Two Ways News

Dear friends,For Australians, Anzac Day is the great national day. But what is it we're remembering? And should we celebrate Anzac Day? In particular, should Christians be remembering or celebrating a military battle of the First World War? Does Anzac Day glorify war? Is it an alternative religion for Australians? I hope you will enjoy our discussion as Peter and I try and grapple with the history and purpose of Anzac Day observances.Yours,Phillip 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,In this episode of Two Ways News, we're looking at the resurrection both from a historical and a theological point of view. History and argumentation have great merit, and yet a defective presupposition that leaves us unsatisfied. Yet prophetic history not only satisfies our knowledge of historical events but also explains their meaning and purpose. Jesus said that without Moses and the prophets, people will not believe even if someone rises from the dead. This has been demonstrated over the centuries and in our age today. I hope you enjoy this episode. You can email us at respond@twm.email and one of our team will get back to you.Yours,Phillip 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,I hope you enjoyed a great Easter break. Holidays are always marvellous opportunities to relax and catch up with friends, but the Easter holiday is even better because it gives us time to think about the greatest weekend in human history: when our Lord and Saviour died and rose again. The death of Jesus was so great that I would call Friday not just good, but the best Friday.Yours,Phillip 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,One of the most profound and widely quoted verses of the Bible is the creation of Man in the image of God. So, this week Peter and I went exploring some of its implications. It is such a fruitful concept by which to understand humanity, not the least because in the New Testament we find Jesus is “the image of the invisible God”. But before we get there, we need to understand how we are as individuals, male and female, in the image of God as well as how humanity, as a whole, is in his image. There's so much fruitful discussion to be had on this passage, we hope our conversation will stimulate yours.Yours,Phillip 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,Thanks again for your feedback and encouragement. It's great to hear that you are enjoying receiving the Two Ways News podcasts as much as we are in producing them.As we look at Genesis 1, we come to a great climax in the creation of humans in God's Image. More bottles of ink have been spilled over this phrase than possibly any phrase in the Bible. What is the image of God? In what way are we in the image of God? What are humans and who are we? The questions go on and on. Yet this teaching of Genesis 1 has stood the test of time in identifying God's universal identity and value of humans.Yours,Phillip 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,‘Good' is such a strange word. We all know what we mean by it, but it is so difficult to define. So when God declares his creation to be ‘good, very good' what is he saying? Is the world itself good or simply pleasing? And if it is good, what is it good for?In this week's Two Ways News, Peter and I venture into the meaning of God calling the world good and the implications that has for living in this world and the next.Yours,Phillip 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,On Peter's recovery, I thought it would be good to hear his views on the topic of words and power that Genesis 1 so importantly illustrates. So, we return to the topic of words and see how they create and operate in relationships. This brings us to how they are distorted and politicised by suspicious people. I'm sure you will appreciate coming back to the two voice podcast as Peter and I struggle through this important and highly contemporary issue of words.Yours,Phillip 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,Sadly Peter was sick when we recorded this episode of Two Ways News, so it is a solo effort for today's topic. Thankfully, Peter has now recovered. From Genesis 1 we see the power of God's word, which is part of God's wisdom by which he created the world. Thus, the power of words is one of the joys and problems of life. The devil's power is in his lying words. Yet it is God's word that never returns to him empty but always achieves his purposes. Understandably but wrongly, this leads people in authority to censorship.Yours,Phillip 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

Hello again, thanks for the feedback and encouragement. Peter and I are enjoying chatting over the great themes of the Creator and creation in Genesis 1.  So far, we have been struck by the opening words ‘In the beginning God created', which take us to the idea of one God and one universe. But yet when we come to John chapter 1 we find that the word by which God created all became flesh in the person of Jesus. Furthermore, in Colossians 1, the world was created not only through God's son but also for him. So, in this week's TwoWaysNews we are exploring the place of Christ in creation. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did in making it. Phillip  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,Citizenship is a wonderful thing. To be part of something larger than yourself gives meaning purpose and identity. Peter and I grew up in the British Empire having been born before the granting of Australian citizenship. It was for the Empire that our parents and grandparents generation went to the world wars. Today that is almost unimaginable, for now people find their identity in being Australians.However, when we read Genesis 1 we are confronted with a ruler who is over and above every empire and nation because he is the Creator of all things. In this episode of Two Ways News we look at the meaning and implications of the opening words of Genesis 1.Yours,Phillip 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

