Skip to content Unveiling the Gospel's Triumph Over Rome: Insights from Nero and Paul Apr 13 · 40 min ...more
Unveiling the Gospel's Triumph Over Rome: Insights from Nero and Paul
April 13, 2026 · 40 min
This episode features Kathie Lee Gifford and Dr. Bryan Litfin as they explore the historical and spiritual journey of Nero and Paul. Through vivid storytelling and immersive research, they discuss the profound impact of faith, the significance of biblical events, and the enduring legacy of grace amidst the darkness of ancient Rome.
Series Nero and Paul by Kathie Lee Gifford April 13, 2026 · 40 min · Nero and Paul by Kathie Lee Gifford
This episode features Kathie Lee Gifford and Dr. Bryan Litfin as they explore the historical and spiritual journey of Nero and Paul. Through vivid storytelling and immersive research, they discuss the profound impact of faith, the significance of biblical events, and the enduring legacy of grace amidst the darkness of ancient Rome. ...more Show the full description Show less This episode features Kathie Lee Gifford and Dr. Bryan Litfin as they explore the historical and spiritual journey of Nero and Paul. Through vivid storytelling and immersive research, they discuss the profound impact of faith, the significance of biblical events, and the enduring legacy of grace amidst the darkness of ancient Rome.
Series Nero and Paul by Kathie Lee Gifford
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In this video 0:00 One Continuous Biblical Story and Paul's Damascus Road13:46 Strength in Weakness: Holy Sites and Apostolic Journeys25:35 Fig Trees, Gethsemane, Prison, and Martyrdom
One Continuous Biblical Story and Paul's Damascus Road 0:00 Hi again, everybody. I'm Kathie Lee Gifford, and this is my dear friend and coauthor of our latest book, Nero and Paul, Ancient Evil versus Living Hope. And, we're here to talk to you today about,0:12 something very exciting. It all is exciting. Yeah.0:14 It's a great0:15 Once we get started, it's hard to We we both0:17 know how to talk.0:18 We could do it. We yes. We're gonna be walking in the footsteps of Nero and Paul today, standing where Nero once ruled or where Paul practiced and suffered. All for it when you do that, you guys, it offers such a0:30 powerful horrible prisons0:43 horrible prisons and it adds a vivid tangible dimension to the biblical narrative. This is the kind of on-site exploration that brings the entire ancient world alive to us. It's like it goes0:55 from black and white to technicolor and it allows us to connect deeply with sacred stories. We think we know. We think we know them. We don't know them, especially during seasons like what we call Easter1:07 here in the West, but it's really a Jewish festival called First Fruits and also Pentecost, which comes, well, 50 days later after Passover.1:16 Yeah. And those those holidays as we call them or holy days really is what that word means. It's a biblical term. These holy days invite believers to reflect on the significance of sacrifice and
1:28 resurrection and the birth of the early church, events that Paul witnessed and helped shape in the very shadow of Nero's Rome. And so through immersive research
1:39 Which you did mostly. Thank goodness.
1:41 Well, we did it together.
1:42 It was
1:43 a it was a joint
1:43 And travel, which I did. Uh-huh.
1:45 We both done that, and and it it it brings so much to the table. Right?
1:48 Yeah. And
1:49 so in our book, Nero and Paul, how the gospel of grace defeated the ruler of Rome, Kathy and I reveal how seeing these stories unfold in their original settings can deepen faith
2:01 and inspire reflection and make the legacy of these figures resonate more profoundly, especially during these meaningful times of the year.
2:11 Yeah. Today, we're gonna discuss how these experiences at historical sites have enriched our understanding of both history and scripture and how we can pass it on to you. Making the accounts of Nero and Paul especially
2:22 engaging for those who really value tradition. You know, a lot of people hold this very, very, very close to their hearts, and we try to do it in a compelling storytelling way. So, I don't
2:34 know. I've been to Israel so many times. I I have lost count truly. And I've written books, about my my travels and what I've learned, and I've made movies in Israel as well. I traveled as a
2:46 17 year old to to Greece originally on my first trip to Israel. And because it's all intertwined, of course, you know, it's, people think that I I think it's a shame that we that
2:58 we've tore the the the scriptures apart right down the middle after was it Malachi or Micah? Micah? Malachi.
