A Jew and a Gentile Discuss

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  ...

It’s the most important week in Christian history. Jesus’ death and resurrection are the cornerstones of faith in Him. What are the events of Jesus’ final week on Earth, and do they line up with the Hebrew Scriptures?    In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, you’ll gain a better understanding of Holy Week and its ties to Old Testament Scriptures. Beginning with Jesus’ Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday and on through the Last Supper, Garden of Gethsemane and Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, Carly and Ezra examine Holy Week through the Jewish context in which it all occurred.     Along the way  During this compelling discussion, Ezra and Carly touch on several interesting points including,  How Jesus didn’t show up to invent a new religion but to fulfill foundational promises of the Hebrew Scriptures  Inspiring insight into Jesus’ Triumphal Entry on Palm Sunday  What the “offense” or “scandal” of Jesus’ death was  Ezra’s thought-provoking idea about the timeline of Holy Week’s events  Does anyone really know what “Maundy” means? Carly does!  The Passover Seder cup and the four promises of God it represents  The Roman instrument of execution known as the cross  The significance of the Temple veil tearing in two  Jesus’ radical statements ...

Get ready for a fun and meaningful episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss because Carly and Ezra are talking about food traditions surrounding Easter and Passover. It’s Part 2 of a three-part series about the two holidays. If you haven’t heard Part 1 yet, be sure to check out “The Difference Between Passover and Easter.” In this episode, they talk main dishes, bread, desserts and, of course, the curious foods that are part of the Passover observance.     The conversation centers on:  Easter traditions and food memories for both Carly, a Gentile Believer, and Ezra, the son of a Jewish father and Christian mother  The significance of foods for Passover and Easter  The meanings of the various foods on the Passover Seder plate  Where Passover ranks on the “spending-it-with-family” scale  What you can do if you’re a Christian interested in the Passover Seder    Along the way  During their conversation, you’ll also hear about:  Ezra’s favorite Easter food growing up and the strict family rule about it  What “have to” items must be on the Seder plate for it to be a Seder  The Passover egg and three different theories about what it represents  Passover’s not-so-nice-tasting food traditions and what it was like participating ...