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Israel and Zionism have become some of the most debated (and often divisive) topics among Christians and Jews today. But what does the Catholic Church have to say about Israel? And can a faithful Catholic also be a Zionist?

In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert sits down with Dr. André Villeneuve, a Catholic theologian, biblical scholar, and founder of Catholics for Israel, for a fascinating conversation about Israel, Zionism, and the Jewish foundations of the Christian faith.

André shares his journey from a Catholic upbringing to agnosticism and back to the Catholic faith, and how a deep connection to Israel and the Jewish roots of Christianity became central to his life and scholarship.

Ryan and André also explore the range of Catholic perspectives on Zionism, the vision behind Catholics for Israel and Catholic Voices for Israel, and the new For Zion's Sake Catholic appeal in support of Israel. They also take a closer look at Galatians 6:16 and the controversial phrase “the Israel of God,” asking whether Paul envisioned the Church replacing Israel or actually affirmed Israel’s continuing identity.

Finally, André discusses some of the pushback and misunderstandings he has encountered as a Catholic voice for Israel...and why he believes building bridges between Christians, Israel, and the Jewish people matters so much at this moment.

This is a timely conversation about Scripture, theology, Zionism, and what it means to stand with Israel while continuing to listen, learn, and build bridges.

Learn more about Catholics for Israel at https://catholicsforisrael.com/

Learn more about "For Zion’s Sake: A Catholic Appeal in Support of Israel": https://catholicsforisrael.com/welcome/catholic-voices-for-israel/330-for-zions-sake-a-catholic-appeal-in-support-of-israel

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

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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

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What did Paul believe about the end of time? And how did that belief shape his mission?

In this episode, we travel to ancient Thessalonica to explore one of Paul’s earliest letters and the urgent message he preached to Gentiles: turn from idols, worship the living God, and prepare for the coming of Jesus.

Along the way, we’ll look at the conflict surrounding Paul’s mission in Acts 17, the questions troubling the Thessalonian believers, and one of the most important keys to understanding the Jewish Paul: Paul had a fast-moving watch...and He believed he was living on the edge of the Messianic age and expected Jesus to return in his lifetime.

This episode is an excerpt from Bridge Builders Forum’s online study, Journey with the Jewish Paul, in which participants “journey” to cities Paul visited and/or wrote to, including Athens, Philippi, Thessalonica, Ephesus, and Corinth. The series also serves as a preview of the 2027 Journey with the Jewish Paul Cruise, where participants will visit many of these cities in person.

Learn more about the Journey with the Jewish Paul cruise at https://www.bridgebuildersforum.com/expeditions

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 letter to the Philippians is one of the most beloved books in the New Testament. Most interpreters understand Paul to be encouraging the Philippian Christ followers to remain faithful in the face of suffering while also warning them against Jewish or Jewish-Christian “Judaizers.” But was Paul really opposing Jews and Judaism in Philippi?

In this episode, Ryan Lambert argues that “the Jewish Paul” was not warning the Philippians against Judaism, but against the pull of paganism and the gods. Along the way, he explores Paul’s experiences in Philippi recorded in Acts 16, the deeply pagan environment of this Roman colony, and a fresh way of understanding Paul’s controversial warnings about “dogs,” “evildoers,” and “mutilators” in Philippians 3.

This episode is an excerpt from Bridge Builders Forum’s online study, Journey with the Jewish Paul, in which participants “journey” to cities Paul visited and/or wrote to, including Athens, Philippi, Thessalonica, Ephesus, and Corinth. The series also serves as a preview of the 2027 Journey with the Jewish Paul Cruise, where participants will visit many of these cities in person.

Learn more about the Journey with the Jewish Paul cruise at https://www.bridgebuildersforum.com/expeditions

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

What difference does it make to read the New Testament within its original Jewish context?

In this episode of Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert welcomes renowned New Testament scholar Dr. Amy-Jill Levine and Jewish studies scholar Dr. Marc Zvi Brettler to discuss the release of the third edition of The Jewish Annotated New Testament.

First published fifteen years ago, The Jewish Annotated New Testament has become one of the most influential resources for helping readers understand the Jewish world of Jesus, Paul, and the earliest Jesus movement. In this conversation, AJ and Marc reflect on how this groundbreaking project came to life, the impact it has had over the past decade and a half, and what readers can look forward to in the newly expanded third edition.

