BEMA Episode Link: -1: What Is BEMA?
Episode Length: 43:02
Published Date: Thu, 25 Aug 2016 01:00:00 -0700
Session 1
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings talk about how BEMA came to be, what it is, and how it works.

That the World May Know with Ray Vander Laan

Impact Campus Ministries

Jacob Neusner — Wikipedia

BEMA FAQ: How to ‘Do’ BEMA

BEMA Discussion Groups

The BEMA Story — Impact Campus Ministries

What Is the Palouse?

Study Tools

Legacy Episode Content

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

BEMA Episode -1 (2024): What Is BEMA? - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: BEMA E-1v24: “What Is BEMA?” (2024 Reboot)
Hosts: Marty Solomon & Brent Billings
Series: BEMA Discipleship Podcast

This foundational episode serves as an introduction to the BEMA Discipleship methodology, explaining its origins, purpose, and framework. The hosts outline the journey from Marty’s personal crisis of faith in the early 2000s to the development of a comprehensive biblical study approach that emphasizes Jewish hermeneutics, community engagement, and critical thinking within Christian discipleship.

Key Takeaways

  • Jewish Hermeneutic Approach: The Bible must be read through its original Jewish cultural, historical, and literary context rather than through Western theological frameworks to properly understand its meaning and application.

  • Four Pillars Foundation: BEMA is built on Text (biblical literacy), Community (radical fellowship), Discipleship (authentic following of Jesus), and Wrestling (healthy engagement with doubt and questions).

  • Holistic Study Design: The curriculum spans five sessions covering the entire biblical narrative from Genesis to Revelation, plus church history, designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of Scripture as one unified story.

  • Community-Centered Learning: True discipleship happens in community where people can wrestle together with biblical texts and their applications, mirroring the ancient synagogue model.

  • Accessible Academic Scholarship: Complex biblical scholarship and historical-critical methods can be made accessible to laypeople without compromising academic integrity or faith convictions.

Main Concepts & Theories

The Jewish Hermeneutic Revolution

The core methodology centers on reading Scripture through its original Jewish context. This approach emerged from 20th-century biblical scholarship, particularly after discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls (1950s) and the work of scholars like Jacob Neusner who bridged Christian and Jewish academic traditions. Key principles include:

  • Understanding biblical authors as Jewish writers addressing Jewish audiences
  • Recognizing the Eastern worldview underlying Scripture versus Western interpretive frameworks
  • Applying historical-critical methods while maintaining belief in biblical inspiration and authority
  • Asking “Jewish questions” rather than imposing later theological constructs
The BEMA Platform Metaphor

The name “BEMA” derives from the Hebrew/Greek term for the raised platform in ancient synagogues where Scripture was read. This metaphor encapsulates the educational philosophy:

  • Text-Centered: Only God’s words are elevated; human interpretation remains secondary
  • Community-Focused: The entire community gathers around to hear Scripture together
  • Discipleship-Oriented: Learning leads to following and action
  • Wrestling-Encouraged: After hearing Scripture, communities wrestled together with its meaning and application
Five-Session Structure

The curriculum follows biblical chronology through five distinct phases:

  1. Session 1 (Torah): Genesis through Deuteronomy - foundational narratives
  2. Session 2 (Prophets & Writings): Remainder of Hebrew Scriptures
  3. Session 3 (Gospels): Life and ministry of Jesus in historical context
  4. Session 4 (Early Church): Acts through Revelation - early Christian development
  5. Session 5 (Church History): Bridge from biblical times to contemporary Christianity
Spiritual Formation Integration

BEMA intentionally connects biblical study with spiritual practices (disciplines) including:

  • Sabbath observance and rhythm
  • Prayer and contemplative practices
  • Generosity and hospitality
  • Community engagement and radical fellowship
  • Vocational sanctity (finding sacred purpose in daily work)

Examples & Applications

Historical Context Application

Rather than reading Old Testament laws as arbitrary divine commands, the Jewish hermeneutic reveals them as wisdom literature addressing specific cultural challenges. For example, dietary laws become health and community identity markers rather than legalistic restrictions.

Community Model

The discussion group network demonstrates practical community formation, where geographically diverse people gather regularly to process biblical content together, mirroring ancient synagogue practices in contemporary contexts.

Vocational Integration

The “sanctity of vocation” concept helps participants connect biblical principles with their daily work, whether as engineers, artists, parents, or business owners, seeing all legitimate work as potentially sacred service.

