BEMA Episode Link: 203: You Are Here
Episode Length: 22:05
Published Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2021 01:00:00 -0800
Session 5
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings try to evaluate the great takeaways from this five-session journey through the Bible and the world of faith, talking about “The Four Pillars of BEMA” and imagining a world that returns to partake in some of the same things those early followers did thousands of years ago.

Discussion Video for BEMA 203

Out of Babylon by Walter Brueggemann

“Time in Babylon” by Emmylou Harris — YouTube

Transcript for BEMA 203

Notes

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

BEMA Episode 203: You Are Here - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

Episode: 203 - You Are Here Hosts: Marty Solomon and Brent Billings Focus: Summary of the BEMA journey and the Four Pillars of BEMA

This episode serves as a culmination of the entire BEMA Discipleship journey, spanning from the beginning of creation to the present day. Marty summarizes the key lessons learned throughout Session 5 and the entire podcast series, introducing what he calls the Four Pillars of BEMA: Text, Community, Discipleship, and Wrestling. The episode challenges listeners to examine how the early church, rooted in first-century Judaism, practiced these four pillars and how modern believers have lost these practices, while also offering hope for their recovery in the present day.

Key Takeaways

  • The BEMA journey has covered from creation to the present day, examining how the church developed from its Jewish roots to its current state
  • The Four Pillars of BEMA (Text, Community, Discipleship, Wrestling) represent essential elements that were present throughout scripture and especially in the first-century church
  • By rejecting Jewish heritage, the church lost not just relationships with Jewish people, but also the power of scripture memorization and intimate knowledge of God’s word
  • True community is not just friendship but radical, inclusive fellowship with people we disagree with - a Eucharistic community
  • Jesus never started churches or missionary journeys; instead, he made disciples through three years of daily, immersive life together
  • Wrestling with scripture and difficult questions is part of the faith tradition, rooted in the concept of chutzpah from Jacob’s wrestling with God
  • Despite losing these pillars, modern believers have unprecedented opportunities to reclaim them through technology, connectivity, and cultural shifts
  • We live in a modern Babylon, influenced by empire narratives of consumerism, comfort, and self-preservation
  • Change begins with small, realistic, attainable goals rather than attempting dramatic overnight transformation

Main Concepts & Theories

The Four Pillars of BEMA

1. Text The first-century Jewish world was deeply committed to knowing scripture. Children memorized the entire Torah and much of the Tanakh, developing a working knowledge of God’s commandments that modern believers can hardly understand. This oral tradition and commitment to memory was invaluable in a pre-printing press era.

The church lost this pillar when it rejected Jewish heritage, exchanging the living Word for an idolatry of doctrine and creed. There is a crucial difference between having a Bible on the shelf and having the Bible within you. As Isaiah 55 teaches, God’s word “doesn’t return void, but always accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent.” Paul identifies the Word of God as “the sword of the Spirit” in Ephesians, suggesting that losing our connection to the Text means losing connection to the power of the Holy Spirit.

2. Community Hellenistic ways deceive believers into embracing empire narratives rather than living in intentional, subversive community. When the church abandoned Jewish identity and practice, it reverted to pagan roots entrenched in Roman worldview and empire values: self-preservation, luxury, comfort, and leisure.

The Kingdom’s most effective tool is an inclusive community that shows the world a better way to live. This is not merely friendship or fellowship with like-minded believers, but radical fellowship with people we disagree with - this is what makes the church truly Eucharistic. Such community requires rejecting the idolatry of consumerism and comfort that characterizes modern neo-Hellenism.

3. Discipleship Jesus modeled first-century discipleship by spending three years with twelve young men (and women), all day, every day. He started no churches and went on no missionary journeys. Instead, he told people to “follow me” and showed them how to live as God asked them to live. This method changed the course of human history.

Modern churches have replaced this model with Bible studies and conferences, which have value but are not substitutes for total immersion discipleship. The Great Commission calls believers to make disciples, not merely to run programs or attend events. This method of discipleship through life-on-life mentoring would be just as effective today as it was in the Greco-Roman context.

4. Wrestling The early church was devoted to the same wrestling that characterized Jacob, the father of the Israelites. They understood that answers to all questions were not the point. They believed the text was meant to be wrestled with and that life was inherently tricky and difficult.

This community rejected formulas and self-help strategies, instead believing in faithfully walking the path. This walk meant accepting complications, messiness, and many shades of gray. Wrestling with God to restore the world was understood as worthwhile despite the difficulty. The culture of chutzpah - bold engagement and questioning - was foundational.

When the church lost the Text, questions and doubts became threatening to doctrines and creeds. The church began identifying orthodox answers and discouraging dissent, abandoning the wrestling tradition. Historically, the church has even killed people for dissent.

The Tale of Two Kingdoms

Throughout the episode, Marty returns to the theme of Empire versus Shalom, introduced early in the BEMA series. The empire narrative promotes self-preservation, consumerism, comfort, and leisure. The kingdom narrative calls for subversive community, generosity, hospitality, Sabbath, and care for the marginalized (mamzers).

