Shows / The BEMA Podcast
The BEMA Podcast
The BEMA Podcast is a walk-through of the context of the Bible and the Text itself, as well as surrounding history. We deconstruct our common readings of the Bible and attempt to reconstruct them through the lens of historical context. The main body of work is contained in Seasons 1–5, and we encourage you to start with episode 0 (or even -1) and continue in order through episode 204. Beyond that, we explore new topics, revisit old topics, and dive deeper into practical ways of living out the…
Episodes
- The BEMA Podcast
217: Midrash — Isaac’s Bad Eyes
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings dive into some of the midrash surrounding the story of the “binding of Isaac.” What really happened to Isaac on that mountain…
- The BEMA Podcast
216: Porshe Chiles — Can We Talk?
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Porshe Chiles. She holds a master’s degree in higher education from the University of North Texas…
- The BEMA Podcast
215: Character Study — Joseph, Part 2
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings merge the studies of Joseph and Jacob. As Joseph eventually experiences a reunification of his family, what more is left to…
- The BEMA Podcast
214: Character Study — Joseph, Part 1
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the arguments surrounding who bought Joseph from his brothers. Discussion Video for BEMA 214 The Exodus You Almost…
- The BEMA Podcast
213: Character Study — Jacob, Part 2
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings finish the conversation for this particular character study of Jacob. They suggested in the last episode that God was with…
- The BEMA Podcast
212: Character Study — Jacob, Part 1
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a deeper look at the character of Jacob and share some things they’ve learned since the previous episodes on Jacob from…
- The BEMA Podcast
211: John Whittaker — Blue Jeans Theology
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest John Whittaker. He holds degrees in theology and ministry from Boise Bible College and Cincinnati…
- The BEMA Podcast
210: Midrash — The Man in the Fur Coat
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a look at even more midrash that surrounds the character of Noah. Some commentary describes Noah as the man in the fur…
- The BEMA Podcast
209: Midrash — Noah’s Backstory and the Nephilim
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a look at the backstory of Noah and talk about the midrash surrounding the Nephilim from Genesis 6. Discussion Video for…
- The BEMA Podcast
208: Midrash — Iscah, Sarai, and Birth Orders
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a deeper dive into one of the topics they hear about from listeners the most—midrash—and answer the most commonly asked…
- The BEMA Podcast
207: J. R. Briggs — The Sacred Overlap
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Dr. J. R. Briggs, the founder and director of Kairos Partnerships. His list of ministries and…
- The BEMA Podcast
206: Reed Dent — The Nature of Truth
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings are joined by special guest Reed Dent. He’s been on staff with Campus Christian Fellowship at Truman State University in…
- The BEMA Podcast
205: Session 6 Intro
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings talk about Session 6, what they hope to accomplish, and some of the things you can expect to find in the next chapter of the…
- The BEMA Podcast
204: Session 5 Capstone
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings officially wrap up the journey through history and talk about what comes next for BEMA… Out of Sorts by Sarah Bessey Jesus…
- The BEMA Podcast
203: You Are Here
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 BEMA Podcast
202: AD 1925 to Today
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings bring the story to our current day, seeing what this last century has done to the world of faith that we call our own. What is…
- The BEMA Podcast
201: AD 1800–1925
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings leave the French Revolution behind and move into the modern era. How was the newfound land of freedom and independence…
- The BEMA Podcast
200: AD 1650–1800
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings journey up to the end of the eighteenth century and follow the world of Protestant history as it moves out of the Reformation…
- The BEMA Podcast
199: AD 1550–1650
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings walk through one century of history that experienced an unbelievable amount of change and progress. Even outside of church…
- The BEMA Podcast
198: AD 1300–1550
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings journey from the Crusades and head toward the Protestant Reformation—but on the way, it is good to recognize some names that…
- The BEMA Podcast
197: AD 1000–1300
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine one of the darkest chapters in the history of Christendom. AD 1000–1300 Presentation Discussion Video for BEMA 197…
- The BEMA Podcast
196: AD 700–1000
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings walk through three centuries to see the great and famous East-West Schism, look at the idea of icons, and meet Charlemagne as…
- The BEMA Podcast
195: AD 500–700
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings journey through the sixth and seventh centuries, examining the early monastic movements. AD 500–700 Presentation Discussion…
- The BEMA Podcast
194: AD 300–500
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the fourth and fifth centuries and the period of the ecumenical councils of early Christendom. AD 300–500 Presentation…
- The BEMA Podcast
193: AD 100–300
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings walk through the second and third centuries of Church history. Why are we so not-Jewish in our Christian practice today? What…
- The BEMA Podcast
192: Telling a Story
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss what history is, what it isn’t, and give some disclaimers about the intentions of Session 5. Discussion Video for BEMA…
- The BEMA Podcast
191: Session 5 Intro
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings prepare for the beginning of Session 5 and our journey through church history by taking one last look in our rearview mirror…
- The BEMA Podcast
190: Session 4 Capstone
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hold the usual capstone conversation, concluding our journey through the remainder of Scripture and reviewing the entirety…
- The BEMA Podcast
189: Revelation — The End Is a New Beginning
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wrap up the book of Revelation and the final verses of our journey through the New Testament, hearing the moving description…
- The BEMA Podcast
188: Revelation — The Fall of Greatness
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings confront the great beast of Babylon as it appears in Revelation and consider which part of the story we should align with the…