In this second episode for the year, Peter and Phillip discuss literature and reading. Genesis 1-11 is a distinct form of literature; it requires a distinct form of reading. How are we to read this part of God's word? 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,Welcome to Two Ways News for 2025. We have a great deal planned for this year which we hope you will find useful and encouraging for continuing to speak the truth in love to the world around you (see our About page for a reminder of why Two Ways News came into existence, in the beginning). Welcome also to Phillip‘s new co-host, his brother Peter. Welcome, finally, to the start of our series on Genesis. 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,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 brotherTony 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,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 brotherTony 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,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 brotherTony 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,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 brotherTony 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,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 brotherTony 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,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) 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,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 brotherTony 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,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 brotherTony 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,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 brotherTony 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 brotherTony 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,Debates about real nature of ‘church' have been around even longer than Phillip's and my combined age. It's a complicated and perennial topic, but we thought it was worth another outing in this week's edition because it's also very practical.It's practical not just because what you think a ‘church' is will shape what you do in church. What you think about ‘church' will also have big implications for all those other Christian activities or gatherings that aren't ‘church' (according to your definition).If that sounds intriguing, read (or listen) on.Your brotherTonyPSIf you have been finding Two Ways News beneficial and encouraging, we would love for you to consider joining our Supporters Club—the people who make it possible for us to keep producing this newsletter/podcast—if you haven't already.To subscribe for free or join the Supporters Club, follow the link below to the ‘subscribe' page. You'll see that there's:* the free option (on the far right hand side)* but also a number ‘paid options'. To join the Supporters Club you take out one of the paid ‘subscription plans', and as a thank you, we send out bonus episodes and other material to Supporters Club members from time to time. Sign up for free or join the Supporters Club.  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 friendsWe continue to be enormously grateful for your fellowship, which (I suppose if we're honest) largely consists in us talking and you listening!But it's especially nice when you speak back, which a very encouraging number of you do—either in person when we bump into you round the place, or by email as you comment and raise questions. Quite a few of you have said how much you've been enjoying our meanderings through Romans, and we'll be back to Romans again in the near future.But this week we're catching up with three of the questions you've written in to ask:* From Matt about whether it's right to say that Jesus ‘raised himself from the dead';* From Barry about Sabbath-keeping in the New Testament, and whether Jesus really approved of it or not;* From Ethan about the steps and motivations and factors that play into the decision to go into ‘full-time ministry'.Hope you find the discussion stimulating!Your brotherTony 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 friendsToday we belatedly answer a question that regular reader/listener Richard sent in some time ago, but which got lost in the bilge of my inbox—which is a shame, because it is an excellent question!Richard asks about those voices today that are calling for a recovery of the ‘spiritual disciplines'—things such as contemplative prayer, solitude, fasting, sabbath-keeping, and so on. He writes:What is the history of ‘spiritual discipline' and, we could add, ascetic practices, within Christianity and evangelicalism? How do we integrate the different strands of biblical teaching and biblical examples on this topic (e.g. Mat  5:16-18; Luke 6:12; Col 2:15-23; Acts 14:23)?Phillip and I had (as usual) a wide-ranging talk about this question, an edited summary of which appears below.Your brotherTony 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,There was a time, not all that long ago, when the Ten Commandments were a central part not just of church culture and Christian living, but of the cultural landscape of our community.This no longer seems to be the case—certainly not in our very secularized society, but also not in our churches either.A recent and somewhat surprising Sydney Morning Herald article got us talking about the Ten Commandments, how they are regarded by the non-Christian world, and indeed how they are seen by Christians these days.I hope you enjoy the conversation.Your brotherTony(For various reasons, this week's transcript is even more truncated than usual—it's a short summary of the main points of our conversation.)PSIf you have been finding Two Ways News beneficial and encouraging, we would love for you to consider joining our Supporters Club—the people who make it possible for us to keep producing this newsletter/podcast—if you haven't already.To subscribe for free or join the Supporters Club, follow the link below to the ‘subscribe' page. You'll see that there's:* the free option (on the far right hand side)* but also a number ‘paid options'. To join the Supporters Club you take out one of the paid ‘subscription plans', and as a thank you, we send out bonus episodes and other material to Supporters Club members from time to time. Sign up for free or join the Supporters Club.  