Dear friends,

We recorded this final episode for the year on November 5—a momentous day in world affairs, the day when Australia stopped for a horse race, and when the USA settled a presidential race.

We now know who won both races, but in this episode, Phillip and I discuss the nature of words and truth, especially in our politics and public discourse—because if the US election campaign exhibited anything, it was the seeming inability of both candidates to tell the unvarnished, straightforward truth. And it’s not as if Australian politics is much different.

Our political life is full of half truths, false promises, broken oaths and outright lies. The kingdom of God promises (and fulfils!) a very different way of speaking.

We hope you enjoy the discussion. But there’s one more thing to mention before we get into it.

Sadly, this is the final episode in which I will be co-hosting Two Ways News with Phillip. The Yes that I gave to joining the faculty at Moore College unfortunately entails a number of No’s—and being able to drive this weekly podcast with Phillip is one of them.

I will miss it! It’s been an enjoyable privilege to interact not just with Phillip but with you, our readers and listeners, over the past 100+ episodes (and more for many of you, who go back to the days of The Payneful Truth). But God has something new for me to do at Moore, including taking up the directorship of The Centre for Christian Living once again (so I will not be entirely done with podcasting).

My faithful assistant Jess Sutandar is also finishing up at the end of this year, and I would like to publicly thank her for all her hard and skilful work in producing the podcast and transcript.

The good news is that our replacements have already been found! Stay tuned for more on that when Two Ways News resumes in the new year.

Your brother

Tony

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Dear friends,

Can I humbly submit that it would be worth us talking about submission?

And before you say, ‘Oh no, not another go-around about men and women and church roles’, that’s not what I mean, nor is it what this episode is about. ‘Submission’ is a much bigger concept—and bigger problem—than that.

In fact, thinking about ‘submission’ and why we tend to recoil from it in most of its forms, takes our conversation in this episode to some massive subjects: to power, authority, politics, Marxism, capitalism, equality and singing. Yes, singing.

I hope you find it useful.

Your brother

Tony

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Dear friends,

We love getting your emails and questions, and recently one of our regular listeners, Hannah, wrote in with a follow-up question to our episode on ‘spiritual discipline’. She asked:

I've been wondering whether you might consider using a podcast episode to speak to the current trend towards formation as a major strand in Christian discipleship. I understand that it’s particularly prevalent among students and in the United States. But I’m also aware that there are more and more people in the UK and Australia reading and identifying with some of the big names in this new movement, of whom John Mark Comer and his ‘practicing the way’ is a prominent one. People seem especially enthusiastic about the idea of adopting a Rule of Life to guide discipleship. 

As it turns out, about a week before Hannah’s email arrived I had spotted Comer’s book in my local Christian bookshop, and picked it up. As to why I couldn’t resist buying it, and what I made of it, and what it all means for Hannah’s question, read on.

Your brother

Tony

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Dear friends,

Our long journey through the book of Romans is coming to an end. And after the theological glories of chapter 3 and chapter 5 and chapter 8—well, of all the chapters between 1 and 15 really—chapter 16 often feels like an anti-climax. We are tempted to read it as a hurried postscript with some personal greetings, and other bibs and bobs.

But if we take a closer look, the final chapter of Romans is extremely important. It helps explain why the whole letter was in fact written, and rounds off Paul’s whole argument in a manner that is both personal and deeply theological.

We hope you enjoy this final Romans instalment!

Your brother

Tony

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Dear friends,

As we near the end of the extraordinary letter to the Romans, we find the apostle returning to the purpose for which he was writing to them—which he had broached in chapter 1 but now comes back to, after explaining in such majestic terms the gospel that is the foundation of his missionary enterprise.

As Paul does so, he reiterates why the gospel he preaches is for all of humanity and brings hope to every culture, regardless of the differences and distinctive features that different human cultures have. There is hope for every different human culture, but (paradoxically) only by realising that there is in fact only one way to live in God’s world.

So in typically roundabout fashion—starting with hope, and then moving onto colonialism, anthroplogy and counselling—we dig into the hope-filled message of Romans 15.

Hope you enjoy it.

Your brother

Tony

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Dear friends,

While Tony is away at Evangelize 2024 in Denver, Colorado, USA, Phillip is joined by his brother Peter Jensen as they take a deep dive into Romans 14.

It seems that regardless of the century we live in, people always find something to fight about, unable to extract ourselves from the sinful temptations of pride and passing judgment on others. It is no different in this passage as food becomes the object of quarrel.

But it raises the question, how are certain foods clean to some believers and unclean to others? Are conscience and faith the same thing? What does it truly look like to honour the Lord and act in love?

We hope you find this episode encouraging.

Blessings,

Jessica (Two Ways News editor)

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Dear friends,

We are a nation in deep debt, both corporately and personally. But despite how much we owe, the debt of ‘love’ doesn’t figure on our balance sheets.

Romans 13 says that it should, and that ‘love’ is in fact the fulfilment of the Old Testament law.

How can this be? And what is ‘love’ anyway?

That’s our topic on this week’s episode of Two Ways News.

Your brother

Tony

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Dear friends,

I’m writing this introduction in an Airbnb in Denver, Colorado, with a ‘HARRIS-WALZ’ sign in the front yard. I’m not sure (nor am I going to say) whether I’d be happier with a TRUMP-VANCE sign. I think no sign at all would probably suit me best, and I imagine that there are many Americans who feel the same.

But it makes me think: is a studied non-involvement in politics, government and the affairs of state what the Bible calls us to? It’s certainly how many secularists would like Christians to respond—that is, to keep their religion well out of the public square.

In this week’s episode, we talk about church and state and government and secularism, through the clear and revealing lens of Romans 13.

Your brother

Tony

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Dear friends,

As we turn to the next part of Romans 12 this week (verses 3-13), we confront two ideas that our society finds it hard to hold together: individualism and communalism.

What’s the basic truth about us? Is it that we are unique, sovereign individuals who should have the right to pursue life, liberty and happiness in our own particular way? Or are necessarily and primarily herd animals, who can only exist and flourish when the needs of the community as a whole are prioritised?

And do we have to choose?

Romans 12 teaches us to think rightly about ourselves—as individuals and as members of a new community. Read (or listen) on to find out how.

Your brother

Tony

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.twoways.news/subscribe

Dear friends,

Well after several weeks bouncing from subject to subject, and answering your questions, it’s back to Romans!

This week, we come to a turning point in Paul’s monumental letter. At the beginning Romans 12, he turns from the deeply theological discussion of the nature of the gospel that has dominated the first eleven chapters to its practical outworking in Christian life and community.

Romans 12:1-2 are very well-known verses—about ‘living sacrifices’ and the ‘renewal of the mind’—but we hope you find something fresh and stimulating and encouraging in our discussion of them.

Your brother

Tony

This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.twoways.news/subscribe