Overview of Ask N.T. Wright Anything — "Why doesn’t the Bible punish men for adultery?"
This episode of Ask N.T. Wright Anything (hosts Mike Bird and N. T. “Tom” Wright) answers two listener questions: (1) why the Bible’s treatment of adultery seems to single out women and what happened to the death‑penalty sanctions, plus (2) why someone would take a Nazarite vow; the episode closes with a second listener question about the nature of Christ’s presence in the Eucharist (memorial vs. real/spiritual presence). Wright blends biblical exegesis, historical context, and pastoral reflection.
Adultery and gender in the Bible
Main points
- The story in John 8 (the woman caught in adultery) is used by Wright as a corrective to misogynistic readings. Jesus challenges the men: “let the one who is without sin throw the first stone,” turning the accusation back on the accusers and ending with “go and sin no more.”
- The legal texts must be read in their wider biblical and ancient Near Eastern contexts. Some laws reflect property, lineage, and social‑order concerns (e.g., paternity and provision for children), not merely moral judgments.
- Leviticus does include provisions that treat adulterer and adulteress equally in certain cases (Wright references passages where both parties are liable to death if a man lies with another man's wife).
- Biblical law must be read alongside New Testament developments: Jesus, Paul, and Hebrews treat the arrival of God’s “new day” (the inaugurated kingdom) as changing how some laws function; Sabbath observance is an example of a law that gets reinterpreted in light of Christ’s coming.
Why the ancient penalties aren’t applied today
- Wright argues that many Christians think certain Old Testament penalties were contextually appropriate for ancient Israel but not binding in the same form after the gospel’s arrival.
- The abolition of capital punishment for adultery in most modern Western societies reflects both secular moral development and a Christianly‑influenced emphasis on mercy and new communal forms of accountability (though Wright notes some countries still apply harsh penalties).
- John 8’s mercy—“has no one condemned you?…go and don’t sin again”—is presented as emblematic of a gospel‑shaped response that refuses brutal corporal punishments while still demanding moral accountability.
Notable quote
- On John 8: Wright prefers calling it “the men taken in hypocrisy” rather than “the woman taken in adultery.”
Why become a Nazarite?
What a Nazarite vow involved (Numbers 6 — summarized)
- Voluntary period of consecration to God.
- Common stipulations: abstain from wine/fermented drink, avoid contact with corpses, refrain from cutting hair for the vow’s duration (hair was a visible sign of consecration).
Why people would take the vow
- Wright likens it to an ancient monastic impulse: a deliberate, total consecration to God to avoid distractions and live a focused, prayerful life.
- He recognizes mixed motives are possible (seeking status vs. genuine call), but defends the authenticity of people who genuinely feel called to special devotion.
- John the Baptist is mentioned as a near‑Nazarite example (strict life, no wine, prophetic calling).
Pastoral angle
- Wright appreciates monastic/structured rhythms for the spiritual benefits they provide, while acknowledging such a life isn’t for everyone.
Eucharist: presence, substance, and Wright’s proposal
The problem framed
- Listener (Shonda) struggles between memorialist (Zwinglian), consubstantiation (Lutheran), transubstantiation (Catholic/Aquinas), and “spiritual presence” views.
- Wright critiques medieval philosophical categories (substance/accidents from Aristotle via Aquinas) as metaphysically heavy and often misapplied in popular devotion (leading to crude literalism).
Summary of Wright’s theological move
- Rejects needing Aristotelian “substance/accident” vocabulary to affirm real presence.
- Proposes a biblical ontology: the Eucharist is where heaven and earth, present and promised future, overlap. The new creation ( inaugurated by Jesus and exemplified by the resurrection) mysteriously comes forward into present material reality in the meal.
- The Eucharist is a real participation in God’s future‑transforming reality now — more than mere memory, less dependent on philosophical categories.
- Practices like kneeling, reverence, and devotional gestures make sense because recipients are handling “God’s future in the present.”
Scriptural/theological supports Wright cites
- Jesus’ teaching of God’s kingdom and the idea that the new age has broken into the present (e.g., “thy kingdom come”), Ephesians 1:10 imagery of heaven/earth coming together.
- Resurrection as indicator of transformed materiality (Romans 8: new creation hope).
- 1 Corinthians 10: Paul’s language of communion/koinonia as fellowship with Christ in the meal.
Pastoral notes
- Feeling the presence varies; belief + obedient practice (kneeling, reverent receipt) helps shape awareness.
- Wright calls the Eucharist “a meal, not a PowerPoint”: the ritual itself is primary; theories try to help, but the meal is the reality.
Notable quotes
- “The meal is the reality. It's not that the meal is a way of thinking about the theory. The meal is the reality.”
- Wright rejects simplistic “venerating the elements” caricatures but defends reverence as reasonable given the eucharistic vision.
Key takeaways
- Read difficult biblical laws in their literary, cultural, and canonical contexts; individual verses can mislead if isolated.
- The New Testament reframes the role of certain Old Testament legal practices in light of Jesus’ inaugurating of God’s new era—mercy and transformed communal practice often replace ancient penal measures.
- Nazarite vows represent ancient expressions of radical consecration similar in spirit to monastic vows.
- Wright offers a sacramental account of the Eucharist that affirms real, non‑reductive presence without depending on medieval metaphysical jargon: the eucharist is the overlap of God’s promised future and present material reality.
- Practice shapes belief: reverence in receiving the sacrament helps embody a theology of presence even when feelings fluctuate.
Recommended passages and resources (from the episode)
- John 8 (woman caught in adultery)
- Leviticus (laws about adultery)
- Numbers 6 (Nazarite vow)
- 1 Corinthians 10 (koinonia in the Lord’s Supper)
- Ephesians 1:10, Romans 8, Galatians 3, Hebrews (NT discussions about law and the new age)
- N. T. Wright, forthcoming book: God’s Homecoming (chapter on the Eucharist; due Feb 2026, mentioned by Wright)
Practical suggestions (for reflection or small‑group study)
- Read John 8 and discuss how Jesus’ response reframes justice, mercy, and judgment.
- Compare Numbers 6 with modern monastic vows to explore continuities in consecration practices.
- Try a short liturgical practice (kneeling or a brief silence before communion) and reflect on how embodied actions affect spiritual awareness.
- Read Wright’s chapter in God’s Homecoming for a fuller articulation of his eucharistic theology.
If you want, this summary can be condensed further into a one‑page handout for study groups.