Send us a textActs 15:1–29 records the Jerusalem Council (50 AD) which is where Paul, Peter, Barnabas, James, and other elders gathered in Jerusalem to discuss the pressing question: Are Gentile believers required to be circumcised and keep the old covenant law? In this episode we walk through this passage verse by verse and discover a whole lot about the relationship between Christians and the old covenant law. Acts 15:1–29 has become a source of great contention among Torah-keepers (Hebrew Roots, Torah-observant Christians, Torahism). They often scramble to re-interpret this passage in a way that allows them to maintain their theology which says that Christians are required to keep the old covenant law with its dietary restrictions, feasts, seventh day Sabbath, circumcision, and so on. As part of our study, we look at an interpretation offered by the influential Hebrew Roots organization 119 Ministries and test their teaching against the text of the Bible to see how it stacks up. Links mentioned in this episodeActs 15 - Obedience or Legalism (119 Ministries)Our Galatians Bible StudyClean & Unclean Foods - Examining Monte Judah's teaching on the kosher food laws: Part 1: Sabbath in the Old Testament Part 2: Sabbath in the New Testament Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Introduction01:55 Preamble to the Debate11:06 Testing 119 Ministries25:31 The Debate Floor 36:33 The Four Prohibitions46:02 The Council's Letter51:16 Two Final Issues 52:24 Are the four restrictions still required today?54:01 Are Jewish believers under the law?

Send us a textMeet Dr. Andy Bannister, a deep-thinking and often humorous author, speaker, and apologist from the UK. He joins us to talk about apologetics, evangelism, and his new book: "How to Talk about Jesus without Looking like an Idiot: A Panic-Free Guide to Having Natural Conversations about Your Faith."Andy is the Director of Solas CPC, an evangelism and training organisation based in Scotland (but covering the whole of the UK). He holds a PhD in Islamic studies and has taught extensively at universities across Canada, the USA, the UK and further afield on both Islam and philosophy. Andy's LinksHow to Talk about Jesus without Looking like an Idiot (New Book)Solas Centre for Public ChristianityDefending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Introduction02:05 Meet Andy Bannister05:56 State of UK faith culture07:30 Beliefs of the younger generation: Sexual Ethics14:22 The Holy Spirit, Prayer & Apologetics 19:45 The title and purpose of the book23:57 What has surprised readers?27:36 The teaching style of Jesus31:04 The task of apologists33:22 The power of story35:17 Our character matters 37:34 How to share your faith42:45 Talking with those of other beliefs53:37 Diversity in apologetics 57:50 What does the book offer to the reader?

Send us a textHow should Christians navigate the Torah Psalms (and other OT passages) that praise God’s law, while at the same time acknowledging NT passages like Galatians 5:18 which says, “If you are led by the spirit you are not under the law”?  IN this video, we look at that question by examining the Torah Psalms and trying to understand how we praise God’s law in the context of His new covenant. And we do so in two parts. First, we take a very close look at specifically Psalm 19, and it’s a bit of a scholarly study, including spending some time in the Hebrew. And from that solid understanding, we then talk about God’s law and the His covenants and establish a biblical perspective on why the Torah Psalms are still highly relevant for Christians today, and how we how can apply them to our lives. And if you’re like me and you regularly read from the Psalms and come across these kinds of passages, I’m hoping today’s teaching is going be helpful for you in a very practical way. Soli Deo Gloria!Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Intro02:56 Psalm Study04:46 Psalm 19:1–1408:07 Creation & Law16:50 Psalm 19:7–931:36 Psalm 19:10–1133:42 God’s Law Under the New Covenant38:06 Continuity & Discontinuity39:38 Applying the Commandments42:39 The Torah Psalms for Christians

