Bible Thinker

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 Introduction 1. 0:18 Is the command in Genesis to “be fruitful and multiply” still applicable to us today? Is it wrong for married couples to choose not to have children if they don’t feel the desire or the calling to be parents? 2. 13:43 Am I being too legalistic by not wanting to sing Hillsong, Elevation Worship, and Bethel Music due to the doctrines of the churches they are a part of? 3. 17:50 Can you please talk about your view on Netflix? Should Christians cancel their Netflix subscription? 4. 19:33 Why did the Holy Spirit leave Saul, and why did an evil spirit from the Lord enter into him? Why in the world would God do something that seems to be evil? 5. 22:25 Shmuley Boteach says that the New Testament contains anti-Semitic propaganda, and that Christians should reject those passages as forgeries. What do you think? 6. 24:56 I was raised a Jehovah’s Witness and baptized as a kid, but not in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. How do I know what c

Here's Tim Barnett's answer to the challenge! I hope you'll consider subscribing to his channel. It's one of my favorite Christian YouTube channels and they are just getting started! https://youtu.be/WWN48lqa-sY It's not very easy to deal with so many confusions and misconceptions with only 18 seconds per answer. As I'm typing this I don't know if Tim made it under 3 minutes or not, so we may all end up atheists anyways. Oh well. Here's my video on "Did God create evil?" which explains Isaiah 45:7, among other things. https://youtu.be/GSToZ_4yh54

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 Introduction 1. 0:09 If aliens do exist, how would that affect the faith of Christians? Would aliens disprove Christianity? 2. 16:19 Regarding 1 Corinthians 7: 14 where it speaks of sanctification for the unbeliever if married to a believer, I have found it hard to understand that passage and was wondering if you could help me. 3. 20:11 Have you heard of the Documentary Hypothesis, and if so, can you tell me your thoughts about it? 4. 22:00 I believe in Christianity, but I have major doubts about Heaven & a fear of death. Can I know for sure while here on earth that it's true? 5. 27:00 How is Hebrews 13:2 to be interpreted? Have some people literally entertained angels without being aware? Do angels actually interact with creation in a tangible sense? 6. 30:39 I often hear Christians say that when we face big struggles it's because good things are coming. Is there any Biblical truth to this, or is this just a different version of the prosperity gospel? 7. 3

Dr. Tremper Longman tells you what's up with The Passion Translation. My name is Mike Winger and this is my "Passion Project". A project where I've hired a number of scholars to do reviews of different books Brian Simmons' seriously flawed Bible version. Scroll down for the links you are looking for! 0:00 The glorious intro 1:50 The reviewer’s credentials 3:30 Is it honest to call TPT a “translation”? 5:45 Dr. Longman’s BIGGEST issue with TPT’s Song of Songs? 8:19 How big of a deal is this really? 10:01 Simmons is wrong about church history. 16:25 Simmons blames DEMONS for people not agreeing with him. 18:57 How much alteration is taking place in TPT’s Song of Songs? 20:01 Is Dr. Longman bothered by translations that aren’t word for word? 20:51 Does Brian Simmons mislead people about The Passion Translation? 22:20 How Brian Simmons uses the etymological fallacy to translate. 25:00 An example of Simmons adding words to the text. 26:52 Simmons’ use of homonyms is unjustified and misleading. 29:34 How you CAN s

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 Introduction 1. 0:09 One of my pastors used TPT on Sunday. What should I do? I would like to give him the benefit of the doubt that he just doesn’t know much about it, but I’m not happy at all that this “thing” (can’t even call it a translation) was used in my church. WWJD? 2. 5:14 Have you any solid information on Nicky Gumbel, Alpha, and The Message Bible (which he recommends)? Couldn't find it in a search here, and some friends think he's OK! 3. 10:29 What is the best way for me to prepare to one day be a pastor? I am 20 years old and attending college and then seminary. Any suggestions for the years of preparation ahead of me? 4. 13:30 How do I organize my prayer life and find ways to serve the Lord in quarantine? 5. 15:58 How would you respond to an abusive father who pushes the narrative to “honor your parents” (when he really means submit/worship) and disregards the Scripture to “leave and cleave”? 6. 19:20 How do you go about finding scholarly articles

