The Eric Metaxas Show - Bear Grylls | The Greatest Story Ever Told: An Eyewitness Account (Encore)

Episode Date: August 12, 2025

The incredible true story about a Galilean stonemason who changed the course of the world forever. Beautifully told through the eyewitness accounts of those who knew him best. This real-life story will never leave you. This is the incredible true story of a Galilean stonemason who changed the course of the world forever. He lived and died over 2,000 years ago, fulfilling expectations that existed long before his birth. His birth had been mystically foretold by astrologers for hundreds of years, yet the rulers of his day dreaded his coming. https://a.co/d/emYLj3g

Welcome to the Eric Metaxas show. I shouldn't tell you this, but Eric hired someone who sounds just like him to host today's show. But since I'm the announcer, they told me, so I'm telling you, don't be fooled. The real Eric's in jail. Hey there, folks. At Socrates in the city, we're doing a new thing. It's called The Question of where we interview somebody. I'm not talking.

We just let them talk on an important question. and we've got a number of those. They're all like nine, ten minutes long. We're going to play one of those for you right now. Here it is. What is Scientism? Scientism is a claim that the only way we have access or knowledge of the world is through science. And that really science is the only way that we can know what's true in the world.

So that means other things like religion or philosophy. That doesn't give us access to the real world. Only modern science and its methods give us access to the real world. Scientism as a worldview is alluring to many people because modern science, everyone can see, is a good thing. And whether you use your microwave or your iPhone or something in between, we all can see the benefits of science all around us and we use it every day.

We use it in modern medicine. And so there are all these great benefits from science. People have gone to the moon and now we're trying to go to Mars. And so when you see that, the cultural prestige of science is huge. And so it can be easy to be lulled to think, well, if science is successful in some things, then, well, that means it's really the sum of all knowledge. That's how we can get knowledge about everything, and we should trust it for everything. But here's the problem. If you try to think that science provides all the answers to everything, you are sadly mistaken.

C.S. Lewis once made a very interesting statement in a book that he wrote called The Abolition of Man, where he basically says, said that science and magic are twins. On the one hand, it might seem, well, this is insane. Science and magic, how they could be twins. Magic is about magical thinking. It's subjective. It's not based on evidence. Science is based on evidence, cool and rational. But I think Lewis is right. In fact, there are a lot of similarities. One similarity is actually that both magic and science can function as a religion for many people and actually can lead to a lack of skepticism. If a magician says, oh, I can do this magical thing and trust me, you should just believe it. It sort of lends to you not being so skeptical.

Well, similarly, when someone says, science says, you can be just very unskeptical. But one big way that magic and science are similar is the quest for power. So if you're the great magician, you want power over the world. I think of Fantasia with the Sorcer's Apprentice, with Mickey, and the great wizard, is able to control all sorts of things about the natural world, and that ends up getting Mickey in trouble. Magic has always been partly about the quest for control, the control over nature.

Well, science is pretty much the same thing. A lot of modern science, from atom bombs to fighting disease, to creating new technologies that surmount our limitations, creating airplanes that fly, a lot of science is about exerting power over the world. And that can be good if what you're trying to do is good. If you're trying to heal a disease, that's a great thing. But power can also be

directed at some goals that aren't good, that dehumanize people, or that try to basically eradicate one group of people over another. And so this makes science both useful, but also dangerous. When scientists or people claiming to speak in the name of science make moral claims, say that we should have eugenic abortions, that we should call handicapped cancer. kids because that would be better for society. They're making a claim that goes way beyond science. They're actually making a claim about human value and morality. And how do they test that in the lab? I mean, how do they use their scientific method to come up with that? They don't. They actually are smuggling in their own moral and philosophical beliefs through those claims. They're insulating

them from your own criticism of them by claiming that they're science. Let's think about the whole debate over climate change. There are people claiming in the name of science that we have to have certain particular public policies, like maybe zero net emissions, or you name the policy. Maybe that policy is good, maybe it's not. But the point I want to make is that that's not just a scientific claim, and that it's not just scientists who have the right to weigh in on that. Climate change is a great example because when many people say, well, the science says this, they're actually covering up for the idea that there are multiple different questions that they try to fuse together to sort of support.

So if they're going to say, we have to be net neutral, and the science commands that, or science says that. Or if you're against climate change, you are against science. But again, if you actually look at what's being debated, there are multiple different questions. One is, okay, are we warming? That's one question. Science says something about that. And then what actually is causing the warming?

