Pentecost? Is that the thing in Acts chapter 2 with the rushing wind, the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues?   Well, they’re not going to debate the subject of speaking in tongues, but they are revealing some pretty cool things about how the day of Pentecost – when God gave the Holy Spirit – relates to the Jewish Feast of Shavuot.   Whether you’re Jewish or Gentile, there are things in today’s episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss that you probably didn’t know. They cover:  What the word Pentecost means  Why Pentecost is undercelebrated  What Shavuot is and how it’s observed today  How Pentecost and the Jewish Feast of Shavuot are related  Thoughts about Christians celebrating Shavuot  Along the way, you’ll learn other tidbits like:  Carly’s memories of Pentecost growing up  How Ezra and his wife observe Shavuot  The agricultural side of Shavuot  What Shavuot has to do with Mount Sinai  The difference the Temple – or lack thereof – has made on Shavuot observance  Fascinating parallels found between Shavuot and Christianity  Invitation vs. obligation  ...

Here we all are, just trying to love God, study the Bible and understand His Word, right? Then – bam – people come up with vastly different interpretations about what it says. Some disagreements may be over small matters. Then others, well, they can have a huge impact on our understanding of really significant things.   In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra take a look at three key Scriptures that are often taken out of context to support the incorrect idea of Replacement Theology:   Matthew 21:43, which says that the kingdom of Heaven will be taken away from those who don’t bear fruit and given to those who do  Romans 1:16, about the Gospel being “to the Jew first,” which some say reflects nothing more than Paul’s preaching schedule  Luke 21:24, which speaks of Jerusalem being trampled by the Gentiles   By digging into the fuller context of these verses, you’ll see why Replacement Theology is actually not biblical.  Along the way  Intermingled throughout the conversation, you’ll also learn:  A refresher of what Replacement Theology is  The different God-ordained roles of Jewish Believers and Christians  How Replacement Theology plays out today  Encouragement concerning what to do if you hear Replacement Theology from your church  The importance of context when studying Scripture ...

Out with the old and in with the new? Some would say so, but in this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra explain the errors and dangers in the notion that the New Testament Church somehow replaces God’s covenant with Israel. In this first of a two-part series, they address: What Replacement Theology is  How to recognize it when you hear it  Dangers of Replacement Theology  The subtle trouble with Pope Francis’ seemingly positive statement toward the Jewish people several years ago  Whether or not Christians can dismiss the Old Testament in sole favor of the New  Along the way  During their conversation, they also touch on such relevant sidenotes such as:   How word choice matters, and the erroneous message conveyed by such wording as “convert” and “become a Christian”  How the Holocaust and anti-Semitism play into the notion of Replacement Theology  The Church, Gentiles, Jewish people and Replacement Theology as imagined through the eyes of the devil…yikes!  ...

You know you have them – questions about Judaism that you don’t feel comfortable asking your Jewish friends or family. Well, never fear – in this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly goes there for you. Give a listen as she asks Ezra the personal, the awkward and the curious things you want to know about Jewish customs. Ezra and Carly will cover:  The kosher diet  Circumcision  Jewish thoughts about tattoos  The Ultra-Orthodox “look” – the beards, the hair, the tassels  Along the way  This is a fascinating discussion about Jewish things you may have thought seemed odd, or different. During the conversation, you’ll gain a deeper understanding about   God’s laws making scientific sense  His setting apart the Jewish people as His own  Where the kosher tradition of never mixing dairy and meat comes from  Why some Messianic Jews eat kosher while others don’t  Why the eighth day for circumcision  Where the name Hebrew came from  What circumcision of the heart means  What Ezra’s analogy of “concentric fences” has to do with Jewish people and the Law  ...

It’s the question that haunts everyone – or at least it should, right? What happens when you die? Believers in Jesus have a Scripture-given confidence that their eternity is secure. But what about Jewish people? What do they believe about the afterlife? Do Jewish people believe there’s a Heaven in the same way Christians do? In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra talk about:  Jewish beliefs about the afterlife  What Jewish people say to comfort those who have lost a loved one  Jewish burial customs  Thoughts about Gentile Believers practicing Jewish mourning rituals  Encouragement to Christians about talking with Jewish people about the afterlife  Along the way  Through the course of the conversation, you’ll also find out some really interesting things about:  Why Ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel block off their streets on the Sabbath  The difference one letter can make – what a Jewish person means when they call Jesus “Yeshu” rather than Yeshua  The Jewish idea of “the bosom of Abraham” and being “gathered to their fathers”  How belief in a resurrection was not new to the New Testament  Two insightful reasons why cremation is not common in Jewish culture  ...

Say what? Wait, didn’t baptism start with John the Baptist? Isn’t it a Christian thing? Hang onto your hats, folks – you’re about to discover another surprising element of Christianity that sprang from Jewish roots.     In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra talk about the Jewish practice of water immersion and how it relates to the New Testament’s concept of baptism. Carly asks Ezra questions to piece together the Old and New Covenant practices, explore what it’s like today and what it means for Messianic Jewish Believers and Christians. Some of the topics they cover include:    Where the concept of water baptism or immersion started  What the baptism of John was about  If baptism is a sign of converting to Christianity  Why Jesus got baptized  The difference between the Jewish idea of immersion and Christian baptism  How a Jewish person today would view Christian baptism  How Jewish Believers in Jesus, or Messianic Jews, see baptism    You’ll also find out if Ezra, a Jewish believer in Jesus, was baptized and some encouragement if you’ve been wondering about being baptized yourself.    Along the way  You’ll learn:  Four reasons for the Old Testament practice of cleansing by immersion  ...