Together, we explore:
• The story behind The Jewish Annotated New Testament
• How perspectives on the Jewishness of the New Testament have changed
• The reception and influence of the first two editions
• New essays, features, and updates in the third edition
• Why Jewish readers should become familiar with the New Testament
• How a better understanding of the New Testament's Jewish context can strengthen Jewish-Christian relations
• The role careful biblical interpretation can play in confronting anti-Judaism and antisemitism

Whether you're a pastor, Bible teacher, student, or simply someone who wants to read the New Testament in its historical and Jewish setting, this conversation offers thoughtful insights from two leading voices in the field.

The new edition of the Jewish Annotated New Testament can be found at https://a.co/d/02P921Dy

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

Luke's account of Paul in Athens is one of the most famous scenes in the Book of Acts. Paul's masterful ability to adapt his rhetoric to his audience is on full display. However, in addition to adapting his rhetoric, most interpreters also understand Paul to have adapted his behavior—particularly his Torah observance—depending on his audience. But did Paul really have the flexible attitude toward the Torah that most interpreters assume?

In this episode, Ryan Lambert argues that "the Jewish Paul" remained a loyal Jew within Judaism even as he brought the gospel to places like Athens. Along the way, he explores Paul's encounter with the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers, the significance of the Areopagus, and what Acts 17 reveals about Paul's Jewish identity and his engagement with the Greco-Roman world.

This episode is an excerpt from Bridge Builders Forum's online study, Journey with the Jewish Paul, in which participants "journey" to cities Paul visited and/or wrote to, including Athens, Philippi, Thessalonica, Ephesus, and Corinth. The series also serves as a preview of the 2027 Journey with the Jewish Paul Cruise, where participants will visit many of these cities in person.

Learn more about the Journey with the Jewish Paul cruise at https://www.bridgebuildersforum.com/expeditions

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 Jews and Christians have meaningful theological conversations without minimizing their differences?

For many people, the answer is no. Once the conversation turns to the Trinity, the incarnation, salvation, or the Messiah, it can seem like Judaism and Christianity have simply traveled too far down separate paths.

But is that really the case?

In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum Podcast, Ryan Lambert sits down with Jewish scholar, rabbi, and theologian Dr. Alan Brill to discuss his groundbreaking new book, A Jewish Trinity. Rather than offering a Jewish defense of Christian doctrine, Dr. Brill explores how Jews and Christians can engage one another's theology seriously, honestly, and respectfully while acknowledging the real differences that remain.

Together they discuss:

• Why theology—not just history or ethics—matters in Jewish-Christian dialogue
• The Trinity and Jewish monotheism
• The incarnation and divine immanence
• Original sin, the yetzer hara, and human nature
• Salvation, atonement, and common misunderstandings
• Jesus, Jewish messianism, and the historical parting of the ways
• Rabbi Jonathan Sacks' vision that "the world is enlarged by differences"

Whether you're Jewish, Christian, or simply interested in biblical theology and Jewish-Christian relations, this conversation offers a thoughtful and refreshing model for engaging difficult questions with both conviction and humility.

Dr. Brill's book can be found at https://a.co/d/0bVcJdoN

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

What happens when we recover Paul as a first-century Jewish man living and teaching within the Greco-Roman world?

In this episode, Ryan Lambert shares three foundational keys that can transform the way we read Paul's letters. While many have begun to rediscover Paul's Jewish identity, it's equally important to understand the broader Mediterranean world in which he lived, traveled, and proclaimed his message.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why Jews and Greeks influenced one another far more than many people assume
• How Paul used Greco-Roman forms, concepts, and rhetoric while communicating a distinctly Jewish message centered on Jesus
• Why Paul's call for Gentiles to worship the God of Israel alone was one of the most revolutionary and disruptive ideas in the ancient world

Recovering Paul in his own world doesn't diminish his Jewishness. Rather, it helps us understand it more fully. And when we better understand Paul's world, we're better equipped to understand his letters and their significance for Jews and Christians today.

