The BEMA Podcast

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Elle Grover Fricks to continue through the Gospel of John, exploring who the Samaritans are, the place of women in Jewish and Christian practice around the first century, and a sprinkling of Midrash to top it all off. Discussion Video for BEMA 257 Samaritans Cooking for Passover Targum — Wikipedia Targum Jerusalem, Genesis 28:10 — Sefaria Th...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the journey through the Gospel of John, looking at the testimony of John the Baptist as he ratifies the identity and ministry of Christ. Discussion Video for BEMA 256 Map of the Regions of Israel in Ancient Times Thought of the Day: Imposter Syndrome — Marty Solomon, YouTube sphragizo — Blue Letter Bible Transcript for BEMA 256

Brent Billings and Josh Bossé continue the journey through the Gospel of John, discussing the meeting of Jesus and Nicodemus, and the themes of their conversation. Discussion Video for BEMA 255 BEMA 226: The Chosen S1E7 — “Invitations” The Great British Bake Off — Wikipedia The Tree of Life (2011 film) — Letterboxd God in Search of Man by Abraham Joshua Heschel Man Is Not Alone by Abraha...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continuing the journey through the Gospel of John with the wedding at Cana and the clearing of the temple courts. Discussion Video for BEMA 254 BEMA 79: Silent Years — Zealots BEMA 224: The Chosen S1E5 — “The Wedding Gift” The Jewish Annotated New Testament by Oxford University Press (NRSV) Transcript for BEMA 254

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue the journey through the Gospel of John with the testimony of John the Baptist and Jesus’s call to his first disciples. Discussion Video for BEMA 253 Targum — Wikipedia Creation Series: John 1 — BibleProject In the Beginning: John 1 — BibleProject Podcast BEMA 78: Silent Years — Essenes Transcript for BEMA 253

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings start a verse-by-verse journey through the Gospel of John, beginning with a discussion about how John introduces us to Jesus. Discussion Video for BEMA 252 Reading the Gospel of John Through Palestinian Eyes by Yohanna Katanacho The Fifth Gospel: Interview with Gary Burge — GTI Tours Podcast #4 Why Context Matters: Interview with Dr. Gary Burge — GTI Tours Podcast...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest John Roberts to discuss his book, A Griever’s Guide to Life . Discussion Video for BEMA 251 A Griever’s Guide to Life by John McNeely Roberts “September” by Earth, Wind, and Fire — YouTube Home Video: La Paz, Bolivia Vol. 1 — Olivia Roberts, YouTube “Not for Me to Say” by Johnny Mathis — YouTube B-Olivia Library John’s fam...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings go back to where it all started for The Chosen , reviewing what essentially became the pilot episode. “The Shepherd” was created as a short film for Dallas’s church in 2017 and took off like a wildfire. (No) Discussion Video for BEMA 250 The Chosen The Chosen (TV Series) — Wikipedia The Chosen (2017 TV Series) — IMDb The Nativity Story (2006 film) Transcript f...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Michael Burns, a teaching minister in the Two Cities Church in Minneapolis-St. Paul. He taught high school history in the central city of Milwaukee for nearly ten years before graduating from Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University. He is a national and international biblical teacher at churches, schools of mission, and workshops. He has author...

Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks go through a Hebrew lesson on joy and explore the account of Lot’s wife, examining what is said and what is not said about this character. Learning Hebrew with Elle — Joy (PDF) Discussion Video for BEMA 248 Elle’s Website Text in Us Podcast Lot’s Wife (crag) — Wikipedia Sanhedrin (tractate) — Wikipedia “Lot’s Wife” by Kristine Batey “Women and T...