Well, then that's another science question. Another question is, well, what are the potential things we can actually do about it? And then finally, given the alternatives and how expensive certain things might be and the side effects of various policies, what would be the best thing to do about it? Those are multiple different questions. And to claim that science, with a capital S, gives a declaration about all of them in a simple sandblight, is preposterous. And I think the most dangerous thing about people who claim, science says, therefore, you must do, is that they're usually covering up that there are multiple

different competing questions, and the science may say different things on different questions, and that the final questions is, well, what should we do about it, isn't just a science question. You might think the science is overwhelming that we are in a warming period, and I think there's pretty good evidence that we are in a warming period. But then you might say, well, but the science isn't so clear as to what parts of the warming come from human action, what parts come from the sun, what parts come from natural cycles or other things, there's a question, well, even if we're warming, even, say, if it's all human interaction, what can actually be done about it, then that's still another answer to the question

that science may say something different about. And then finally, well, okay, maybe we can do something about it. Maybe it will only do something marginal, but it'll cost a trillion dollars and put loads of people out of work and make people hungry. Well, then you have to reconcile, well, what's the best to do under the circumstances, given these competing interests. It can be really hard to deal constructively with someone who is in the grip of scientism.

One thing that I found useful, but even this is challenging, is to talk about some cases from history because things today are so polarized. So if you bring up something that's today, people already have chosen their view on it, and so they can't really, they don't want to budge. But if you bring up something like a misuse of science in the past, like eugenics, was this effort by the scientific community to leverage what they thought Darwinian biology was teaching, that we were going to destroy our race if we counteracted the law of natural selection. So therefore, we had to basically control breeding, if you want from people who were considered inferior by law.

And they thought this was scientific. I think most people today recognize that that was an abuse of science. And so bringing up a case like that and explaining that the leading scientists at Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Yale, the National Academy of Sciences, all supported eugenics and supported laws, basically mandating eugenics. And that now we realize it's wrong, that that's an example of why you should want open debate and discussion. So I think that bringing some historical examples where people now recognize that something wrong was done can maybe get them to think, well, then isn't that still true today? And a more recent example, the whole COVID pandemic was

very in real time and interesting case study, because, for two or three years, if anyone raised any questions, like, well, did this start with a lab leak, for example, you were shut down as anti-scientific, beyond science, shouldn't even be allowed legally to say what you were saying. Now, in just the last couple of years, the situation has opened up where people have recognized that many of those things that were considered, well, conspiracy series just to even question, now actually many people think might actually be true. So maybe, you know, COVID, I don't know how it started. maybe a lab leak was involved in it.

But you can actually question that. And so in real time, we've actually seen in our own life where so many questions were declared closed and you're anti-science for even raising the question. And now people recognize that that's not true. And so I think if you're interlocutor, if you will, who's in the grip of scientism, you can bring up even some more recent examples where you could say, well, you know, do you think it was wrong that people should have been able to debate the evidence about whether COVID began with the lab leak, or debate the evidence of lockdown policies and how good

those were or not. And I think that many people might be able to see that there is some benefit to that. And so questioning them about some examples from history where it's shown that there was sort of groupthink for a while, even in the scientific community, and it would have been helpful to have a more open, robust discussion. I believe with John Milton, let error and truth grapple. And you hope that out of that you'll have a clear idea of the truth. I think you'll certainly have a clearer idea than if you just close up and can never question anything. A major retail chain just canceled a massive order, leaving My Pillow with an overstock of the classic My Pillows. And this is your gain because for a limited time, my Pillow is offering their entire classic collection at true wholesale prices.

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Don't wait. Head to Mypillow.com today. call 800-978-3057 now. Don't forget to use promo code Eric to grab your standard, my pillow for only 1798, only while supplies last. Folks, welcome back. As I hope I told you in the previous segment, my best right, my guest right now is someone many of you will know,

but some will not. His name is Bear Grills. That's his real name. And we're going to get him to explain it in just a moment. He has a bookout called The Greatest Story Everton. told. Can you guess what that might be about, the greatest story ever told? In any event, Bear Grills, welcome to the program. Hey, nice to be with you, yeah. People who know you, know you. They've watched you eat frogs and snakes and do all kinds of extraordinary things

that none of us wants to do, but we're voyeurs. We enjoy watching others do it. If people don't know anything about you, and again, there are going to be some listening to this program who don't. They're going to say, who's this guy. Where did you grow up? and how did you get to do the things that you're now doing? What is your story before we go further? Some British. I was brought up a little island off the south coast of the UK. My dad was a former Royal Marines Commando. Brought me out from a young age to climb to love adventure.