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 friendsAs the Paris Olympics slip down into the long feed of events below the screen horizon of our consciousness, what will stay with us? The hilarious, kangaroo-hopping breakdance of RayGun? The golden triumphs of the Fox sisters? The controversial tableau of the opening ceremony? What will we still remember and talk about in 12 months time?Not much probably.In fact, how long will it be before most of us forget that the Olympics of 2024 were even held in Paris? Tell me quickly—where were the Olympics held in 2004? In 1964? In 1924?Well, I can tell you where they were in 1924—Paris!—because of an incident that took place at those games that was scandalous at the time, and which was immortalized in the award-winning movie, Chariots of Fire.Chariots of Fire was a fascinating and enjoyable film—fascinating because of its largely sympathetic portrayal of a Christian man standing on a point of theological principle. Eric Liddell would not run on the Sabbath.Was he right about the Sabbath?We've been talking a bit about the ‘law' and the Christian life recently—and that continues in this week's Olympics-themed episode.Your brotherTony 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 friendsTime for another Q&A episode, but with a twist this time. Regular Two Ways News contributor Marty Sweeney joins us from Ohio to pitch me a number of questions about the Bible, theology and ministry—questions that have come from his regular conversations and seminars with pastors and ministry people in the US.The questions revolve around the Bible, theology, ministry and evangelism—all the good stuff. Questions like:* Is the Bible the only tool we need for ministry and evangelism?* What place should topical or systematic preaching or Bible study have?* Can our theology end up hampering our Bible reading?* What about courses or other study programs—do we really need them?Hope you enjoy the to-and-fro!Your brotherTonyPSIf you have been finding Two Ways News beneficial and encouraging, we would love for you to consider joining our Supporters Club—the people who make it possible for us to keep producing this newsletter/podcast—if you haven't already.To subscribe for free or join the Supporters Club, follow the link below to the ‘subscribe' page. You'll see that there's:* the free option (on the far right hand side)* but also a number ‘paid options'. To join the Supporters Club you take out one of the paid ‘subscription plans', and as a thank you, we send out bonus episodes and other material to Supporters Club members from time to time. Sign up for free or join the Supporters Club. LinksEvangelize 2024Always two there areby Tony Payne (when this podcast was called The Payneful Truth)An article that discusses the way the Bible is full of pairs of ideas that you have to hold together. 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,Time to take a break from Romans for a few weeks, and deal with some other issues that have been on our minds.This week we turn our attention to a moral question: How should we respond when our workplace or school wants us to take a stand about some social issue that we think differently about? What should we do, for example, when ‘Wear it Purple Day' comes around in support of LGBTQ+ rights? Quietly wear a purple tie and keep our head down? Or just as quietly ‘forget' to? Or make a more visible protest? And what biblical principles should inform our decision?We hope you find our exploration of the ins-and-outs of this question illuminating not just for situations like this one, but as a model for thinking about moral questions generally.Your brotherTony 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 friendsWell once again, I have to open with an apology for the lateness of this week's edition, again due to sickness in the team. (Please bear with us as we try to get back on track and on schedule over the next couple of weeks.)There are deep waters in Romans 9-11, which we've been discussing over the past couple of episodes. And today, we get to the deepest mysteries of all—how God's plans for Israel and the nations involve the hardening of Israel, the grafting in of the Gentiles, and the salvation of Israel through jealousy.It's a passage that leaves us exclaiming with Paul, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!”We hope you find it enriching and humbling.Your brotherTonySermons by Phillip on Romans 11* Israel's Future (Romans 11:1-32)* The Mind of God (Romans 11:33-12:2)PSIf you have been finding Two Ways News beneficial and encouraging, we would love for you to consider joining our Supporters Club—the people who make it possible for us to keep producing this newsletter/podcast—if you haven't already.To subscribe for free or join the Supporters Club, follow the link below to the ‘subscribe' page. You'll see that there's:* the free option (on the far right hand side)* but also a number ‘paid options'. To join the Supporters Club you take out one of the paid ‘subscription plans', and as a thank you, we send out bonus episodes and other material to Supporters Club members from time to time. Sign up for free or join the Supporters Club.  