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The Bible Jesus Read
by
Philip Yancey (Goodreads Author)
4.10 · Rating details · 2,482 ratings · 162 reviews
An 8-Session Exploration of the Old Testament hosted by author Philip Yancey--with video sessions based on his award-winning book. In The Bible Jesus Read, Yancey combined scholarship and insight to bring new light to old material and stimulate new thought and further study. This eight-session ZondervanGroupware uses video and group discussion to explore the sometimes shocking and cryptic writings of the Old Testament to help readers know God better. Yancey serves as guide and interpretive leader of each session and, in a series of in-depth interviews and explanations, he covers five crucial segments of the Old Testament: * Job: Seeing in the Dark* Deuteronomy: A Taste of Bittersweet* Psalms: Spirituality in Every Key* Ecclesiastes: The End of Wisdom* The Prophets: God Talks Back". Yancey approaches each of these major segments from a different point of view and adds additional interpretive material, extending the reach of his best-selling book. He teams with the Emmy Award-winning production team responsible for video production of the What's So Amazing About Grace? The complete kit includes: * 96-minute video in 8 12-minute sessions* Leader's Guide* Participant's Guide* Hardcover copy of The Bible Jesus Read. (less)
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Paperback, 221 pages
Published July 1st 2002 by Zondervan (first published July 13th 1999)
Original Title
The Bible Jesus Read
ISBN
0310241820 (ISBN13: 9780310241829)
Edition Language
English
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Nov 07, 2011M Christopher rated it it was ok
Shelves: bible-study
If you are one of those deprived Christians whose exposure to the Old Testament is severely limited, then this book is a must-read. Likewise if all of your OT knowledge involves an angry God looking for reasons to blast people or damn them for eternity. If, however, you grew up getting a healthy dose of Old Testament accompanied by interpretation that realized that "God So Loved the World" even back before Jesus, then... well, Yancey writes well.
Yancey's book is readable and even entertaining. His insights are nothing new to any of us NOT raised to see the OT God as a sort of vengeful boogie-man. Sadly, for many folks, this will not be the case. It seems that most Christians of my generation shun the OT, either because they've had bad teaching and preaching focused on that negative view of God or because they've heard that's all the OT has to offer. Yancey does a good job introducing the wonders of the OT to that cohort and, indeed, comes up with some nice common-sense approaches that almost any preacher can find use for.
Glad I read it. May pick it up again to look for sermon illustrations but otherwise unlikely to turn to it in the future. (less)
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Feb 13, 2011Scott Taylor rated it really liked it
Once in a while, I need to be reminded of things. Reminded that its time to do the taxes. Reminded that the oven is turned on. Reminded that I promised to take out the trash. You get the idea. This book is a reminder of the significance and relevance of Old Testament.
The first chapter is entitled "Is the OT worth the effort?" A question I have related to, particular while slogging my way through sections of some of the histories. The OT is simply packed with information, and in many ways the stories seem very random. This book makes a goal of showing readers the value of the OT in their daily lives, using the logical argument that the people in the NT had basically just this book to study.
Several gems here. I particularly enjoyed the chapter about Job, but thats because I have a big soft spot for the guy. The story raises more questions than it answers, in many ways. And thats the point. Yancey says the book offers insight into principles that "may shed light on misconceptions that are as widespread today as in Job's time."
Other chapters tackle Deuteronomy, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, and the many prophetic books. The book is designed to give the reader a taste and encourage more study. In the final analysis, the book is worthwhile to anyone just for its insights into the various subjects and the OT as a whole.