3:04 Malachi.
3:05 And then 400 years later, we Jesus emerges. And I've always thought, why did we have to do that? It's 1 gorgeous, godly love story to from God to his to his to
3:16 his children, to all of of humankind. So it unfortunately, it's created a a a a bad thing between Jews and Christians.
3:27 Yeah.
3:27 People in our world in the west tend to think that, oh, that the old testament, you're right. It should be called the old covenant.
3:34 Mhmm.
3:35 The the promise that God made to Abraham to bring forth a nation so that the Messiah could come forth for all of humankind. People tend to think, well, that's for the that's for the Jews. Right. And then Jesus comes
3:45 along, so that's for the Christians. How is this so not right that we do this?
3:50 No. You said it. I mean, it's 1 great story. Right? The the same God who was active in Israel where you see these that calling out of a people of Abraham, Abram, who you often pointed
4:01 out as an h to his name
4:03 Yes.
4:03 Abraham. He takes the
4:05 Yes. I and the addedness of Sarai to
4:07 his wife. Becomes Sarah. Sarah. Right? And so and I remember you said adding the h as the breath of
4:14 The breath of God.
4:15 The ruach of God.
4:16 The ruach. And somebody taught me that night. I didn't make that up.
4:19 I like that. Yeah. And so the beauty of what God was doing through Abraham and through Sarah and Isaac and Jacob and those patriarchs and then the prophets, And like you said, it the story doesn't just stop. Now there's
4:30 a gap and different views are, you know, what about those books in between?
4:34 Right.
4:35 But then ultimately, the New Testament comes along. But
4:37 With our gospels?
4:39 With our gospels. Right? And the story of Jesus. But Jesus came to teach the Torah and to continue the story that had begun back in the
4:46 Remind everybody what the Torah is. Would someone say the Torah or the Torah?
4:49 Yeah. The Torah. The Torah. Another 1 of those sounds with that.
4:52 Yes. Yeah. With the the the breath of God in it, shall we?
4:56 The breath of God is present in Torah. And so, you know, it's the first 5 books of of the Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
5:05 Yes.
5:05 And more broadly, it's the whole story of Israel. So Torah can also mean all the books, but but they weren't finished. When Jesus came, that story continued. And I know for you, visiting Israel is a way
5:17 to enter into that story today, isn't it?
5:19 It changed my life. I mean, the first time I went as a as a teenager, and it and I when I put my foot down my feet down in in in the the land, the the holy land. The holy land. It it
5:31 I knew that I I wrote something back there. I said, oh, the ancient blood that flows through me from the dawn of time through eternity. Mhmm. Because it's an eternal story that that the scriptures tell. And as of, my
5:43 father was Jewish, and I would I grew up knowing that, you know, for 400 years, the Jews were in a were, living as slaves under pharaoh in in Egypt. So that that 400 years,
5:55 we didn't stop the story. No. And we stopped it. And I I would like to encourage everybody to be to understand that this is 1 continuous story all the way to the book of
6:07 Revelation.
6:07 Mhmm.
6:08 And and look at it that way. Call it covenant, the first covenant and the sec the old covenant and the new covenant. The new covenant is with Jesus. And when well, we talked about it in our other teaching
6:20 about when the when the rip the holy of holies was ripped from the top to the bottom. Maybe you could remind everybody Yeah. When that happened.
6:26 Well and so we we start, the book with that, don't we?
6:29 Yeah.
6:30 Where where we we pick up it's sort of where our first book left off with Mary, and she's witnessing, the the tearing of the veil. And the temple had this ginormous veil, and it was torn in 2,
6:42 like you said, from top to bottom.
