BibleThinker Podcast Summary

Episode 42: Why Am I Concerned About the Upside-Down Kingdom Bible? 10 Qs with Mike Winger
Host: Mike Winger
Date: January 17, 2025

Episode Overview

Mike Winger addresses the newly released "Upside-Down Kingdom Bible" (NIV, published by Zondervan, with general editor Preston Sprinkle) and breaks down his concerns, perspectives, and reasons for caution regarding its contents, especially its study notes and interpretive articles. The episode is focused on helping listeners think biblically about their resources, understand what the new study Bible is, what it isn’t, and why transparency and theological clarity matter for Christians when choosing study tools.

Main Themes

• Transparency and Agenda in Study Bibles
• Evaluation of Positives and Negatives in “Upside-Down Kingdom Bible”
• Topic Imbalance and Theological Uniformity
• Detailed Critique of Notes on Controversial Issues (Women, Sexuality, Wealth, Race, etc.)
• Need for Discernment and Clarity in Christian Resources

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Why Address the Upside-Down Kingdom Bible? (00:01–06:00)

• Not a new translation: The NIV text is unchanged; new content is in the study notes and articles.
• Purpose of a Study Bible: Most want a resource that's "simple, reliable...I can always trust."
• Mike’s Perspective:
  • He appreciates variety and debate in study resources but recognizes most people seek clarity.
  • He's not demonizing contributors but wants to ensure readers know what they're getting.

2. Positives in the Upside-Down Kingdom Bible (06:00–15:00)

• Affirmation of Grace and the Gospel
  “There’s great and strong affirmation of the grace of God... it has some strong notes on grace in the Old Testament... that was good.” (07:39)
• Pastoral Content:
  • Articles on lament, grief, mental health, trauma/resilience are “great in principle.”
  • Example: Story note on Abraham and grace was praised as helping connect OT & NT teachings.
• Pro-Life Stance
  “Commentary on abortion is actually really good... This isn’t squishy relationship language with God... That is the reason why you cannot kill a baby in the womb.” (13:41)
• Clarity on Sexuality and Marriage
  • Maintains orthodox Christian ethics on marriage and sexual acts:
    “Homosexual acts are in fact sinful, and that only a man and a woman, married, that’s the only plan God has for thriving, positive human sexuality.” (16:18)

3. Marketing vs. Reality: Is It a Study Bible? (15:00–22:00)

• Marketed as a “study Bible” tackling modern issues “head-on”
• Vague marketing:
  • The actual theological and political stances are not explicitly disclosed.
• The claim of diversity:
  • “Dozens of different denominations and different partisan persuasions.”
  • In practice, “there’s actually basically theological unanimity in the book.” (21:49)

4. Topic Focus and Imbalance (22:00–35:00)

• 29 main agenda topics, not general biblical exposition.
• Most-covered issues:
  • Women (99 articles/notes), Race & Ethnicity (60), followed by Leadership, Power, Violence, etc.
  • “Women gets almost four times the number [of notes] as average—so women is a major, interesting topic.” (33:35)
• Lack of content on key biblical themes:
  • “There is not a concern for what Genesis is communicating here... Eschatology or end times, it’s not on here.”
  • Many major passages have NO notes (e.g., Solomon's temple, Ark of Covenant, Psalm 110).

[Notable Moment:]

“If you go to passages that everybody has their head scratching on... this Zondervan ‘Study Bible’ doesn’t give you any commentary on that. Instead, you’ll have, like, race and ethnicity showing up there.” (35:55)

5. Agenda-Driven Approach (35:00–51:00)

• Not a balanced study Bible:
  “I would call it not a study Bible. I would call it a special interest Bible... interested in special topics.” (36:41)
• Examples of Topic Placement:
  • Notes appear only when they fit agenda topics rather than for biblical explanation.

6. Critical Analysis of Content by Topic (51:00–1:33:00)

Sexuality & Side B Theology (51:00–1:03:00)

• Affirms biblical marriage ethics but...
• Promotes Side B Theology:
  • “Paul does not condemn same sex attraction but same sex sexual behavior.” (56:05)
  • Mike’s critique: The Bible condemns sinful desires, not just acts. He directly analyzes Romans 1, 1 Corinthians 6, and the note on Sodom and Gomorrah, highlighting missing references and inconsistent treatment.

“They’re contradicting themselves here... The point is: you and them are all condemned. Everyone stands condemned before God.” (58:44)

• Nuance Missing and Preaching Hampered
• Song of Songs Note Critique:
  • “There’s nothing wrong with noticing, enjoying, or even being enamored by the physical beauty of another person.”
  • Mike objects: “Now I have to admit, I’m pulling out bad examples... Most of the notes are kind of like ‘bleh’.”

Pacifism and Capital Punishment (1:03:00–1:12:00)

• Consistently pacifist or “pacifish” (Mike’s phrase)
• Notes sidestep or nuance Romans 13, Genesis 9; rely on “turn the other cheek”
• Absence of direct commentary on pivotal passages (e.g. Matthew 5—no note on “turn the other cheek”)

“This commentary has an agenda and the agenda is pacifistic, or at least pacifish... kind of like a pacifism light.” (1:10:55)

Wealth, Poverty & Politics (1:12:00–1:20:00)

• Promotes government redistribution of wealth
• Ron Sider’s notes advocate state action for economic justice/equity

“Economic justice demands—and you as a Christian are therefore bound by it.” (1:15:43)

• Application of OT Jubilee law to modern economic policy (e.g., redistribution of technology and education).