Send us a textThere's a passage in 1 Corinthians that offers profound insight into the relationship between Christians and the law. In fact, it addresses three big questions many Christians struggle with today. First, what is our relationship to the OT law? Are Christians required to keep the law of Moses? What about the Ten Commandments? What does the Bible say? (And of course, that’s a topic of great interest for many of our viewers who either subscribe to the theology of Torahism, or Hebrew Roots, and are dealing with that theology in their families, communities or churches.) The second question is this: If Christians are not under the old covenant law, does it mean we’re under no law at all? Are we free to do whatever we want? (Believe it or not, some “Torah-keeping” Christians will actually challenge us by asking, “Of we’re not under the law, is it now okay to murder, steal, commit adultery?”) And we get into that. And the third question is this: Is there a difference between the law of Moses and the law of God? If so, what’s that difference? And all three of these questions are directly addressed in 1 Corinthians 9:19–23. To make sure we're interpreting this passage in context, we first spend a few minutes establishing the historical and literary setting of 1 Corinthians as a text, and then we briefly outline the topics and concerns that the apostle Paul lays out which ultimately lead us into our passage in Chapter 9. Then we carefully unpack these five amazing verses and see what they have to tell us about the distinctions in biblical law and those three big questions. And let me tell you, it’s pretty profound.Soli Deo Gloria!Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Introduction02:40 Cultural and Historical Background04:11 Literary Structure of 1 Corinthians05:12 Picking Up The Theme06:31 Permitted But Not Required08:09 Chapter 909:34 1 Corinthians 9:19-2311:52 Verse 1913:33 Verse 20: As a Jew 17:09 Verse 20: As One Under the Law24:18 Verse 21: As One Outside the Law28:20 Sidebar: The Laws of Moses, God, and Christ40:45 Verse 22: As the Weak42:59 Verses 22–2344:36 Wrap it up, Professor.

Send us a textIn this Q&A episode, Professor Solberg tackles three of your questions:How should we understand the OT prophecies about keeping Torah in the last days?Understanding the 10 lost tribes of Israel (and whether some of us have descended from those tribes)Was Paul the founder of Christianity?And there's a bonus question at the end!Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Intro01:43 Question #1: Keeping Torah in the end times02:20 Examining the Old Testament prophecies08:03 Zechariah 1414:08 Isaiah 6622:27 The bottom line on end times prophecies22:59 Question #2: The lost tribes of Israel30:05 Question #3: Did Paul invent Christianity?34:19 Bonus Question

Send us a textIn this episode we look at another "shotgun argument" from a Torah-keeper. This time it’s a cut-and-paste list of 12 OT verses intended to show that the old covenant law pre-dates Sinai. The thesis we put to the test is this: “The giving of the law at Sinai is the complete revelation of the old covenant law which was introduced at various levels of detail in Genesis 1 forward.” Why does it matter? Those who hold to the theology of Torahism, and consider themselves a Torah-keeping follower of Jesus (aka Torah-observant, Hebrew Roots, Pronomian) are interested in finding a way to show that the old covenant law applies to everyone, not just Israel. And some believe the best way to do that is to try to show that the law has always applied to everyone, not just Israel. Mainstream Christianity, on the other hand (and for that matter, mainstream Judaism as well) teaches that those old covenant commands were never given to anyone other than the nation of Israel. Gentiles were never expected to keep those laws. And further, followers of Jesus today, whether they’re Jewish or Gentiles, aren’t bound by them either. For Christians keeping those things is permitted, but it’s not required. Soli Deo Gloria!Links Mentioned in This EpisodeAddressing 17 Hebrew Roots QuestionsA Case for Sabbath-keeping Part 1 (OT)A Case for Sabbath-keeping Part 2 (NT)Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Introduction03:21 Establishing Context18:01 Examining the Claims18:27 The Feasts introduced in Gen. 120:29 Sabbath introduced in Gen. 222:07 Animal sacrifices in Gen. 4.25:27 Clean/unclean animals known by Noah29:30 Abraham tithed to Melchizedek31:17 Abraham kept God's laws 33:46 Levirate Marriage in Gen. 3835:12 Moses judged by God's laws before Sinai37:47 Garden blessings and curses 39:11 Don't intermarry with animals/nations 40:41 Don't touch what you don't eat 42:46 Wrap it up, Solberg.

Send us a textMeet Dan Sered. He was born in Israel to a secular Jewish family, eventually came to faith in Yeshua (Jesus) as his Lord and Savior, and is now COO at the international ministry Jews For Jesus. In this interview, Dan shares his amazing testimony, his unique insight on Torahism (aka Hebrew Roots Movement, Torah-keepers), and some great stories about sharing the Gospel with our Jewish brothers and sisters.Links Mentioned in This EpisodeJews for Jesus (Website)Praying for the HaredimDefending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Introduction01:54 Meet Mr. Sered: How a secular Jewish man came to faith in Jesus08:44 What was your understanding of Jesus before you believed?13:40 Understanding Messianic Judaism24:42 The difference between Messianic Judaism and Hebrew Roots 27:27 Permitted but not required?34:40 What about Matthew 5:17–20 and the law?42:25 What about the Sabbath?51:26 Jews for Jesus?   54:00 Tovia Singer and the Messianic prophecies54:50 Secular vs. religious Jews55:56 Story about an Orthodox Jew coming to faith58:28 About JewsForJesus.org 1:00:44 Advice when visiting Israel

