Ask NT Wright Podcast: Is Salvation for everyone? Predestination, Free Will and Inclusion Theology
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- Tom Wright and Dr. Mike Bird dive into deep theological questions in this episode, tackling Inclusion Theology, Universalism, Predestination, and the question of Free Will.
💡 Is Salvation universally available? Does predestination mean some are excluded? How do free will and God’s purposes coexist? Tom and Mike unpack these complex questions, shedding light on biblical perspectives that emphasize transformation, assurance, and the church’s role in reflecting God’s image in the world.
Key themes in today's episode:
Why determinism vs. free will is often a misleading debate.
How predestination is about God’s purpose, not exclusion.
The Holy Spirit’s role in salvation and human responsibility.
Why the New Testament presents salvation as both universal and personal.
The Biblical view of the soul vs. Platonic philosophy.
🎧 If you’ve ever wrestled with questions about election, inclusion, or what it means to be human in God’s plan, this episode offers fresh insights to challenge and encourage your faith.
👉 To ask your question go to: askntwright.com
#AskNTWrightAnything #predestination #freewill #christiantheology #holyspirit #salvation
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Ask NT Wright Anything Podcast
The show that connects you to NT (Tom) Wright’s thoughts and theology through your questions. Produced by Premier Unbelievable in partnership with SPCK and NTWrightOnline.
About NT (Tom) Wright
Tom Wright is one of the world’s leading New Testament scholars and the author of numerous books including Surprised by Hope, The Day The Revolution Began, Paul: A Biography and most recently Jesus and the Powers. He will be on the Unbelievable show talking about this very soon. Tom Wright is senior research fellow at Wycliffe Hall, University of Oxford. Wright is ordained in the Church of England and, among other roles, served as Bishop of Durham between 2003 - 2010. He is much in demand as a lecturer around the world and the author for the bestselling For Everyone commentary series and the New Testament For Everyone Bible translation.
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Bird and Wright are 1000% Orthodox trustworthy and good. Please people don’t bring unread and unloving misinformation to this comment section. These men are preaching the gospel and the mystery of the cross. God is love and in God there is no darkness at all. God is light, God is life. We need to love our neighbor as ourself.
I am a recovering Pentecostal,
Oklahoma USA & i grew up in an environment of Religious Rollercoaster Anxiety. Thank you N.T. Wright for clarification.
the argument that Bird begins at 22:40 is phenomenal. Predestination as assurance. "If God has done that, that's what he planned from all eternity..." Beautiful!
I appreciate how near the end they brought up how in our modern, western perspective, we tend to interpret things to be about us as individuals rather than as parts of God's overall plan for his family as a community.
As per usual, my favourite duo is back ! I truly enjoy how you interact and contribute to the discussion…It is such a nice change from the usual debate, interview or dialogue schedule. Having 2 good mates discuss viewers questions is most certainly REFRESHING…leaving me hopeful they will continue to see the discussions between these brilliant, inspiring professors!
Love and blessings!🇨🇦xx❤xx🇬🇧
The whole is much, much greater than we were trained to think about. Love to each presenter and listener, ❤
this is why we are here, we are here to listen and listen again.
A lot can be learnt from Tom,I think I will need more of his teachings❤
As always, I so appreciate N.T. Wright’s perspective and his insistence on being faithful to the biblical text. I am also sensitive to the reality that not everything can be said about everything all the time. So, after hearing this video, I just wanted to make clear that the Catholic Church is no longer in the medieval time regarding this question. In the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church 41 the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Justice and Peace answers this question in a nuanced way using Sacred Scripture. It would be wonderful if people would interact with this document more.
Very interesting and informative discussion. Thank you!
I was predestined to comment here.
I think it was due to God's provision that you were able to watch this video.
HAYMAN
I love how N. T. Wright pays attention to 1 Cor 9:27. Hupapiazo! Doulagogo!!!
Tom is right that we must study the roles of the Father, Son and Spirit, in baptism, sanctification and justification. The Cross only changed the covenant to allow repentance.
Always use teachers as a means to study new points and test new directions. But this is only effective if you have a stable baseline and ask God for wisdom. NT Wright tackles the baseline, especially for the reformed thinking Christians, and has his listeners think 1st century which I believe is correct… because that’s when it was written (and much older for Old Testament). A lot of us, including myself, have been directed to see much from St Thomas Aquinas, Luther and Calvin, in their greek/latin thinking about the body/spirit which has uprooted the Jewish origins. This overall message was designed for the common man but now made complex and mysterious by the scholars. This goes for election, predestination, and chosen language in the New Testament. We’ve taken these terms as individual rather than group, especially Ephesians when it was sent everyone like Uncle Sam pointing at you (America as a whole) telling us that he wants us to join him in his army.
