Podcast Summary

Ask Ligonier — Episode: "What Is a Good Starting Point for a New Convert? What Are the Basics?"

Host: Nathan W. Bingham
Guest: Dr. Stephen Nichols, President of Reformation Bible College and Ligonier Ministries Teaching Fellow
Date: June 12, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode addresses a foundational listener question: What is a good starting point for a new believer, and what are the basics of the Christian faith? Dr. Stephen Nichols offers practical and theologically rich advice on growing in faith, highlighting essential disciplines and resources for new Christians. His guidance is structured around four main pillars: reading the Bible, prayer, theological growth, and devotion through hymns.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Be a Lifelong Student of the Bible

• Dr. Nichols emphasizes reading and studying the Bible as the first priority for new believers.

  • "First, I would say read, and not just read, but study your Bible." — Dr. Stephen Nichols [00:27]

• Context is King:

  • Understanding the context of any Bible verse is crucial for correct interpretation.
    • “The number one rule about interpreting the Bible: context is king.” [00:39]
    • Verses must be understood within their literary unit, the surrounding book, and the whole biblical canon.
    • Recognizing the overarching story: creation, fall, redemption, recreation.

• Key Questions to Ask While Studying:

  • "What does this passage teach me about God?"

  • "What does this passage teach me about me and what I need to do?" [02:14]

    • “The Scripture itself calls itself a mirror... it's shining back on us, those parts of our life that we need to work on.” [02:29]

• Takeaway: New believers should approach Scripture as an ongoing journey, always connecting the passage to its broader literary and historical context.

2. Cultivating a Life of Prayer

• Utilize Scriptural Models for Prayer:

  • Jesus provides the Lord’s Prayer as a foundational model (Matthew 6).
  • “The phrases of the Lord’s Prayer are wonderful gateways into thinking about what Christ is saying we should pray for.” [03:10]

• Praying the Psalms:

  • Many Psalms are prayers and can guide personal prayer time.
  • “Many Christians love to read the Psalms... and as we read the Psalms again, we have a model for us learning how to pray.” [03:27]

• Learning from Biblical Prayers:

  • Old Testament: Nehemiah’s prayer (Nehemiah 1)
  • New Testament: Paul’s prayers in Ephesians 1 & 3

3. Grow as a Theologian

• Everyone Is a Theologian:

  • Dr. Nichols references R.C. Sproul: “Everyone’s a theologian.”
  • It’s essential to grow deeper in understanding doctrine, starting with foundational church statements.

• Key Resources:

  • The Apostles’ Creed: “Just like the Lord’s Prayer, the phrases of the Apostles' Creed are gateways that open these broad vistas of rich theological material.” [04:17]
  • Early Church Creeds: The Nicene Creed (c. 325), Chalcedonian Creed (451), especially focusing on Christology (the person and work of Christ).
  • The Five Solas of the Reformation:
    • Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone)
    • Sola Fide (faith alone)
    • Sola Gratia (grace alone)
    • Solus Christus (Christ alone)
    • Soli Deo Gloria (the glory of God alone)
      • “All again summarizing the great doctrine of justification and salvation and the person of Christ.” [05:00]

4. Reflect Through Hymns of the Faith

• Spiritual and Theological Enrichment in Hymns:

  • Great hymns provide both literary and theological depth.
    • “Some of these hymns, the hymns of Isaac Watts or the hymns of Charles Wesley, these are beautiful pieces of literature, and they’re also so theologically rich.” [05:33]

• Hymns help cultivate a heart of worship, reflection, and doctrinal understanding.

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• On God’s Work in the Believer:
  • “Remember that God began this work in you and he will complete it and bring it to bring you to that point of glorification and bring all of us to that point where we are conformed to the image of our dear Savior Jesus Christ.” — Dr. Stephen Nichols [05:54]

Notable Timestamps

• [00:27] — Opening advice: Begin with study and context in Bible reading
• [02:14] — Key questions for Bible reflection
• [03:10] — Using the Lord's Prayer as a prayer model
• [04:17] — Importance of the Apostles' Creed and early church creeds
• [05:33] — The value of classic hymns
• [05:54] — Encouragement in God’s faithfulness to finish the work He begins

Conclusion

Dr. Nichols outlines a clear, gracious path for new believers: continually study Scripture with an eye for context, pray using biblical patterns, deepen your theological knowledge through the creeds and solas, and ground your devotion with classic hymns. The journey of Christian growth is life-long, but God is faithful to complete His sanctifying work.

For more archives and future listener questions, visit ask.ligonier.org/podcast.