Send us a textA few years back, a Hebrew Roots documentary was released called "The Way," in which they interview all sorts of Torah-keepers and really make a case for why people should be keeping the Torah feasts, avoiding Christmas and Easter, eating biblically clean (kosher), keeping the seventh day Shabbat, and so on. (And for the record, I see no problem with anyone choosing to do any of those things. If that’s the way you feel led to live out your faith, go for it!) But most Torah keepers don’t view it as an optional way of life. No, they preach it as the only correct way to follow Jesus. And once they cross the line from optional to required, they’ve entered the unbiblical and dangerous waters of Torahism, which champions a false gospel that requires more than faith in Jesus to be righteous. In that the trailer for that documentary. they pose 17 common Hebrew Roots questions designed to challenge mainstream Christianity. And in this video we answer them all. We also respond to 10 "contradictions" leveled at the Church.Soli Deo Gloria!Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Links Mentioned in this EpisodeGrafted Into What? Jews, Gentiles & Israel5 Reasons we can't follow the Gospel and the Law at the same timeTorah Shadows of Christ (Col. 2:16-17)One Law for the Native and the StrangerA Case for Sabbath-keeping: Part 1 (OT) | Part 2 (NT)Clean & Unclean Foods - Examining Monte Judah's teaching on the kosher food laws: Part 1 | Part 2Chapters00:00 Introduction03:08 Fielding the questions05:13 #1 If Yeshua kept the law why don't we?06:03 #2 Why did the apostles keep the feasts?06:39 #3 Why does the Church claim Israel's blessings?07:39 #4 How can something everlasting come to an end?08:34 #5 How could the definition of sin change?10:38 #6 Why did Paul celebrate Passover?10:57 #7 How is Jesus sinless if He broke the Sabbath?11:08 #8 Why did Peter still not eat unclean food?14:10 #9 Why did Paul say he keeps the law? 15:00 #10 Why do we act like some Torah laws are silly?16:54 #11 How can the Church change the Sabbath?17:47 #12 Isn't disobeying the law offensive to Jesus?18:44 #13 Why did Paul say the law is spiritual? 19:13 #14 Can Christians celebrate Wiccan holidays?20:28 #15 Why do you say the law is too difficult?23:54 #16 Why don't we keep Passover?25:41 #17 Why don't we keep Saturday Sabbath?26:04 Addressing Ten "Contradictions"

Send us a textOne thing I like and respect about 119 Ministries is that they encourage everyone to test their teachings. I think that’s commendable. And that’s exactly what we’re going do. In this video, we test their video called “Animal Sacrifices in Light of the Messiah.”  Because if animal sacrifices are still how we atone for sin (as Torah-keepers and Hebrew Roots folks claim) then what did the death of Jesus accomplish? And if animal sacrifices are no longer how we atone for sin, the Law of Moses is not longer in effect. Links Mentioned in the EpisodeAnimal Sacrifices in Light of the Messiah (119 Ministries)Matthew 5:17-20 (Four Contexts) – An Academic LectureMatthew 5:17-20: How did Jesus not abolish but fulfill the law?Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Introduction: The logical framework for the discussion05:00 What the sacrifice of Christ accomplished 13:29 Testing 119 Ministries' Teaching

Send us a textOur biblical case for Sabbath-keeping and what it looks like under the New Covenant, Part 2. In this episode, we examine the Sabbath in the NT, starting with everything that Jesus taught and commanded about it in the gospels. From there we expand our study to the rest of the NT and talk about what a Sabbath rest looks like for a follower of Jesus under the New Covenant. Videos Mentioned in this EpisodeJesus as Our Sabbath RestDefending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters 00:00 Introduction02:24 Everything Jesus Taught About the Sabbath18:44 Three Reasons Shabbat is Not Required29:00 Sabbath as a Practice37:14 What Does a Christian Sabbath Look Like?

