Welcome to Grafted: Jewish Roots of Christianity! My guest is Dr. Douglas Hamp on God’s Divorce, Israel’s Restoration, and Rethinking Rapture Theology
Host Stephanie Pavlantos interviews Dr. Douglas Hamp, lead pastor of The Way Congregation and author, about his journey from Baptist dispensationalism to Torah study and the thesis of his book “God’s Divorce.” Hamp describes how studying at Hebrew University, debating an anti-missionary Jewish caller at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, and reexamining doctrines like the pre-trib rapture and Calvinism reshaped his view that God’s choosing is corporate Israel, not individual predestination. He argues Scripture presents a marriage covenant between God and Israel at Sinai, Israel’s unfaithfulness leading to divorce (Deut. 24; Jer. 3), and reconciliation through the Messiah’s death and resurrection, restoring house of Israel and house of Judah (Eph. 2; Ezek. 37; Rom. 7). He also outlines his end-times framework featuring two witnesses (Moses and Elijah), a global “covenant with death,” tribulation, and the trigger for Messiah’s return when corporate Judah says “Baruch haba b’shem Adonai.”
Host Stephanie interviews Rico Cortez of Wisdom in Torah Ministries, who describes learning Torah since 1998 as a “cheat code” that brought structure, healing, and a clearer way to please God after painful church experiences. He explains how his background in professional baseball, scouting, coaching, and decades of martial arts shaped his teaching discipline, humility, and shift away from competition and “conspiracy” topics toward helping others approach God rightly.
They discuss identity struggles for believers “grafted in” between Christianity and Judaism, advocating gentle, non-argumentative communication. Cortez emphasizes reading Scripture through Ancient Near Eastern and honor-shame cultural lenses (e.g., nakedness, Exodus, Joseph, David, turning the other cheek), and outlines a deep focus on Leviticus and blood/atonement themes to better understand Yeshua, the priesthood, and end-times altar defilement. He invites viewers to his YouTube, Telegram, and weekly Shabbat teachings, noting travel to 39 countries.
Host Stephanie Pavlantos welcomes Bible teacher and Bible in Order podcast host David Doty, who shares his late conversion at 26, rapid entry into pastoring, and current family life. Doty explains how a daily devotional evolved into his podcast and led him to start a five-days-a-week Zoom prayer gathering inspired by Acts 2:42, emphasizing consistent discipleship, mutual care, shared participation, and reported answers to prayer including a healing from melanoma.
The discussion contrasts modern auditorium-style church with early house-to-house life and explores “ecclesia,” arguing it originally meant a governing assembly empowered to bind and loose rather than a religious service. They connect ecclesia to Israel’s priestly calling and believers as ambassadors, highlighting humility, prayer, and tribulation as God’s means of transforming character to resemble Jesus.
Reading the Bible Without Fear: Ancient Context, Community, and Maturity with Ryan White
Host Stephanie Pavlantos welcomes Ryan White of Faith of Messiah, a founder of a Saturday church community, teacher, content creator, and nurse, to discuss his membership site and courses aimed at helping people “read the Bible without fear” as its ancient authors intended. White explains his focus on ancient Near Eastern context and how new information outside one’s denominational “tribe” can trigger fight/flight/freeze/fawn responses, creating overwhelm rather than growth. They emphasize mature, respectful disagreement, avoiding unnecessary debates that don’t change daily discipleship, and not owing everyone a response online. White highlights controversial topics he covers, including whether the Lord’s Supper was a Passover meal, early church practice, and calendar disputes, stressing community over isolation. The conversation also addresses prayer as self-reflection, the unity of God across Testaments, and Scripture as a framework for personal and societal maturity through trials.
Welcome to Grafted: Jewish Roots of Christianity! My guest is Kinsey Joy Langen.
Host Stephanie Pavlantos interviews TikTok creator, author, and teacher Kinsey Largen about studying Scripture in its original languages through a Torah-rooted, Hebraic framework and challenging teachings that silence women. Largen argues that Paul’s letters must be read with their historical context (e.g., Ephesus, Roman household codes) and linguistic details (including the Greek “submit” vs. “obey,” and mutual submission in Ephesians), portraying Paul as countercultural and supportive of women such as Phoebe, Junia, and Priscilla.
They discuss how misuse of “authority” enabled abuse, emphasize marriage as partnership under the Holy Spirit rather than “power over,” and explore Genesis language for male and female roles (zakar, neqevah, ezer kenegdo) as complementary equality. Largen also stresses Hebrew love as action, boundaries as freedom, and creating space for critical thinking and disagreement.
