Podcast Summary: Ask NT Wright Anything
Episode: Why doesn’t the Bible punish men for adultery?
Date: January 11, 2026
Host: Mike Bird | Guest: Tom Wright (NT Wright)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Mike Bird and NT Wright tackle two central listener questions:

1. The perceived gender imbalance in biblical laws on adultery, specifically why the Bible appears to punish women more harshly than men.
2. The purpose and meaning of taking Nazarite vows in the Old Testament.

The discussion then moves to a bonus listener question about the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, exploring perspectives from historical theology and the practical experience of Christian worship.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Gender and Biblical Law on Adultery

Timestamps: 02:59 – 09:55

The Question (03:00)

Lexi Hibbard’s question:

• Why is there a lack of consequence for men involved in adultery compared to the public humiliation of women?
• What should we make of passages like the “cursed water” ordeal for suspected unfaithful wives (Numbers 5)?

Tom Wright’s Response

• Recognizes that some biblical texts reflect the patriarchal attitudes of their day.
  • “There are passages where I have to say, yep, I think in the first century that text would have been read by smug men looking down on women.” (03:55, Tom Wright)
• Notes the presence of a “counter narrative” throughout scripture, especially in Jesus’ ministry.
  • Cites John 8, the woman caught in adultery:

    “A good friend says the proper title for that is the ‘Men Taken in Hypocrisy’, because Jesus doesn’t condemn the woman. He looks around the men and says, ‘the one who is without sin among you should throw the first stone.’” (04:17, Tom Wright)

• Emphasizes legal equity in Leviticus:
  • “If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife... both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death. So that isn’t one law for the man and one law for the woman.” (06:03, Tom Wright)
• Explains that in the ancient world, adultery was also perceived as a property violation and linked to responsibility for offspring.

Why Don’t Christians Enforce Biblical Penalties for Adultery Today? (06:36 – 09:55)

• Mike Bird raises the challenge of the law’s ongoing relevance:
  • “If the law is the will of God, why don’t we do that now?” (06:36, Mike Bird)
• Tom Wright states that not all Old Testament law carries forward, using Sabbath as another example.
• The New Testament presents a move from the law’s letter to a new moral community shaped by Jesus’ teaching (especially the Sermon on the Mount).
  • “The gospel has generated a new community… We have to figure out new ways of applying, let’s say, the Sermon on the Mount.” (09:21, Tom Wright)
• Punishment must be contextualized—modern Christian ethics adapt to changing social contexts and the example of Christ’s mercy.

2. Nazarite Vows: Ancient Consecration

Timestamps: 09:55 – 14:12

The Question

• Why would anyone choose to become a Nazarite?
  • (Old Testament figures who abstained from wine, didn’t cut their hair, etc.—Numbers 6)

Tom Wright’s Insights

• Compares the Nazarite vow to monastic life: a special, voluntary act of consecration and focus on God.
  • “The impulse towards that sense of total consecration and concentration is something that some people are aware of very strongly, of God putting his hand on their life and saying, I want you to be utterly special, to be utterly mine.” (11:08, Tom Wright)
• Admits mixed motives are possible, but genuine devotion is a recurring spiritual impulse across traditions:
  • “Some people really do this kind of thing because they feel God’s call upon their lives so powerfully that I just have to do this.” (11:40, Tom Wright)
• John the Baptist is cited as an example.

Mike Bird’s Reflections

• Likens the Nazarite ideal to aspects of contemporary and historic Christian monasticism.
• Discusses the appeal and discipline of “ordered” spiritual life, e.g., regular prayer routines.

3. The Eucharist: Real Presence or Memorial?

Timestamps: 15:07 – 26:32

The Question

From Shonda Talitsky:

• Navigating between Catholic transubstantiation and Protestant memorial views—how is Christ really present in the Eucharist?
• Is the “spiritual presence” view enough?
• Does it risk being “gnostic” if it only affirms the non-material?