Survival was a, I don't know, learning old sort of skills and survival skills was part of that upbringing. After school, I joined the British military myself. I spent four years then with the British military. Special Forces with 21 SAS and had a free fall accident during that time. Eventually had to leave the military. Put a Everest team together climbing. It would be such a big part of my upbringing as well with my dad. We put an Everest team together.

Two of us on that team reached a top. We had four people tragically lose their lives on the mountain. It was just a sort of a difficult time. but got back from that, I wrote a book and what happened up there. Somebody in America at Discovery Channel read the book. They said, we know your background with all the survival stuff. Could we do a TV show

where we drop you in the middle of nowhere with minimum equipment? And you film the adventure, film what you do if you had to get out of there. And I was like super wet behind the ears. I hadn't got a clue about TV. I was young. I was 25. this day, just married.

And I actually said no, three times this producer to start with. Just because I didn't know TV. And eventually my wife, who's much smarter than me, she said, you should try it at least. We went, I went, small team, and they ended up Discovery Channel put it out late at night, one night, no marketing. And the timing was just, it was God blessed, you know, it just flew. That was the start of Man versus Wild, which we did. for seven seasons with Discovery Channel. And on the back of that, then, you know,

I spent my whole career in the outdoors, in adventure-making TV adventure, survival shows, for NBC, for Disney, for Netflix, for Amazon, all over the world. It's been a huge privilege. And now we're in season nine of Running Wild where I get to take incredible, like Hollywood superstars and world leaders

and really interesting people away on mini-adventures, introduce them to the wild. There's so many world leaders. I was going to say there's so many world leaders I can think of whom I wish you would take into the wild and leave there if you could. I know in your contract you have to bring them back, but I just, I hate that. And sometimes you have to break the contract for the good of the globe. Listen, Bear, let me ask you some really simple questions to begin, because I want to talk about your book. But simplest question of all.

is Bear your your actual name? Is that a nickname? Well, actually, it's a nickname. I was christened Edward. I have an older sister, eight years older. My mom had like three miscarriages between us. By the time I came along, my sister was so excited.

She decided I was going to be called Bear. Eight-year-old girl, daughter. She seemed to win that argument. When I was about six, I used to hate it. I used to wish I was much shyer than she was much more extrovert. and I used to wish I could have a normal name, but actually it's been a great name over the years. It's endured everything from Sergeant Majors to teachers to, you name it. So, yeah, it could be worse, but as a kid, I didn't like it.

It's funny because it does seem sort of prophetic. I mean, the fact that you spent so much time in the wild being named Bear seems strangely appropriate, of course. Yeah, yeah, I think that's right. It's been a great name. We have three boys ourselves now. and they all have pretty unusual names. We have Huckaburi, we have Marmaduke, and we have Jesse. Jesse for the UK is actually much more unusual.

I know in the US, lots of, it's much more common name. But I always figure out, boys, they might not get the job, but they get the job interview at least. You're going to want to meet them. And they're great boys. They're good fun. Well, listen, I really enjoyed watching your show on the Discovery Channel. I don't know how I discovered the show, but I discovered it.

really, really enjoyed your show and was genuinely staggered and thrilled when I learned that you're a man of serious Christian faith, just absolutely thrilled me to learn that. So I have to ask you as well, before we get into your book and what you're working on now, how did you come to faith? How did that come to be central in your life? Well, it has, I don't know, I think it's a young. kid I had a really natural faith. I never questioned. It was like I just knew something good was out there and it was for me. Then I went to school age like, I had to go to boarding school at age about eight and we had very formal church and chapel every day and it was half of it was in Latin and the, you know, the pastors would be wearing their white cloaks and I just saw, wow, I've got God wrong. You know, God speaks Latin and he and he looks down his nose of me from on high. And I kind of threw faith out.

