Actor and comedian Tim Allen says he is continuing to read the Bible, recently telling comedian Bill Maher he is now studying the portion of the New Testament written by the Apostle Paul.
The “Last Man Standing” star appeared on Bill Maher’s “Club Random” podcast to discuss a wide range of topics, including stand-up comedy, politics, race, and early Christianity.
Allen told Maher, who identifies as an atheist, that he is learning more about the Christian faith and is currently studying the Apostle Paul’s teaching on the law and how it exposes humanity’s sin nature.
“Paul said something very intuitive that I’m still studying, because he says law was basically invented to develop sin,” Allen explained. “Without law, you don’t know what sinful is. So, law was basically just to give you guardrails of what the world is.”
The “Home Improvement” star compared that view to what he has studied under philosophy, saying,”What you’re going to find is the cycle of ignorance with philosophy. And that’s where I’ve been in the last 20 years. Philosophy gets run in these circles. It can’t explain anything really.”
At one point in the conversation, Allen recalled visiting Jerusalem and being impacted by the Biblical history after a tour guide began to point out places Jesus actually walked and visited.
“Out of nowhere [the tour guide pointed out], ‘And that’s where Jesus walked through here,’ and then you’re going, it never occurred to me that the dude actually existed,” Allen said.
Maher quickly shot down the idea of Jesus’ existence, but that did not deter Allen.
“Not according to this guy,” said Allen, “because he said that’s where he did, that’s Bethlehem, this is where he walked…the Zionist guide said at one point, he goes, [Jesus was]probably the strongest, most powerful Jew ever.”
Allen said his daughter pointed out that Jesus was a Christian and admitted he was afraid that her response would stir up a bit of trouble.
When Maher pointed out that Jesus was a Jew and that Christianity emerged out of Judaism, Allen agreed and pointed out that Paul was a “zealous Jew,” who encountered Jesus.
Allen shared how Paul met Jesus while on the road to Damascus, and Jesus asked him, “What’s your freaking problem with me?”
“And he goes, ‘Oh, God, we screwed up,'” said Allen. “He goes, ‘You’re damn right you screwed up.'”
“He went back to Jerusalem and said, ‘Guys, we’ve screwed up,'” Allen continued. “‘I think we did kill the actual living entity, whatever you call that, so, I think we’ve got to include these pagans into Judaism.'”
Allen reiterated to the host that he is “still studying” Paul’s teachings.
As CBN News has reported, Allen announced to fans in 2024 that he was planning to read the Bible cover to cover.
He began his study in the Old Testament, sharing with fans that he was using the Jerusalem Bible, a Catholic translation of the Scriptures.
“Never took the time in all my years to ever read and really read the Bible,” he wrote. “Currently, almost through the Jerusalem Bible Old Testament and almost done with the Prophets. Next up to New Testament. So far amazing and not at all what I was expecting.”
Then last year, he shared online that he was moving on to reading the book of Romans and was “amazed” at what he was learning.
Allen has always been transparent about his faith journey, even when he struggled with doubt and unbelief.
During a 2011 appearance on ABC’s “20/20,” Allen told then-host Elizabeth Vargas he struggled with his faith and began to question God’s existence after his father was fatally struck by a drunk driver when the actor was just 11 years old. However, at the time, he said his faith was being reborn and sees God as “the Builder.”
“I always do ask…the Builder, ‘What did You want me to do?'” said Allen. “And I do ask it, but you’ve got to be prepared for the answer.”
