Does your everyday work really matter to God? Why did Jesus have to be fully human and fully divine? And how should Christians live faithfully while waiting for Jesus’ return?

In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird explore how ordinary life fits into God’s extraordinary purposes.
They discuss how all kinds of work, from manual labor to data analysis, can participate in building God’s kingdom, why the incarnation is essential to Christian salvation, and how patience, hope, and faithful action shape the Christian response to the long wait for Christ’s return.

Today's episode challenges the idea that only “spiritual” activities matter and offers a vision of faith rooted in creation, resurrection, and daily obedience.

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Who can be saved? What about those who have never heard the gospel? Do Christians earn rewards in heaven and what does God’s wrath really mean at the cross?
Tom Wright and Mike Bird tackle some of the most challenging and emotionally charged questions in Christian theology. They explore whether Salvation is limited by geography or history, how God’s justice and mercy relate to those outside the Christian story, and why the New Testament speaks about “rewards in heaven” without turning faith into a transactional system. The conversation also digs into the meaning of God’s wrath at the cross, showing why the cross must be understood as both victory over evil and substitution for humanity. This episode invites listeners to hold together faith, humility, mission, and mystery... without easy answers or simplistic formulas.

Questions:
01:36 Who Can Be Saved?
11:30 Are There Rewards in Heaven?
19:55 God’s Wrath and the Cross

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Was Christianity bad for the world? How should we talk honestly about the Crusades, colonialism, slavery, sectarian wars—and the church’s failures—without pretending the record is clean? In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird respond to three big questions: Is Christianity bad? Tom argues we must acknowledge the church’s worst moments without defensiveness, while also recognizing how Christian moral vision reshaped the conscience of the wider world. 

Also on today's episode listener's ask whether the “coming of the Son of Man” in Matthew 24 is about Jesus returning, or Jesus being enthroned?  and why Isn’t "all Israel" saved? 

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Why does the Old Testament sometimes appear to treat women unfairly in cases of adultery? What was the purpose of the Nazirite vow, and why would anyone choose it? And what does it really mean to say that Christ is “present” in the Eucharist?
Today, N.T. Wright and Mike Bird dive in on Ask NT Wright Anything to answer your three challenging and deeply human questions about law, holiness, and sacrament. Tom explores how Israel’s legal codes functioned within their ancient social world, how Jesus radically reframes judgment and mercy, and why Christians no longer apply Old Testament penalties in the same way. He then reflects on the Nazirite vow as an ancient form of radical consecration, an Israelite counterpart to later monastic devotion. 
Throughout, Tom insists that Scripture must be read as a coherent story rather than isolated proof texts, and that Christian faith is shaped not by abstract theories but by lived practices: meals, vows, forgiveness, and embodied worship.
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Do ordained ministers have “more” of the Holy Spirit than lay people? What exactly was John the Baptist doing when he baptised Jews before Jesus’ ministry began? And are the Thirty-Nine Articles still fit for purpose today?

Tom Wright and Mike Bird tackle three questions that sit at the heart of church life, theology, and Christian identity in today's episode of Ask NT Wright Anything.

Tom explains why ordination is not about spiritual hierarchy but authorised service, why the Holy Spirit belongs fully to the whole people of God, and how clergy exist to equip, not outrank, the church. He then situates John the Baptist firmly within Israel’s story of exile and hope, showing how baptism functioned as a powerful symbol of repentance and new Exodus rather than an early version of Christian conversion. Finally, Tom reflects candidly on the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of England: why they were written, what they were trying to hold together, and why many of their answers belong to 16th-century debates rather than today’s questions.

Throughout the conversation, Tom calls the church back to Scripture as the supreme authority, urges humility toward our theological inheritance, and reminds us that reform is not rejection—but faithful listening across time.

