The Bridge Builders Forum
The Bridge Builders Forum Podcast helps Jews and Christians better understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.
Each episode features individuals and perspectives that foster mutual enrichment and the goodness we can bring to our communities and the world when there is a bridge, rather than a gulf, between Jews and Christians.
Episodes
57 episodes
On Purpose: Jewish Wisdom for a Meaningful Life – A Conversation with Rabbi Mendel Kalmenson
What does it really mean to live on purpose? And can ancient Jewish wisdom help anyone, regardless of background, live with greater clarity, direction, and meaning?In this inspiring episode of the Bridge Builders Forum Podcast, Ryan Lam...
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1:21:31
Mark Nanos on Paul Within Judaism: Its Past, Present, and Future
Paul is one of history’s most influential and most misunderstood figures. For centuries, he’s been read as if he left Judaism behind to start a new religion. But what if that picture actually obscures who Paul really was?In this episode...
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1:49:43
All Israel Will Be “Safed”? Rethinking Romans 11
Romans 11:25–26 contains one of Paul’s most debated statements: “a partial hardening has come upon Israel…and in this way all Israel will be saved.”For centuries, many Christians have understood these verses to mean that Israel has been...
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9:53
Jesus, the Jewish Law, and the Gospels: A Conversation with Dr. Paul Sloan
What did Jesus really teach about the Jewish Law? In this episode of Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert talks with Dr. Paul Sloan, author of "Jesus and the Law of Moses," and host of the podcast, "Jesus and the Jewish Law."They uncover...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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1:35:08
Did Paul Redefine Israel in Romans 9?
Did Paul redefine Israel in Romans 9 or defend Israel’s covenant identity?Romans 9:6 is one of the most debated verses in Paul’s letters. Many Christians read it as proof that “true” Israel is no longer ethnic Israel, but a spiritual ca...
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7:52
Are Christians Spiritual Jews According To Romans 2?
Are Christians the “Spiritual Jews” Paul Talks About in Romans 2?What does Paul really mean in Romans 2:28–29 when he says, “A Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart”?For centuries, this passage has been ...
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6:43
What Would the Jewish Paul Tell Today’s Church? Ryan Lambert at the Church at Bushland | BBF09
What if the Apostle Paul showed up at church this Sunday to deliver a sermon on God’s heart for Israel?In this special episode of Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert shares a powerful message delivered at The Church at Bushland in Amari...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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45:30
What is Galatians Really About?
What is Galatians really about?Many Christians assume Paul wrote Galatians to declare freedom from the Torah and pronounce Judaism a spiritual dead end. But what if that common interpretation misses the point entirely?In this ep...
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4:26
The Talmud, the Rabbis, and Jesus: Breaking Down the Myths - A Conversation with Dr. Isaac Oliver | BBF08
What is the Talmud—and what does it have to do with Jesus, Paul, and the New Testament?In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert is joined by Dr. Isaac Oliver, a scholar of early Judaism and Christian origins, to explor...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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1:34:47
What Does "One New Man" Really Mean?
What does Paul really mean by “One New Man” in Ephesians 2:15?In this episode of Journey with the Jewish Paul, we explore how a widely misunderstood phrase has fueled theological confusion and erased the very Jewish-Gentile harmony Paul wor...
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4:33
Is the Book of Revelation a Jewish Text? A Conversation with Rebekah Haigh | BBF07
What if the Book of Revelation—long seen as a mysterious, apocalyptic Christian text—is actually rooted in Jewish thought and tradition?In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Rebekah Haigh, a scholar of Second Temple Judaism whose research ...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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1:06:25
What Does Romans Say About Replacement Theology and Israel?
Did Paul believe Christians replaced the Jewish people? In this episode of Journey with the Jewish Paul, we explore what Romans really says about Replacement Theology and Israel. Far from promoting triumphalism, Paul urges Gentile believers to ...
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5:20
How Greek Was Paul?
Was Paul just a Jewish teacher—or was he also shaped by the Greek world around him?In this episode of Journey with the Jewish Paul, we explore how Paul’s deeply Jewish identity was expressed within the Greco-Roman culture of his day. Dr...
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4:52
Israel, Palestine, and Hope in the Holy Land: A Conversation with Justin Kron | BBF06
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the most polarizing issues of our time. But what if there was a way to discuss it with biblical clarity, human compassion, and moral courage?In this timely and powerful episode of the Bridge Bu...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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1:00:55
Who Was the Jewish Prophet Behind Paul's Passion?
Who was the Jewish prophet behind Paul’s passion?In this episode of Journey with the Jewish Paul, we explore why the Apostle Paul quoted Isaiah more than any other prophet—and how Isaiah’s vision of the nations streaming to Jerusalem shaped...
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3:51
Did Paul Expect Gentiles to Keep the Torah?
Did Paul expect Gentiles to keep the Torah? Most people would say, “Absolutely not.” After all, Paul is often seen as the one who set Christians free from the Law. But is that what Paul really taught?In this episode of Journey with the ...
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3:58
A Rabbi's View on Jesus, Paul, and Jewish-Christian Friendship: A Discussion with Rabbi Joe Charnes | BBF05
Why would a traditional Jewish rabbi teach about Jesus, Paul, and the New Testament?In this episode of Bridge Builders Forum, Rabbi Joe Charnes joins Ryan Lambert for an honest conversation about the Jewishness of Jesus and Paul, the ev...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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1:27:13
Did Paul Teach Christians to Celebrate Pentecost or Shavuot?
Did Paul teach early Christians to celebrate Pentecost… or Shavuot?Today, these two holidays are often seen as separate—Pentecost as a Christian celebration of the Holy Spirit, and Shavuot as a Jewish festival remembering the giving of ...
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3:48
Did Jerusalem Still Matter to Paul?
Did Paul abandon Jerusalem after his encounter with Jesus? Many assume so—but the evidence tells a different story. In this episode, Ryan Lambert draws from his book The Weird Apostle to explore Paul’s enduring commitment to Jerusalem and the T...
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4:10
Is the New Testament Antisemitic? Rethinking Harmful Interpretations with Jesper Svartvik | BBF04
Is the New Testament antisemitic? In this thought-provoking episode of the Bridge Builders Forum, Lutheran theologian Dr. Jesper Svartvik joins Ryan Lambert to explore this controversial question. Drawing from his book Jewish Foundations of the...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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1:04:24
The First Interpreter of Paul's Greatest Letter Was a Woman!
Did you know the first interpreter of Paul’s most important letter was a woman? Her name was Phoebe—and she didn’t just carry Paul’s letter to the Romans; she likely read it aloud, fielded questions, and explained its meaning. In this episode o...
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3:29
Did Paul End The Law? Rethinking Romans 10:4
Romans 10:4 is often quoted to claim that Jesus put an end to the Torah. But is that really what Paul meant?In this episode, we take a fresh look at Romans 10:4 and explore what Paul was actually saying about the Torah, the Gentiles, an...
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3:36
Why Should Christians Understand Judaism? A Conversation with Tzvi Novick | BBF03
What does it mean for Christians to truly understand Judaism—and why does it matter?In this thought-provoking conversation, Orthodox Jewish scholar Dr. Tzvi Novick (Notre Dame) joins the Bridge Builders Forum to discuss his bold new boo...
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1:01:17