Servants or Friends?: Another Look at God

by A. Graham Maxwell

Book by Maxwell, A. Graham

205 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1992

Reviews

[Bonnie]

This is a gentle and affirming reminder that Christianity is rooted in friendship with God and others. I appreciated Maxwell's broad interpretation of Scripture, as well.

[Chris Conrad]

This is a wonderful book. It's written simply and clearly and presents a beautiful picture of God. It contrasts the relationship of a servant to that of a friend, and makes the point that God would prefer that all of us call Him our friend and Father. It's a life changing book.

[Marvin Brauer]

As I mentioned in my previous review of Maxwell’s Can God be Trusted I took several classes from the author as a student. He was a delightful man,warm-hearted, intelligent, and humorous. At the time he had developed all of his ideas which are presented in this book, primarily that God is our friend. And it was refreshing to hear his ideas having been born and raised an Adventist. I suspect if the church that he loved had followed his lead I would have never made my break. (I was a fourth generation Adventist with ministers abounding in the family.) but the church went hard right and I ditched it.

And so now coming back and reading Graham I agree with his ultimate conclusions, or at least I probably agree—nobody really knows—God is our friend and he is love.

I have two problems with the book. First is that Maxwell tries to prove his point with the Bible, and unfortunately it’s really difficult to say the Bible is inspired and we should trust it wholly while constantly having to pull little logic flaws in the process. Let’s face it everybody picks and chooses their verses in the Bible. Everybody does. Nobody admits it.
For example God orders Achan stoned, and… he loves us as friends. Anybody see the problem there?

Secondly and this is more fundamental, Maxwell believes that all mankind is born into sin, and Jesus has come to bring us back.

I’m sorry. I just disagree, and I’m okay if you disagree with me. I think if there is a god he’s either far more loving than any church is yet to agree on or he’s worthless.

A point Maxwell doesn’t answer effectively is the issue of pain and suffering versus god’s love. I mean what the fuck! And for most Christians the fact that I used the f word is more bothersome than that god has allowed millions if not billions years of pain and sufferings.

So Maxwell was a wonderful man. If you are an Adventist and want to stay an Adventist this is about as good a book as you are going to get

[Chris Gordon]

An excellent picture of A God that would rather us be friends than anything else.

[Gordon Harty]

The best view of God from the Bible that I have read.

[Liza Miles]

Simple language to explain an often overly complicated yet deeply profound theological concept