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,Apologies for this week's episode being a couple of days late — some unavoidable delays due to sickness in the team. And sincere apologies too that (for the same reason) we're not able to bring you a transcript of the conversation this week.For those of who you are readers rather than listeners, we've provided a few choice quotes below that might tempt you, just this once, to listen to the conversation rather than read it. (And we won't blame you at all if do so at 1.25x speed!)And let me encourage you that this week's episode is full of fascinating stuff, including:* answering a reader question about the difference between our human ‘spirit' and the Holy Spirit;* whether all cultures are equally valuable;* the cultural arrogance of evangelism; and* what happens to those who've never heard the gospel?Your brotherTonyLinks to TalksPhillip Jensen's talk on Romans 10 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 friendsIt's been a history making few weeks—a presidential debate in the US that seems likely to change the course of the election, elections in France and the UK that seem likely to change the direction of both countries, and so on.But why do we choose some events and declare them to be the stuff of ‘history' (as opposed to other events)? And is there any point or direction to history? Or is it just wave after wave of people and events, crashing upon the shore and then disappearing again?Romans 9 brings us to the subject of history and God's control over it—in particular, his control over the destiny of his people Israel.It's one of those humbling passages that challenges us to get back in our box and let God be God. I hope you find it both challenging and encouraging.Your brother,TonyPS. At the beginning of our conversation, Phillip and I had quite a long chat about the nature of ‘history', about how we view history in the West, and what it all has to do with Christianity. It was a bit long and a bit much to transcribe, but it's very close to the beginning of the audio version above if you'd like to listen. 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 friendsAs we continue our meander through the riches of Romans, we begin this week's episode by thinking again about mind and heart and emotion (following our episode a couple of weeks ago). Why does the Bible see our emotion as located in our ‘guts'?And then it's on into the majestic second half of Romans 8, one of the richest passages in the entire Bible.It's all to much, of course, for a 30-minute conversation, but we hope that you are stirred and encouraged all the same.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,I'm currently deep in the drafting of my next book, which is all about the ‘one-another word'—what the Bible says about the mutual word ministry of Christians, and how that should play out in practice in our churches.A question I keep coming back to is how the gospel-based conversation of Christians with each another relates to their conversations with outsiders or unbelievers. The two must surely be connected, but how exactly?Marty Sweeney and I dig into this topic in today's episode of Two Ways News.Your brotherTony 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,Just me this week, with Phillip away on holidays. And I've found myself thinking quite a lot in the past few days about … thinking.In reading Romans 7 and 8 in recent weeks, I've been struck by how much Paul talks about the ‘mind'. The contrast in Romans 7 is between what we know with our mind to be good and true, and what the ‘fleshly' part of us just goes ahead and does anyway. And in Romans 8, there's a very clear dichotomy—between the new mind that is set on the Spirit (bringing life and peace) and the old mind which was set on the flesh (bringing death).But all this talk of ‘mind' is a bit counter-cultural for us. We tend to favour the importance of ‘hearts' over minds. In fact, I think if I was paraphrasing Romans 8 for a modern person, I'd instinctively say that the ‘heart' set on the Spirit is life and peace, not the mind.So how should we think about the mind? Or feel about the mind for that matter?That's our topic for this week.Your brotherTony 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,Reading the book of Romans is like hiking in the mountains. You come to a high point, and think that it couldn't get more grand or majestic than this, only to discover that there's another glorious mountain peak to come. Romans 8 is one of those mountains, coming after the valley of Romans 7.It's a very ‘spiritual' chapter—Paul has mentioned the Holy Spirit only three times so far in Romans, but there are more than 20 references in this chapter. But in speaking so much about the Spirit, and especially in contrast with the ‘flesh', Paul lays out a vision of being a Spirit-person—being ‘spiritual'—that is vastly different and vastly better than the spirituality our world offers.Your brotherTony 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 friendsOne of the first resources I was given as a keen but confused young Christian in the early 1980s was a little book called The Fight. I can't find my copy any more, and don't remember a great deal about the book's argument—apart from its main metaphor and message, which was pretty much summarized in the title. The Christian life is wonderful, joyous, liberating and ruled by the peace of God—but it is also a fight; a lifelong conflict with the world, the flesh and the devil.In today's discussion, we think about the nature of this ‘fight' by looking closely at Paul's argument in the seventh chapter of Romans. I hope it strengthens your arm for the battle.Your brotherTonyThe Fight 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,Would you say that the modern Western