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Articles by NT Wright
Should Christians work in the arms industry?
Tom Wright gives his response to a reader’s question Source: dpa picture alliance archive (Alamy) Q. Should Christians work in the arms industry? Like many things in life, this is a complicated issue. A Christian mechanical engineer helps his company design equipment used in military systems. The devices he works on are not inherently violent, but they may power equipment intended to be used as weapons of war.
How should Christians read Old Testament prophecy?
Tom Wright gives his response to a reader’s question Q. How should Christians read Old Testament prophecy? I am often asked whether the Old Testament really predicts Jesus, or whether Christians sometimes force meanings on to ancient texts that were never intended. Sceptics occasionally suggest Christians read the prophets like fortune-teller’s predictions, vague enough that almost anything can be made to fit. There is an important point hiding inside that objection.
Where was the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament?
Tom Wright gives his response to a reader’s question Q. Where was the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament? Christians readily link the Spirit with Pentecost, Acts, and the life of the early Church. But this naturally raises another question: if the Spirit arrived in such dramatic fashion in the New Testament, was the Spirit absent throughout the Old Testament? The short answer is no.
Should Christians pray to the Holy Spirit?
Tom Wright gives his resoponse to a reader’s question Q: Are Christians allowed to pray to the Holy Spirit? Christians are comfortable praying to the Father or to Jesus. But praying to the Holy Spirit can seem more mysterious and somehow harder to speak about. And that’s partly because the Holy Spirit is mysterious. This is because, when the Holy Spirit comes upon someone, even if it’s quiet and doesn’t involve any great drama, there is a sense of fusion between God’s Spirit and ours.
I disagree with my church’s teaching on women in ministry. Should I leave?
The New Testament suggests Christians can differ on significant matters yet remain in fellowship, says Tom Wright Q: Can Christians disagree about women in ministry and still worship together? My instinct in addressing this question is always to begin with the New Testament’s central concern: the unity of the Church. In our polarised world, we are quick to draw dividing lines and call them deal-breakers.
Why do Christians worship on a Sunday?
Tom Wright addresses a question on the biblical sabbath Q: If the biblical Sabbath is on Saturday, why do Christians worship on Sunday? Are we ignoring the fourth commandment? For ancient Israel, the Sabbath was not merely a day off. It was a sign of both creation and covenant: a weekly reminder that God had rescued his people from slavery in Egypt, as a kind of new creation, and invited them into his rest.
Who goes to hell?
Tom Wright fields a challenging question about the nature of heaven and hell - and who goes there Q: Who goes to hell? It’s a fair question…and a painful one. I’m very glad I’m not the one who decides. Thank God that neither I nor any other theologian holds that responsibility. The New Testament reminds us that even Jesus said of the great final day: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (see Matthew 24:36).
Does every Old Testament verse whisper Jesus?
Are some Christians a little too desperate to find Jesus in every Old Testament story? Theologian Tom Wright gives his view Q: Aren’t some churches so determined to find Jesus in every breath of the Old Testament that they risk leaving God the Father behind? Have we overdone the “every story whispers his name” approach? This is an excellent question. I share the affection for that little line from the Jesus Storybook Bible (Zondervan).
Am I missing out on Eucharistic adoration?
Tom Wright answers a reader’s question about the Catholic practice of Eucharistic adoration Q: Having been raised in a Puritan heritage, I’m unfamiliar with high Church practices, but wonder if I’m missing out on some of their richness. What is your view on Eucharistic Adoration? In order to answer this question, we need to look at some history. Puritanism arose in strong reaction to how medieval Western Roman Catholicism was doing church.
Should I be Catholic or Protestant?
Tom Wright gives his answer to a reader’s question Q: My name is Andrew and I’m a new convert to Christianity. I’m much more familiar with Catholic traditions, as my wife and children attend a Catholic church. But since my conversion, I am struggling to choose a church, as I connect more with Reformed theology. What should I do? Finding a spiritual home is a personal and sometimes complex journey.
Should Christians believe in evolution?
Tom Wright gives his answer to a reader’s question Q: Is evolution a threat to the doctrine of original sin? It is important to draw a clear distinction between biological evolution and evolutionism. Biological evolution refers to the scientific study of the processes by which living organisms change over time. Evolutionism is the belief that the world operates independently, free of any divine intervention or guidance.
Why should Christians bother improving the world?
