Ask NT Wright Anything – Episode Summary
Episode: What was John the Baptist doing when he baptised Jews before Jesus’ ministry began?
Date: January 4, 2026
Host: Mike Bird
Guest: Tom (N.T.) Wright

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Mike Bird and Tom Wright respond to listener questions about Anglican orders and the Holy Spirit, the meaning behind John the Baptist’s baptism of Jews prior to Jesus’ ministry, and the relevance of the 39 Articles today. With characteristic wit and depth, Tom Wright draws on scripture, church history, and his pastoral experience to illuminate each topic. The tone is conversational, scholarly, and accessible, making complex theological issues approachable for all listeners.

1. Anglican Orders, Laypeople, and the Holy Spirit

(03:43–14:04)

Key Discussion Points

• Question: Do ordained clergy have “more” of the Holy Spirit than laypeople?

  • Tom’s Response: The idea of clergy having a “premium level” of Spirit is unhelpful and not biblical.

• Origin of “Laity”: All Christians are the Laos (people of God); ordination is about specific roles, not spiritual hierarchy.

• Role of Ordained Ministry:

  • Ordination is about being an authorized representative of the church, not about personal charisma or being “super-Christians.”
  • Ordained ministry should reflect Christ’s model of servant leadership (e.g., Mark 10): “If you want to be great, you must be the servant… the slave of all.”
  • Ministry is “almost a lowerarchy” — the higher the calling, the more servant-like the role should be.

• Gifts and Calling:

  • The Spirit equips people not according to personality type but according to God’s call to service.
  • All roles in the church serve the growth and unity of the body (Eph 4).

• Additional Thoughts (Mike Bird):

  • The Spirit is not a tiered system like “British Airways frequent flyer program.”
  • Example from Acts: God’s Spirit works through not only apostles but also so-called “deacons” like Stephen and Philip.
  • The importance of discernment and training in ordination, not just individual enthusiasm.

Notable Quotes

• Tom Wright (05:27):
  “The word laity is the Greek word ‘Laos’, which simply means people. And we’re all Laos. We’re all part of the people of God.”
• Tom Wright (06:32):
  “Ministry is not about a hierarchy of levels where you get more and more of the Holy Spirit the higher you get. Rather, it’s about what you might call almost a lowerarchy, that ultimately the calling is to be foot washers, is to be servants…”
• Mike Bird (11:01):
  “I don’t think the giving of the Holy Spirit is like the British Airways frequent flyer program, where there’s ruby, sapphire and emerald.”
• Tom Wright (12:57):
  “There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism. And we are all given the one same spirit to drink.”

2. John the Baptist’s Baptism: Origins and Meaning

(14:04–18:36)

Key Discussion Points

• Question: What religious tradition were the Jews following when John baptized them, and what did baptism mean before Jesus?

• Tom’s Response:

  • John wasn’t following an existing religious tradition or merely copying existing Jewish ritual washings (mikveh).
  • The Qumran community had ritual baths for purity, but John’s baptism was different; it was conducted in the Jordan and linked to turning back to God.
  • John as “New Exodus” Prophet: He was symbolically calling Israel to relive the crossing of the Jordan — a sign of repentance, preparation for God to act as King, and fulfillment of prophetic hopes (see Isaiah, Malachi, Exodus).
  • John’s baptism was an enactment of Israel’s hope for deliverance from exile (Deuteronomy 30). It involved confessing sins, praying for God’s return, and symbolizing readiness for the coming kingdom.

• Connection to Jesus:

  • Jesus participates, and shortly after, launches his own public ministry at Passover — underlining continuity with the Exodus theme.

Notable Quotes

• Tom Wright (15:08):
  “My sense is that John’s vocation from early on was to be a new Exodus person, that what so many of his contemporaries were waiting for was what the prophets had promised, which was new Exodus.”
• Tom Wright (15:47):
  “This is the time for God to become king. That will involve Israel at present… turning back to the Lord… and the way to do that is to come and go through this symbolic new Exodus.”
• Mike Bird (18:36):
  “That’s very well put, Tom. I like that—putting the background to John’s baptism not in the context of Christian baptism or the individual encounter with Christ, but the whole story.”