This is a clip from one of the most important videos I've made, here's the full video - https://youtu.be/VIgVAlI8T2c Christopher Hitchens is an icon to many atheists. He was an entertaining mix of brilliant, snarky, irreverent and British. One thing he is well-known for is debating theists and making fools of them, at least from the perspective of some people. I was always struck by this particular challenge that he threw out regularly in debates. Hitchens was so proud of it that I once heard him encouraging crowds of atheists to use this challenge as well. He felt that it really proved something, and I dare say many atheists agreed. What's really odd to me is that none of his debate partners (to my knowledge) ever offered a good response to his challenge. This is odd because the primary moral of loving God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength answers this atheist dilemma quite well. It not only answers the question it gets right to the heart of what an atheist has lost when they have sadly embraced a

This was my favorite interview so far on The Passion Translation. I'm really hoping that those who are open to hearing the evidence will consider ditching Brian Simmons' Passion Translation. The evidence is mounting up more and more that this is not a good or faithful Bible translation. As scholars weigh in on this work it's only becoming more and more evident that my early concerns about it were well-founded. I'm hoping that my brothers and sisters in the charismatic movement will have ears to hear this and that organizations like YouVersion, Bible Gateway and various Christian bookstores would stop carrying this problematic and misleading "translation". Stay tuned because I will start posting interviews with scholars VERY soon which will help to drive the final nail in the coffin of The Passion Translation. I love the word of God way too much to just stand by and tolerate such alterations being made to what God has said.

Jesus, save us from modern morals! Actually, that's pretty much what He does when a scribe asks Him to tell us the most important command in the Law. Jesus brilliantly and simply sums up not only the Law of Moses but the moral duty of mankind with two simple statements. Love God with all and above all and love others as yourself. Our job is to let this truth invade all our moral reasoning and to make sure we don't turn it into a cliché and rob it of it's beauty and life changing results. The way this truth saves us from modern morality is by installing love of God above love of self or others. Yeah, that's the part everyone gets wrong. But Jesus sets us right. To me, one of the most remarkable things about all this is that love and relationship is at the heart of the moral purpose of mankind. We exist for love. We literally have love as our highest and constant moral duty toward God and others. Wow. I'm literally blown away by this but how could it be any different? After all, God IS love. Let that sink in.

Oh my. Kenneth Copeland will "cure your baldness" and ruin your faith. This is a serious response to the sad, dangerous and demonstrably false teachings of Kenneth Copeland. Perhaps the most valuable thing I have to offer here is why people actually follow this guy. Here's my hope to change as many of his followers as possible! I’ve seen people asking for the full video of the blood thing (and FYI, he didn’t really cut himself, he was pretending) https://youtu.be/GNnSh-X1s5I

My video on why I think the death penalty is biblical. Please hear me out and if you disagree share why in the comments. https://youtu.be/gf259Qv2qv4 0:00 Introduction 1. 0:04 Is there a conflict between being pro-life and pro-death penalty at the same time? 2. 3:54 Can you address what John means when he says that certain sins lead to death and some do not (1 John 5: 16-17)? Is there evidence in this passage that suggests you can lose your salvation? 3. 7:37 When, in the research process, do you (1) know you have read enough secondary literature to comment on the topic and (2) become confident enough to share your conclusion with thousands of people? 4. 12:40 Are there any verses in the Bible where it clearly states or implies that rights (life, liberty, and property) are inalienable and inherently possessed, as opposed to being dependent on self-ownership? 5. 19:03 God answered Hagar directly. Both her and many others before and after Christ. Do you think God sometimes uses the still small voice today, or

