During the recent annual meetings for biblical studies scholars held in San Antonio, Dr. Heiser interviewed a number of scholars about their recent work. In Part 4 of those interviews, we chat with Dr. N. T. Wright (former Bishop of Durham and Canon of Westminster, now New Testament professor at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland), Dr. Brannon Ellis (Publisher for Lexham Press), and Dr. Carmen Imes, who teaches biblical studies at George Fox University.

Click here for Part 3.

Recorded on the SBL floor, Conference Interviews, Part 4 features three sharp conversations. N. T. Wright explains how The Day the Revolution Began reframes the cross inside the Kingdom-to-Resurrection storyline—critiquing a platonized/moralized/paganized Western frame and recovering reconciliation and royal-priestly vocation (not just going to heaven).
Brannon Ellis then pulls back the curtain on Lexham Press—why they pair a Logos-platform strategy with traditional retail, how academic vs. scholarly business models differ, and what projects (Vos, Kuyper, Osborne) are reshaping access to classic theology.
Finally, Carmen Imes presents a compelling re-read of the third commandment: not merely “don’t say the Name wrongly,” but “don’t bear YHWH’s Name in vain”—a vocation seen from Exodus 28 through Ezekiel 36 to the Lord’s Prayer, Acts 9, and Revelation.

Timestamp guide (mini-interviews)

• 00:00–01:30 — Intro @ SBL (setup & guest preview) – Trey and Mike tee up three short interviews: N. T. Wright (atonement), Brannon Ellis (Lexham Press & publishing), and Carmen Imes (bearing the Name).

• 01:30–~22:00 — Interview 1: Dr. N. T. Wright — The Day the Revolution Began

  • Why write a Jesus-and-Paul focused atonement study; insistence on integrating Kingdom, Cross, Resurrection, Spirit rather than isolating one theory.

  • Critique of the Western tradition: platonized eschatology, moralized anthropology, paganized soteriology—and the need to reframe with new-creation, image-bearing vocation, and Christus Victor (without excluding substitution/representation).

  • Reconciliation as a narrative category in Paul; idolatry deconstructs humanness; the cross breaks “the powers” so humans can be royal priesthood (Rev 5).

  • Imaging/vocation and temple themes; Eden as heaven-earth temple; people as the image in God’s temple.

  • Resurrection & the powers: LXX “anistēmi” links (e.g., Ps 82) and messianic hints (2 Sam 7 → LXX “anastēsō to sperma sou”).

  • Explaining the cross to children: story & symbol carry power; “we’ll sort out the theory later.”

• ~22:00–~50:00 — Interview 2: Dr. Brannon Ellis — Inside Lexham Press & evangelical publishing

  • Role: Publisher for Lexham Press; career path (Westminster → Aberdeen PhD → IVP → Lexham).

  • Lexham’s dual internal/external model (Logos platform and retail/print) to avoid an echo-chamber and “me-too” publishing.

  • How publishers “position” (confessional vs broad evangelical); where Lexham fits (classical evangelical).

  • Academic vs scholarly business models (library subscriptions at university presses vs market-driven evangelical presses).

  • Recent/flagship projects: Vos, Reformed Dogmatics (5 vols); Kuyper Public Theology (12 vols, with Acton Institute); Faithlife Study Bible (with Zondervan); Grant Osborne NT Commentary series; note that The Unseen Realm was Lexham’s best performer that year.

• ~50:00–~1:05:00 — Interview 3: Dr. Carmen Imes — “Bearing the Name” (re-reading the 3rd commandment)

  • Reframes “You shall not take the name…in vain” as “You shall not bear YHWH’s Name in vain” (ns + shem); not merely speech but representation.

  • High priest as template: he bears Israel’s names; the medallion “holy to YHWH” models Israel’s national vocation as a kingdom of priests.

  • Canon-wide footprint: “people called by my Name” (2 Chr 7:14), Deuteronomic witness to nations, Ezek 36: profaning the Name in exile.

  • NT links: “Hallowed be Your Name” (Lord’s Prayer), Paul ‘to bear my Name’ (Acts 9), Name on foreheads vs Mark of the Beast (Revelation), 2 Tim 2:19 application.

  • Tefillin as literal “wearing” letters that spell a divine Name—embodied “bearing.”

• ~1:05:00–end — Wrap-up – Quick debrief; Part 5 teased.