3. The 39 Articles – Historical and Contemporary Relevance

(21:54–34:43)

Key Discussion Points

• Question: Are any of the 39 Articles of the Church of England in need of revision, clarification, or replacement? Should any be added or removed?

• Historical Purpose of the Articles:

  • Written not as a full confession like Westminster but as a series of statements addressing 16th-century issues dividing the English church.
  • Intended to hold both church and nation together during a volatile period following the Reformation.

• Tom’s Reflections:

  • The Articles are not the Anglican equivalent of the Westminster Confession or the decrees of Trent; they’re more focused and brief.
  • Some articles are still sound (e.g., on Scripture, the Trinity, inclusion of laity in Communion), but others address now-irrelevant debates (e.g., works before justification, supererogation) or reflect 16th-century misunderstandings.
  • Scripture as Supreme Authority: The Articles themselves affirm their subordination to the Bible.
  • Tom is respectful of the Articles’ historical context but argues we should be prepared to critically reassess their current utility.

• Should New Articles Be Drafted?:

  • Tom raises the question of whether we even need articles of religion today, or if there are better ways to handle doctrine.
  • We should “have a conversation” with the Articles, honoring the historical context but not freezing ourselves in the past.

• Mike’s Reflection:

  • The Articles should not petrify Christianity; part of being “Reformed” is semper reformanda—always reforming.
  • Over-reliance on dated confessions risks missing the pressing issues facing Christians today.

Notable Quotes

• Tom Wright (25:21):
  “That’s part of the problem. When my friend Oliver O’Donovan wrote a book on the 39 articles, its subtitle was A Conversation with Tudor Christianity. And I think that’s right.”
• Tom Wright (28:03):
  “It’s very, in the wrong sense I think, dogmatic in the way [the Athanasian Creed] lays things out and the way it says, unless you absolutely believe all this, there’s no way you’re gonna be saved.”
• Tom Wright (29:38):
  “We must stop giving 19th-century answers to 16th-century questions and start giving 21st-century answers to 1st-century questions.”
• Mike Bird (32:12):
  “If we rely on [the Articles] too much, it does become a kind of petrified Christianity, because we’re not stuck in those debates anymore.”

4. Authority in the Church – Where Do Articles Fit?

(33:16–34:43)

Key Discussion Points

• Tom recounts: As Bishop, people would request public rebukes or new doctrinal statements, but Tom (and others) point out that true authority in the church flows from God through Christ, in the Holy Spirit, grounded in scripture, informed by creeds and traditions, and only much further down are the Articles.
• Emphasis on preaching central matters and not multiplying confessional statements.

Notable Quotes

• Tom Wright (34:12):
  “All authority is from God. It’s exercised through Jesus Christ… in the power of the Holy Spirit… given to us through the Holy Scriptures themselves. And then we read the Holy Scriptures and we are aware of and take very strong account of the great creeds and the early traditions of the church. And then further down the track there are things like the articles…”

Memorable Moments

• Tom and Mike’s playful banter about podcast popularity in Guatemala and nicknames for John the Baptist (“Jack the Dipper”)
• Tom’s advice against self-appointed “YouTube clerics”: “Otherwise you end up with some guy with a bad Hebrew Tattoo and a YouTube channel just ranting on all sorts of crazy things.” (12:13)
• Tom’s humility about Anglican history:
  “The thought of me being in such a position [to reform or rewrite the articles] is really quite scary because my name is Thomas, and the Thomas who really did more to create liturgy and so on was Thomas Cranmer. And look what happened to him…” (23:14)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Laity, Ordination & The Holy Spirit: 03:43–14:04
• John the Baptist’s Baptism & Jewish Context: 14:54–18:36
• The 39 Articles: Then and Now: 21:54–34:43

Summary Tone & Takeaways

The episode is thoughtful, erudite, and practical. Tom Wright and Mike Bird bring church history to life, tie ancient practices to modern questions, and do so with humor and humility. Their discussion is shaped by a high view of scripture and ministry as service. The central message: Christian life and the church should always be returning to scripture, asking what servant leadership looks like, and staying open to reform and renewal rather than getting locked in the past.