo justification

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

Conclusion of hermeneutical argument: 'justified' in James 2 means proven/demonstrated to be right, not salvifically made righteous

Applying the Luke 7:29 argument back to James 2

James 2 hermeneutics James 2 dikaioo

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-14

The thief on the cross — deathbed conversion with no works is consistent with James 2 because James addresses ongoing Christian life

Handling the apparent exception of the thief on the cross

James 2 Luke 23 James 2 works as evidence of faith thief on the cross

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Q&A — Luke 23:43 and John 20:17: Jesus eating post-resurrection and 'do not cling to me'

Viewer asks about the relationship between two post-resurrection passages

Luke 23:43 John 20:17 Mary Magdalene Jesus resurrection

Mike Winger idea 2018-03-21

Thomas touching Jesus in Luke — touching is fine, clinging is what was forbidden in John 20:17

Clarifying John 20:17 by comparison to the Thomas passage

John 20:17 John 20:27 Mary Magdalene Jesus resurrection

Gospel origins Richard Carrier ad hoc reasoning

Carrier constructs a 'Frankenstein theory' drawing on ancient literature to claim Gospel narratives were plagiarized from myths

Carrier's literary dependence argument for the Gospel narratives

Markan priority Gospel origins resurrection Dan Barker

Barker's legendary growth argument cherry-picks data — each Gospel sometimes has more miraculous content, sometimes less

Mike's critique of Barker's fourth objection

apostolos the Twelve New Testament

The word 'apostle' has two meanings in Scripture: one who walked with Jesus, and the broader sense of a sent-out missionary

Q&A — response to George Cook's question about which apostles met Jesus in person

Markan priority New Testament Gospel origins Markan priority

Which Gospel was written first — Mike defers to scholarly consensus and warns of the 'house of cards' nature of Gospel dating arguments

Q&A — Cam Spears's question about Gospel authorship dates

Mike Winger idea 2018-08-29

Aaron Ra's list of unmet messianic prophecies — Jesus was not Jewish? He was not of tribe of Judah?

Ra presents a list of six messianic prophecies he claims Jesus failed to fulfill

Matthew genealogy Luke genealogy Messianic prophecy Genealogy of Jesus Matthew genealogy

Mike Winger idea 2018-04-11

Q&A: Satan's final judgment — is Satan already in the lake of fire because of the cross?

Viewer question: Did Christ's victory at the cross cast Satan into the lake of fire? Is Satan now just a puppet?

Revelation eschatology Revelation preterism

eschatology failed apocalyptic prophet charge Bertrand Russell

Introduction: the topic is eschatology and the 'failed apocalyptic prophet' charge against Jesus

Mike opens the livestream, signals the depth of preparation, and identifies the central question driving the stream.

Mark 13:30 Luke 21:32 Matthew 10:23 Mark 13:30 Luke 21:32 Matthew 10:23

Five key Jesus sayings that appear to predict an imminent second coming

Mike quotes the specific texts that drive the 'failed prophet' accusation before addressing them.

Mark 13 synthesis Olivet Discourse Mark 13 synthesis long delay

Mark 13 synthesis: Jesus taught a long delay, not an imminent return

Mike draws the interpretive conclusion from the whole of Mark 13 before moving to Luke 21.

Luke 21:5-19 Luke 21:5-19 Olivet Discourse Luke delay signal in Luke

Luke 21:5-19 — parallel to Mark 13: delay, persecutions, not-yet signs

Mike moves to Luke 21 and shows the parallel structure confirming the same interpretive logic.

Luke 21:20-24 Romans 11 fullness of Gentiles Matthew 3:15 Luke 21:20-24 armies surrounding Jerusalem AD 70 partial fulfillment

Luke 21:20-24 — Jerusalem surrounded by armies: partial fulfillment in AD 70, not the abomination of desolation

Key difference between Mark and Luke: Luke gives a different 'sign' — armies surrounding Jerusalem, which Mike connects to AD 70, not the final abomination.

Luke 21:25-28 Revelation cosmic signs cosmic signs Luke 21:25-28 second coming in Luke

Luke 21:25-28 — cosmic signs and visible coming after the times of the Gentiles

After the 'times of the Gentiles' pause, Jesus gives the cosmic-sign sequence leading to his coming in Luke 21.

Luke 21:29-36 this generation Luke 21:29-36 fig tree parable Luke

Luke 21:29-36 — 'this generation' in Luke: the generation that sees the signs, not the first century

Mike applies the same interpretive logic to the 'this generation' phrase in Luke as in Mark.

Matthew 24:1-3 Matthew 24:1-3 end of the age disciples' question in Matthew

Matthew 24:1-3 — disciples explicitly ask about the end of the age, confirming the larger scope

Mike turns to Matthew 24 and highlights what Matthew adds to the parallel accounts.