world we live is a very open, permissive culture in which people are free to do whatever they want, without being judged for it? Or would you say that we're a quite intolerant culture that scolds and criticises and cancels each another without mercy?The strange thing is that we seem to be both. Perhaps it's a case of mercy for me, but judgement for thee. But we can't seem to cope with the need for law and justice on the one hand, and grace and forgiveness on the other.In today's episode, we begin to see how Paul's argument in Romans holds together the important place of law and justice, alongside the necessity for forgiveness and a fresh start.Your brotherTony 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,On holidays recently I watched a harrowing but uplifting film called The Sound of Freedom.It's about child sex trafficking in Latin America, and the extraordinary efforts of one particular American agent to free some of these children. At one point in the movie, there are some scenes of rescued children starting to behave like kids again—talking, singing, laughing, playing games. One of the characters says, ‘You hear that? That's the sound of freedom.'It was the sound of kids doing what kids are meant to do.And I thought of that film again as we prepared to talk about our passage today, on Romans 6. It's also about being set free from slavery and what our new freedom is really like. Strangely, it's the glorious freedom to be slaves to a new master.I hope you find it … liberating!Your brotherTony 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,Every week or two the pattern seems to repeat itself. Some terrible thing happens in our world. Outraged or grieving victims cry out that something must be done, that the system has failed, that there's a need for change, that enough is enough, that the government must do something.What the government is supposed to do exactly isn't always clear, but because being seen not to care about the issue would be politically fatal, they usually do promise to be fully focused on the issue, to be committed to it, to set up an enquiry, to fund some new programs, and in general to be ready to undertake whatever is necessary to ensure that the appropriate resources are devoted … and so on and so forth.And around we go until the next calamity-driven campaign swings into action.The world is full of tragedy, evil and heartbreak, and it touches all of our lives. We want the evil to change. We want ourselves to change.But how can change ever really happen?That's our subject in this week's episode as we ponder the first half of Romans 6.Your brotherTony 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,This week, Marty Sweeney (from the US branch of Matthias Media) joins Tony as they discuss the challenges of evangelism in our churches today–both in Australia and the US–as well as suggesting some ways to overcome these challenges. They also discuss what is truly at the heart of evangelism, and how doing it as a body is more crucial than we might realize. We hope this conversation is edifying and encouraging for you to take into your own churches and communities. We would love to hear your thoughts, questions and comments, which you can share with us by emailing tonyjpayne@me.com or by hitting ‘reply' to this email.Blessings,Jessica 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,In light of Anzac Day last week, Phillip and Tony converse about how our current lives are not as far removed from our forefathers and those who have gone before us as we might think.Through the lens of Romans 5:12-21, we see how all the more true this is in our spiritual lives, and how much more powerful is the one whose sacrifice can change the entire course of our lives.We hope this conversation is edifying and encouraging as we remember the sacrifices of the people who has made our modern life possible.We would love to hear your thoughts, comments and questions, which you can email to tonyjpayne@me.com or by hitting reply to this email.Blessings,Jessica 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,It has been marvelous to keep receiving your emails and bumping into people who have been listening to the podcast and say thank you for the encouraging discussions that Tony and I have had.However I do find there are also a lot of people who say to me they don't know about the podcast yet. So if you like this podcast, please do get the word out as word of mouth is the most powerful way of spreading it.And the second thing is, if you like this podcast, please consider supporting financially as it costs money to produce this podcast. You can do so through this link to subscribe and join the supporter's club for a certain amount each month.YoursPhillip 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 friendsTony is away on leave for the next few weeks, so I—Jessica Sutandar from the Two Ways News production team—will be introducing the episodes in his stead. The following weeks will feature some episodes that Tony and Phillip recorded before Tony went on leave.Today, in this long-awaited letterbox episode, Tony has recorded his response to some of the questions that you have sent over the past few weeks, dear listeners.Below is an edited transcript of select answers (in response to Paul Grimmond's comment on theological application and to Sam's question on how we interact with our homosexual friends.) If you would like to listen to the full episode, you can click the audio player above.We hope this helps as you continue to consider the various aspects and challenges of living for the gospel.Blessings,Jessica 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 friendsEaster is now in the rear-view mirror—and we hope you had a joyful and spiritually refreshing celebration. For many Christian traditions, and indeed for many Christians, the centre