I like that analogy 👍
God calls us out of culture into His presence as His redeemed people. This is His work, not ours, and clearly not everyone is called. This is the essence of what is often referred to as "salvation".
Yet we also have agency and moral responsibility.
Exactly how these two work together can't be explained in simple one-liners, and parts of it remain to us a mystery.
Our task is to respond in faith, be obedient, love God, and love our fellow image-bearers.
Yes, none of which we can do in our natural condition
Many are called, few are chosen.
Omniscience plus the decision to create seals everyone's fate!
Salvation is for whomever God chooses.
Luke 12:7 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.
John 6:65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
Matthew 16:17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
God chose us before we chose Him. We were ordained to salvation, even before we believed.
Acts 13:48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
2 Thessalonians 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
Not my will, but thine be done.
Ephesians 1:5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
Ephesians 1:4 According as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
1 Peter 1:20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
Hebrews 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Revelation 17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
Matthew 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Matthew 24:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Luke 18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?
Matthew 20:16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.
Is "many" everyone? Of the many, how many are chosen?
Mark 13:20 And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect's sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that NOT MANY wise men after the flesh, NOT MANY mighty, NOT MANY noble, are called: But GOD HATH CHOSEN the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
James 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Isaiah 46:9-10 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure.
Romans 8:20 tells of our free will which God wants us to reason to do his will by love, to a predestined image as Romans 8:29. Those are then elect by the Father in the church.
Salvation is for everyone No just for White Privilege
Actually, "hell" doesn't exist. It's incompatible with the idea that our Divine Father-friend loves us with an infinite love. "Hell", as it's been depicted, serves no useful purpose. It has human revenge written all over it. (Hardly very "divine"...)
There are two destinations available to us, choosing to pursue becoming gradually more spiritually perfect, or ceasing to exist. We use our freewill to choose which one.
Second homes tours of Ephesus...
I thought Matt Dillahunty had aged considerably on the thumbnail.
Is your god real, or just imaginary? Do you have *one* piece of good evidence that your god is real? Just *one,* but specific enough and in enough detail that I can judge it for myself? Or *one* piece of good evidence that _any_ of the magical/supernatural stories in the Bible actually happened?
The thing about asking theological questions is just that... ask a different theist, get a different answer. Heck, ask a different _Christian,_ get a different answer. Because Christians can't even agree with _other Christians_ about much of anything, let alone with the other faith-based people in the world, even when you're all supposedly following the same magic book supposedly provided to you by the same supposedly all-knowing deity!
So, it's all just personal preference, isn't it? It's all about what you _want_ to be true? You're all certain, but you can't _all_ be right, because you contradict each other. (You _can_ all be wrong, though.)
Yeah, that's why I have a hard time taking any of this stuff seriously. Do you have anything - *anything* - distinguishable from wishful-thinking backing up your religious beliefs? Not that I've ever heard. But I'm right here, if you want to show me that I'm wrong.
Why is *one* specific piece of good evidence too much to ask?
What do you mean by “good evidence”?
@@dadblame1
You're kidding, right?
But I'll accept anything distinguishable from wishful-thinking which points to your god, rather than to some natural explanation (known or unknown). Got anything? Got *anything?*
@ not kidding, honest question.
There are many philosophical arguments for the existence of God. There’s the cosmological, teleological and moral argument. Each one of those is a category or family of arguments which have been around for hundreds if not thousands of years. There are probably thousands of hours of videos on RUclips covering these arguments. There are also many arguments for the historicity of books of the New Testament and the person of Jesus, also many hours of content on this topic as well. For instance @inspiringphilosophy has a six hour video on the reliability of the four gospels.
None of the above examples are wishful thinking, they are logically possible(some would say quite probable) and rational. Now that doesn’t mean that you would be convinced by any of those arguments, so maybe that’s what you meant by ‘good’ evidence.
To make your case, it seems to me, that you should at least refute some of those things rather than make blanket statements about the lack of evidence. People like John Lennox, William Lane Craig or Alvin Plantinga would be worth looking into if you are not familiar with their work.
Just because Christians can disagree on a number of issues doesn’t necessarily mean that Christianity must be false. People disagree about who is the best sports team or player but that certainly doesn’t mean that basketball doesn’t exist.
