New Testament

In this GodPod, Graham and Jane are joined by Steve Smith, Tutor and Lecturer in New Testament Studies at St Mellitus College. They discuss Luke–Acts, the Kindom of God and the reading of scripture.

In this one Graham and Mike are joined by Dr Chris Tilling, Senior New Testament Lecturer at St Mellitus College. This GodPod looks at questions of the historicity of the Bible, and has an emphasis on Biblical Studies and the New Testament.

In this Godpod renowned New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham joins the team for a discussion about the reliability of the Gospels and what we know about the historical Jesus. 

Mike, Jane and Graham talk about why the New Testament writings are considered to be God’s Word and other early Christian writings of this time are not. They also discuss whether God forgives our sins against him or just against other people, and whether our imperfect memories are a result of our fallenness.

Mike, Jane and Chris explore the strengths and weaknesses of different translations of the Bible, including the King James Version, the New International Version, and The Message. The team also addresses the question of what we are to make of apparent contradictions in the Bible. Can all such passages be reconciled with one another? Or are they reflections of the different concerns of their authors? And, finally, did the Holy Spirit reveal truths to the Church Fathers that hadn't been revealed earlier to the apostles? [Recorded 21 May 2009]

Should Christians be vegetarians for ethical reasons? The regular team debates this, and the question of how Old Testament laws fit into New Testament ethics.

Why didn’t Jesus write his own Gospel? Chris Tilling joins Graham, Mike, and Jane again to discuss the legacy of Jesus in the writing of the New Testament, the sending of the Holy Spirit, and the institution of the sacraments. And can God answer the prayers of people who wouldn’t consider themselves Christians, or who follow other faiths? How might we think about the intercession of saints?

Tom (N.T.) Wright, Bishop of Durham and an internationally respected New Testament theologian, joins Mike and Jane to discuss the Gnostic Gospel of Judas. Looking at the Gospel in its historical context, Tom addresses its relationship to the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. What does it mean to say that Jesus is Lord, in the 21st century, as in the 1st? And what do the Gnostic and canonical gospels have to say about the place of women?

Alister McGrath joins Graham, Mike and Jane to discuss issues raised by prominent secular atheists such as Richard Dawkins. What can we say about the character of God as portrayed in the Bible, and what is the relationship between the Old Testament and the New? What about the relationship between science and faith? Joined by students from St Paul’s Theological Centre, Alister also considers revelation in scripture, in Jesus, and in the natural world.

Mark Stibbe, New Testament theologian and vicar of St Andrew’s, Chorleywood, joins the regular team to discuss Dan Brown’s book The Da Vinci Code.