Brent Billings is joined by Josh Bossé to examine Esther’s plan for getting into the king’s throne room and what she is actually trying to accomplish once she’s there. Discussion Video for BEMA 247 BEMA 70: Esther — Purim Join the BEMA Slack Transcript for BEMA 247

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Eugenia Ortega to discuss her experience raising a child with autism, and encouraging all of us to have curiosity and empathy for people whose experiences are different than our own. Discussion Video for BEMA 246 A Look into Our Window by Eugenia Ortega John Whittaker BibleProject Eugenia Ortega on Facebook Transcript for BEMA 246 Additi...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Elle Grover Fricks to provide a liturgical space for repentance and healing. This episode is adapted from “Prayers of the Faithful” from the Archdiocese of Chicago. Discussion Video for BEMA 245 Rape, Assault & Incest National Network National Domestic Violence Hotline Transcript for BEMA 245

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by Elle Grover Fricks to discuss The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast. Discussion Video for BEMA 244 The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill Podcast “Unintended Consequences of Failure Porn” — Liam Thatcher “Sharing Many of the Same Flaws as its Subject ‘The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill’ Podcast Puts Blame Anywhere But Where It Belongs” — Religion Dispa...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings reflect on a conversation between Rachel Clinton Chen and Adam Young that provided some helpful notes to illuminate the journey into the world of spiritual abuse. Discussion Video for BEMA 243 The Place We Find Ourselves 89: Spiritual Abuse Spiritual Abuse Archives — The Allender Center Spiral Dynamics — Wikipedia Transcript for BEMA 243

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin a series that reflects on the heartbreaking realities of spiritual abuse, using notes from a recent conference to guide the conversation. Discussion Video for BEMA 242 Thought of the Day: Imposter Syndrome — Marty Solomon, YouTube Campus House at Purdue Join the BEMA Slack Find a BEMA Group Transcript for BEMA 242

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the state of the podcast, and then Marty is joined by Becky Solomon to talk about parenting. Discussion Video for BEMA 241 “How 936 Pennies Will Forever Change How You Parent” — Eryn Lynum Transcript for BEMA 241 Special Guest: Becky Solomon.

Brent Billings and Elle Grover Fricks discuss sin and the archaeology of Joshua. Learning Hebrew with Elle — Sin (PDF) Discussion Video for BEMA 240 List of Archaeological Periods (Levant) — Wikipedia History of the Ancient Levant — Wikipedia Doron Ben-Ami — Wikipedia Elle’s Website Transcript for BEMA 240

Brent Billings is joined by Reed Dent to discuss the meaning of faith and the fears associated with deconstruction, both within a person and for those around them. Discussion Video for BEMA 239 Join the BEMA Slack You Have Permission Podcast Transcript for BEMA 239

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings follow up on listener feedback from the episode with Jen Rosner before exploring the final three chapters of Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity, discussing the Jewish character of the Church and puzzling through what difference it makes to our lives as Christians. Discussion Video for BEMA 238 Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity by Gerald McD...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the seventh and eighth chapters of Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity, discussing the divergence of Judaism and Christianity, and analyzing the relationship between the two groups in the centuries since. Jewish Roots — Ways Parted for a Dark History Presentation (PDF) Discussion Video for BEMA 237 Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christian...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the fourth and fifth chapters of Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity, discussing Paul’s relationship to Jewish Law and the atonement process we see in Hebrews. Discussion Video for BEMA 236 Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity by Gerald McDermott David Rudolph at The King’s University David M. Moffitt at the University of St. Andrews BE...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings venture further into the ideas from the book Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity, discussing chapters 2–3 on how the authors of the New Testament used Tanakh and whether Jesus intended to establish a new religion. Discussion Video for BEMA 235 Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity by Gerald McDermott Mark S. Gignilliat at Beeson Divinity School...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Dr. Jennifer Rosner, Affiliate Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. She also holds academic posts at The King’s University, Azusa Pacific University, and the Messianic Jewish Theological Institute. Her passion is to explore the relationship with Judaism and Christianity, and she spent time living in...

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by the next new host, Josh Bossé, to discuss his expanded role on the BEMA team. Josh is the Lead Campus Minister with Impact Campus Ministries in Cincinnati, a newly established team for ICM. He is passionate about digging deep into the Text and finding practical, psychological, cultural, and mystical ways of weaving ourselves into God's story. He and h...