Are people basically 'good' or 'evil'? Who was the 'beloved' disciple? And is the Sermon on the Mount legalism?
About this episode
Tom Wright and Mike Bird discuss human nature, the identity of the beloved disciple, and the interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount.
Are people basically good, or fundamentally sinful? Did Jesus teach salvation by works in the Sermon on the Mount? In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird explore what the Bible really says about human nature, arguing that our primary identity is not simply "good" or "bad" but people created for God's vocation. They also examine one of the New Testament's enduring mysteries, the identity of the "beloved disciple" in John's Gospel, and ask whether we can know who he really was. Finally, Tom tackles a common misunderstanding of the Sermon on the Mount, explaining why Jesus' teaching is not legalism but a vision of what life looks like when God's kingdom breaks into 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 hereFollow usInstagram: https://instagram.com/premierunbelievableFacebook: https://facebook.com/premierunbelievableTik…
People in this episode
Host: Tom Wright
Guest: Mike Bird
Topics covered
- human nature
- salvation
- beloved disciple
- Sermon on the Mount
- God's kingdom
Keywords
- good
- evil
- salvation by works
- beloved disciple
- legalism
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Sermon on the Mount, John's Gospel
More episodes of Ask NT Wright Anything
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- Jesus as the glory of God, Do we need to rethink the Trinity, being a force for theological sanity in your Church
- What happens when you die? Near-death experiences, Jesus' sonship and Satan's temptation
- The Bible and self-forgiveness? The Ascension and were the Samaritans really Israelites?
- Where do Christians go when they die? Jesus kept healing on the Sabbath? And is 'faith' enough?
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