Q: Why should Christians bother improving the world if it’s all destined for renewal? One of the exciting aspects of exploring this question is that it stems from a growing awareness that the Bible isn’t primarily about how we leave this earth to go to heaven, but rather how God will renew both the heavens and the earth. This leads to another deeply biblical question: “How long until we see these promised new heavens and new earth?” This question has echoed through the ages.
Did Jesus descend to hell after he died on the cross?
Q: Did Jesus descend to hell after he died on the cross? This question has long intrigued theologians and believers alike. The concept is mentioned in the Apostles’ Creed, which states that Jesus “suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead” (my emphasis). The early Church fathers discussed a descent into Sheol or Hades, the realm of the dead.
Ask NT Wright anything: Marriage in heaven
Q: Will I still remember my spouse in the new heaven and earth? And will we know our family and friends? One of the fascinating things about the New Testament, unlike some religious books both ancient and modern, is its refusal to offer much speculation about what the age to come will actually be like. Jesus is clear that there will be a resurrection. But, in Matthew 22 when the Sadducees ask which husband a widow will be reunited with, Jesus says they are missing the point.
How can I know I’m truly saved?
Q: How can I know if I’m truly saved? And is it possible to lose my salvation? The question of being saved, or of losing one’s salvation, is a pastoral one that I’d suggest you address with your church pastor in the first instance. I say this because some people are naturally more self-critical and have a tendency to worry, while others are much more bullish and assume everything will be all right in the end. There are potential pitfalls to both ways of thinking.
Help! Science is pushing me toward atheism. How can I still be a Christian?
Q: Help! Questions of science and evolution are pushing me to the brink of atheism. How can I be a Christian and make sense of modern questions that defy God’s existence? Jesus taught us to love God with our minds, so intellectual inquiry is a necessary part of our Christian life. Sometimes the family or church we grew up in may have included teaching on all sorts of things – like creation and evolution – which it is helpful to revisit later in life.
Can we trust the birth narratives of Jesus found in the Gospels?
Q: Many people assume that the birth narratives of Jesus found in the Gospels are fictional. Do you think they’re trustworthy? In order to answer this question, it is useful to compare the Gospels with other historical documents. As an ancient historian, I study texts in which most of the incidents that we know about are recorded only once. This is the case in the works of Tacitus or Suetonius, or any of the other great ancient writers.
Why do Christians disagree so much?
Bible scholar Tom Wright gives his answer Q. Sincere Christians disagree with one another on all sorts of important theological issues. Why aren’t we more united? Disagreement is inevitable. All of us view the world through our own eyes and form opinions based on our own experiences and perspectives.
NT Wright on the difference between “hope” and “optimism”
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Should parents punish children?
Q: I do my best to parent from a place of rest and peace, and don’t use punishments or consequences, such as smacking, timeouts or taking away privileges. I get a lot of pushback on this and am often told I’m not parenting my children biblically. What do you think? Approaches to parenting should be driven by the gospel, but also wisely rooted within local culture.
Is it ok to pray to Jesus? Or should we only pray to God the Father?
Q: In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus appears to guide us to direct our prayers to the Father. However, I often hear Christians praying directly to Jesus. Is this wrong? Is it a misunderstanding of the Trinity? The great Christian tradition in prayer has usually followed the theological view that we pray “to the Father, through the Son, in the power of the Spirit”. It’s a helpful formula, and there is a kind of logic to it.
Did the virgin birth really happen?
Q: Some claim that Mary’s virgin conception was invented to fulfil a mistranslated Old Testament prophecy. How should I approach historical biblical scholarship that seems to undermine fundamental Christian truths? At the risk of sounding like a very old man, I have seen many of these types of questions over the last 50 years. But, as we have found out more about the first-Century world, what appears contradictory to us isn’t necessarily so.
Devout, relaxed and friendly: Tom Wright recalls his 36 hours with The Queen
The former Bishop of Durham recalls being invited to spend a weekend with Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh in Sandringham The most amount of time I spent with her late Majesty was when I was preaching for her at Sandringham, which is where The Queen and The Duke would spend their Christmas holidays. During January and early February they would invite various bishops to come and stay with them for the weekend and preach on the Sunday.
Why can’t I feel God?
Q: Tom, you talk so passionately about being filled with the Holy Spirit. I believe Jesus is the Son of God. I believe he died and was resurrected. But I don’t feel a thing. I pray, read the Bible, seek his advice and enlightenment. And yet I feel nothing. Am I doing something wrong? I wouldn’t wish to give anyone the impression that every hour of every day, I am as happy and excited and aware of the presence of God as I am on some occasions.