of the window. But age about 16, I remember my losing my godfather, who was like really close to me. He was like a second father to me. And he died out of the blue. And I remember just being so upset at that time, like going down the end of these like school grounds and finding this tree and climbing up it on my own and saying, just saying, God, I wish, I wish you were like. I knew you when I was, when I was young and it was free and it was beautiful. And I just. really need you now. If you're there, please be there. You know, and it didn't even have an amen or anything like that, but I now understand it's the only prayer you ever need. You know, it's a prayer of salvation and nothing like crazy happened, you know, just small things, but from little acorns,

big oak trees grow and faith just started to burn from little ember and it grew. And it's just been a beautiful empowering part of my life ever since through many. expeditions through my military time, through to the TV journey, through to my family time now. And I don't know, I can't imagine life without it. People say, what does faith mean? And for me, it's like trying to describe blood. You know, it's like try living without it. You know, it's like, it's not window dressing. This is inside. This is, this is the light in my life. And it's a streak of steel we all sometimes need in life. And I don't know, I don't want to do life without the Almighty. you know, so it's been a quiet but powerful part of my career and part of my life ever since that moment.

Well, of course, which leads us to your new book. Now, most people listening to this program, certainly I, when we hear the greatest story ever told, we think of a beautiful film starring one of my favorite actors, Maximus Seedow, who plays Jesus. But your book is not based on the film, but it's related. to it. What is this book, this new book called The Greatest Story Ever Told? Well, it's retelling the, it's telling the story of Christ for a new generation told of fresh, and it's written almost as a thriller. You know, it's a fact a pastor wrote in the other day and said, wow, this is like John Grisham was tasked with writing the Jesus

story. And I thought, that's a good summary, you know, because I don't know, I think so many of us, even of faith. You know, we don't actually know the real story of actually what he went through. You know, we tend to know stories like the Good Samaritan or the Nativity or the Crucifixion. But actually, when you get into it, it's, you know, this isn't potentially the greatest story ever told or could be. You know, if this is true, it changes everything. It changes our lives. It changes our friends' lives, our relationships, our families, our futures, how we build our career, how we approach life and risk and adventure and you know it changes everything so i don't know i kind of wanted to tell it as it is i think we've had 2,000 years of sanitizing a lot of this story and then if people are new to faith they

kind of like and i'm the same you you grew up with the christmas version of it you know where it's all very kind of nice but actually the real jesus was incredible and and like i don't know this story blew me away and i thought people don't know this so i'm going to write it it like short chapters, super punchy, 100% theologically accurate. I mean, that was the, that was a tough part of the book. We worked with about 15 incredible theologians from around the world to get this absolutely right. We just filmed a whole series of

with the Chosen, with that great TV show, I did a bespoke version of Running Wild where I took all of the main characters of the Chosen on Adventures and those TV shows come out early next year. But getting to know the Chosen guys was really beautiful and working with their theologians to make sure this is the book is accurate and right was really important. But it's already superseded my wildest dreams. I mean, my dream is that every person on the planet reads the story because it's, as you know, it's transformational. It's truly mind-blowing and unput-downable.

It is, it is. Forgive me. We're going to go to a break. Folks, I'm talking to Bear Grills. That's his real name. We'll be right back. Rainy days and Mondays always get me dead. Welcome back, folks. I have the joy of speaking with Bear Grills. Don't ask me how to spell grills. Is that a Welsh name? It's actually Cornish,

which is a southwest corner of the UK from Cornwall. But I think my ancestors originally came over in the Spanish Armada. You remember the story of the Spanish Armada, and they came over, and they all basically got shipwrecked on the south coast of England. And then there was probably a lot of pillaging and, you know, that went on and a lot of there were shit wrecked there and then started families, those that survived. That's what I got quite kind of like dark Spanish skin. I wasn't expecting to hear that. So thank you, Sir Francis Drake. So I have to, I want to ask you, you were talking about the book, the greatest story ever told.

And you're quite right in saying that many of us, we grew up. with a sanitized, I would say religious version of it. And the first time I really heard about that idea was C.S. Lewis, when he describes writing the Chronicles of Narnia, he wants to take this extraordinary true story away from, I guess, I think he calls it it it's stained glass Sunday school trappings and tell it afresh. Yes, that's a great phrase. So people can actually hear it. So people can actually deceive it for what it is. because it is genuinely the greatest story ever told,

but oftentimes the greatness of it is obscured because of these religious trappings. They become so familiar to us that we don't really hear it anymore. And so it sounds like that's what you have done in the writing of it. That's so true, isn't it, I think. It's a good description by C.S. Lewis. But, you know, the response by people has been unbelievable. I mean, literally just before I was logging on chatting to you,

