Ask NT Wright Anything

Who heard Jesus praying in Gethsemane when the disciples were asleep? How could biblical writers describe conversations between God and heavenly beings when nobody was there to witness them?
In this episode of Ask N.T. Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird tackle some challenging questions about the inspiration and historical reliability of Scripture.
They also explore the rise of conspiracy theories, the appeal of secret knowledge and the controversial claim that the early Church suppressed alternative Gospels. Tom explains why he believes the Gnostic Gospels tell us something very different about early Christianity.
And on a lighter note, Tom reveals the fascinating story behind his collaboration with composer Paul Spicer on the Easter and Advent oratorios, and considers whether he might ever write another.
Come to Tom Wright LIVE in London December 3 2026- get your tickets here https://askntwright.com
For more conversations and exclusive bonus episodes, discover Ask N.T. Wright Anything on Premier Plus.

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How can you know you're truly saved? Could God's new creation fall into sin all over again? And if Christians are called to work for God's kingdom, why doesn't the world seem to be getting any better?
In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird begin with the question of assurance. Drawing on Romans 10, Tom explains why justification by faith assures believers that they belong to God's family, while baptism and the Eucharist remain powerful signs of God's grace.
Next, they consider whether the cycle of creation, fall and redemption could repeat forever. Tom turns to Revelation 21–22 and the promise that evil will finally be defeated: there will be no serpent in the new garden.
Finally, what does it mean to build for the kingdom rather than build the kingdom itself? Tom challenges both naive optimism and despair, explaining why even our smallest acts of faithfulness can have a place in God's ultimate new creation.

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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.

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Is Christianity really experiencing a “quiet revival” in Britain? Tom Wright responds to reports of increased interest in church and asks what genuine spiritual revival should look like.

Tom and Mike Bird also tackle the disturbing story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5. Why were they struck dead for lying, and what does the passage tell us about holiness, judgement and the presence of God?

Finally, they turn to Jesus’ prayer that his followers “may be one”. Tom reflects on decades of ecumenical conversation and explains why Christian unity is not an optional extra but central to the church’s witness.
Plus: the decline of New Atheism, the “myth of decline”, Romans 14–15 and why Tom says Christianity is fundamentally “a team sport”.
Send your question to Tom at askntwright.com.

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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.
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Is the Rapture really biblical? And if friends or family strongly believe in it, should you try to change their minds?

Tom Wright and Mike Bird revisit one of the most debated ideas in modern Christian eschatology. Tom explains why he believes 1 Thessalonians 4 has often been misunderstood, and why the New Testament points instead towards the return of Jesus, resurrection, renewed creation and Christ coming “to rescue, to rule, to reign”.

They also ask whether apostles and prophets still exist today, with Tom warning against spiritual authority becoming authoritarianism.

Plus, does it matter whether Christians call baptism and communion “sacraments” or “ordinances”? Tom explores why these practices point towards the biblical hope of heaven and earth coming together.

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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.
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What does Jesus mean when he says we must be “born of water and Spirit”? Should Christians feel guilty if they pursue an ordinary career rather than full-time ministry? And why does Paul seem to blame Adam rather than Eve for the entrance of sin?
In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird begin with John 3 and the relationship between baptism, the Holy Spirit and new birth. Tom places Jesus’ words within the wider biblical story of creation, Exodus and the renewal of God’s people.

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Tom Wright and Mike Bird tackle three big questions: Which Anglican tradition is most faithful? Does Genesis 1 leave room for the “gap theory”? And does 2 Peter really teach that the earth will be destroyed by fire?
They explore church tradition and biblical faithfulness, creation and Genesis, and whether the Christian hope is the destruction or renewal of the world.
You may also like:

• What happens at the End of the Age? https://www.premierunbelievable.com/ask-nt-wright-anything/what-happens-at-the-end-of-the-age/20167.article
• What’s the fine print on the Second Coming…https://www.premierunbelievable.com/ask-nt-wright-anything/whats-the-fine-print-on-the-second-coming-the-transfiguration-and-michael-heisers-unseen-realm/21128.article
• Should I use the word ‘heaven’? Will we know everything in the new creation? https://www.premierunbelievable.com/ask-nt-wright-anything/ask-nt-wright-anything-145-should-i-use-the-word-heaven-will-we-know-everything-in-the-new-creation/14366.article

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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.
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What if you genuinely want to love God, but find yourself more excited by your work, hobbies or a good novel than by reading the Bible? Does that mean something is wrong with your faith?
In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird respond to a listener wrestling with fear, assurance and what it really means to desire God. Tom offers a refreshingly different way of thinking about prayer, Scripture and ordinary human passions — including why loving your vocation or even enjoying a crime novel need not compete with loving God.
They also tackle the difficult ethical question of whether Christians can work in the defence industry, asking where personal conscience, national defence and responsibility for how our work is ultimately used should meet.
Finally, they turn to the trial of Jesus: where exactly did Pontius Pilate judge him, how public would the proceedings have been, and could the Gospel accounts realistically preserve what happened during that extraordinary night?
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How does Jesus reveal the glory of God? Is the Trinity really the best way to understand Father, Son and Holy Spirit? And what should you do when you think your church is getting the Bible wrong?
In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird explore how the New Testament reveals God’s glory through Jesus and whether Christians need a better way of explaining the Trinity. Tom argues that rather than beginning with an abstract idea of God and trying to fit Jesus into it, we should look at Jesus to discover what God is truly like.
They also respond to a listener who feels increasingly isolated after rejecting the dispensationalist end-times theology of his church, asking how Christians can remain biblically faithful while disagreeing with their community, with both conviction and humility.