Learn how to join the Journey with the Jewish Paul online study (July 2026): https://www.bridgebuildersforum.com/connect

Learn how to join the Journey with the Jewish Paul Mediterranean Cruise (Sept 2027): https://www.bridgebuildersforum.com/expeditions

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

If you've ever visited Capernaum in Israel, you've likely walked through its famous synagogue and stood beneath the octagonal church traditionally associated with Peter's home. But what if those monuments tell a much more complicated story than most visitors realize?

In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert sits down with New Testament scholar Dr. Wally Cirafesi to discuss his groundbreaking book, "Capernaum," and what archaeology, history, and architecture reveal about one of the most important villages in the Gospels.

Together they explore:

• What first-century Capernaum was really like during Jesus' ministry
• How the synagogue visitors see today differs from the synagogue Jesus knew
• How ancient synagogues functioned as diverse Jewish communities
• What Peter's house reveals about the earliest Jewish followers of Jesus
• The meaning of the Christaeum and its significance for early Jewish-Christian relations
• How the octagonal church and limestone synagogue became competing statements of identity and memory
• Why modern visitors may unknowingly encounter a supersessionist interpretation of Capernaum
• What Christians today can learn from Capernaum as they seek healthier Jewish-Christian relationships

Whether you've traveled to Israel dozens of times or simply want to better understand the Jewish world of Jesus and the earliest Jesus movement, this conversation offers fresh insight into one of the New Testament's most significant locations - and what it means for both ancient and modern Jewish-Christian relations.

Here's a link to Dr. Cirafesi's book, "Capernaum": https://a.co/d/0fmM0edC

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

What kind of legacy do we want to leave behind?

In this episode of Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert sits down with author and publisher Nikki Goldstein to discuss her powerful book, Conversations with My Rabbi, co-authored with Rabbi Eli Schlanger.

What began as an unlikely friendship between a secular Jewish woman and an Orthodox Chabad rabbi became a profound journey of spiritual discovery, moral reflection, and shared purpose. But after Rabbi Eli was tragically killed in the antisemitic attack at Bondi Beach during Hanukkah 2025, Nikki found herself carrying forward a message they had worked together to bring into the world.

Together, Ryan and Nikki explore Rabbi Eli's legacy, the Seven Noahide Laws, Judaism's vision for all humanity, the challenge of responding to antisemitism with courage, and why these ancient teachings may be more relevant today than ever before.

This conversation is not ultimately about tragedy. It is about life, friendship, moral courage, and the enduring power of light and love in a fractured world.

Nikki Goldstein's book, Conversations with My Rabbi, can be found at https://a.co/d/07EYx7vY

Learn more about Nikki Goldstein at https://nikkigoldsteinauthor.com/

Learn more about Bridge Builders Forum and sign up for our newsletter at https://www.bridgebuildersforum.com/

Make a tax-deductible donation to Bridge Builders Forum at https://www.bridgebuildersforum.com/donate

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 is one of the most influential figures in history. He is also one of the most misunderstood.

For many Christians, Paul is presented as the founder of a new religion that broke away from Judaism. But what if that picture is incomplete? What if understanding Paul in his first-century Jewish and Greco-Roman context changes how we read his letters, interpret Acts, and appreciate his mission?

In this special episode, Ryan invites you to join him and Kara on the Journey with the Jewish Paul Cruise, a unique 9-night experience through Greece and the Mediterranean in September 2027. Together, we'll visit some of the most important locations connected to Paul's life and ministry, including Athens, Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica, Ephesus, and Rhodes, while also enjoying the beauty of islands such as Santorini and Mykonos.

Along the way, we'll explore Paul's letters, trace the story of Acts, and immerse ourselves in the world that shaped one of history's most influential Jewish teachers. We'll stand in places where Paul preached, taught, suffered, and wrote. 

This isn't just a cruise. It's an opportunity to deepen your understanding of Scripture, engage meaningful questions, build lasting friendships, and discover Paul in his own world.

Interested in joining us?

Visit bridgebuildersforum.com/expeditions to download the brochure and learn more about the Journey with the Jewish Paul Cruise. Space is limited, and our cabin block is filling quickly.

For questions, contact us at [email protected].

We hope you'll join us as we discover the Jewish Paul, like never before.

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