The Bridge Builders Forum

Send us Fan Mail

Many Jews and a growing number of Christians have great affection for the Jewish holiday of Purim. Purim is also a somber reminder of the ongoing presence of what Jewish tradition refers to as “the spirit of Amalek.” 

In the book of Exodus, “Amalek” was a nation that attacked the Jewish people without cause. So in Jewish thinking, “Amalek” represents a timeless antisemitic force that seeks to undermine God’s faithfulness by persecuting and destroying the Jewish people. 

While Paul may not have been familiar with the specific phrase, "spirit of Amalek," he was well aware of anti-Jewish attitudes in the Greco-Roman world. In fact, he may have written his most famous letter, Romans, to confront this spirit arising among the Christians in Rome.

Bridge Builders Forum
An educational entity dedicated to helping Jews and Christians understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.

Bridge Builders Forum Email News and Updates

Download the free PDF "Recovering the Jewish Paul: Three Keys to Understanding the Apostle and Building Bridges Between Jews and Christians" 

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

Olive Tree Affirmations Ryan's book for Christians who want greater clarity on standing against replacement theology

Make a tax deductible donation to the Bridge Builders Forum

Send us Fan Mail

Jews and Christians have a complicated history, marked by distance and often hostility. Recently, this relationship has improved, with both sides seeking respect and understanding. However, there’s still a lot of work to do to repair and strengthen this connection. 

Gidon Ariel, an Orthodox Jewish teacher, is dedicated to healing the rift and helping build the bridge between Jews and Christians. Gidon is my guest in this episode of The Game Changers Forum, and we explore the history of this family feud and discuss ways to restore kinship between these ancient siblings.

Gidon's organization: https://root-source.com/ 

A tangible way that Christians can stand in solidarity with their Jewish brothers and sisters: https://lightupthechurch.org/

Bridge Builders Forum
An educational entity dedicated to helping Jews and Christians understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.

Bridge Builders Forum Email News and Updates

Download the free PDF "Recovering the Jewish Paul: Three Keys to Understanding the Apostle and Building Bridges Between Jews and Christians" 

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

Olive Tree Affirmations Ryan's book for Christians who want greater clarity on standing against replacement theology

Make a tax deductible donation to the Bridge Builders Forum

Send us Fan Mail

Was Paul legalistic?
Most people would say, “Absolutely Not!”
There’s no way, shape, or form that Paul was legalistic. Right?
Well, there’s a little problem with dismissing this question.
Paul’s letters include several sections with detailed legal discussions, which advise his Gentile Christ-followers how to appropriately apply Jewish law in their situation.

So does this mean that Paul was legalistic? Watch this 3-minute video to find out!

Bridge Builders Forum
An educational entity dedicated to helping Jews and Christians understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.

Bridge Builders Forum Email News and Updates

Download the free PDF "Recovering the Jewish Paul: Three Keys to Understanding the Apostle and Building Bridges Between Jews and Christians" 

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

Olive Tree Affirmations Ryan's book for Christians who want greater clarity on standing against replacement theology

Make a tax deductible donation to the Bridge Builders Forum

Send us Fan Mail

It is traditionally assumed that when Paul became a Christian, he no longer kept the Jewish and Biblical kosher dietary commandments recorded in the Bible. 

How does that commonly held viewpoint harmonize with multiple New Testament texts that affirm Paul as a Torah/Law observant Jewish follower of Jesus? 

Check out this 3-minute video to find out!

Bridge Builders Forum
An educational entity dedicated to helping Jews and Christians understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.

Bridge Builders Forum Email News and Updates

Download the free PDF "Recovering the Jewish Paul: Three Keys to Understanding the Apostle and Building Bridges Between Jews and Christians" 

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

Olive Tree Affirmations Ryan's book for Christians who want greater clarity on standing against replacement theology

Make a tax deductible donation to the Bridge Builders Forum

Send us Fan Mail

Can learning Jewish insights and Hebrew words help Christians grow in faith? 

Many Christians are discovering that learning the Jewish roots of their faith and a little bit of Hebrew goes a long way toward a deeper faith and a better understanding of the Bible. 

“Aussie” Dave Adamson is a pastor dedicated to helping Christians understand the Bible through Hebrew insights. And Aussie Davie has a brand-new book called “52 Hebrew Names Of God That Every Christian Should Know.”

In this episode of The Game Changers Forum, we discuss Hebrew words, names, insights…and how this Jewish stuff can help Christians everywhere!

Aussie Dave's latest book about Hebrew names of God: https://a.co/d/5HPUxsw

Aussie Dave's book about Hebrew words that Christians should know: https://a.co/d/g0t0j1K

Aussie Dave on Instagram: aussiedave

Ryan's book on Paul from a Jewish perspective: https://a.co/d/5nMFA9t

Keep up with Ryan's latest episodes, exclusive content, and resources by signing up for The Game Changers Forum email at https://ryanlambertforum.com/contact-1

Bridge Builders Forum
An educational entity dedicated to helping Jews and Christians understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.

