The New Testament Like You’ve Never Seen It with Frank Viola, Part 2 (EP 355)

What if you could see the New Testament not just as history, but as a living story that’s still unfolding? In Part 2 of this conversation, Brian Del Turco continues with Frank Viola, bestselling author of The Untold Story of the New Testament Church. Building on Part 1, this episode dives even deeper into the context, relationships, and divine drama behind the letters of the apostles. You’ll gain a clearer view of how the early church moved with Christ—and how your own life fits into that same advancing Kingdom narrative today.

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See the full episode transcript below.

👉 Enhanced show notes: JesusSmart.com/355

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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Hey there, my friend. Welcome to the podcast. This is Jesus Smart X. We're glad you're here. I'm Brian Del Turco. You're one of about 618 unique listeners in the last 28 days. Really glad you're tuning in.

This is episode 355. In episode 353, we kicked off a dynamic conversation with Frank Viola, prolific author and Christian leader, about his book The Untold Story of the New Testament Church. It’s a fresh lens on the early church—the book of Acts and the letters that followed, Romans, Galatians, Ephesians, and so on. If you missed part one, I recommend listening to it first, though part two flows nicely on its own.

Also, in episode 350, we explored Life in the Groove: Improvising with the Holy Spirit, looking at jazz and the parallels with walking in the Spirit. Today, in part two with Frank, we go even deeper. You’ll hear insights that could reframe how you read the New Testament, giving you context, storyline, and practical understanding for kingdom living today.

Before we dive in, I want to mention the Smart Edit newsletter. Go to jesussmart.com, sign up at the top of the homepage. It’s free, weekly, takes five minutes to read, and will help elevate your faith and influence your sphere.

Understanding the Untold Story

Without the story—the narrative of how it all fits together—we’re open to misapplying and misinterpreting Scripture. Specifically, the early church story is often misunderstood. We tend to read our own century into the New Testament, projecting our practices back onto the primitive church, which is a major mistake across denominations.

Some things stand out when the story is put together:

• The Christian life was lived very differently than most Christians today practice.
• The way assemblies (the Greek word ecclesiae) were planted and functioned was completely different than today’s churches.
• The way ministers and church planters were trained in the first century was radically different.

People might say they were “archaic,” but if you look at how Jesus trained the 12, there are timeless principles superior to modern ministerial training.

Hands-On Leadership Development

Could you give an example of that leadership development?

It was hands-on. The disciples lived with Jesus for three years—they observed Him interacting with His Father, saw Him handle problems, watched Him lead. Then He gave them assignments and missions. Paul did the same with his team—training eight men (plus a ninth) in Ephesus for three years, in exactly the same hands-on way.

The book doesn’t make prescriptive applications. I don’t tell readers, “Do it this way.” I simply transport you into the first-century story, written in the present tense, and let you draw your own applications.

The Untold Story: Why It Matters

So the story is untold—it is what it is, right?

Yes. It’s “untold” because no one has presented Acts together with the epistles as one seamless narrative, filling in historical details. My presentation combines Luke’s account with the letters of Paul, creating a complete picture.

Applying the Story Today

So it’s seminal, almost like DNA—something readers need to contextualize in their lives, praying for guidance on how to apply it, without the book being prescriptive.

Exactly. It’s not a history book. People may think it is, but the goal is to unlock the New Testament letters with context, helping readers understand them in a fresh way. Most Christians miss much of the letters’ meaning because they don’t know the narrative behind them.

Key Takeaways

I look forward to reading more. One major insight—what would you want me to take away?

Think of the book as spiritual windshield wipers. The letters are in the book itself—you don’t need to stop and read them separately. You get the background story first, then read the letter, and it opens like a clear mountain stream.

Broad Impact

Even just one believer reading it can impact their sphere of influence.

Yes, pastors and groups are using it in bulk. You don’t need a particular theological stance—it transcends denominations, because the New Testament is one story, shared across all traditions.

Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom

From my perspective, the Holy Spirit is leading the body of Christ to reclaim the explosive gospel of the kingdom. My 2018 book, Insurgents: Reclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom, captures that. The Untold Story traces the kingdom theme from Matthew to Revelation.

I recently got an email from renowned scholar Paul Barnett praising the book as “astonishing” and “deserving to be widely used,” which was an incredible honor.

And for baseball fans, Aaron Judge has my book—he’ll read it next. So it’s reaching both academia and mainstream audiences.

Accessibility Meets Substance

The New Testament as we see it now is disjointed. We often lift verses out of context, creating doctrine or practice mistakes. This book helps correct that by giving the story, context, and continuity, preventing misapplication.

Fragmented thinking is an issue—we need thematic, integrated approaches. This book helps with that.

Closing Thoughts

Thanks, Frank, and encourage everyone to check out his resources online and in book form.

Thanks for joining us for episode 355 of Jesus Smart X. I hope this part two with Frank Viola helped you see the New Testament story and your place in it with fresh clarity. Go to the enhanced show notes at jesussmart.com/355 for links to Frank’s ministry and his book.

If you missed part one, that’s episode 353. And for a creative complement, check episode 354, Life in the Groove: Improvising with the Holy Spirit.

Grab the Smart Edit newsletter at jesussmart.com—elevate your faith, live smart.