6:43 And thick is I mean, it took years for this thing to be woven by by all these young women who worked on it.
6:49 Yeah. And some say Mary was 1 of those weepers.
6:51 And certainly couldn't have been.
6:52 About that. And they say it was as thick as the hand. The veil the cloth was as thick as as a hand's breath. So this was a major veil that was torn in 2. And it and it was ripped not, only so that you would
7:04 have access into the holy place.
7:07 And only the high priest could do that at the time.
7:09 Only the high priest could go in there and so the holy place has become accessible to God's people by all of God's people. But also, there was that out rushing. I think if you'd been standing there when that veil
7:21 tore, you would hear the Ruach.
7:22 You would have.
7:23 Ruach Hakodesh, this holy spirit of God. Right? Rushing out because he was coming to indwell us.
7:29 Oh, I love that. I just love that. And it scared people to pieces because there was also a terrible earthquake at the time. There was, darkness came upon the land. Mhmm. Stones tore apart.
7:40 People came back to
7:41 People came back to a lot of them came back from the grave.
7:45 Graves broke open.
7:46 Broke open, and they testified.
7:49 Yes. And the centurion said, as he looked at the man who probably he nailed the nails into the hands of the crucified Jesus Yes. And he said, surely this man was the son of God.
8:00 Can you imagine?
8:01 And I think he was saying to himself, what have I just
8:04 done?
8:05 What have I done?
8:06 Just like Judas when he's realized what he had betrayed. What have I done? And he threw them he didn't want the money. Yeah. This guy would have taken back those those nail poundings Yeah. In an instant.
8:17 And there are traditions that he converted to. We don't know from scripture, but there are traditions that that man converted. There was a movie
8:23 made about, like, the remember the robe. Yeah. Yes. Uh-huh.
8:26 He's a character.
8:26 That was a great movie, by the way. I'm not sure it's totally biblical, but it was great entertainment.
8:30 Is when whenever the Holy Spirit exits from the temple and and wherever the Holy Spirit blows like a breeze, you know, like a wind, which is also what that word means both in Greek and in Hebrew, pneuma or ruach.
8:42 It means wind. And wherever his his wind blows, life comes
8:47 Life comes.
8:47 Spiritual life comes forth.
8:49 Yes.
8:49 And that's what Paul wanted to preach. Right? He wanted to go to the ends of the earth and bring the spirit of God to everyone, to Gentiles as well as to Jews.
8:57 But several of the of the the the Lord's, our our Lord Jesus' closest companions and disciples, were very hesitant to to to welcome Yes. Paul into. Yeah. He had changed
9:08 his name from Saul of Tarsus to to Paul. And why did he do that?
9:13 Well, Paul is a a word that was available to the Gentiles to be understood. It means, small or minor.
9:20 Minor.
9:21 Yeah. Like, he he understood. Like, I'm I'm
9:23 small. Humility.
9:24 Yeah. I'm I'm I'm a small man. And they say he was physically small. Yes. Do you do you Yeah. I think we talk about that in the book. He had a bald head. He had a big nose. He had bow legs. Yeah. And
9:35 He's never gonna be people's sexiest man alive.
9:37 Oh, he was the opposite of that. And and they say he had a unibrow.
9:40 And you there. That would
9:41 be that's
9:42 a deal breaker for me.
9:44 But that just shows that he he was a very humble man. It wasn't like if if Paul strode into the room, you'd say, oh, a movie star just entered. What does this man have to say?
9:53 Yeah.
9:53 But his message had the power. Right?
9:55 Well, it he that was very much a change in his character as well too because this is a man who from, he studied with Gamaliel?
10:03 Gamaliel. Gamaliel.
10:04 Yeah. The the the the most, renowned rabbinical teacher in Israel. And he was his finest student.
10:11 Mhmm.
10:12 And he was being trained to become a member of the Sanhedrin and maybe someday become the high priest himself.