- The BEMA Podcast
187: Revelation — The Blessed and Faithful Fallen
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear the voices of those who stood against Empire and paid for it with their lives, and are reminded that Revelation is not a…
- The BEMA Podcast
186: Revelation — Mother and Dragons
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings see dragons and beasts and women riding on them. Who is this beast of land and sea? The same hermeneutic we’ve used throughout…
- The BEMA Podcast
185: Revelation — Bittersweet Prophecy
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings press further into Revelation and this epic showdown and holy competition between Empire and Shalom. Discussion Video for BEMA…
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184: Revelation — Let the Games Begin
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings put some context behind a cultural device that is setting up John’s Apocalypse, seeing the ancient Olympic Games and wrestling…
- The BEMA Podcast
183: Revelation — Seals from Scripture
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine some of the context behind the seals of the scroll that are opened and what happens when they are, taking note of the…
- The BEMA Podcast
182: Revelation — The Throne Room
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings head into the rest of Revelation and the apocalyptic vision that John is sharing with his persecuted audience, standing in the…
- The BEMA Podcast
181: Revelation — Lukewarm Laodicea
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings travel to the last of the seven churches of John’s apocalypse: Laodicea. We’ve heard the warning against being a “lukewarm…
- The BEMA Podcast
180: Revelation — Philadelphia and Their New Name
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine John’s apocalyptic letter to the church of Philadelphia and look for context, as well as Text spoken into that…
- The BEMA Podcast
179: Revelation — Waking Up in Sardis
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings wake up in the ancient city of Sardis to see her history and glory, which should help us understand the message in the letter…
- The BEMA Podcast
178: Revelation — Thyatira and Her Jezebel
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings consider the idea that John has been deliberately drawing off of apocalyptic prophets while speaking directly into culture…
- The BEMA Podcast
177: Revelation — Pergamum and Satan’s Throne
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore the ancient city of Pergamum and hear the letter to their church in its original context. Revelation — Pergamum and…
- The BEMA Podcast
176: Revelation — Smyrna and Their Crown
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings continue to hone a hermeneutical prowess in the realm of apocalyptic literature, taking a look at the letter to Smyrna and…
- The BEMA Podcast
175: Revelation — Ephesus and Their First Love
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings travel to Ephesus, hearing the first of John’s seven letters in its context. Discussion Video for BEMA 175 BEMA 158: Ephesians…
- The BEMA Podcast
174: Revelation — A Book for Its Time
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings prepare for a journey through the book of Revelation, remembering the function and method of apocalyptic literature and trying…
- The BEMA Podcast
173: Jude — False Teachers
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the short, often forgotten, and confusing book of Jude. Just what is Jude talking about? Discussion Video for BEMA 173…
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172: 3 John — Diotrephes
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a brief but meaningful and reflective journey through the short letter of 3 John, hearing the apostle warn the church…
- The BEMA Podcast
171: 2 John — The “Woman”
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear the words of 2 John and toy with the question of who the woman is that John addresses his letter to. Discussion Video for…
- The BEMA Podcast
170: 1 John — Love and Truth
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings discuss the letter of 1 John and his insistence on the role that love plays in truth—and not the other way around. Discussion…
- The BEMA Podcast
169: 2 Peter — The Other Side of a Conversation
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the second letter from the Apostle Peter to see how he utilizes the Midrash to encourage the early believers to keep…
- The BEMA Podcast
168: 1 Peter — Living Stones and a Spiritual House
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the first of two letters penned by Peter, hearing the heart of a man who had went everywhere with Jesus—including…
- The BEMA Podcast
167: James — Mitzvoth
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the book of James and its challenging contents. Love it or hate it, this letter often provokes very strong reactions…
- The BEMA Podcast
166: Hebrews — Atonement 101
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the many different theories and explanations of atonement that have arisen throughout the centuries—a very critical…
- The BEMA Podcast
165: Hebrews — Running a Better Race
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings begin to examine the letter of Hebrews and learn from its potential context, hearing the call for us to be people who suffer…
- The BEMA Podcast
164: Philemon — Faith Works
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings journey through a tiny letter from Paul with a big message to Philemon, enjoying Paul’s light-hearted encouragement to live as…
- The BEMA Podcast
163: Pastoral Epistles — Timid Timothy & Tough Titus
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the lives of two very different pastors discipled by Paul—Timothy in Ephesus and Titus on Crete—and hear of their…
- The BEMA Podcast
162: 2 Thessalonians — Man of Lawlessness
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings look at the second letter to Thessalonica, learn about the “Man of Lawlessness,” and wrestle with the implications of this…
- The BEMA Podcast
161: 1 Thessalonians — Parousia
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings step into the context of the church in Thessalonica and examine the theme of “parousia.” Discussion Video for BEMA 161 In…
- The BEMA Podcast
160: Colossians — Gnostic Heresy
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the letter to the Colossians, pointing out the unique context that seems to surround the people there and the false…
- The BEMA Podcast
159: Philippians — Joy
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings hear Paul’s warm letter to the Philippians and see him express joy at their faith, love, and generosity as they follow Christ…
- The BEMA Podcast
158: Ephesians — Family Membership
Marty Solomon and Brent Billings travel to the second largest city in the Roman Empire and hear the words Paul wrote to the Ephesians. Discussion Video for…