Bridge Builders Forum Email News and Updates

Download the free PDF "Recovering the Jewish Paul: Three Keys to Understanding the Apostle and Building Bridges Between Jews and Christians" 

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

Olive Tree Affirmations Ryan's book for Christians who want greater clarity on standing against replacement theology

Make a tax deductible donation to the Bridge Builders Forum

Send us Fan Mail

Paul’s physical appearance has captured the imagination of many!

Ancient and modern commentaries and artistic depictions of Paul frequently present him as average-sized and healthy. The New Testament does not provide explicit details about Paul’s physical appearance. However, clues in Paul’s letters, the Book of Acts, and later sources suggest that Paul's physical features were far more modest than his reputation.

Ryan's book on Paul, "The Weird Apostle"

Isaac Soon's book, "A Disabled Apostle"

Bridge Builders Forum
An educational entity dedicated to helping Jews and Christians understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.

Bridge Builders Forum Email News and Updates

Download the free PDF "Recovering the Jewish Paul: Three Keys to Understanding the Apostle and Building Bridges Between Jews and Christians" 

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

Olive Tree Affirmations Ryan's book for Christians who want greater clarity on standing against replacement theology

Make a tax deductible donation to the Bridge Builders Forum

Send us Fan Mail

It is widely assumed that Saul the Jew became Paul the Christian on the Damascus Road. According to traditional interpretations, this name change resulted from Paul’s conversion from Judaism to Christianity. But does the New Testament actually say that Paul experienced a name change? And why does this matter?

Ryan's book on Paul, "The Weird Apostle"

Bridge Builders Forum
An educational entity dedicated to helping Jews and Christians understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.

Bridge Builders Forum Email News and Updates

Download the free PDF "Recovering the Jewish Paul: Three Keys to Understanding the Apostle and Building Bridges Between Jews and Christians" 

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

Olive Tree Affirmations Ryan's book for Christians who want greater clarity on standing against replacement theology

Make a tax deductible donation to the Bridge Builders Forum

Send us Fan Mail

The path to greatness typically includes a lot of practice, ups and downs, and honing your craft in an environment where only a small number of people know what kind of work you’re putting in to climb the ladder. Making it to the “major leagues” in any field…typically requires a commitment to a journey filled with peaks and valleys.

As a professional baseball manager coaching in the minor leagues, Patrick Anderson understands that the path to greatness is typically hard-fought and doesn’t happen overnight.

Patrick is our guest in this episode of The Game Changers Forum, and we’ll discuss what it’s like to develop major league talent and winning attributes that can encourage all of us to achieve our hopes and dreams.

Learn more about the Springfield Cardinals.

Bridge Builders Forum
An educational entity dedicated to helping Jews and Christians understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.

Bridge Builders Forum Email News and Updates

Download the free PDF "Recovering the Jewish Paul: Three Keys to Understanding the Apostle and Building Bridges Between Jews and Christians" 

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

Olive Tree Affirmations Ryan's book for Christians who want greater clarity on standing against replacement theology

Make a tax deductible donation to the Bridge Builders Forum

Send us Fan Mail

Jesus was called Rabbi. John the Baptist was also. But how about Paul? Was he a Rabbi? And does that make a difference in how we understand the Apostle to the Gentiles?

Check out this short video for the sense in which we should and should not think of Paul as a Rabbi.

Ryan's book on Paul, "The Weird Apostle": https://a.co/d/fsGrhg6

Bridge Builders Forum
An educational entity dedicated to helping Jews and Christians understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.

Bridge Builders Forum Email News and Updates

Download the free PDF "Recovering the Jewish Paul: Three Keys to Understanding the Apostle and Building Bridges Between Jews and Christians" 

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

Olive Tree Affirmations Ryan's book for Christians who want greater clarity on standing against replacement theology

Make a tax deductible donation to the Bridge Builders Forum

Send us Fan Mail

For two thousand years, this question has stumped commentators and inspired a lot of creative interpretations. There’s a consensus that Paul’s “thorn” in 2 Corinthians 12 is symbolic. Paul’s not referring to a literal thorn.
But what does the thorn represent?

Ryan's book on Paul, "The Weird Apostle": https://a.co/d/fsGrhg6

Bridge Builders Forum
An educational entity dedicated to helping Jews and Christians understand their faith, the Bible, and each other.

Bridge Builders Forum Email News and Updates

Download the free PDF "Recovering the Jewish Paul: Three Keys to Understanding the Apostle and Building Bridges Between Jews and Christians" 

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

Olive Tree Affirmations Ryan's book for Christians who want greater clarity on standing against replacement theology

Make a tax deductible donation to the Bridge Builders Forum