I was looking at an email came in from a 7.000. year old guy who's been one of the most successful CEOs of one of the biggest companies in America. And he goes, I've been a church girl all my life in, you know, in Texas. And I've just, it's been part of my life. But I have never read it afresh like this. This is the story. This is history. His story. And he goes, I read this and I've been crying. My wife thinks I've been having a breakdown. But it's because I've always known the religious version from however good a sermon is. often it's in church and it's from a pulpit and the actual character of Jesus was so wild and so empowering and so free and so what you know he was why did just regular people fight to be close to

him and just want to touch his cloak and why do this religious elite fear him so much and I wanted to answer some of those questions and tell the story as it would have been I mean the shocking thing is you know you actually get into this you realize the average age of the disciples, and I tell the story from the perspective of five people that knew and best, but the average age of the disciples, they reckon was between 15 and 25. You know, so we get this idea of Peter and John and these bearded old men, you know, which I guess eventually some of them became. But, you know, they were young.

They were like, what is going on? Who is this guy? And I don't know, I'm getting so many letters as well from people of so many different faiths, which has been so surprising for me. I mean, just yesterday, I had this Muslim guy right to me from the Middle East going, I'd always heard this about the story of Jesus.

I kind of thought I knew it from afar, but I had no idea. And I've had that from Jewish people. I've had it from, you know, Catholics through South America. And it's been my journey as well, learning this story afresh. And, you know, it's gone to number one now in the UK. It's gone to number four straight in in the States

and the bestseller list there. that is a dream is that people find it from themselves and have their lives turned around because, as you know, it's what it does. It turns life on his head. Well, that's the idea. And I guess I want to ask you, it seems to me that we're experiencing the beginnings of genuine revival, something that so many of us have hoped and prayed for through the decades. And I think that part of that always happens when we get desperate. I don't know why the Lord does that, but things get desperate. Things are particularly broken.

And so people suddenly maybe feel the freedom to open their hearts to God or to open their hearts to the truth. Do you see that happening in the U.K.? Because I think Western Europe has become so secularized. But I just hope that, you know, the message of Jesus through books like yours, because you have such a big platform, might reach people who are otherwise somehow inoculated against it. It is happening. It's happening all over the world. It's happening in many different countries of different faiths as well. And, you know, I don't know, it's like that Bible verse when the harvest is ready. We've got to be ready as well. We've got to go. And I don't know.

I've just felt this powerful calling in my heart. You know, like when I wrote this book, it was like, clear the decks, clear the decks of all you're doing, write this. And, you know, even I'm still filming all the time and that's still my kind of day job. such, but this is where also my heart is, you know, because I'm seeing what's happening when people read it. And the one thing that never changes over the years is people's need for connection to the Almighty, their spirituality. I just think it's, as you said, the religious language that has turned so many people off and the sort of bad side of, you know, church sometimes gone wrong as inevitably happens because it's a human institution. You know, but at heart,

what hasn't changed is our need for connection and to the Almighty. You know, I don't meet anyone who doesn't want to find home, find peace, be forgiven, be empowered. You know, that is universal. So it's like, let's make sure that kind of message of Christ reaches people. And without maybe the bit that is like, I don't know, the stuff that wasn't of Jesus. you know and I think of those white casics in the church and the Latin sermons and the kind of judging, boring, irrelevant part of church and religion. I want to pick up on that. We'll be back. Final segment with Bear Grills. The brand new book, The Greatest Story Ever told. We'll be right back. A little shoe shine, boy, he never gets slow down, but he's got the dirtiest job in town.

bending low at the people's feet on the windy corner of the dirty street will i ask him while he shine my shoes how to keep from getting the blues he grinned as he raised his little head he popped his shoeshine welcome back i'm talking to bear grills about his brand new book the greatest story ever told and bear you've just shared with us that it is really it's just a retelling of the jesus story but done in such a way uh that comes a cross as fresh. What was it that led you to write this? Because, you know, I don't think of you principally as a writer. I think of you as an adventure guy who does all kinds of amazing things in the wild with various people. What led you to say, I want to write a book like this? Well, first of all, that kind of, you know, the adventure stuff has been my life and it has been my job, but you unpeal that a bit. There's been, I've learned over a lifetime of adventurers that I need help. You know, I don't want to be out there alone.

