Listen Again: N.T. Wright

Everything Happens with Kate Bowler

Scripture can become a weapon in the hands of the ultra-certain. As if every pain or suffering is part of “God’s divine plan.” So how should we understand and apply the Bible to our real lives with our real-life problems?

NT Wright, a New Testament scholar, is a trusted expert to help us understand what truths resound across time and circumstance and which don’t. In this conversation, Kate and Tom dig in especially on Romans 8:28 which is the Pauline version of EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON. Is that what Paul intended to say? Is there maybe another, more life-giving way to interpret it instead?

Kate and NT Wright also discuss:

• The importance of lament as a response to the human condition
• Why we have such a low tolerance for uncertainty
• Which scripture to turn to when life comes apart (and which to avoid)
• What our response should be to others who are in pain or experiencing tragedy

This is a bit of a Bible-nerd out, but I would trust no one else to help us better make sense of where is God when we’re suffering than NT Wright.

This clip originally aired in October 2023.

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Watch clips from this conversation, read the full transcript, and access discussion questions by clicking here.

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