Reading the Bible As If Jesus Mattered

by Duane Beachey, Danny Duncan Collum (Foreword)

Why do Christians who are very serious about the Bible largely ignore the words of Jesus? Exploring what might happen if Jesus were truly our starting point, Duane Beachey tackles inerrancy, fundamentalism, creationism, the culture wars, prophesy, nationalism, materialism, war, wealth, and same-gender relations. "No topic is too taboo for Beachey as he passionately calls us to read the Bible differently, to read the Bible with Jesus as the plumb line. You can hear the heartbeat of a man who loves Jesus, a man who risks the daring proposal that we can live out the teachings of Jesus-and in doing so, find real joy." --Michele Hershberger, Bible and Ministry faculty member, Hesston College"Reading the Bible as if Jesus Mattered is one of the most accessible and powerful manifestos on what it means to be a faithful, biblically grounded disciple of Jesus that I have ever read. Beachey approaches the Scriptures with Jesus as his interpretive lens and paints a stunning picture of what true Christianity should look like. This book is a must read for all followers of Christ, no matter where you fall on the theological spectrum, and will inspire you to commit yourself again to the way of Jesus, the liberating Prince of Peace." --Brandan Robertson, founder, The Revangelical Movement (www.revangelicalmovement.com)"Be... issues a call to a radical discipleship that has always been counter-cultural and always will be. Jesus matters. He matters more than any of our customs, predilections and prejudices. This book will help you put him back at the center of your faith." --Danny Duncan Collum, in the Foreword. Collum is contributing editor and columnist, Sojourners magazine, and professor of English and journalism, Kentucky State University

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 5, 2014

Reviews

[Carolyn Lind · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for every Christian or any person interested in authentic Christianity. It revisits the question of what it means to follow Jesus. It may make you question if most of what we call "Christian" is what Jesus lived and taught. It may make you wonder if we have lost our way.

In a culture immersed in materialism, militarism, and self interest, the author points to the way Christ taught as the alternative that could "save" our world. The author takes on a wide variety of topics and concludes with the chapter, "Jesus' 'I have a Dream' Speech".

A few quotes to remember:
"I believe our need for absolute truths should be replaced by faith in a God who can be absolutely trusted because only God has absolute truth, whereas we often 'see through a glass darkly, and we know only in part"... p. 24

"At any point that the Law didn't fit Jesus' understanding of love for God and neighbor, Jesus restated the Law, saying, 'But I say...'"-p.25

"...we are freed to follow the seemingly risky way of letting go to share freely, forgive constantly, and love indiscriminately--not as a set of rules but as our guiding principles for life."

"We often talk of salvation as being totally free. True, we can never earn God's grace and forgiveness. But Jesus never talked about a free, no-obligation offer. He told people to be sure they counted the cost before they joined in following him....he never suggested it was free. He said it would cost us everything." -p. 148

"Jesus assumes the whole law rests on the twin mandates to love God with everything we have and to love our neighbor as ourselves."-p.150

"We call all people and all rulers and all nations to forsake the dark forces and the ways of death and to live in the light of God, which is the only hope for the world."-p. 156