I want to be empowered. I want to be connected to the Almighty. I want to understand nature with fresh eyes. And so spirituality and my Christian faith has always been at the heart of what I've done. But in terms of like, why is this important now? I just think there is such a hunger. You know, people are so hungry for it. And I don't know.

It's just, sorry, sorry, what we just remind me. I'm just asking. What was that... What was it that provoked you actually to write this? Because it's very significant. You know, you're talking about working with scholars to make sure it's theological accurate. I know as a writer...

Oh, yeah, I know what I was going to say. Writing is, in fact, difficult. What was it that made you say I need... And one of the things I want to say as I asked this question is that because you have such a profile, you're a known figure, to me, it's that much more important. that people who are well known as you are speak about their faith because you give permission to

people who are kind of wondering, oh, I don't know, do I want to be serious about God? Well, then they discover that somebody that they like, like you, is serious about God. So maybe it's okay. And so I'm thrilled that you chose to do this and you've been outspoken about your faith. But what led you to say this is the form that I wanted to take right now, that I want to actually write a book that tells this story. So, you know, so that faith has always been there. But I think I'm not scared now to share that. You know, I know, often I think people with public profiles sort of maybe get nervous

of that. But it's kind of like, I don't know, I'm just not scared anymore, just to be honest and say the truth. And my faith has been a real backbone to my life and help through so many things. and if that can help people, it would feel strange not to share that. And also, I think I have so many friends who kind of ask me about faith. And they might not know the Bible. They might not read the Bible.

And it's hard to recommend to people just like, here you go, read it. I mean, you know, it can be for you and me with a faith, when we open it, it's honey and it's beautiful. But I think if you're not there, it's kind of cold to boiling in one step. And I think the beauty of the response I'm getting from the greatest story ever told is that it's so accessible for people. And that is so easy to recommend to friends, maybe people who don't have a faith or who are inquiring or inquisitive or maybe in need of that sort of faith and light in their lives. It's easy to recommend. You know, it's short, each chapter's two or three pages. I mean, that's how I read.

I have a super short attention span. And I don't know. I wanted to be, I want it to be that bridge, I suppose. into a world of kind of faith and empowerment and life and light. It's very funny. I wasn't going to bring it up, but the first book I ever wrote, it was exactly the same reason of what you described.

I thought to myself, I know so many people, and this is 20 years ago, but I know so many people that they're open to the idea of God, but they wouldn't know where to begin. They have questions. They're maybe afraid to ask the questions. And so I wrote a book called Everything You Always Want to Know About God, but We're Afraid to Ask, just as a primer, as an introductory book that you could give to anyone because I felt that there was a need for such books. I ended up writing three in the series, everything you always wanted to know about God, but we're afraid to ask.

Because I do think there are people that they're hanging back, they're a little bit shy, they don't know where to go. And you have to give them a way in. And just as you said, if you say, well, read the Bible. Everybody says that. is the cliche, oh, you should just read the Bible. The Bible is unreadable if you don't know something to begin with. I mean, you just crack open the Bible, and it can be completely mystifying, and you need someone to explain it. And so I'm really thrilled that you've written this book, because I think it sounds like the perfect way in for so many people. And there have been books through the generations kind of like this, but there doesn't seem to be much out there right now. So before we go, how much of the story do you tell? Where does it begin? Where does it end? Well, it starts very innocent with Mary as a young, scared, 14-year-old, pregnant, confused, nervous, but also knowing what she's seen with that angel. And, you know, I think we kind of know that story, but also we don't know

that story. I mean, how terrifying that must have been. And so it starts off innocent, but she grows into her faith and strength. And then it goes to Thomas, and we call everyone by their local Aramaic name. So Jesus is Yeshua. Thomas is Taum. And he's seen this first miracle at Cana with the wine, these watered wine.

And he starts off like, it's going to take more than a magic trick to change my heart. And his journey is beautiful, kind of his first-hand eye-witness account to what he sees of Jesus' life. but then he goes to Peter who's wild, reckless, impulsive, but heart-led and just know something true and beautiful when he sees it and he's in. And then you have John who's much more clinical and studying. And then it ends up with Mary Magdalene who is just broken.

And when she encountered Jesus, he healed her and he stole her heart and she takes us through to the end. But it's pretty, it gets full on. It's pretty gruesome at times, but it's all firsthand accounts. And I don't know, I look at all of my work. This is the proudest thing I've ever done. I would give up every Everest Summit, every METV award. I'd give up all of those things in a heartbeat. I've written 103 books now.