T’shuvah - Return and Repentance

The concept of t’shuvah (return/repent) frames the entire discussion. The episode calls listeners to evaluate what needs to be removed from their faith practice, what needs to be kept, and what ancient practices need to be recovered - not inventing new things, but returning to the recipe for success in the movement of God.

Examples & Applications

Modern Tools for Ancient Practices

Text:

  • BibleGateway.com and online lexicons enable word searches in seconds
  • Unprecedented access to Bible study tools and information via the internet
  • Accessibility to truth is at an all-time high
  • Believers can create “Essene-like” communities of people committed to knowing and walking the path

Community:

  • COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated new possibilities for community through Zoom and digital platforms
  • Social networking, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and email provide tools to facilitate community like never before
  • The challenge is not to settle for pseudo-community that allows continued idolatry of consumerism

Discipleship:

  • On-the-job training models demonstrate that immersive learning is still effective
  • The challenge is to create faith communities and contexts that facilitate discipleship experiences
  • Requires restructuring around total immersion rather than programs

Wrestling:

  • Postmodernity and younger generations (Millennials and Gen Z) value life’s complexities
  • Rejection of black-and-white answers creates opportunities rather than threats
  • Questions can become doorways to discovery rather than threats to systems of control
Living in Modern Babylon

The episode references Emmylou Harris’s song “Time in Babylon” and Walter Brueggemann’s book “Out of Babylon” to illustrate modern captivity to empire narratives. Contemporary examples include:

  • Five-lane highways, SUVs, and consumerism (“you need that chrome to get you home”)
  • Cluster mansions and pharmaceutical solutions to discontent
  • Trading soul and dignity for fame and recognition
  • Cosmetic surgery and artificial enhancement
  • Brand-name obsession (Prada, Gucci)
  • Prioritizing results and wealth over conscience and generosity
Practical Starting Points

Marty’s personal example: After returning from Israel in 2008, he started by memorizing one paragraph of the Bible each week. Small, realistic goals led to gradual growth and transformation. The Talmudic principle applies: “Just as rain falls in drops and forms mighty rivers, so it is with Torah. A man studies a little here and a little there, until understanding comes like a rushing spring.”

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Change comes through realistic, attainable goals and commitment to growth, with the expectation of failure along the way.

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

  • Deep dive into each of the Four Pillars individually, developing practical implementation strategies
  • Study of first-century Jewish education methods and Torah memorization techniques
  • Examination of early church community structures and how they functioned economically and socially
  • Historical study of the discipleship model used by Jesus and first-century rabbis
  • Investigation of Jewish wrestling traditions and the concept of chutzpah in biblical interpretation
  • Analysis of how Hellenistic philosophy infiltrated Christian theology and practice
  • Study of Walter Brueggemann’s “Out of Babylon” and prophetic critique of empire
  • Exploration of the relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Word of God in scripture
  • Research into Essene communities and their commitment to knowing and walking the path
  • Examination of how postmodern philosophy intersects with ancient Jewish ways of thinking
  • Study of the Eucharist and its role in creating inclusive community
  • Investigation of how to create discipleship contexts in modern Western culture
  • Analysis of consumerism and neo-Hellenism in contemporary church practice

Comprehension Questions

  1. What are the Four Pillars of BEMA, and how did each function in the first-century church rooted in Judaism? How has the modern church lost each of these pillars?

  2. Explain the difference between “having a Bible on your shelf” and “having the Bible in you.” Why does Marty argue that losing the Text means losing connection to the power of the Holy Spirit?

  3. What does Marty mean by “radical, inclusive community” that makes the church a “Eucharistic community”? How is this different from typical Christian fellowship or friendship?

  4. Compare Jesus’s method of discipleship with modern church programs. What characterized Jesus’s approach, and why does Marty believe it would still be effective today?

  5. How does the concept of “wrestling” relate to the story of Jacob, and why was this practice discouraged as the church moved away from its Jewish roots? What opportunities does postmodernity offer for recovering this practice?

Brief Summary

Episode 203 concludes the BEMA journey from creation to the present day by identifying four essential pillars that characterized faithful communities throughout scripture and especially the first-century church: Text, Community, Discipleship, and Wrestling. By rejecting Jewish heritage, the church lost intimate knowledge of scripture, subversive inclusive community, immersive discipleship, and the tradition of wrestling with God and difficult questions. Instead, the church embraced empire narratives of consumerism, comfort, and doctrinal control. However, modern believers have unprecedented opportunities to reclaim these pillars through technology, connectivity, and cultural shifts toward complexity. Like the Israelites in Babylon, contemporary believers must recognize their captivity to empire and begin the journey of t’shuvah - returning to ancient practices through small, realistic steps. Change comes not through dramatic overnight transformation but through consistent commitment to growth, beginning with a single step on the journey of a thousand miles.

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