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Where is the Garden of Eden? What did Paul mean by our “earthly tent”? And does Genesis contain later edits, and if so, does that undermine Scripture?
In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird tackle three of the most frequently misunderstood biblical questions.
Tom explains why Paul’s language in 2 Corinthians 5 isn’t Platonic escapism but robust resurrection hope; why the “tent” points both to the tabernacle and to our mortal bodies; and how the early Christians understood “what is kept in heaven” as something destined ultimately for earth.
Next, they turn to the location of Eden, and Tom challenges the assumption that Genesis 2 must read like Google Maps. They explore how ancient narrative works, what editing does (and does not) mean for inspiration, and why Genesis 1–2 gives us two complementary windows into creation, not a modern-style chronology.
If you’ve ever wondered whether Genesis has contradictions, whether Paul believed in an intermediate state, or whether Scripture’s “oddities” weaken its authority, this episode will steady the ground beneath your feet, and deepen your appreciation for the beauty, richness, and layered texture of the biblical story.
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Was Jesus really born in Bethlehem, or did the gospel writers “invent” the story to fit prophecy? Did a Roman census ever force people to travel back to their ancestral towns? And what about Herod’s massacre of the innocents – pure theology, or plausible history?
In this special Advent episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom Wright and Mike Bird respond to challenges raised by historian Tom Holland (of The Rest Is History podcast) about the birth narratives of Jesus.
Tom explains why ancient history is full of gaps, how new evidence has repeatedly vindicated biblical details once dismissed as “unhistorical,” and why we should be cautious about confidently declaring, “That could never have happened.”
🎧 If you’ve ever wondered, “Did Luke get Christmas wrong?” or felt unsettled by historical objections to the nativity, this episode will help you think more clearly – without losing the wonder. Support us: https://www.premierunbelievable.com/geolink/donate
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N.T. Wright and Mike Bird and reunited together in person in Premier’s new London studios for a big Ask NT Wright Anything episode.
Tom tackles a huge listener question: has Christianity actually done more harm than good? From crusades, slavery and abuse scandals to hospitals, human rights and the end of infanticide, he explains how to face church failures honestly without ditching Jesus.
They then dive into the “coming of the Son of Man” – is Jesus coming or going in Matthew, Daniel 7 and the Olivet Discourse?
And finally, Tom unpacks Romans 9-11: who is the “Israel of God”, why isn’t all Israel saved yet, and how do we avoid antisemitism and replacement theology?
Plus a sneak peek at an upcoming bonus episode on the church and the Jews.
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Demonic activity in the New Testament, the surprising rise of “high church” worship, and whether Christians should be keeping Saturday as the Sabbath…
This week on Ask NT Wright Anything, Tom and Mike tackle three big and very different questions.
First: Did Jesus’ arrival trigger a surge in demonic activity, and should Christians today expect to encounter the demonic? Tom draws on decades of pastoral experience (including licensed diocesan exorcists!) to explain how the New Testament frames dark spiritual powers and why neither fear nor fascination is the right Christian response.
Next, they explore why so many young Christians are moving toward “high church” traditions—liturgy, sacrament, structure, and beauty, and how to discern wisely between Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic, and low-church evangelical expressions.
Finally, Tom unpacks the Sabbath controversy: If the Bible commands Sabbath on the seventh day, why do Christians worship on Sunday? What changed between the Old and New Testaments? And should we still keep a weekly day of rest in a Sabbatarian sense?
Another rich episode (we hope!) full of biblical grounding, pastoral wisdom, and Tom’s signature clarity.
02:24 Why does the New Testament show so much demonic activity?
18:34 Why are so many young Christians turning to high church traditions?
30:41 Should Christians keep Saturday as the Sabbath?

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Title: Real Church, the Lord’s Prayer & New Age? — N.T. Wright's wisdom for todayThis week Tom and Mike tackle three listener questions: • What is real church community—can online church count? • Why do we add “For thine is the kingdom…” to the Lord’s Prayer? • Have New Age practices slipped into Christianity today?A brisk, insightful conversation on worship, scripture and spiritual discernment.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 (Embed URL: ⁠⁠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

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In this episode of Ask NT Wright Anything, Mike Bird and Tom Wright take on three big questions:
First, a listener from Ohio asks how precise our beliefs must be to be “saved”. Tom reframes salvation away from “going to heaven when you die” towards God’s new creation and the defeat of death. They unpack Romans 10, baptism, assurance, and why faith is fundamentally entrusting yourself to Jesus rather than having a perfect theology.
Next, they explore whether in Matthew 16 Peter himself is “the rock” or whether it’s his confession that Jesus is the Christ.
Finally, they tackle why the virgin birth matters: Jewish expectations, Isaiah 7:14, pagan “divine birth” stories, and why the virgin birth points to God’s sheer grace, the initiative of the Trinity and Jesus’ true humanity shared with Mary.
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