I'd give them all up to have written this. It's the most important thing I've ever done. It's the thing I'm proud of. It's outside of my family. It's the thing I'm most proud of because I see what it's doing to people's lives and I pray like Noah when he's built his ark and he sat there praying for the rain, Lord, let it rain and let it touch people all over the world. Well, Bear, I'm just praising the Lord for your willingness to do this and to be out there.

And I do hope that it leads to revival in the UK and beyond. We need it. You and I know Jesus really is the answer for which everyone is looking. So thank you, Bear Grills. Congratulations, folks. The book is the greatest story ever told. There, thank you. That's your pleasure and respect for all you're doing. You know, you're sharing light and love and goodness and encouragement every day. So keep going. And I'm going to dig out that first book, you said. I bet it's probably the most important one you've ever done because faith should be

simple. Keep it simple. Everything you always want to know about God, but we're afraid to ask. It is simple. Thank you, my friend. God bless you. All the best. Thank you. Hey there, folks. This is that time of the week where we do an Ask Metaxus segment. It's a weekly recurring segment to submit questions for Ask Metaxus. Please email info at Eric Metaxus, info at Eric Metaxus, or you can simply reply to one of my newsletters, which you should be getting twice a week. Okay, so here are the questions. Question number one. Eric, what books about Greek history would you recommend, please. I think I've been asked this question before, and I have the same answer now as I had then. I'm embarrassed to say that I am so myself ignorant of Greek history that I can't think

of a book to recommend. If anybody listening would like to recommend a book or two, email us at info at ericmetaxis.com, because I'd probably like to read that book myself. Speaking of Greek history, second question. Eric, I came upon an article about St. Paul's shipwreck, not happening in Malta, but on another Greek island. Okay, I think whoever sent this question and came upon the article that I posted, it's at Ericmetaxis.com. I translated an article, which was written, I think, in 1987 on the subject, and I met the author. So the person asking this question says, can we ever really know whether Paul was shipwrecked on Malta or on another Greek island? What I know is that the Malta is not an Italian island, but it was under Roman rule at the time.

The snakes on modern day Malta are not poisonous. That's correct. That's why I'm pretty sure Paul was not shipwrecked on the island today called Malta, even though everybody Malta claims that he was. I'm almost certain that he was not. And if you want to read it, read the article. It's go to Ericmataxis.com under my writings. You'll find it there. But it's, it's pretty clear that he was not shipwrecked on Malta. Even though a lot of Bibles say Malta, the Greek word is Maliti. And they kind of think, oh, there must be Malta. So they put in Malta. Okay, so I'm still reading this question. It says that the person writing question,

says, I'm pretty sure the author of the article was never unlucky enough to be on Malta in one of its winter storms. It has fine weather, but the Saraco wind loves Malta, and I've lived through a February Seraco storm where you'll think all the windows in the house are going to be blown away and where temperatures at night dipped even to 7 degrees Celsius. I'm not sure how that follows. But anyway, I do not think Paul was shipwrecked on Malta. I think if you had to guess, you'd say, no way. But it's hard, it's hard to say, but I think he was shipwrecked on the Greek island of Keppelonia, which happens to be the island where my father grew up, where my family are from. And that's how I kind of learned about this.

So we'll leave it there. Final question. We thought we'd end with a light one. Eric, what's your reaction to anti-Israel, anti-Semitism among conservatives and Christians? I'm upset mostly by people. who demonize people who disagree with them. In other words, I have been very public. I stand with Israel. I'm in favor of President Trump standing with President Netanyahu to defend Israel. And I could go on and on about that. But I also think it is okay for somebody like Tucker Carlson to ask questions. And I think that that's where I find myself right now.

You have to be able to say, I stand with Israel, but I don't agree with all the policies of Benjamin Netanyahu's government. You know, there's a lot of stuff that goes on in any government that you have to be able to say, I don't like that. And it doesn't mean you're unpatriotic or you're anti-Semitic. You have to be able to do that. But there are people who are so hidebound on this that if you don't agree with them 100%, on either side, by the way, they will attack you.

And I find that to be the biggest problem, because I think we really do have to be able to say, I stand with Israel, but we have to be able to say that without being called anti-Semites. On the other hand, there is real anti-Semitism, and we're out of time, but I condemn that with everything in me.