BibleThinker Podcast with Mike Winger

Episode 46: "Is Ash Wednesday Biblical? 10 Qs with Mike Winger"
Date: February 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mike Winger addresses the primary question: "Is Ash Wednesday Biblical?" followed by a rapid-fire Q&A session sourced from the live chat, tackling ten theological and biblical questions in total. As always, Mike seeks to anchor every answer in Scripture, highlighting both clarity and possible controversy. His goal: help listeners learn to "think biblically about everything," equipping believers with scriptural wisdom for modern Christian life.

1. Is Ash Wednesday Biblical?

[00:00–29:15]

What Is Ash Wednesday?

• Definition and Observance:

  • Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting and repentance leading up to Easter (the commemoration of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection).
  • Not exclusive to Catholics; various traditions observe it.

• Symbolism:

  • Ashes placed on the forehead symbolize repentance and mortality:
    "From dust you came, and to dust you shall return."
  • Meant to prompt sober reflection on one's mortality and sin.

• Personal Reflection:

  • Mike has never practiced Ash Wednesday but aims for a nuanced perspective: it is neither inherently wrong nor required.

Scriptural Considerations

Pros

• Fasting and Repentance in Scripture

  • Fasting is a sound biblical practice.
  • Reflecting on mortality is biblically commended. Cites Ecclesiastes 7:2–4:

    "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting…"
    (08:22, Mike Winger)

• Awareness of Sin and Mortality:

  • Recognizing our sin and the reality of death is vital for a true understanding of the Gospel.

Cons/Potential Pitfalls

• Lent as Self-Improvement:

  • Frequently, people treat Lent as mere self-improvement (e.g., "I’m giving up chocolate"), missing its spiritual intent.

• Public Display of Fasting:

  • A major biblical concern:
    Quoting Matthew 6:16–18:

    “When you fast, do not be like the hypocrites… But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting…”
    (19:15–22:20)

  • Mike warns against seeking attention for spiritual practices through visible ashes or social media posts.

Tradition vs. Scripture

• Ash Wednesday is a Man-Made Ritual:
  • Clearly not instituted by Jesus or the apostles.
  • Man-made traditions are permissible if they’re recognized as optional, not obligatory.
  • Disapproves of making Ash Wednesday or Lent an essential command:

    “It is not instituted by Jesus and the apostles. It is absolutely a man-made tradition.” (25:50)

  • Highlights Jesus’ opposition to elevating man-made tradition to the level of divine command.

Spiritual Dangers

• Spiritual Pride and Authenticity:
  • Warns against spiritual pride, whether participating in Ash Wednesday or abstaining.
  • Cautions against assuming man-made liturgies are markers of “authentic Christianity.”

Memorable Quotes

"Don’t get spiritually proud because you do Ash Wednesday. Don’t get spiritually proud because you don’t. It’s just a thing you can do if you want. It has some benefit, it has some potential pitfalls. Use wisdom, be mature."
(29:10, Mike Winger)

2. Resolving Gospel Chronology: Bethlehem, Egypt, and Nazareth

[36:00–47:40]
Question: Why do Matthew and Luke seem to give different timelines for where Jesus was—Bethlehem, Egypt, Nazareth—when the wise men visited?

Key Points

• Differences Explained by Narrative Compression:

  • Matthew and Luke summarize complex events for their own narrative purposes; "time-skipping" is normal in ancient biography.
  • Luke omits events that Matthew includes; this isn’t contradictory, but selective storytelling.

• Harmonization:

  • After purification rites in Jerusalem, the family spent time in Bethlehem, received the wise men, fled to Egypt, and eventually returned to Nazareth.

Notable Quote

“It’s not deceptive, it’s simply selective, which is what we all do when we tell stories—real stories of what happened.”
(42:23, Mike Winger)

3. Is the Thousand-Year Reign of Christ on Earth? (Revelation 20)

[49:17–58:06]

Key Points

• The text (Revelation 20) heavily implies an earthly context:
  • Nations deceived, camp of the saints, the "breadth of the earth."
  • The resurrection in the passage is always in an earthly scenario.
• While other interpretations exist, the straightforward reading points to an earthly reign.

Notable Quote

“Every arrow seems to be pointing in the same direction: …there’s really good evidence to think that this thousand-year reign is happening on earth.”
(55:00, Mike Winger)

4. Biblical Principles of Worship in Protestant Churches

[58:08–1:08:15]

Key Points

• Essentials of Worship:

  • God alone is to be worshiped; avoid drawing attention to individuals over God.
  • Worship should be biblically grounded, not just tradition-based or allegorical extrapolation.

• Forms of Worship:

  • Early church worship included psalms, hymns, spiritual songs (Ephesians 5:19).
  • Song and music are biblically supported as forms of worship.

• The Modern Context:

  • Warns modern worship often focuses too much on feelings or personalities and not enough on theology.

