Jun 8, 2026 · 44 min · 13 segments
In this episode, Jonathan Pennington talks about the heart of the book of Matthew. Jonathan Pennington serves as professor of New Testament interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary…
Jonathan PenningtonGuest
Matt TullyHost
[gentle music] Becoming a disciple of the King, that's, that is the heart of the book, which I think it's the heart of Matthew's wr- book as well, which is, who is Jesus, and then who is a disciple of Jesus? And the thing that connects those together, I can simply say it this way.

According to the New Testament, to be a Christian is to be one who follows Jesus.

The reason we need to understand who Jesus is is because to become a disciple is to follow in His ways, His teaching, His model, and of course, by faith, to accept His sacrifice, His sacrificial death for us.

Jonathan Pennington serves as professor of New Testament Interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and one of the teaching pastors at Sojourn East Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

He's the author of several books, including Becoming a Disciple of the King: A Theology of Matthew, which is part of Crossway's New Testament Theology series.
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[gentle music] Becoming a disciple of the King, that's, that is the heart of the book, which I think it's the heart of Matthew's wr- book as well, which is, who is Jesus, and then who is a disciple of Jesus? And the thing that connects those together, I can simply say it this way.

According to the New Testament, to be a Christian is to be one who follows Jesus.

The reason we need to understand who Jesus is is because to become a disciple is to follow in His ways, His teaching, His model, and of course, by faith, to accept His sacrifice, His sacrificial death for us.

Jonathan Pennington serves as professor of New Testament Interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and one of the teaching pastors at Sojourn East Church in Louisville, Kentucky.

He's the author of several books, including Becoming a Disciple of the King: A Theology of Matthew, which is part of Crossway's New Testament Theology series.