Tom Wright’s Theological Framework

• Breaks down “substance” vs. “accidents” (philosophy rooted in Aristotle, Aquinas, and medieval theology).
  • “Substance is the reality of the thing… but the substance is quite a complicated word philosophically because it implies that [being] exists on two different levels.” (16:54, Tom Wright)
• Explains Reformation-era distinctions (transubstantiation, consubstantiation, “spiritual presence”).
• Offers a biblical view of “matter”:
  • “When we come to receive the bread and the wine in the Eucharist, what’s happening is we are actually standing at the overlap point between heaven and earth, between future and present, between the future physical reality and the present physical reality.” (21:05, Tom Wright)
  • Argues that the Eucharist is therefore “much, much more than a mere memory.”
• Stresses that the act itself—the meal—is primary, not just a conceptual framework or feeling:
  • “The humble obedience of kneeling down to receive God’s future in the present… is at the heart of it. And you don’t actually need transubstantiation… but it remains a mystery.” (23:48, Tom Wright)
  • “When Jesus wanted to teach his followers what his death was going to be about, he didn’t give us a theory. He gave us a meal. And the meal is the reality.” (24:17, Tom Wright)

Mike Bird’s Perspective

• Echoes that most of church history saw Christ as truly present in the Eucharist, regardless of technical explanation.
  • Quotes Calvin: “If there is no presence, there is no point in the meal.” (24:54, Mike Bird)
  • Cites 1 Corinthians 10: “It is a fellowship, it is a koinonia between the believer and Christ.” (25:15, Mike Bird)
• Critiques minimalist Protestant approaches:
  • “I’ve heard so many communion services begin with three reasons why this is insignificant… which makes me think, well then why are we doing it?” (25:26, Mike Bird)
  • Expresses wariness about “Tesco brand” (pre-packaged) communion elements.
• Both agree that apprehending Christ’s presence is about faithful participation, not sorting the “how.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tom Wright (on John 8):

  “A good friend says the proper title for that is the ‘Men Taken in Hypocrisy’, because Jesus doesn’t condemn the woman. He looks around the men and says, ‘the one who is without sin among you should throw the first stone.’” (04:17)

• Tom Wright (on Nazarite vows):

  “Some people really do this kind of thing because they feel God’s call upon their lives so powerfully that I just have to do this.” (11:40)

• Mike Bird (on contemporary Eucharist practice):

  “I feel like I’ve got kind of like the Tesco brand of Eucharist that someone’s picked up in a six pack.” (25:41)

• Tom Wright (on Eucharist):

  “When Jesus wanted to teach his followers what his death was going to be about, he didn’t give us a theory. He gave us a meal. And the meal is the reality.” (24:17)

• Mike Bird (on memorialist views):

  “I’ve heard so many communion services begin with three reasons why this is insignificant… which makes me think, well then why are we doing it?” (25:26)

Important Timestamps

• 02:59 — Lexi Hibbard’s question on adultery law
• 04:17 — John 8 and the “counter-narrative” of Jesus
• 06:36 — Why don’t we enforce Old Testament punishments today?
• 09:55 — Nazarite vows: motivations and meaning
• 11:40 — “I just have to do this”: the call to consecration
• 15:07 — The Eucharist: Real presence versus memorial
• 16:54 — Defining “substance” and “accident”
• 21:05 — “The overlap point between heaven and earth”
• 23:48 — Eucharist as participation in God’s new creation
• 24:17 — “Jesus gave us a meal”
• 25:41 — Mike Bird on “Tesco brand” Eucharist

Tone & Takeaways

• Warm, conversational, and a blend of scholarly rigor with personal faith.
• Tom Wright and Mike Bird blend theological history, biblical exegesis, and personal anecdote.
• Challenging questions are met with nuance; both point to ongoing mystery and faithful participation rather than easy answers.
• The episode leaves listeners with a richer understanding of how to approach scripture’s difficult texts and deepens appreciation for historic Christian practices.

For Further Reflection:
This episode is recommended for anyone seeking a thoughtful engagement with sticky biblical texts, historical Christian practices, or the nature of Christian worship today. Both hosts encourage listeners to keep probing, sending in questions, and participating deeply in their faith communities.