Send us a textWe’ve discussed a number of times whether or not Christians are required to keep the Sabbath. And I have shown a several reasons from Scripture why I believe the answer is no, we’re not required to keep the Sabbath as it was given under the Old Covenant. And this can be a pretty polarizing issue. Especially for our “Torah-keeping” and SDA friends who think Sabbath-keeping is necessary to achieve (or even maintain) our righteousness. Some even view it as a matter of salvation. And while those ideas aren’t biblical, in this two-part  series, I want to offer a counterbalance from leaning too far in the other direction and rejecting any notion of a Sabbath rest at all for the Christian life. In fact, I want to make a biblical case for Sabbath-keeping and what it looks like under the New Covenant. Here in Part 1, we take a deep dive into the OT and take a close look at the Sabbath commands given in the Torah. Our goal is not only to understand exactly what was commanded about the Sabbath under the Sinai covenant, but also the role it played for ancient Israel, and what it taught them about God and about themselves, and the theological principles and meaning of their Sabbath rest. Videos Mentioned in this EpisodeJesus as Our Sabbath RestDefending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Introduction04:35 Sabbath in the Old Testament (Exodus 16)16:36 Shabbat Commands at Mount Sinai27:36 Do No Work36:25 The Meaning & Principles of Sabbath

Send us a textChad Bird is an author, speaker and a scholar-in-residence at 1517.org with a unique way of looking at Scripture that is equally intellectual and inspirational. He's also a specialist in Old Testament and Hebrew studies. Join us for a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation about finding Jesus in the Torah. Links mentioned in this episode1517.orgChad's book "The Christ Key"Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Intro02:28 What does it mean that Jesus is "in" the Torah?04:53 How did Jesus get placed in the text?10:51 What do the Gospels say about Jesus in the Torah14:06 Cultural context and standup comedy19:24 Are there Christophanies in the Torah?29:20 Evidence of complex monotheism in the Torah36:41 The uniqueness of the Christian Bible38:35 Genesis 3:15, the first Gospel44:08 Is there evidence of “in three days” in the Torah?49:04 The flaws of our biblical heroes51:17 Sanctification 55:28 Jesus in God’s Promises to Abraham58:32 Jesus in the Atonement Sacrifices01:02:28 Wrap it up, gentlemen.

Send us a textWhat’s the best translation of the Bible? KJV? NIV? ESV? CSB? NASB? I’ve actually given a lot of thought to this question and in this episode, I share the differences between translations and a suggestion for choosing a translation to read. We'll also take a brief look at the history of how we got our English Bible. Also, what does it mean to read the Bible literally? Is that something we can or should do? Can we just read what the words of Scripture literally say and stop trying to put our own interpretation on them? Can any individual word have a literal meaning? When scholars talk about "literal interpretation," what do they mean? I want to challenge us to approach Scripture maturely and respectfully, accounting for the nuance of language and translation, and earnestly trying to understand the text in the way that the author intended his audience to understand it. Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)

Send us a textLet’s step into the sandals of a first-century Jewish disciple of Jesus and try to experience Passover from that perspective. What does the Last Supper have to tell us about Easter? The setting is dusty, ancient Jerusalem, buzzing with Pesach activity. Earlier in the week, Jesus entered the city to triumphant shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David!” And as you saw Him waving to the people from atop His donkey, you noticed a heaviness behind His smile. This public adoration would not last long...Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)

Send us a textMeet Robby Lashua. He grew up around Mormonism his whole life and has a heart to bring the Gospel of Jesus to our Mormon friends. In this interview, Robby shares the basics of Mormonism; what they believe, where they came from, who was Joseph Smith, and how Christians can witness to Mormons.  Robby's witnessing techniques (article)Stand to Reason (Articles on Mormonism)Meet RobbyMormonism Research MinistryDefending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)CHAPTERS00:00 Intro01:18 Meet Robby Lashua03:00 How did you get involved with outreach to Mormons?04:40 The general theology of Mormonism08:28 The aspect of personal experience11:06 Similarities to Hebrew Roots14:42 Mormonism and the Bible16:43 The LDS church structure17:50 Joseph Smith and the historical roots of Mormonism24:05 What is the primary focus when witnessing to Mormons?26:40 Leaving Mormonism28:25 Establishing common ground29:17 What about polygamy?32:25 The Mormon view of reality38:30 Is Mormonism based on Joseph Smith’s imagination?40:55 Was Joseph Smith well educated?42:35 Is Mormonism a cult? Are Mormons saved?43:56 Mormon terminology: differences in definition47:16 How to witness to out Mormon friends60:25 People who have left Mormonism1:04:29 How to learn more