It's a bigger issue now than ever before in my lifetime. We live in an upside down and rebellious culture and this is seen nowhere more clearly than our attitudes toward sex, marriage, dating, gender and purity. Dr. Sean McDowell has just written a book that is meant to give people a biblical vision for loving God and loving others in these areas. And if that seems like a cliche to you then it's because you too have become victim to upside down thinking on these issues. As a youth pastor I discovered that the most common reason people have for serious moral failure in their lives is a lack of godliness in relationships, particularly romantic ones. I'm happy to host Sean as we talk about this issue. Maybe you should get this book, for yourself or for someone else who can be saved a lot of pain and rebellion by getting their heads and hearts right on loving God in sexual purity. Sean's book, available December 1st or for preorder now. "Chasing Love" https://amzn.to/3f81xQM (affiliate link) Sean's video on T

I'm amazed at the similarities that exist between modern progressive Christians and the Sadducees in the gospels. I'm even more amazed at how Jesus' roasting of the bad theology of the Sadducees applies to modern liberal theologians and progressives in general. Disclaimer: I am talking about religious progressives or liberal theology, not politics. It's true that those who have liberal theology tend to have liberal politics but they aren't the same thing. In this continuing series through the Gospel of Mark we will see how Jesus brilliantly refutes the Sadducees (and progressives and even Mormons) and we'll learn how we can better identify and not fall victim to the tactics that liberal teachers often use to get us to abandon biblical truth. Man, I love this series and love how applicable it is in our lives today! This is part 48 of a verse by verse study through the Gospel of Mark. See the WHOLE Gospel of Mark playlist here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuGenHwUdeiQ5M-uj5XW4sF HERE is m

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 Introduction 1. 0:44 Is it right or wrong to refute other pastors who publicly teach false teachings? 2. 7:24 I was wondering if you could talk about and help me understand Mark 16: 17-18 (specifically verse 18). I haven’t seen those two signs played out...perhaps it could be metaphorical? 3. 13:58 How should we interpret 2 Corinthians 12:2? Are there “levels” in Heaven? And does it have anything at all to do with the phrase “seventh heaven”? 4. 17:55 Are Christians who believe that Genesis 1-11 is allegorical (unintentionally or not) denying the divinity and validity of Christ, considering what Jesus said in John 5: 44-47? 5. 23:33 What are the biblical principles, if any, about keeping our bodies physically healthy, and to what extent? (Think smoking, piercings, or eating/exercise habits) 6. 28:29 How do you respond to Matthew 16: 28? 7. 32:09 Do Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 speak about Satan? 8. 33:46 Can you explain what Lordship Salvation is, please? 9. 35:54 Ho

If I put the Bible first, before politics, I will end up supporting the death penalty. But I think the Bible also answers some of the fears of those who do oppose the death penalty. This will basically be a survey of several key Bible verses that deal with the death penalty. From it's initial inception in Genesis 9 to it's use in the Old Testament Law and the important teaching in Romans 13 on the role of government in enacting lethal punishment. Along the way I'm going to answer a few challenges that I've heard regarding the death penalty. 1) What about those who are innocent but get the death penalty? 2) But didn't Jesus reject the death penalty when He said to "turn the other cheek" or when he wouldn't kill the adulterous woman? 3) But God's justice is restorative and not retributive. And the death penalty ends any chance to restore the person who committed the crime. 4) I just don't trust the government to get it right, therefore capital punishment should be off the table. 5) But we aren't under the Law o

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 Introduction 1. 0:42 How should I approach a friend who does not believe in objective truth? 2. 7:34 Do you think that Melchizedek was was a theophany? How does the writer of Hebrews know so much about him if there's only a few verses in the Hebrew Scriptures about him? 3. 14:44 The Bible says that Satan is the "god of this world" (2 Cor. 4:4), but I know that God is sovereign over all things. How do I reconcile these two truths in a biblical way? 4. 17:55 What are your thoughts on "Oneness Pentecostalism"? 5. 19:13 Is marriage a choice? I've heard that marriage is God's will for most people, but I like Paul's argument in 1 Cor. 7: 25-40. If someone desires singleness, could it go against God's will? 6. 22:20 In John 3 where Jesus says "you must be born again," it isn't like you chose to be born, you just were. Any thoughts on that? 7. 23:59 What are your thoughts on attending a wedding between a believer and an unbeliever? 8. 25:40 My church encourages kids to