of gravity of Easter is Good Friday, the day of death and atonement. Easter Day with its resurrection is a nice, happy ending to the story, but it's not the main event. But in a way that is deeply puzzling to many us, the preaching of the apostles in Acts is kind of the other way around—it focuses much more on the resurrection of Jesus than on the atonement. For them, the resurrection was a massively significant event, anchored in the Old Testament's understanding of who the Christ would be and what he would do. In this post-Easter episode, we talk about what the resurrection of Jesus really means, and why it can't be an afterthought in our gospel. Your brotherTony 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 friendsIt's hard to know how to introduce a discussion of ‘faith'. We speak about it all the time as Christians, often without really stopping to think about what we mean by the word. And when we hear it spoken of in by politicians (‘we value the contribution of faith communities') or by secular critics (‘faith is a cop out for thinking'), we instinctively feel that they don't understand ‘faith' or those of us who ‘have' it.So in today's episode, as we come to one of the Bible's classic discussions of ‘faith' in Romans 4, we have a bit of baggage handling to do—some clearing up of what we (and our society) really mean by the word. But what Romans then teaches us about this fundamental concept is life-changing and world-changing.Your brotherTony 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 friendsMartin Luther described it as “the chief point, and the very central place of the Epistle, and of the whole Bible”. Australian biblical scholar Leon Morris went even further and called it “possibly the most important single paragraph ever written”.It's the paragraph we locate in our Bibles as Romans 3:21-26, and it's where we're up to in our podcast series walking through the opening chapters of this extraordinary book.In Romans so far, Paul has been slowly building up to this point. He started by saying that his gospel is the ‘power of God for salvation', and that it reveals the righteousness of God. But the only righteousness of God we have seen so far is his completely righteous and justified judgement against the universal rottenness of humanity. So if all of us—Jew, Greek, everybody—is under the power of sin, how can God be a righteous God and yet bring salvation to people like us?It's the age-old and very pressing question of how perfect justice can co-exist with grace and free forgiveness. And this world-changing paragraph has the answer.I hope you find our discussion of these momentous ideas as encouraging as we did in the conversation that follows.Your brotherTony 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 friendsThis week in our journey through the book of Romans, we come to a summary of the argument thus far. Having introduced the idea that his gospel reveals a righteousness from God for both Jews and Greeks (back in ch 1:17), Paul has been unfolding why this ‘righteousness from God' is needed—in fact, why it can only come from God in the way that he will soon explain. And that's because of the comprehensive and universal unrighteousness of humanity—of Jews, Greeks, barbarians, all of us. In today's passage (Rom 3:1-20), he dispatches any final excuses or objections to this idea, and draws this part of the argument to its conclusion. In doing so, he takes us to the very depths of the human predicament, and to the reality of evil. It's a sombre, sobering passage. But the night is darkest before the dawn. 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 friendsThanks for the positive feedback a number of you have sent in about our new series chatting our way through the book of Romans. It's a slightly different way of driving a podcast conversation, and of exploring a Bible passage—so please keep letting us know how you think it's working.Today, we come to Romans 2, and its discussion of moralistic hypocrisy. This is something that Christians have often been accused of—of proclaiming great moral standards in public but grossly transgressing them in private. But in this passage, Paul attacks the failure of the superior, judgmental moralists of his day—the Greeks and the Jews—and holds out the possibility that true morality is indeed possible, if God writes his law on the heart. 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 friendsWe're back with the our second excursion into the book of Romans, this time on the second half of chapter 1, with its very bracing discussion of human wickedness and God's angry response to it. When we were recording this episode, the internet was awash with people discussing the Super Bowl ad that featured foot-washing Christians accepting and loving the marginalized groups of our society, with punchline ‘He gets us'. I started our discussion by asking Phillip what he thought of it. I hope you enjoying the conversation that followed.Your brotherTony 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,Quite often on Two Ways News, we start with some issue that's current or that Phillip or I are particularly exercised by, and think through what the gospel and the Bible as a whole say about it. But it's important to go in the other direction as well—to start with the Bible, and see what God is saying there, and let that set our agenda. In this week's episode, we begin a little series where we'll be doing just that, with the book of Romans as our point of departure, starting with Romans 1:1-16. It won't be an exposition of all the verses, more of a discussion of the key ideas of the chapter and their implications.I hope you find this new series encouraging, and very shareable with others.Your brotherTonyLinks: - A sermon by Phillip on Rom 1:1-17. 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