Women & Egalitarianism (1:20:00–1:40:00)

• Most frequently discussed topic (99 notes)
• All contributors on women appear to be egalitarian.
  • “Sometimes it’s subtle. The articles on women will just say things that are very subtle, very soft, and they might nudge people towards egalitarianism. Never the other way.”
• Key passages analyzed:
  • 1 Timothy 2: “Their article... nudges you towards egalitarianism. It does not push you. It’s a nudge.”
  • 1 Corinthians 14: Majority views ignored, focus on interpolation.
  • Romans 16: Claims Phoebe, as letter carrier, functioned as an authoritative teacher (Mike disputes this as “anachronistic”).
• General Trend:
  • Positive, often uncritical comments about female figures, even those with negative or ambiguous roles.
  • Little/no content on “foolish women” in Proverbs, quick to highlight “women of wisdom.”

“We're not interested in women as a topic; we're interested in women as an agenda.” (1:36:56)

Immigration, Race, and Other Issues (1:40:00–2:00:00)

• Immigration discussion is one-sided; Matthew 25 turned into an “immigration judgment.”
  • “The implication is that as you read the article, immigration and how nations handle immigration is how Jesus is judging them in the final day...” (1:45:55)
• Consistent use of contemporary buzzwords: “oppressors,” “environmental crisis,” “forced displacement,” “social justice,” “creation care.”
• Race & Ethnicity Articles: Contributors include high-profile “woke” figures writing on those topics.
• Creation Care: Comments on passages like Revelation 11:18 (“Those who destroy the earth”) make it about ecological issues rather than broader biblical context.

Theological “Diversity”? (2:00:00–2:03:00)

• Lack of true theological diversity: Each topic is handled by a uniform perspective (e.g., all “death and the afterlife” notes by conditionalist Chris Date).
• **No overt declaration to readers that the notes uniformly reflect niche perspectives.

7. Other Observations

• Grace underemphasized in NT:
  • “No articles on grace or notes on grace in the New Testament...” (2:04:30)
• Key contributors’ perspectives are consistently one-sided

8. Mike’s Recommendation (2:08:00)

“Do I recommend it? Obviously, no. It’s too biased without being transparent... Too much reading my own agenda into the text of Scripture... Too much eisegesis, misusing Scripture for my purposes—that I don’t recommend it.” (2:09:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Transparency and Purpose:

“Let’s just know what it is. So I would call it not a study Bible... it is a special interest Bible.” (36:41)

On Agenda & Marketing:

“You have to read a bunch to figure it out... What are the conclusions? Nonviolence is favored... egalitarianism...wealth redistribution... creation care & climate change is very much baked into the commentary.” (21:49–26:48)

On Handling of Key Topics:

"Women gets 99 [articles]—almost four times the average. So, women is a major, interesting topic, and I’m interested in what they say...because it’s all from an egalitarian perspective, which I would say is an unbiblical view being strongly and one-sidedly promoted in the book." (33:35)

On Preaching and Theology:

“The point is: you and them are all condemned. Everyone stands condemned before God.... The point is universal condemnation.” (58:44)

On Editorial Pattern:

“Most of the notes you’ll be like, okay, I thought you were gonna make a point there, but...you didn’t even answer them. I’m pulling out the ones I think are most eye-opening because that’s what I would want to know if I was you.” (1:02:27)

On Handling of Women:

“There’s an aversion to saying something bad about a woman in the Scripture in this Bible. But they generally usually avoid saying something negative about a female...We’re not interested in women as a topic; we’re interested in women as an agenda. It’s a special interest Bible. It’s agenda driven.” (1:36:14)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:01 – 06:00: Introduction & Motivation for the Review
• 06:00 – 15:00: Positives: Grace, Lament, Pro-life, Gender & Sexuality
• 15:00 – 22:00: Marketing Claims vs. Reality of the Product
• 22:00 – 35:00: Topical Focus and Imbalance, Lack of Exposition
• 35:00 – 51:00: “Not a Study Bible”—Topic-driven Agenda Examples
• 51:00 – 1:33:00: Detailed Topical Critique: Sexuality, Pacifism, Wealth, Women
• 1:40:00 – 2:00:00: Immigration, Race, Creation Care Issues
• 2:00:00 – 2:03:00: Theological Diversity and Contributor Bias
• 2:08:00 – 2:11:00: Final Recommendation

Tone and Style

Mike Winger maintains a firm but fair tone throughout, seeking clarity, transparency, and honest engagement. He repeatedly clarifies:

• He isn’t demonizing contributors or calling them “heretics.”
• There is “nothing wrong with using resources with agendas, as long as that’s clear.”
• He wants listeners equipped with “wisdom and discernment on how to disagree.” Humor and self-deprecation are present (“I need more coffee... maybe some sort of injection... I’m joking, guys.” 36:47), as are extended, thoughtful biblical explanations for contested points.

Final Thoughts

• Not an all-bad resource: There are positive, helpful notes, especially on grace, lament, trauma, abortion, and sexuality as it relates to biblical marriage.
• Major drawbacks: Strong, but vague agenda; lack of transparency; selectivity and imbalance; missing essential theological content; and one-sidedness on debated issues.
• Recommendation:
  "You're probably better off just buying a book on egalitarianism or...pacifism...than you are reading this." (2:10:55)

For listeners concerned about theological bias, special interest framing, and seeking robust Bible study tools, Mike recommends full transparency from resources and encourages using a range of more explicitly positioned materials on contentious topics.