Should Christians go on expensive holidays?
Q:Our family recently went on an international holiday. It was wonderful, but I did feel a twinge of guilt. It took us more than a year to save up for it and we were the only ones who benefitted from it. I can’t imagine the disciples ever had a nice beach break. Should Christians spend money on such luxuries? I find it helpful to set this question in a historical context. The modern world puts pressures on us which our forebears never knew.
Will God only forgive me if I forgive others?
Q: I’ve got a deep regard for the Sermon on the Mount but I’ve always been bothered by Matthew 6:15: “But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Likewise, the Lord’s Prayer says: “Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.” Is God’s forgiveness really contingent on our actions towards each other? I’m fascinated that the one line of the Lord’s Prayer which Jesus takes time to explain immediately afterwards is the part about forgiveness.
Why Jesus' resurrection really happened
Tom Wright explains why, as an ancient historian, the resurrection of Jesus from death makes historical sense. "Dead people don't come back to life. We know that, and they knew that", says NT Wright in this interview. So why did the first Christians claim their crucified Messiah had risen from the dead? Were they just over-credulous religious types, or is there more going on? Professor NT Wright is one of the world's leading New Testament scholars.
My church isn’t taking Covid seriously. Should I leave?
Q: My husband and I live in the USA and have been heartbroken by our church’s lack of precautions during the pandemic. Now that we are fully vaccinated, we’re looking forward to worshiping in person again, but we’re struggling with whether to go back to church. We love it deeply, but doesn’t their behaviour indicate a serious difference over how we apply the command to love our neighbours? Recently, I had emails from two very old friends, almost at exactly the same time.
Could Jesus have been female?
Q: Is there a biblical or theological reason why Jesus had to be a Jewish male? Could God have come in female form – and would she have been taken seriously if she had? Jesus was depicted as female in Bella Thorne’s movie, Habit.
How do you explain polygamy in the Bible?
Q) Were Abraham and Jacob sinning when they had multiple wives? It bothers me because these stories make women seem like property rather than beloved by God. A) This is a great question, because polygamy vs monogamy is a very interesting test case in how the authority of scripture actually works. Scripture is a narrative. It’s a story with a beginning, a continuation, a middle, a climax and an end.
Do you believe in fasting?
Q: I’ve been told that a ‘breakthrough fast’ is a way of getting results in prayer. Do you believe in fasting? And can it give our prayers more power? I’m not an expert on fasting either in theory or in practice.
Should Christians support violent protests?
Q: Some of my Christian friends have been supporting violent protests over racial justice. They cite Jesus’ cleansing of the temple as justification. Do you agree? In 1975, I was a young delegate at the World Council of Churches in Nairobi. One of the big issues was agreeing a policy to combat racism, particularly aimed at the old regime in South Africa.
Resurrection: Let Go of Your Superstitious Belief in Reason
I hear this about the resurrection all the time: That’s the standard skeptical explanation, and I’ve heard it from more than a few of you. The problem with the standard, skeptical explanation- other than it’s complete ignorance of first century culture. And history. Not to mention Judaism. And Greek philosophy- is that it leaves too many ingredients unaccounted for. For one, it fails to account for the fact that the message of Resurrection doesn’t begin in the Gospels.
Crackers & Grape Juice
A while back I hatched the idea to begin a sort of podcasting collective with my friends Teer Hardy and Morgan Guyton. Like the United Methodist Church, in which we all minister, there’s a range of beliefs and opinions between us. I tried to come up with a name for the podcast, something specifically Methodist but appropriately catchy and memorable.
What's Heaven Like? | Jason Micheli
In the last few years, thanks largely to the work of NT Wright, the Church has recovered the understanding that going to heaven when we die is not the point of believing in Jesus nor is it, even, a primary concern of scripture and seldom do our notions of heaven resemble anything in our scripture or tradition. However, to say that Christianity is not about going to heaven when we die is not to say that reflection on and belief in eternity is inappropriate.
Sorry Calvinists, God Can't Do Whatever God Wants
I’ve become convinced that its important for the Church to inoculate our young people with a healthy dose of catechesis before we ship them off to college, just enough so that when they first hear about Nietzsche or really study Darwin they won’t freak out and presume that what the Church taught them in 6th grade confirmation is the only wisdom the Church has to offer.
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