Advertise on podcast: Ask NT Wright Anything

In this bonus episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Michael Bird and Tom Wright dive into Ephesians 5, exploring one of its most puzzling lines: “Wake up, sleeper… and Christ will shine on you.” Is Paul quoting Scripture, an early Christian hymn, or something else entirely? Tom suggests it is likely an early Christian poem or exhortation, calling believers to live as resurrection people in the light of the risen Messiah. The conversation also unpacks how ethics in Ephesians are rooted in new creation, not detached moral rules. Together, Mike and Tom reflect on holiness, sexual ethics, mutual submission, and Spirit-filled living, showing how Paul’s vision is far more integrated than we often realise. This episode offers rich insight into how theology and everyday Christian behaviour belong together. Support & Subscribe 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 ❓Got a question for Tom? Go to askntwright.com 👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking here Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE

Recorded in the Anglican calendar's Holy Week this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Michael Bird and Tom Wright begin with Easter traditions, from Bach’s St Matthew Passion to smashing chocolate Humpty Dumpty eggs. Then they tackle three rich questions. First: did Paul “convert” from Judaism to Christianity, or did his encounter with Jesus radically reframe his identity as a child of Abraham and member of God’s covenant people? Next: did Jesus make mistakes? Tom reflects on Hebrews, Gethsemane, and the Syrophoenician woman to explore what it means that Jesus “learned obedience” without implying sin or error. And finally, they discuss apostolic succession, asking whether continuity with the apostles rests mainly in bishops, priests, and deacons, or more deeply in Scripture, sacrament, prayer, and the church’s visible unity across time and space. Support & Subscribe👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking hereFollow usInstagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievableFacebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievableTik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievableX: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this bonus episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird continue their journey through Ephesians, focusing on Ephesians 4:11–13 and Paul’s vision of the Church being built up through apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Are all Christians meant to be evangelists, or are some gifts more specific to particular people? Tom reflects on personality, calling and why not every believer is equipped in the same way. The conversation then turns to a bigger question: do apostles and prophets still exist today? Tom explores the New Testament meaning of apostles as eyewitnesses to the risen Jesus, the ongoing role of prophetic insight, and how church leadership has developed since the early Church. A thoughtful discussion on ministry, authority, unity and spiritual gifts in the life of the Church. For more, buy Tom Wright's book The Vision of Ephesians. 00:00 Introduction: Ephesians 4 and the gifts of the Church 01:00 Does every Christian need to be an evangelist? 03:00 Different gifts, different callings 05:00 Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers 06:00 Is there a fixed New Testament ministry model? 08:00 Do apostles and prophets still exist today? 09:00 What prophecy looks like in practice 11:00 Were apostles eyewitnesses of the risen Jesus? 12:00 Bishops and apostolic continuity 14:00 The danger of modern “capital A” apostles 17:00 Final reflections Support & Subscribe 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 ❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking here Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE

In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright responds to listener questions about attending churches across denominational lines, the meaning of key biblical terms, and puzzling moments in the life of the Apostle Paul.Tom explores whether Protestants can attend Catholic churches, reflecting on how Christian unity should be lived out despite real theological differences. He also explains why some Bible translations use “Judeans” instead of “Jews,” and why this matters for understanding the New Testament without importing modern assumptions.Finally, Tom tackles a challenging question about Paul: why did he circumcise Timothy but refuse to circumcise Titus? Through this, he unpacks Paul’s mission strategy, his commitment to unity, and what it means to be faithful to the gospel in different cultural contexts.Support & Subscribe👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking hereFollow usInstagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievableFacebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievableTik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievableX: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kicking off Ephesians 4, Tom Wright and Mike Bird explore Paul’s practical blueprint for church life. Why does Paul put humility, patience, and love at the heart of Christian community? What does real unity look like in a diverse, global church—and how do we avoid both celebrity culture and personality cults? Tom explains the “three-legged stool” of church life, the challenge of holding oneness and multiplicity together, and why the world desperately needs a church built on meekness, not ego. Plus: what do Paul’s puzzling Old Testament references really mean? Dive in for wisdom, challenge, and encouragement for churches today. Support & Subscribe 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 ❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking here: https://askntwright.supportingcast.fm?sc_promo=ASK10 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE

In this deeply pastoral episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird tackle some of the most sensitive and difficult questions Christians face.How should believers respond when heartfelt prayers seem unanswered, especially in the tragedy of miscarriage and pregnancy loss? Tom reflects on grief, prayer, and the mysterious work of the Spirit in the midst of suffering.The conversation then turns to the Eucharist: what really happens in Holy Communion? Is it merely symbolic, or does something deeper occur when the church shares the bread and wine?Finally, Tom and Mike explore a question often raised in modern discussions about the Bible: did the characters of scripture, figures like Moses, Jonah, or Job, actually exist?Support & Subscribe👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking hereFollow usInstagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievableFacebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievableTik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievableX: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What makes the Church of England unique? In this lively episode, Tom Wright and Mike Bird reflect on the legacy of Archbishop William Temple and the “genius” of Anglicanism—a church that blends Catholic tradition with the Reformation’s evangelical spirit. They discuss why peace can be the best path to truth, how the English character shapes church life, and why unity and holiness must go hand in hand. With humour and insight, Tom and Mike consider what the Church of England gets right, where it struggles, and what all Christians can learn from its distinctive way of holding differences together. Support & Subscribe 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 ❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking here: https://askntwright.supportingcast.fm?sc_promo=ASK10 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE

In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright answers listener questions about John’s Gospel, worship music, and the relationship between Jesus and Paul.Tom explains how the miracle at Cana reveals Jesus’ glory and points forward to the cross. He also reflects on the theology embedded in Christian hymnody and why some lyrics may need updating. Finally, he addresses the long-standing claim that Paul distorted Jesus’ message and shows how Paul’s mission actually grows directly out of Jesus’ kingdom movement.Support & Subscribe👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking hereFollow usInstagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievableFacebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievableTik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievableX: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this deep-dive bonus episode, Tom Wright and Mike Bird continue their journey through Ephesians 3, exploring Paul’s soaring prayers for the church. What does it mean for Christ to make his home in our hearts? How do we experience the Messiah’s love—and why does Paul say it’s beyond full understanding? Tom unpacks the paradox of God’s glory being revealed not just in cathedrals or music, but in the love, service, and unity of ordinary believers. Discover how the church becomes God’s dwelling place, displaying his life-changing love to the world. Support & Subscribe 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 ❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking here: https://askntwright.supportingcast.fm?sc_promo=ASK10 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE

In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird explore three significant questions facing the church today:• Can Christians remain in a church that disagrees about women in leadership?• How can the global church move toward deeper unity across traditions?• Did the Apostle Paul wrongly expect Jesus to return within his lifetime?Tom reflects on the revolutionary role of women in the early church, the biblical vision of unity in Ephesians, and why Paul’s language about the Lord’s return has often been misunderstood.Rather than predicting the end of the world, Tom explains that the New Testament speaks of the fulfillment of God’s purposes for creation, the arrival of new creation.Support & Subscribe👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking hereFollow usInstagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievableFacebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievableTik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievableX: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Paul is continuing to talk about the church coming together in unity. In this bonus episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Mike Bird and Tom Wright dive into Ephesians 3 and Paul’s breathtaking vision of the church. Far from being a passing religious fad or a collection of isolated congregations, Tom argues that the church is God’s long-promised new project: a worldwide family brought together in Christ to display God’s wisdom to the powers of the world. Reflecting on Paul’s imprisonment, Tom explains why suffering and opposition do not mean failure, but can mark out the church as the pioneering community of God’s new creation. The conversation also turns to today’s church divisions, asking what true Christian unity should look like in practice. This is a rich discussion on mission, belonging, and the cosmic purpose of the church in God’s plan for the world. Support & Subscribe 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 ❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking here: https://askntwright.supportingcast.fm?sc_promo=ASK10 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE

Today on Ask NT Wright Anything, N.T. Wright and Mike Bird tackle three major theological questions: Can Christians lose their salvation? What did Jesus actually mean when he spoke about hell? Is hyper-Calvinism a distortion of biblical teaching?Tom explores how the New Testament holds together both assurance and warning, why many modern ideas about hell owe more to medieval imagery than the Bible, and why philosophical systems about predestination often miss the central narrative of Scripture.Instead of abstract speculation about who is “in” or “out,” Tom argues that the Bible consistently tells the story of God choosing people in order to bless the world through them. Support & Subscribe👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking hereFollow usInstagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievableFacebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievableTik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievableX: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this Bonus Edition of Ask NT Wright Anything on Ephesians 2, Michael Bird and Tom Wright explore Paul’s breathtaking vision of salvation by grace through faith and what it means for the church today. Reflecting on Ephesians 2:8–10 and beyond, Tom shows how the “old” and “new” perspectives on Paul belong together: forgiveness of sins creates one renewed family of God, where Jew and Gentile share the same table in Christ. They also discuss Wright’s striking claim that secular multiculturalism is a parody of the church’s true multi-ethnic unity, and why Paul’s temple theology matters more than many modern Christians realise. Along the way, Tom unpacks the idea that believers are God’s “artwork”, created for good works that display his glory in the world. Explore Tom’s book, The Vision of Ephesians: The Task of the Church and the Glory of God, here. Support & Subscibe 👉 Support thought-provoking conversations and help keep the show going at www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate💡 ❓Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠ 👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber → They can get 10% off by clicking here: https://askntwright.supportingcast.fm?sc_promo=ASK10 Follow us Instagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Facebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable X: https://x.com/UnbelievableFE

In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird tackle three fascinating theological questions: What actually happens at the Second Coming? Were Moses and Elijah resurrected at the Transfiguration? How should Christians understand the “unseen realm” of angels and spiritual beings?Tom explains why many popular readings of “rapture” passages misunderstand Jesus’ teaching, clarifies the biblical meaning of Christ’s return, and explores how resurrection differs from “going to heaven.” He also addresses the mystery of the Transfiguration and reflects on Michael Heiser’s work on angels and divine beings.Tom unpacks Daniel 7, 1 Corinthians 15, Philippians 3, Revelation 21, and more — explaining how heaven and earth ultimately come together in God’s renewed creation.This episode dives deep into eschatology, resurrection, biblical cosmology, and the nature of heaven and earth. Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donateGot a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠Start going deeper in the Bible with a free trial at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠logos.com/NT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠👉 Refer a friend to become a subscriber like you - they can get 10% off by clicking here: https://askntwright.supportingcast.fm?sc_promo=ASK10)SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefeFacebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this bonus audio-only episode of Ask NT Wright Anything Mike Bird and N.T. Wright tackle a question that feels uncomfortably current: what should Christians think about war, intervention, and “being the world’s policeman”? Starting with a Tony Blair-era defence of “values-based” intervention, they trace the moral urgency of Rwanda and the Balkans—and the sobering fallout of Iraq. Tom reflects on the dangers of Enlightenment-era certainty, the temptation to messianic politics, and why humility matters when power is involved. Mike weighs the tension between “the triumph of evil is when good people do nothing” and “better the devil you know”. Together they explore the hard middle ground between pacifism and cheerleading militarism—ending with a turn to Psalm 2, Jesus before Pilate, and the church’s vocation to serious peacemaking. Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate Got a question for Tom? Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠askntwright.com⁠⁠⁠ Start going deeper in the Bible with a free trial at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠logos.com/NT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠👉  Refer a friend to become a subscriber like you - they can get 10% off by clicking here: https://askntwright.supportingcast.fm?sc_promo=ASK10) SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: https://twitter.com/unbelievablefe Facebook: / https://facebook.com/premierunbelievable Instagram: / https://instagram.com/premierunbelievable Tik Tok: / https://tiktok.com/@premier.unbelievable