Thanks for reading. (less)
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Sep 24, 2018Laura (Book Scrounger) rated it really liked it
Shelves: theology-and-christian-living, owned
I really appreciate Yancey's willingness to ask difficult questions about faith and the way we relate to God, without feeling the need to provide pat answers. In this book he talks and wrestles over Psalms, Job, Ecclesiastes, and a few other Old Testament books. I think Ecclesiastes was my favorite section (I seem to like that book even more as I get older), but I related to his approach to Psalms as well. As he noted, sometimes it's hard to know what to do with a book that instead of being written for us seems written for God instead -- going in the opposite direction than we're used to. Perhaps I'll also appreciate Psalms more when I'm not trying to force them to be something they're not. (less)
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Jan 31, 2017Nathan Albright rated it it was amazing
Shelves: challenge2017
This book's title is a bit of a tease, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Those who are interested in the complex relationship of early Christianity and Second Temple Judaism [1] will know that the Bible Jesus read was the Hebrew Tanakh. However, this book is far about the author's thoughts on the Old Testament than about the relationship between the early Church and the Hebrew scriptures. Fortunately for the reader, the author's thoughts on the Old Testament are generally very thoughtful and he has a good perspective and he discusses his own personal background to good effect and shows how he overcome initial misunderstanding and prejudice against certain parts of the Hebrew Bible and came to appreciate its worth. All of this is well and good, but it makes the book feel a bit more like a memoir of a recovering Evangelical than it does a one-volume OT commentary in the vein of R.K. Harrison or Longman or someone else of that kind, which is what many readers would likely expect from the book's title. So, readers of this book should be aware from the start that this book is a good book, but probably not the good book that they will expect from its misleading title.
The book is organized straightforwardly with a frame structure that introduces the author's rather mercenarial reason for having paid attention to the Old Testament in the first place, closes with a thoughtful discussion on his view of the relational focus of the Old Testament and the reasons for the incarnation in the closing, and in between spends around 200 pages discussing four books and one section of scripture through the lenses of his own personal experience and reading: Job, Deuteronomy, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, and the Prophets. A lot of what he said resonated with me, like his comments on Job's covenant lawsuit and his stern desire to see God, a desire that was granted, or his comments about the prophetic speculation of many people, something I see and decry myself within my own religious context. Over and over again, Yancey brings the reader to the point of seeing the Bible for what it is rather than attempting to bring our own ideas of what it should be, and he also shows that God can handle our doubts, can handle our frustrations with the wickedness and injustice of the world, can handle our bitter cries of loneliness and despair in the dark nights of our tormented and troubled souls, our rivers of sorrow of the anguish and suffering of this fallen world.
It is pretty clear what sort of audience is likely to appreciate this book and which sort of audience this book is aimed at given the approach the author has to scripture. As someone who pays close attention to the laws of Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy myself [2], the author's approach towards granting the validity of the Old Testament to contemporary practice struck me as more than a little timid and partial in nature, but to the book's intended audience it would be revolutionary and perhaps a bit extreme. The book is written in such a way as to reframe books that have been as troubling or have been ignored because of the way that they are interpreted as being evidence of God's loving heart for humanity and his willingness to engage in the most difficult aspects of human existence. It is a book whose concessions to philosophy and genre criticism will likely offend many who consider themselves theological conservatism but whose maximilist approach seeks to appeal to those who would consider themselves more liberal and likely more intellectual as well. Since the author is popular and well-regarded, it is likely that the effort is at least partly successful in its aims to make the Bible relevant to those who dismiss without really knowing it but who might be persuaded to read it with generous eyes.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2014...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...
[2] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2016... (less)
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Aug 27, 2011Coyle rated it really liked it · review of another edition
This book is an interesting meditation on the Old Testament (and it is a meditation, not a commentary or a scholarly analysis). Though I don't always agree with Yancey's conclusions, he tends to have an interesting way of stating long-familiar concepts.
One of the most interesting parts of the book are his arguments for why we should read the OT. He argues that the OT is:
1. Necessary to understanding the modern world;
2. Necessary to understanding the New Testment;
3. Necessary for apologetics;
4. Necessary for understanding Jesus;
5. Necessary for understanding God the Father.
My major disagreements come when Yancey waters down some of the difficult Old Testament doctrines of wrath and election. For example, when trying to sum up the message of the Old Testament, Yancey writes:
Think of a doting parent with a video camera, coaxing his year-old daughter to let go of the living room coffee table and take three steps toward him. "Come on, sweetie, you can do it! just let go. Daddy's here. Come on." Think of a love-struck teenager with her phone permanently attached to her ear, reviewing every second of her day with a boy who is himself infatuated enough to be interested. Think of those two scenes and then imagine God on one end and you on the other. That is the message of the Old Testament.This of course ignores passages like Ezekiel 16:30-34, where God says to Israel
I am filled with fury against you, declares the Sovereign LORD, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute! When you built your mounds at every street corner and made your lofty shrines in every public square, you were unlike a prostitute, because you scorned payment. You adulterous wife! You prefer strangers to your own husband! All prostitutes receive gifts, but you give gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from everywhere for your illicit favors. So in your prostitution you are the opposite of others; no one runs after you for your favors. You are the very opposite, for you give payment and none is given to you.In other words, one of the messages of the Old Testament is that God is really angry at sin, not just generally, but personally angry. Understanding this is necessary to understanding Jesus. We can't know exactly what was accomplished on the cross unless we understand the anger of God at sin.
