Ask NT Wright Anything

Can a Christian serve in the military, knowing they may one day be required to take another person's life? And how should believers reconcile the call to peacemaking with the responsibility to protect the vulnerable? In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird tackle Christian vocation and the ethics of warfare, drawing on Mike's experience in the Australian Army and Tom's reflections on Romans 13, just war and the difficult moral decisions faced by soldiers. Then, what is the Bible's most important image of new creation? Tom explores the extraordinary relationship between temple and marriage, explaining how both point towards God's ultimate purpose of bringing heaven and earth together. Finally, should Anglicans be embarrassed that their church was founded by Henry VIII? Tom challenges the popular story, tracing the English Reformation back to reformers such as William Tyndale and John Frith, whose work began well before Henry's notorious break with Rome. 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: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE) on X Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can Christians challenge the decisions of historic church councils? What did Paul mean by the “righteousness of God”? And what actually happened when Jesus ascended into heaven?Tom Wright joins Mike Bird to explore three major questions from listeners.Tom explains why the great Christian creeds remain important while insisting that Scripture, not any theological system, has primary authority. He then unpacks the rich biblical meaning of righteousness, from Abraham and Phinehas to Romans and 2 Corinthians, and explains why no single English translation captures everything the biblical words convey.Finally, Tom tackles the physical reality of Jesus’ Ascension. Rather than imagining heaven simply as somewhere above the clouds, he argues that the Ascension points towards the biblical joining together of heaven and earth in Christ.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: Premier Unbelievable? (@UnbelievableFE) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can the God revealed in Jesus command acts of violence in the Old Testament? And what should Christians do with some of the Bible’s most troubling passages?Tom Wright and Mike Bird tackle three major biblical puzzles in today's episode. First, why does Mark’s Gospel appear to end so abruptly, with the women fleeing the empty tomb in fear? Tom explains why he believes Mark’s original ending — and perhaps even its original beginning — may have been lost.Then, what is the book of Acts actually for? Is it simply a history of the early church or a manual for mission and church planting? Tom argues that its real hero is the gospel itself, as the message of Jesus travels from Jerusalem all the way to Rome.Finally, they confront violence in the Old Testament. Tom considers divine judgment, Israel’s own failures and why these disturbing stories ultimately have to be read within the larger biblical story that reaches its climax in Jesus and the cross.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