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Are near-death experiences genuine glimpses of heaven and hell? Has Jesus always been the Son of God? And could Satan have prevented him from completing his mission? In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird explore three substantial questions about death, the identity of Jesus and spiritual evil.
Tom explains why Christians should remain open but cautious about near-death experiences, before tracing the biblical meaning of “Son of God,” from Israel and the Davidic king to the New Testament’s extraordinary claim that God’s eternal Son became human in Jesus. Finally Mike and Tom consider Satan’s role in the Gospel story.

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Can you forgive yourself? Were the Samaritans really Israelites? And what actually happened at Jesus' Ascension?
In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird answer three thoughtful listener questions about forgiveness, biblical history and one of the most overlooked events in the life of Jesus. Along the way they explore healing from guilt, the relationship between Jews and Samaritans, and why the Ascension is central to understanding Christ's reign today.
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Can someone else's faith help bring us to Jesus? What really happens after Christians die? And why did Jesus keep healing people on the Sabbath?
In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird answer three thoughtful listener questions about faith, death and the meaning of Jesus' Sabbath miracles. Along the way they explore corporate faith, the Christian hope of resurrection, and how Jesus fulfils Israel's vision of God's new creation.
Books mentioned in today's episode:
God's Homecoming https://amzn.to/4pkV2OL
For All The Saints https://amzn.to/3T1kJaV
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Why did Jesus often speak in riddles instead of plain language? What should Christians make of divorce in light of Jesus' teaching? And how should we understand Old Testament prophecies about Christ?
In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird explore three challenging questions that sit at the intersection of biblical interpretation and pastoral wisdom.
Tom explains why Jesus' teaching often appeared mysterious, showing how his parables confronted first-century expectations about God's kingdom rather than simply hiding the truth. He then offers a thoughtful and compassionate response to one of the most painful subjects Christians face today: divorce and remarriage. Finally, Tom explores Isaiah 53 and explains why biblical prophecy is far richer than a series of isolated predictions, revealing instead the larger story of God's purposes culminating in Jesus.
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Description: Is the Greek Orthodox Church biblical? Should Christians judge non-Christians? And who exactly was the mysterious "elect lady" in 2 John?
In this episode, Tom Wright answers three thought-provoking questions about church history, biblical interpretation and how Christians should engage with the wider world.
Tom explains why Protestants often misunderstand the Orthodox tradition, explores one of the New Testament's most debated greetings, and reflects on Paul's teaching about judgment, holiness and Christian witness.
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What does the Bible really say about heaven, eternal rewards, and the future God has prepared for his people?
First, they discuss the meaning of "treasures in heaven" and heavenly rewards. If the Christian hope is ultimately resurrection and new creation, why does the New Testament speak about rewards stored in heaven? Tom explains how heaven functions in Scripture as God's space, where future realities are kept safe until the day they are revealed.
Together they address a deeply personal question from a physician about medical ethics, end-of-life care, and the value of human life. How should Christians think about assisted dying, premature infants, human dignity, and the image of God in situations where modern medicine reaches its limits?
Finally, they explore one of the most beloved passages in the Bible: Jesus' promise that "in my Father's house are many rooms." Does this refer to heaven as our final destination, or is there a richer biblical vision at work?
Heavily referenced in this episode is Tom's book: God's Homecoming, which you can purchase worldwide: https://amzn.to/4f9H92d
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How do we make sense of some of the Bible's most difficult passages?
In this episode, Tom Wright and Mike Bird discuss Jesus and divine judgment, the role of the Holy Spirit throughout Scripture, and the troubling problem of violence in the Old Testament.
These are not easy questions, but they are questions many Christians wrestle with. Tom explores them through the lenses of Scripture, history, and the story of God's covenant purposes.
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Did the Church leave books out of the Bible? Are Roman Catholics truly saved? And should Christians support rebuilding the Temple in Jerusalem?
In this episode, Tom Wright and Mike Bird address three major questions about Scripture, salvation, and biblical prophecy.
Tom explains how the biblical canon developed, why books like Enoch and Jubilees matter historically, and why Christians can have confidence in the core books of Scripture.
They also discuss the doctrine of justification by faith and whether disagreements between Protestants and Catholics should lead Christians to question one another's salvation.
Finally, they tackle modern fascination with a Third Temple and why the New Testament points believers to Jesus and the Church as God's true Temple.
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