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In this episode, we continue the Olive Tree Course pilot by exploring Olive Tree Affirmations 3–5—three statements that challenge long-standing Christian assumptions about Judaism, the New Testament, and how authentic learning takes place.

For centuries, many Christians have inherited the idea that Judaism was a problem Jesus came to solve, that the New Testament stands in opposition to Jewish life and practice, and that Christianity can define Judaism without listening to Jewish voices. These assumptions have shaped theology, preaching, and imagination—often with harmful consequences.

This conversation offers a different path.

We explore why:

Judaism was not a problem Jesus or Paul came to replace

Using the New Testament to justify anti-Judaism contradicts the gospel

Authentic Christian learning requires engaging Jewish voices, texts, and lived experience

Along the way, we address how intra-Jewish debates in the New Testament have been misread as anti-Jewish critiques, how stereotypes about Torah and “legalism” persist, and why recovering Christianity’s Jewish context strengthens—not weakens—Christian faith.

The goal is not to blur differences between Jews and Christians, but to foster clarity, humility, and a relationship marked by respect rather than suspicion.

This episode is part of the Olive Tree Campaign—an initiative equipping Christians with a biblical and theological vocabulary for honoring the Jewish people, resisting inherited distortions, and building meaningful relationships rooted in the faithfulness of God.

Download the Olive Tree Affirmations at https://bridgebuildersforum.com/olivetree

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The Weird Apostle
Ryan's book places the Apostle Paul in his Jewish and Greco-Roman context.

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