Send us a textIn a previous episode (link below) we took a close look at Colossians 2:16–17, and saw how Paul teaches that the food laws, feasts (festivals), and Sabbath laws commanded under the old covenant, are not required under the New Covenant. In this companion video, we address three additional objections from our “Torah keeping” friends on the interpretation of this passage. For Christians, keeping those rituals commanded under the Law of Moses is permitted, but it's not required.PREVIOUS EPISODETorah Shadows of Christ: Colossians 2:16-17Video | PodcastDefending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)CHAPTERS00:00 Intro01:46 Argument #1 - Sabbath is plural06:06 Argument #2 - Things to Come11:01 Argument #3 - Body of Christ17:10 Wrap it up, Professor.

Send us a textLet's study one the most powerful texts disproving the theology of Torahism. Colossians 2:16–17 says, “Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” That seems pretty straightforward, right? Paul tells believers not to let anyone judge them based on what they eat or drink, or which religious festivals or days that they observe. And ironically, that’s exactly what many of our Hebrew Roots friends do. They judge Christians based on these very things. Our Torah-keeping friends like will object, “Come on Solberg, you’re taking those verses out of context and you know it.” Well, that’s exactly what we study in this episode. Is there good reason to think that the plain meaning of these verses isn’t what Paul actually meant? Let's see! We're even going to hear and test the perspective of Torah-keeping teacher David Wilber.Watch Part 2 herehttps://youtu.be/MIUp_bfQ_nYDefending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)CHAPTERS00:00 Intro04:27 The context of Colossians14:26 Colossians 2:16–1728:45 Wrap it up, Professor.

Send us a textThe idea of “one law for both Israel and the foreigner” appears four times in the Torah. Does this mean Gentiles were under the entire law? We look at each passage to discover the answer. My hope is that this will help us respond more biblically the next time a Torah-keeper cites these verses to argue this issue. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone quote the verse “There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns with you” (Exodus 12:49) and use this to somehow support the idea that Gentile Christians today are under the Old Covenant law. The idea is that even under the Old Covenant, Gentiles were fully under the law, so the same must be true about  the New Covenant. That there is one law, and we are all under it. There are a number of problems with this line of logic, starting with the fact that that verse does not mean what they think it means. Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Intro03:57 Exodus 12:4908:44 Leviticus 24:2214:42 Numbers 15:1618:45 NUmbers 15:2926:52 Wrap it up, Solberg

Send us a textIf anyone tells you that they know exactly what an end times prophecy means, take that as your cue to run away! In this video, we let Scripture interpret itself and teach us how to understand the language of the prophets. We look at a number of really important issues that you may not be aware of (or may not have considered) when it comes to understanding it. We lean into Scripture to help us better understand how we should interpret the prophecies about the Second Coming and the End Times. Links mentioned in this episode Watch the powerful prophecy of Isaiah 53 reads to Israelis on the streets. See how deeply they were moved as they came face to face with their Messiah!Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 A look at biblical prophecy00:54 Expectation and Interpretation03:22 The nature of biblical prophecy17:49 Examining fulfilled prophecies32:34 Messianic prophecies38:37 Hebrew Roots Eschatology43:30 Wrap it up, Professor.

Send us a textMark 7:1–23 is a passage that records Jesus clash with the Pharisees over traditions and commandments and what defiles a person. And this is a fascinating passage because we see how Jesus deals with different people, and we get a glimpse at His genius as a rabbi and a teacher in taking a particular confrontation or challenge from the Pharisees and elevating it to a profound teachable moment on an entirely different level. And, yes, we’re going to talk about that the controversial statement found in verse 19: "Thus he declared all foods clean." But of course, it would be an injustice to the text to just pull that verse out on its own and talk about it. We want to understand the context of this entire passage and what’s going on here because it has a lot to teach us about Jesus and about walking out our faith today. So we’re going to do that first, and then we’ll circle back around and take a look at that provocative statement in verse 19.Link mentioned in this episode: Mark 7:19 Did Jesus really declare all foods clean? (Manuscript Evidence)Defending the Biblical Roots of ChristianityOur websiteOur YouTube ChannelProf. Solberg's BlogSupport our Ministry (Thank you!)Chapters00:00 Intro01:38 Mark 7:1–13 Traditions of Men09:08 Mark 7:14–23 What Defiles a Person22:29 The Mark 7:19 Controversy25:32 Wrap it up, Solberg.