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 l...

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....

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 spiri...

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...

Send us Fan Mail How does a Christian from the hills of Tennessee end up building one of the most respected Christian service organizations in Israel? In this episode of Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert sits down with Tommy Waller, founder of HaYovel, to discuss the remarkable story of how a family from rural Tennessee became deeply involved in serving Israeli farmers and building relationships...

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode of Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert provides an important update on the Olive Tree Campaign and explains why Christians urgently need a clearer theological language regarding Israel, Judaism, and the Jewish people. Many Christians today genuinely want to stand against antisemitism and replacement theology. They want to express solidarity with the Jewish...

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of this conversation, Ryan Lambert continues his discussion with New Testament scholar Dr. Anders Runesson about his book Judaism for Gentiles. Building on Part 1, this episode explores some of the biggest questions surrounding Paul, the early Jesus movement, and the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. Together, Ryan and Anders discuss: • Paul’s “rule in all t...

Send us Fan Mail Paul is one of the most influential figures in human history. He is also one of the most misunderstood. For many people, Paul is remembered as the person who moved the Jesus movement away from Judaism and helped create what eventually became Christianity. But what if that framing misses something important? In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Ryan Lambert sits down with New T...

Send us Fan Mail Recently, Ryan Lambert joined Alec Dunlop on the Water into Wine podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about Paul, Judaism, Jewish-Christian relations, and the personal journey that led Ryan into this work. Together, they explore why the Jewish context of Paul matters so much, how misunderstandings about Judaism have shaped Christian theology, and why healthier relationships bet...

Send us Fan Mail What is Judeophobia? And how does this term relate to the New Testament? In this episode of Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert sits down with Dr. Meredith Warren, co-editor of Judeophobia and the New Testament, for an important and thought-provoking conversation about how New Testament texts have been interpreted in ways that contributed to harmful ideas about Jews and Judaism. T...

Send us Fan Mail What is Mussar? And why are so many people being drawn to it today? In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum, I sit down with Alan Morinis, one of the leading voices in the modern revival of Mussar, to explore a powerful and deeply practical stream of Jewish spiritual practice focused on the inner life. For some, Mussar is already a meaningful part of their spiritual journey....

Send us Fan Mail What does it really look like for Christians to stand with Israel and the Jewish people—and to do so in a way that is biblically grounded and relationally meaningful? In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum, we sit down with Shelley Neese to explore how Scripture—especially the biblical prophets—can shape how Christians think about Israel, the Jewish people, and walking faith...

Send us Fan Mail Do Jews have to be “out” for Christians to be “in”? It’s a question that sits at the heart of how many people have understood the Apostle Paul—and it has shaped centuries of Christian attitudes toward Jews and Judaism. In this episode, we take a fresh look at Romans, focusing on Paul’s olive tree imagery in chapter 11. Did Paul really believe that Jews who do not believe in Jesus...

Send us Fan Mail What is the field of Jewish–Christian relations—and why does it matter more than most people realize? In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum, we sit down with Rev. Dr. Daniel Joslyn-Siemiatkoski, director of the Center for Christian-Jewish Learning at Boston College  @bostoncollegectrforchristi8244 , for a conversation that takes you inside a world many people don’t even kno...

Send us Fan Mail What is Universal Zionism? And why would it matter to a Christian in Kentucky as much as to a Jew in Jerusalem…maybe even more? In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert sits down with Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder of Israel 365, to explore one of the most compelling—and controversial—visions shaping Jewish–Christian relations today. Joining us from Israel during the...

Send us Fan Mail What does it actually look like for Jews and Christians to stand together—not just in words, but in real life? In this final session of the Olive Tree Course Pilot, we move from theology to action. We explore two crucial affirmations that challenge how Christians read Scripture and relate to Jewish people today: How interpretations of the Bible impact real Jewish communities How g...

Send us Fan Mail What is Chabad, really? Recently, Tucker Carlson raised that question while making serious accusations about Chabad, the global Jewish movement known for its outreach and community work. In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum podcast, Ryan Lambert offers a personal response based on his extensive experience as a member of a Chabad congregation. Ryan addresses recent claims a...

Send us Fan Mail In this Bridge Builders Forum episode, Ryan Lambert sits down with Rabbi Joe Charnes to explore one of the most important and debated questions in biblical interpretation: How Jewish was the Apostle Paul, really? This conversation comes from a recent Bridge Builders Forum Coffee & Connection live gathering, where Rabbi Joe and Ryan continued a thoughtful discussion that began...

Send us Fan Mail In a time when the relationship between Jews and Christians is being tested, debated, and sometimes misunderstood, thoughtful leadership and meaningful relationships matter more than ever. In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum, Ryan Lambert sits down with Rev. Peter Fast, International President and CEO of Bridges for Peace, an organization that has spent more than 50 years...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really mean for Christians to stand with the Jewish people — in a way that is biblical, honest, and free from hidden agendas? In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum, we share an excerpt from Session 3 of the Olive Tree Pilot Course, part of the Olive Tree Campaign—an initiative designed to help Christians grow in understanding what it means to stand against anti...

Send us Fan Mail In recent years, a growing number of Jewish scholars have begun engaging the Apostle Paul as a first-century Jew writing within the diversity of Jewish life and thought. But these scholars do not all reach the same conclusions—especially when it comes to Paul’s relationship to Jews and Judaism. In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum Podcast, Ryan Lambert sits down with Dr. S...

Send us Fan Mail 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 opposit...

Send us Fan Mail How should the book of Acts be read? And what’s at stake in how we answer that question? The book of Acts is often treated as the story of Christianity’s break from Judaism: the moment when “the Way” replaces “the Jews,” and Judaism becomes a problem the gospel has moved beyond. But what if that assumption is misplaced? In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum Podcast, Ryan La...

Send us Fan Mail What does it really mean for Christians to stand against antisemitism and stand with the Jewish people—in a way that is deeply biblical and faithful to the New Testament? In this Bridge Builders Forum episode, you’ll hear an excerpt from Session One of the Olive Tree Pilot Course, a live Zoom teaching that introduces the Olive Tree Campaign and explores Olive Tree Affirmations 1 a...

Send us Fan Mail Antisemitism is being talked about more than ever—but understanding it clearly remains a challenge. Narratives move quickly. Headlines simplify complex realities. And ancient ideas often resurface in modern forms without being recognized for what they are. In this episode of the Bridge Builders Forum podcast, we explore how those dynamics shape attitudes toward Jews today—and why...