Nancy Guthrie has spent years helping Christians understand how the whole Bible fits together and how every part of Scripture leads us to behold Jesus Christ. She is a Bible teacher, author, host of Help Me Teach the Bible, and a graduate of Reformed Theological Seminary whose Biblical Theology Workshops have equipped Bible teachers across the United States and around the world.
In this conversation, Nancy joins Mike Neglia to discuss the relationship between biblical theology and faithful Bible teaching. She explains why understanding the Bible’s unfolding story should produce joy and assurance, how God’s plan is even better than Eden, and how teachers can point people to Christ without forcing Jesus into every detail of a passage.
Nancy also shares practical wisdom about sermon preparation and delivery. She reflects on the strengths and limitations of outlines and full manuscripts, the importance of loving people more than our notes, and why going off script is not always as spontaneous as it appears. She recommends resources for growing in biblical theology and introduces the vision behind the Beholding Christ project.
The conversation also looks back on Help Me Teach the Bible, the influential podcast in which Nancy interviewed skilled preachers and teachers about communicating particular books of Scripture faithfully and effectively. She reflects on what she learned from those conversations, including Iain Duguid’s approach to Judges and the gospel of Jesus Christ, and tells a moving story about the courage of Christians in Afghanistan.
This episode will encourage pastors, Bible study leaders and anyone who wants to understand the Scriptures more deeply, teach them more faithfully and help others see the beauty of Christ throughout the whole Bible.
Resources Mentioned:
Even Better Than Eden: Nine Ways the Bible’s Story Changes Everything about Your Story
Nancy’s official book page, including the nine biblical-theological themes running from Genesis to Revelation:
https://www.nancyguthrie.com/even-better-than-eden
Blessed: Experiencing the Promise of the Book of Revelation
Nancy’s official page for her study of Revelation, focused on endurance, judgement, salvation and the coming new creation:
https://www.nancyguthrie.com/revelation
Why Middle Eastern Women Want to Learn to Teach the Bible
This is the episode containing the Afghan Christian woman, alongside women from several Middle Eastern countries. The Afghan participant discusses helping her husband minister through house churches and reaching women with the gospel.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/women-middle-east-want-learn-teach-bible/
Julius Kim on Teaching for Attention and Retention
Nancy Guthrie speaks with Julius Kim about communicating in ways that help listeners pay attention, understand and retain what they hear.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/julius-kim-teaching-retention/
Iain Duguid on Judges
Nancy and Iain Duguid discuss teaching Judges, understanding its structure and preaching Christ from one of the Bible’s darkest books.
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/podcasts/help-me-teach-the-bible/ian-duguid-on-judges/