I can’t prove that love exists Bill. I can only hope that you experience it and know it deeply. You have to discover it. This insistance that someone else must prove something to you shows that you have closed your mind to the possibility. You’ve shut the door and locked it. When love comes knocking it is you that must be prepared to open the door. God will reveal Himself to you if you ask Him and if you are prepared to let Him. But right now you are not honestly seeking and you will therefore find nothing.
Perhaps there are those for whom the mystery of the ‘Turin shroud’ is the ‘ hard evidence’ which they need.
Extraordinary as it is (check out the newest research if you gave any genuine desire at all), to me it is not necessary.
The evidence for God’s existence is everywhere. Like a huge and beautifully detailed painting (history, archaeology, written accounts, testimonies, the natural world…) which you ignore because you want one single brush stroke to settle the matter.
@@johnholden-white2045
_"I can’t prove that love exists"_
Wow! You have no evidence that the emotion of love exists??? Really? You have to take it all on faith, all on wishful-thinking, because no one has ever demonstrated love for you and you've never felt it, yourself? *I am SO sorry for you.*
But I don't know what that has to do with what I was talking about, anyway. I mean, I feel sorry for you. I really do. But what does that have to do with evidence that your god is real, rather than just imaginary? In addition to having zero evidence of love, do you also have zero evidence that your god is real? (I'm not surprised at _that,_ I must say.)
_"This insistance that someone else must prove something to you"_
Nope. I *never* asked for proof. Just for evidence. And if you theists didn't claim that your various gods were real, I wouldn't ask you to back up your diverse, contradictory claims with evidence, either. I ask for evidence *only because you're making a claim.*
Why are you so upset that I ask you to demonstrate that your claim is actually _true?_ Do _you_ automatically believe every claim someone makes to you? If so, then you must believe in _lots_ of different gods, huh? Because lots of different theists make lots of different claims.
_"God will reveal Himself to you if you ask Him and if you are prepared to let Him. But right now you are not honestly seeking and you will therefore find nothing."_
Heh, heh. Right. Your god will reveal himself to me, except that he won't, huh? And if he _did,_ it would be indistinguishable from wishful-thinking _anyway?_ Wow, you're really convincing!
_"The evidence for God’s existence is everywhere."_
Because you were taught to believe it as a baby, and you really, really _want_ it to be true? Because if "God's evidence" really _were_ everywhere, then *one* specific example wouldn't be too much to ask.
You know, evidence of gods isn't everywhere (it's nowhere, as far as I can tell), but evidence of dogs really _is_ everywhere. That's why we _all_ believe that dogs exist. That's why everyone in the world believes that dogs exist. It's because the evidence really _is_ everywhere, so there's no controversy.
See how that works?
_"the mystery of the ‘Turin shroud’ is the ‘ hard evidence’ which they need."_
Hard evidence of *what,* exactly? And what "mystery"? It's a known medieval forgery. The Catholic Church has known it was a forgery since the 1300's, when it was made. Religious forgeries were a thriving business back in the Dark Ages.
The church encourages it, because it's popular. But you'll note that the popes never claim that it's real. Because they know it isn't. So they word their comments about the 'shroud' very, very carefully. And note that, when they _did_ allow independent testing, radiocarbon dating confirmed that it was a medieval forgery.
I'm not sure how a burial cloth would be evidence that your god is real, even if it _wasn't_ a forgery. Seriously. How would _that_ be evidence of magic? That makes no sense. But since you can't connect it to Jesus _anyway,_ it's just silly. I'm sorry, but _that's_ all you've got? Just some extraordinarily vague claim about a tourist attraction?
YOUR BELIEFS CHANGE NOTHING THAT IS REAL. And, "GOD our Savior...will have all men to be saved and come unto knowledge of the truth." (1Tim 2:3-4) Paul got some things correct, and others totally INCORRECT, including his BAD NEWS "gospel" and his idea of how "salvation" is accomplished. GOD IS NOT INSANE. But men ARE. Elijah has returned, as prophesied, and testifies. You'll ignore me now, but perhaps I'll get your attention once I'm empowered on the world stage. (See Rev. 11) But then, JC has had the world stage for 2000 years, and you still listen to Paul rather than He who spoke ONLY words that the Father gave him to speak! So, why should you listen to GOD's end time witness and forerunner to the SECOND Coming?
where ? your freewill is so easy to use, you are not following the strict command of God because you still enjoy the life on earth, the God Father telling you with command " be holy always of your life because your Holy God father is very HOLY. now if you are not 100 % holy how can you be called true son of God? your freewill is so earthly so I don't believe your reason except you live in eternal spiritual far above all heavenly life then you choose the kingdom of God or choosing the kingdom of lights. thanks God bless ❤❤❤ from 🔥💖🙏🇵🇭 Philippines
If God is all-knowing, then free will is logically impossible, no matter how many thousands of pages are written to rationalize it.