Generational Focus

The emphasis on college students recognizes this demographic’s unique position - autonomous enough to make independent decisions but flexible enough to incorporate new frameworks before establishing rigid patterns.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Advanced Hermeneutical Studies
  • Comparative analysis of Jewish interpretive methods (Peshat, Remez, Drash, Sod)
  • Historical development of Christian supersessionism and its alternatives
  • Contemporary Jewish-Christian dialogue in biblical scholarship
  • Impact of archaeological discoveries on biblical interpretation
Community Dynamics Research
  • Effectiveness of online versus in-person discussion groups
  • Cross-cultural applications of Western educational methods to biblical content
  • Intergenerational learning dynamics in faith communities
  • Conflict resolution within diverse interpretive communities
Spiritual Formation Methodologies
  • Integration of ancient spiritual disciplines with contemporary psychology
  • Measurement and assessment of spiritual growth and maturity
  • Role of doubt and questioning in healthy faith development
  • Relationship between intellectual study and experiential faith
Cultural and Contextual Applications
  • Adaptation of Jewish hermeneutics for non-Western cultures
  • Application to contemporary social justice issues
  • Integration with other academic disciplines (sociology, anthropology, psychology)
  • Implications for church structure and leadership models

Comprehension Questions

  1. Historical Development: How did 20th-century biblical scholarship, particularly discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls and the work of scholars like Jacob Neusner, contribute to the development of Jewish hermeneutical approaches in Christian education?

  2. Methodological Analysis: Explain how the four pillars of BEMA (Text, Community, Discipleship, Wrestling) work together to create a comprehensive learning environment. How might weakness in one pillar affect the others?

  3. Cultural Translation: What are the potential benefits and challenges of applying a Jewish hermeneutical approach to Scripture interpretation in predominantly Gentile Christian communities? How might this approach address or create theological tensions?

  4. Educational Philosophy: Compare and contrast the BEMA platform metaphor with traditional Western educational models. How does centering learning around Scripture reading rather than teaching/preaching change the educational dynamic?

  5. Practical Implementation: Given the five-session structure spanning the entire biblical narrative, how might participants maintain continuity and avoid information overload while preserving the intentional pacing that prevents “opening the fire hydrant” of information?

Brief Personalized Summary

This introductory episode establishes BEMA as more than just another Bible study - it represents a comprehensive educational philosophy rooted in historical-critical scholarship while maintaining faith convictions. The journey from Marty’s personal faith crisis to developing a systematic approach highlights how authentic questions and intellectual honesty can strengthen rather than weaken faith when pursued within supportive community structures.

The emphasis on Jewish hermeneutics isn’t about cultural appropriation but about reading texts within their original context - a principle that applies beyond biblical studies to any historical literature. The four pillars provide a balanced framework that prevents the common pitfalls of either purely academic study (lacking community and application) or purely experiential faith (lacking intellectual rigor and textual grounding).

Perhaps most significantly, the wrestling pillar legitimizes doubt and questioning as essential components of mature faith rather than threats to be suppressed. This creates space for honest intellectual engagement with difficult passages and theological tensions, fostering communities where faith can be both examined and deepened simultaneously. The practical structure of five sessions provides a roadmap for sustained engagement with Scripture that builds systematically while maintaining narrative coherence across the entire biblical corpus.

BEMA Discipleship Podcast Episode -1 (2016): “What Is BEMA?” Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: BEMA -1: What Is BEMA? (2016 Version)
Hosts: Marty Solomon & Brent Billings
Source: BEMA Discipleship Podcast (Pilot Episode)
Focus: This introductory episode explains the origins, methodology, and vision behind the BEMA Discipleship program and podcast, emphasizing a Jewish hermeneutical approach to Scripture study and the importance of creating safe spaces for wrestling with faith questions.

Key Takeaways

  • Jewish Hermeneutic Approach: BEMA centers on studying Scripture through a Jewish lens, recognizing that the Bible is “a Jewish book written by Jewish authors to a Jewish audience”

  • Safe Space for Wrestling: The program prioritizes creating environments where difficult questions about faith can be asked without judgment, as these challenging areas often contain the greatest spiritual treasures

  • Four Pillars Framework: BEMA operates on four foundational pillars: Text (better biblical understanding), Community (importance of relationship), Discipleship (pursuing Jesus’s model), and Wrestling (engaging with difficult questions)

  • Historical Disconnection: For 1,800 years, Jewish and Christian scholarship operated separately, only reconnecting in the 1970s through scholars like Jacob Neusner, creating new opportunities for biblical understanding

  • Deconstruction and Reconstruction: Authentic biblical study requires “dumping out the file cabinet” of preconceived images and rebuilding understanding from a more historically accurate foundation

Main Concepts & Theories

The BEMA Concept

The name “BEMA” comes from the raised platform in ancient synagogues where Torah was read. Unlike modern church stages positioned at the front, the bema was placed in the center with the community gathered around it, symbolizing that Scripture—not human opinion—should be at the center of study and discussion.

Jewish Hermeneutical Recovery

Marty Solomon describes discovering teachers like Ray Vander Laan who approached Scripture through Jewish interpretive methods. This represented a significant shift from traditional Christian hermeneutics that had developed in isolation from Jewish thought since the early centuries of Christianity.