Other than the occasional softening of OT language, the book is a worthwhile read. Yancey, being a journalist, is an excellent writer and the text flows well. Highly recommended. (less)
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Aug 18, 2016Taija rated it it was ok
Shelves: school-reads
This is an incredibly underwhelming book. The only portion that I like is the chapter on Job. Yancey is one of the best teachers that I have come across on the book of Job so far.
However, his writing style is frustrating, due mainly to the fact that he does not cite a majority of quotes from others. Nor does he mention the credentials of many people he does quote. For example, "Ernst Becker says..." Well who is Becker, and why is his opinion important? Are you quoting someone who has gone to school or someone who just attends your church - there's a big difference there. Some people may not care about that, but considering that I can't write an essay, blog, or even devotional for my church without proper citation, I would expect more citations from a published author.
Additionally, I believe the title of this book is very mis-leading. Yes, the Old Testament is the Bible Jesus read, but this book isn't so much about the O.T., but rather Yancey's personal experience while reading the O.T., and various personal stories from his life.
I was expecting a more apologetic book, or at least linking a lot of the O.T. to Jesus life. In the section on the prophets, Yancey didn't even mention how often Jesus quoted from Isaiah, or that Jesus read Isaiah in the temple. Rather he wrote about how he (Yancey), believes the Prophets are important for today. I would expect him to talk about the importance Jesus placed on the Prophets, rather than the importance that Yancey placed on the Prophets - considering that the title of his book is the Bible Jesus read.
This book reads more like the Bible that Yancey read. (less)
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Jan 18, 2008Bee Lubis rated it liked it
Shelves: no-indonesia
Wikipedia defies a Christian as "a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ as presented in the New Testament and interpreted by Christians to have been prophesied in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament".
I admit my self as a follower of Jesus Christ, but refused to be called as a Christian since people mostly placed Christianity just a religion and sometimes put Christ Himself out of the concept and context.
A friend of mine lent me this book. Honestly, I read it to make him happy. But then I found some interesting things in this book. I'm becoming to know Christ deeper and I found some novel things and different point of views. I found some interesting issues. I agree to some points. Nevertheless, I didn't choose my stand yet about some other things.
I have read this book twice and I'm still reading it all over again. Respecting one's ideas doesn't mean agreeing, right? (less)
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Jan 02, 2017Brad rated it liked it
This book draws you in. The title isn't discussed in the context of this being the Bible Jesus read and how He read it, but rather that this was the Bible that was available at the time of Jesus. We often neglect the Old Testament today to our own detriment. The title piqued my interest since I had never really thought about it like that---this being the Bible actually available for Jesus to read (The Old Testament). But this book is presented as maybe a different way of viewing the Old Testament. I don't think much of what Yancey says is stated as a matter of fact, but is merely proprietary thought providing a different perspective on the matter. There's a richer experience to be had. The Old Testament and the New work very much in concert; understanding one helps in understanding the other. There is much gold to be found in the pages of the Old Testament; we just have to be committed in mining it. (less)
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Apr 04, 2020Caleb Davis rated it really liked it
Much like “The Jesus I Never Knew” did for the Gospels, this book aims to provide a fresh perspective on some of the more confusing Old Testament books (Job, Ecclesiastes, Deuteronomy, the Prophets, etc.). The focus is not on addressing thorny theological questions so much as advocating for the value of these books within the canon for bettering our understanding of God and how we can relate to him.
I wasn’t a big fan of the chapter on Deuteronomy, which shifted into a narrative for most of the chapter. But the rest of the book I thought was top notch, especially the discussion of Job, Ecclesiates, and the prophets, as well as the concluding chapter. I highly recommend for anyone who finds the Old Testament at times confounding, for great motivation to keep reading, studying, and pondering these books. (less)
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