Where is Justin?
I guess he was not predestined. I'm joking off course; still haven't watched the video.
The previous host? He moved on, and for the longest time they were just recycling old episodes. The new host is Michael Bird. He and NT Wright have been collaborating, most notably, I believe on the work, the New Testament in its world.
@@Saru12249 hopefully this new fella won't try to overtalk Tom Wright as the the other guy did. I hope he does well in his new endeavors, but I will be watching more frequently now, in hopes to get the answers from Wright, not the opinions of the other guy
@@patriciajohn8196 But the other guy isn't all that bad. His Aussie accent is cool at least! 🙂
@@betrion7 Joking.... he is just out for now and NTW is right for now
Seriously... Plenty of Justin Brierley to choose. And that is a good choice also.
Tom am I going to Hell ??
*ROMANS 10:12-13 KJV*
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: *for the same Lord over all is RICH UNTO ALL THAT CALL UPON HIM. For WHOSOEVER shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be SAVED.*
A little bit of Bible is all you need to avoid wasting time making videos like this.
It's ridicule to try to conclude the question by believing in a triune gods , God never been three and is name is I AM and not WE ARE.
Let "us" make mankind in "our" image? Christianity decided on the Trinity early on in church history.
@@richardmcgarvey6919 early ??? It was in 325 ad :) let us simply mean GOD IS COMMANDING because God created all things alone and for HIMSELF. God never command Himself :)
This is what the LORD says- your Redeemer and Creator: “I am the LORD, who made all things. I alone stretched out the heavens. Who was with me when I made the earth?.....wow this totally destroy your false triune gods
@michelhaineault6654 I see what you mean regarding the "early" I'm mentioned. Yes 325 years is a long time but I mean early on from the perspective of 2000 years of church history to this date. Regarding the Trinity it's an agreed on consensus belief among Christians that the Father, Son & Spirit are all the one God. Not that we understand how this is (we are falabil humans) but we believe this is revealed. Are you speaking as someone from outside the perspective of the church and so criticising this belief?
@@richardmcgarvey6919the OT started as either polytheism or henotheism. There was more than one god. Monotheism developed over time.
Can you ask him why he talks such a lot of nonsense. It’s like white noise…
I know it is experience from which NTW is speaking. But I agree about the "such a lot " here. I am glad it was just under half an hour. Personally , I hope to listen for more considering.. again......later....
@@kateknowles8055 trust me it’s a waste of your valuable time. It’s like watch Harry Potter fans talk about Harry’s wand
Looks like my comment was censored for thought-crime for critiquing the good Dr.'s theology.
It's there, but you should probably explain your reasons. He's a very important voice today, so I encourage you to listen with an open mind. We'll never agree with everything that someone else says, but there is good stuff that Tom has to share.
Tom is a good scholar. But this does not correlate to having sound doctrine. He is dangerous to learn from for young Christians.
How so? Interested grandparent who enjoys teaching my grandkids.
@@thestraightroad305 He has very nuanced and ambiguous conceptions of the wrath and justice of God. He has toned down the wrath of God's place in the Gospel to appease contemporary sensibilities. God's love is so emphasized that it does not balance his hatred of sin. He also has a novel understanding of when the book of Romans says "faith in Christ" and instead translates it as "the faith of Christ," which is possible in isolation, but the history of Christianity knows nothing of this translation because it take the whole context in consideration. He is innovative in a negative sense and wants to "correct" the Reformers. Richard B. Hays, who was in lock-step with him in these innovations, eventually said homosexual*ty is an acceptable lifestyle. This is not guilt by association but the fruition of the trajectory Wright helped introduce into the church. Wright also affirms the Bible contains errors.
Who gets to define and identify those? Wright thinks his intellect is so high that he can determine the truths and errors of the Christian's highest authority, namely, the Bible.
Like many liberal commentaries, I respect their scholarship, but that does not mean their doctrine and theology are sound.
I would argue that Wright has introduced some very destructive trajectories in contemporary evangelical theology.
In what ways would his doctrine be considered “dangerous” or not “sound”?
@@thestraightroad305 Looks like my comment was censored for thought-crime for critiquing the good Dr.'s theology.
@@doejohn215No it hasn't. I just finished watching the video. It has been two hours since you posted this response, and I can still read it. It would be helpful if you detailed out your concerns.
Background music is truly awful!
Tom has a lot of bookywooks