Notable Quote

“Maybe it’d be nice if our worship songs had the kind of theological variety that our theology actually has. Because I’ve noticed anecdotally that people’s theology tends to follow their worship songs.”
(1:06:25, Mike Winger)

5. Does Calvinism Go Against God’s Justice?

[1:09:50–1:19:45]

Key Points

• Critics argue some forms of Calvinism make God the "author of evil."
• Mike notes there are various ways Calvinists handle free will and God's sovereignty.
• Strong warning against presuming to judge God’s morality:

  “It is folly for the creature to say to the Creator, ‘I know better than you, you did something wrong.’ That is always a wrong decision.”
  (1:17:56, Mike Winger)

Memorable Moment

References Job as an example:

“Job doesn't ask God a single question [when God appears]; he just says, ‘I abhor myself and I repent in dust and ashes… I talked about things that were way over my head.’”
(1:15:26, Mike Winger)

6. Do Children Deserve Love from Parents? (Implications for God’s Obligations)

[1:20:13–1:27:35]

Key Points

• Parents do have moral obligations to their children; this is supported biblically.
• God’s relationship to people is distinct; He is only our Father through adoption in Christ, not by default.
• Dangerous to assert God “owes” us anything; we should approach God’s grace with gratitude, not entitlement.

7. Why Did Jesus Die on Passover, Not the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)?

[1:28:05–1:34:11]

Key Points

• Jesus’ fulfillment of Passover is rich in symbolism: the sacrificial lamb, rescue from Egypt, etc.
• Yom Kippur is more about national atonement for Israel; possible future eschatological fulfillment.
• Recognizes this is a matter for conjecture, but Passover is deeply and purposefully connected to Christ’s crucifixion.

8. Does Pastoral Ministry Require a Personal “Call” from God?

[1:34:30–1:45:15]

Key Points

• Mike recounts his own journey—he never had a clear supernatural calling.
• The scriptural standard for pastoral ministry is a noble desire coupled with meeting character qualifications (1 Timothy 3).
• A supernatural "call" is not biblically required—nobility of character is.

Notable Quote

“If a man desires the position of a bishop…he desires a noble task.”
(Citing 1 Timothy 3:1 at 1:39:25)

"Scripture says: you need to be a man of nobility. Here are the requirements—if you fit these, you can pursue pastoral ministry."

9. Reconciling the Calling of Peter and Andrew in Matthew vs. John

[1:45:15–1:51:20]

Key Points

• John 1 describes the first introduction and early discipleship.
• Matthew 4 describes the later vocational call—leaving their fishing jobs to follow Jesus full-time.
• No contradiction: they first become followers/learners, then, later, vocational ministers.

10. What Does It Mean to Be “Fishers of Men”? (Does It Mean Using “Bait”?)

[1:51:34–1:57:47]

Key Points

• The original analogy is not about “using bait”—the disciples were commercial fishermen using nets, not hooks.
• The idea that evangelism should use “bait” is not supported by the context or by Acts.
• Important warning:

  "What you win them with is what you win them to."
  Churches risk diluting the Gospel if they focus too much on appealing “bait” and neglect the core message.

Closing Updates and Future Ministry Direction

[1:57:55–End]

• Mike announces investigative work into spiritual abuse and false prophecy in certain prominent charismatic circles.
• He is committed to exposing deceit and defending the flock, even at personal cost.
• Requests prayer for wisdom as he undertakes these sensitive investigations.

Notable Quote

“For those of you who will look back at me and say, ‘Mike, I don’t respect you anymore. I just liked when you did Bible studies, but don’t confront false teachers and abusers in the church,’ then I say, hey, I’m glad I got to minister to you for a while and we’ll have to part ways. I’m going to be doing this… and it’s not going to be pretty.”
(1:59:20, Mike Winger)

Noteworthy Timestamps for Rapid Access

• Ash Wednesday discussion: [00:00–29:15]
• Timeline of Jesus’ childhood in the Gospels: [36:00–47:40]
• Thousand-year reign question (Revelation 20): [49:17–58:06]
• Principles of worship in the church: [58:08–1:08:15]
• Calvinism and God’s justice: [1:09:50–1:19:45]
• Deserving vs. grace — parental analogy: [1:20:13–1:27:35]
• Passover vs. Yom Kippur and Jesus’ death: [1:28:05–1:34:11]
• Calling to pastoral ministry?: [1:34:30–1:45:15]
• Peter and Andrew’s call (Matthew vs. John): [1:45:15–1:51:20]
• Fishers of men / “bait” analogy?: [1:51:34–1:57:47]
• Mike’s upcoming investigations and warning: [1:57:55–End]

Tone and Approach

Mike is thoughtful, patient, and honest—even when wading into controversy. He consistently refers to Scripture for both answers and cautions, maintaining humility and charity—often urging listeners to use wisdom, avoid pride, and seek genuine biblical grounding rather than tradition or peer pressure.

Recommended Follow-Ups

• Ecclesiastes 7:2–4 (Mortality and wisdom)
• Matthew 6:16–18 (Fasting and publicity)
• 1 Timothy 3 (Qualifications for ministry)
• Ephesians 5:19 (Worship forms)
• Romans 9–11; John 1; Revelation 20 (Eschatology/theology)
• Ray Comfort: "Hell’s Best Kept Secret" (On evangelism and bait/hook analogy)

In summary:
The episode provides biblically rooted, nuanced answers to a broad array of listener questions, with special emphasis on Ash Wednesday as a case study in man-made vs. God-ordained traditions. Mike’s responses, rich in scriptural reference and pastoral wisdom, offer clarity for Christians seeking to ground their faith and practice in God's word.