Ask NT Wright Anything – The Big Bible Episode: Canon, Contradictions & Tradition
Premier Unbelievable | Host: Mike Bird | Guest: NT Wright | Date: August 17, 2025

Episode Overview

This special "Big Bible" episode dives into foundational questions about the Bible's canon, perceived contradictions in the Gospels, and the relationship between Scripture and tradition. Hosted by Mike Bird with theologian NT (Tom) Wright, the conversation tackles listener questions, offering a thoughtful, often witty perspective on the Bible's formation, how to handle apparent inconsistencies, and the role of tradition versus fresh interpretation.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Is the Canon Closed? What Did God Intend?

(03:00–12:20)

• The Philosophy of the Bible’s Formation

  • The Bible did not arrive “down from heaven in black leather covers complete with maps” (03:49, NT Wright quoting Michael Ramsey).
  • The process of forming the canon was complex, culturally influenced, and not as neat as some traditions imagine.

• Translation and Inspiration

  • No translation, including NT Wright’s own, is perfect—“you can't always hit it right” with translations; sometimes you must paraphrase for the ‘flavour’ (05:20).
  • The King James Version, Tyndale’s translation, and modern translations each reflect different theological and historical choices (05:10–06:00).

• Historical Context

  • Post-Reformation Protestantism sought certainty in the Bible as “infallible,” reacting against a Catholic overreliance on ecclesiastical authority (07:00–08:20).
  • “Authority belongs to God and is then vested in Jesus,” not the Bible per se (09:45).

• Canon Formation

  • Early believers wrestled with which books to include; some wished for others (e.g., Shepherd of Hermas). The settled canon reflects the Church’s discernment about apostolic witness and teaching (10:30–11:45).
  • The most important thing: “Jesus is the one in whom God has acted decisively. And then by the Spirit, Jesus’ followers are enabled to understand what it was that just happened and make the results of that available to the world.” (11:34, NT Wright)

2. Contradictions in the Gospels: Do Details Undermine Inspiration?

(12:20–23:02)

• Recognizing the Sources of Variation

  • Differences in Gospel accounts (e.g., the demoniac at Gadara, genealogies, census under Quirinius) are longstanding challenges.
  • Our knowledge of ancient Roman law and context is limited. Modern assumptions often oversimplify or misunderstand historical realities (15:00–16:15).

• Eyewitness Testimony and Storytelling

  • Variation is normal in eyewitness accounts (“If there were two, then there was certainly one… everyone, when they tell a story, tells it differently.” – NT Wright, 17:14).
  • Ancient and modern historians alike must make choices about sources and presentation (21:55, NT Wright).

• Rationalist Readings vs. Ancient Storytelling

  • Overemphasis on infallibility/inerrancy can be rooted in polemics—first against Catholic authority, later against liberal critics (18:20).
  • “The gospel writers, I don't think, are 18th century rationalists, I think they're 1st century storytellers.” (16:45, NT Wright)

• Big Picture Emphasis

  • “The point is not can we prove every last syllable… The point is, here is the great narrative that the utter consistency of Jesus’ announcement of the kingdom of God and his dying and rising again. That's what matters.” (20:56, NT Wright)

• Historiographical Reflections

  • Mike Bird adds that first-century literary standards did not require the precision or citation apparatus of modern historiography (21:28).
  • Recommends Michael Licona’s Jesus Contradicted for deeper analysis (22:28).

3. Scripture vs. Tradition: When is it Okay to Go Against the Grain?

(24:56–34:00)

• Can We Read Scripture Against Tradition?

  • Listener Bridget wonders if it’s okay to interpret Scripture differently from long-standing tradition.

• Wright’s Framework

  • Tradition’s Value: Tradition is “the story of the church reading Scripture”—a record of “wise people from the past,” but not infallible (27:45).
  • Welcoming Fresh Insights: Fresh readings are not only possible but necessary. The Spirit continually leads believers into all truth—though discernment is required (32:30).
  • Historical Analysis: Reading Scripture in its own context (e.g., as a 1st-century Jew) can open up new dimensions missed by later tradition (29:30).

• Reformation and Tradition

  • The Reformers stood on Scripture over tradition (notably about purgatory and salvation), but they sometimes addressed the wrong questions—the medieval ones, not the first-century ones (30:40).

• Critiquing Tradition

  • Both Protestant and Catholic traditions can err: “Many times when tradition… has seriously led the Church astray.” (31:10, NT Wright)
  • Example: Debates about the position of Mary in Catholic theology.

• Discernment and Faithfulness

  • True spirit-led interpretation is marked by humility, affection for tradition, but readiness for critique and renewal: “Semper Reformanda – always reforming.” (33:35, Mike Bird)
  • “The point is to appeal to Scripture, not against all tradition, but listening to the traditional ways the Scripture has been interpreted… but also prepared to be critical…” (32:18, NT Wright)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• NT Wright on the Canon:

  • “There’s some people who believe the Bible came down from heaven in black leather covers, complete with maps.” (03:49; quoting Michael Ramsey)
  • "No translation is perfect because there's no way that you can make Greek words, let alone Hebrew words, fit exactly into English ones." (05:30)
  • “Authority belongs to God and it is then vested in Jesus. That is the heart of the doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture.” (09:45)

• On Contradictions:

  • “What we’ve got in the New Testament is three, sometimes more versions… the Gospel writers are 1st century storytellers.” (16:45)
  • “The point is not: Can we prove every last syllable? ... Here is the great narrative—the utter consistency of Jesus’ announcement of the kingdom of God and his dying and rising again. That's what matters.” (20:56)
  • Mike Bird: “The evangelists are not always exact on the details... It’s a world where you have more of a literary purpose.” (21:28)

• On Tradition:

  • "Tradition is in principle something which can tell us what wise people from the past have said about Scripture. ... But since those different people ... haven't always agreed ... it is open then for fresh readings." (27:45)
  • "Just because a bit of Scripture comes alive for you, that doesn't necessarily mean that you now have the inside track on what that passage always meant, could only mean and will always mean." (28:30)
  • “We need to critique that [tradition] in the name of Scripture itself ... That's a process which still happens.” (32:18)
  • Mike Bird: “Tradition is simply what the church has learned from reading Scripture. But not everything they learned was infallible. ... in every age, the church needs to be Semper Reformation, constantly reforming...” (33:35)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:49] — The Bible did not descend from heaven, “complete with maps.”
• [05:20] — The challenges and philosophy of translation.
• [09:45] — Authority: God → Jesus → Scripture’s witness.
• [10:30–11:45] — How the canon was discerned and which books were debated.
• [14:32] — How to handle contradictions: the demoniac, the census, genealogies.
• [17:14] — Eyewitness testimony and the variance in telling stories.
• [21:28] — Ancient historiography vs. modern expectations.
• [24:56] — Can/should we read against tradition? Listener’s question.
• [27:45] — Wright’s working definition of tradition and its limitations.
• [30:40] — The Reformation’s strengths and blind spots.
• [32:18] — Critically listening to tradition, remaining rooted in Scripture.
• [33:35] — Mike Bird: Semper Reformanda (“always reforming”).

Conclusion

This episode thoughtfully navigates the complexity of biblical authority, interpretation, and tradition. With characteristic warmth and depth, NT Wright and Mike Bird emphasize that the heart of Christian faith is not in legalistic precision, but in the recognition that Scripture ultimately bears witness to Jesus. They encourage discernment, humility, and a readiness to question—even, at times, to correct—tradition, always returning to Scripture in its ancient context and to the leading of the Spirit.