Here's all I want to know. What is Critical Race Theory and is it biblical? We'll answer both questions today with special guest Neil Shenvi. I agree that racism is a serious problem in our lives today. A very serious problem. But real problems can sometimes lead us to bad solutions. The solutions provided by Critical Race Theory (and concepts of "whiteness", "systems of oppression", "internalized oppression", the redefining of "racism" etc.) are actually solutions that involve more racism. It is injustice in response to injustice. It's unbalanced scales in response to unbalanced scales. It's prejudice in response to prejudice. A biblical Christian should recognize that because racism, partiality and injustice are serious issues, we can not embrace Critical Race Theory. This isn't about taking political sides or pleasing crowds, it's about being biblical and pleasing God. Neil Shenvi's web site - https://shenviapologetics.com/ Neil Shenvi on Twitter - https://twitter.com/NeilShenvi My website https://Bibl

I'm not going to pull punches today. This isn't really a "translation" of the Bible. It is one man's attempt to replace the gospel with his own false teaching. His false teaching is truly heart warming and encouraging. Francois Du Toit is a brilliant man, skilled communicator and as far as I can tell he is absolutely sincere and well-meaning in replacing the gospel with his feel good message that the real problem with people is that they believe the gospel when it says that all have sinned, are deserving of judgment and need to be born again in Christ. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the Mirror Bible is the worst translation I've ever looked into. In today's video we will survey through a number of Bible passages he has mistranslated and explain how he is trying to fight against the clear teaching of the text and how he tries to use Greek to trick people (and himself) into believing his anti-gospel. Yeah, it's really that bad. Wesley Huff's article on Bible translations https://bit.ly/3kzDFHy My NEW Yo

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 Introduction 1. 0:15 How do the Jehovah's Witnesses mistranslate and misuse John 1:1 in their "New World Translation"? 2. 10:22 What does Matthew 24: 34 mean? What is the "all these things" Jesus speaks of? Would the original audience/early church have thought He was referring to the second and final coming? 3. 20:54 What does Matthew 26: 46 mean? 4. 22:08 Can you explain the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25:1? It cannot possibly mean that half the Church fails to enter in...or does it? 5. 26:18 I've heard people support abortion using Numbers 5, specifically v. 27. What is your take on that? 6. 30:43 The OT often calls the Old Covenant an eternal or everlasting covenant. If it is eternal and everlasting, how can there be a New Covenant? 7. 32:22 If I don’t read the Bible and pray every day, I feel a huge amount of guilt - like I’ve sinned and am not even worthy to be a Christian. Is this kind of guilty conscience or conviction healthy, or not? 8. 34:57 In

Are there what appear to our eyes to be significant, deliberate, factual changes about the life of Jesus in the Gospels? Did the gospel writers seem to fabricate significant details about Jesus? If so, was this an expected and appropriate practice when writing a Greco-Roman Biography? Do "literary devices" exist, which were employed by the gospel authors, which allowed an ancient biographer to add fictional information to historical stories as a kind of "special effects"? Dr. Lydia McGrew joins me to discuss several controversial and important issues related to the reliability of the Gospels. This can be a rather complicated issue but I hope that today's interview will be enlightening and bring some clarity. Even if you don't agree with my guest (I'm not entirely sure what all my own views are on this issue) I think it's valuable to hear what she has to say because she has gone to such great lengths to bring clarity to a pretty fuzzy area of scholarship where I am genuinely concerned that some well-meaning

Jesus taught people to pay taxes. I think that most of us know that. But I think there is a lot more going on here and it helps us answer some of our tough ethical questions about how to deal with current issues in politics. If my understanding of the Bible is accurate on this then I think many Christians really need to have something of an overhaul on the way they deal with current political issues. This is part 47 of a verse by verse study through the Gospel of Mark. See the WHOLE Gospel of Mark playlist here https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZ3iRMLYFlHuGenHwUdeiQ5M-uj5XW4sF