The Four Pillars Methodology
  1. Text: Pursuing deeper, more accurate biblical understanding
  2. Community: Recognizing the essential role of relationship in spiritual growth
  3. Discipleship: Modeling Jesus’s approach to disciple-making
  4. Wrestling: Creating safe spaces for engaging difficult questions and doubts
First Century Discipleship Model

The program aims to recover elements of first-century Jewish discipleship practices that can be adapted for modern contexts, particularly targeting college-age students who can think independently but haven’t yet become entrenched in established patterns.

The Neusner Bridge

Jacob Neusner’s work in the 1970s created unprecedented dialogue between Jewish and Christian scholars, revealing how 2,000-year-old Jewish thought patterns could illuminate Jesus’s teachings in ways previously unavailable to Christian interpretation.

Examples & Applications

Personal Journey Example

Solomon’s own “crisis of faith” moment illustrates how traditional church environments often lack space for processing difficult questions. His trips to Israel in 2008 and 2010 provided transformative experiences that required “dumping out” his mental “file cabinet” of biblical images and starting over with more historically accurate understandings.

Campus Ministry Application

The BEMA program was initially implemented through Impact Campus Ministries on the Palouse (Moscow, Idaho and Pullman, Washington), targeting college students as an ideal demographic for this type of intensive biblical study and questioning.

Synagogue Architecture Lesson

The physical layout of ancient synagogues—with the bema platform in the center rather than at the front—provides a concrete example of how Jewish culture prioritized communal engagement with text over hierarchical teaching models.

Discussion Group Model

The podcast format allows for content delivery followed by local discussion groups, enabling the methodology to spread beyond the original geographic location while maintaining the community aspect essential to the approach.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Historical Development
  • The 1,800-year separation between Jewish and Christian scholarship
  • Impact of Constantine and the Hellenization of Christianity
  • Development of replacement theology and its effects on biblical interpretation
Jewish Interpretive Methods
  • Specific hermeneutical techniques used in Jewish biblical study
  • Comparison between Jewish and traditional Christian exegetical approaches
  • Role of oral tradition and rabbinic commentary in understanding Scripture
First Century Context
  • Daily life practices in first-century Palestine
  • Educational methods of Jewish teachers and rabbis
  • Social and religious structures that shaped Jesus’s ministry
Modern Application Challenges
  • Balancing historical context with contemporary relevance
  • Navigating tensions between traditional Christian doctrine and Jewish interpretive insights
  • Creating authentic community in individualistic Western culture
Theological Implications
  • How Jewish hermeneutics might challenge or confirm traditional Christian doctrines
  • The relationship between Christianity and Judaism in God’s redemptive plan
  • Implications for understanding Jesus’s identity as both Jewish teacher and Christian Savior

Comprehension Questions

  1. Methodological Understanding: What are the four pillars of BEMA Discipleship, and how does each contribute to the overall approach to biblical study and spiritual formation?

  2. Historical Analysis: Explain the significance of Jacob Neusner’s work in the 1970s and how it bridged Jewish and Christian scholarship after 1,800 years of separation. What were the implications of this reconnection?

  3. Hermeneutical Shift: How does studying Scripture as “a Jewish book written by Jewish authors to a Jewish audience” differ from traditional Christian approaches? What new questions might this perspective raise?

  4. Symbolic Architecture: What does the placement of the bema platform in ancient synagogues reveal about Jewish approaches to Scripture study compared to modern church architecture and teaching methods?

  5. Application Challenge: If you were to implement the BEMA methodology in your own context, what obstacles might you encounter, and how would you address the tension between creating a “safe space for wrestling” while maintaining theological integrity?

Brief Personalized Summary

This 2016 pilot episode reveals BEMA as more than just another Bible study program—it’s a methodological revolution that challenges nearly two millennia of separated Jewish and Christian scholarship. Marty Solomon’s personal journey from crisis to discovery illustrates the transformative power of approaching Scripture through its original Jewish context, while his four pillars framework provides practical structure for communities seeking deeper engagement with biblical text.

The episode’s emphasis on creating safe spaces for wrestling with difficult questions feels particularly relevant in our current cultural moment, where many believers struggle with doubts but lack environments for honest exploration. The ancient synagogue’s bema, positioned at the center rather than the front, serves as a powerful metaphor for keeping Scripture—rather than human interpretation—at the heart of spiritual community.

What strikes me most about this early vision is its balance between rigorous historical scholarship and accessible community application. BEMA doesn’t require advanced degrees or seminary training, but it does demand intellectual honesty and the courage to question inherited assumptions. This democratization of serious biblical study, combined with the recovered Jewish hermeneutical insights, positions BEMA as a bridge between academic scholarship and grassroots spiritual formation—a bridge that the church has needed for centuries.

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