10:18 Yeah.
10:18 So he was a man of great, great, great ambition.
10:22 Until he met the true
10:23 high priest. Until he met the
10:24 true high priest. About the the Damascus road experience.
10:27 Let's do let's do it because it's just outside of Jerusalem. The road to Damascus is is Damascus, Syria. Would that that's that place still exists. Damascus does.
10:36 Yeah. Sure.
10:37 And they believe they know the exact road as well that that, that, the encounter happened with Paul. And he was just riding along. He knew that many of the the the Jesus's followers had
10:48 left Jerusalem because of persecution, which we talked about before.
10:52 Mhmm.
10:52 Had had gone they'd left because they said, we can't we're gonna be we're gonna be murdered. We're gonna be sacrificed.
10:59 Right.
10:59 Why don't you recount for us what exactly happened or or what we think happened to Saul of Tarsus
11:05 Yeah.
11:06 On the way to Damascus.
11:07 Well, he was angry because some of the followers of the way, followers of Jesus had escaped his clutches Yes. And had gone from Jerusalem to Damascus. Well, as he's traveling along, a bright light shines
11:18 around him, knocks him to the ground, knocks him prone in the dust as anybody should be. Yes. Before before the 1 who is Jesus. And and he's laying there and Jesus identifies himself. He says, Saul, Saul,
11:30 why are you persecuting me? But he doesn't Saul doesn't know who that is.
11:34 He doesn't know what's just happened to him.
11:36 He's he can't even see. He's he's stunned. This voice is like rushing waters. It's like thunder. And he says, I am Jesus.
11:44 The 1 whom you persecute.
11:45 And so when you persecute Christians and followers of Jesus, you're persecuting him himself, which is to say, as Paul later really understood, the body of Christ is made up of the people. The
11:57 breath that is in the body is the Holy Spirit. Had
12:00 to terrify him.
12:01 Oh, I think he was just He
12:02 felt a little bit of the terror that all the people were experiencing that he was persecuting.
12:06 Well, even angels terrify people. Right? Right. Imagine meeting the risen Christ in all of his glory.
12:13 Yes.
12:14 And yet there's such grace because Jesus doesn't condemn him for being a murderer. No. And and and he says, go into the city. I have someone appointed to you who will give you the message.
12:26 Wait. I'll send him to you.
12:27 Ananias.
12:28 Ananias.
12:28 Who is also terrified.
12:30 Well, we talk about that.
12:31 Yes. We do. I mean, if if an angel came to me and said, you know what? I want you to get this guy that's been persecuting everybody in Nigeria Mhmm. I want you to go to him and tell him about me. I go, me, Lord?
12:42 Yeah. Go into, like, a methadone drug cartel and talk to the drug Lord and tell him about Jesus. Go into Nigeria. Where go into North Korea, wherever. It'd be scary, wouldn't it?
12:52 Well, we cannot do it with message. But but I think the message of Paul that I love so much, whether he went to any of the places where he preached, his message was always about in my weakness. Mhmm. I have God's I have
13:03 Jesus's strength.
13:04 Yeah.
13:05 And that's a message for all time.
13:06 It is really.
13:07 That's not that's not just what happened 2 2000 years ago on the road to Damascus. It's gonna happen to me on my way into Nashville today. You know? Yeah. And and you at at Liberty.
13:18 Oh, I have often times where I feel very weak. And I I love that we bring that out in our book.
13:23 Yes.
13:23 I think that's something for for the readers to engage with is how what what is your weakness? Where is your area that you feel that you don't have the strength to cope? You don't have what it takes to sort of get the
13:34 job done. In that very weakness, if you are a follower of Yeshua, of Jesus, that is when you're actually your strongest. It's when you you give that back to God, you know.
13:44 You know, I'm thinking about right now, when it says, the joy of the Lord is your strength, which it's Hezekiah or 8, something 8 10.Show more
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