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A More Christlike Word: Reading Scripture the Emmaus Way

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The Scriptures are an essential aspect of the Christian faith. But we have often equated them with the living Word Himself, even elevating them above the One to whom they point. In doing so, we have distorted their central message—and our view of God. Tragically, this has caused multitudes of people unnecessary doubt, confusion, and pain in their encounters with the Scriptures.

Many people understand God as being truly loving and good. Yet, they struggle with depictions of God in Scripture as wrathful, violent, and genocidal. These “toxic texts” have caused some to set aside their Bibles as R-rated and unreliable. They have led others to completely reject their faith.

Author and theologian Bradley Jersak has wrestled deeply with such passages over many years. He has experienced the same questions, doubt, and pain. In A More Christlike Word , he offers a clarifying and freeing path forward. Whether readers consider themselves believers, doubters, or skeptics, all are invited to a more beautiful and ancient way of reading the Scriptures. Bradley calls this path the “Emmaus Way” because it demonstrates how Jesus regarded all Scripture as fulfilled in himself, the final Word of God who reveals the true nature of the Father.

After deconstructing the modern biblicist/literalist approaches to Scripture interpretation that have failed us, Brad turns to the early church for a hermeneutic of prefigurement, treating the Bible as the grand narrative of redemption, told through a polyphony of voices and worldviews, culminating in the arrival of Christ as the eternal Word of God—what God has to say about himself.

The interpretive system of the church fathers and mothers who gathered the New Testament and preached the gospel from the Old Testament has largely been ignored or dismissed by both evangelical and liberal movements, the twin children of modernity. The patristics explain and model the apostles’ Christ-centered interpretation of the Scriptures. Brad applies their approach to “unwrath” sample passages from each genre of the Bible, showing how even the cringe-worthy texts have an important place in the Christotelic saga of divine love.

Your journey on the Emmaus Way will open up to you the fullness of the Scriptures, and, most important, lead you to the God who deeply loves and welcomes you.
 

288 pages, Paperback

Published July 20, 2021

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Bradley Jersak

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1,304 reviews168 followers
September 30, 2021
Who Should Read this Book – Readers, specifically persons who are Christians, who may struggle with understanding the Bible but love Jesus and desire to read the Bible in a Jesus-shaped way.

What’s the Big Takeaway – The central revelation of the Bible is that Jesus is the clearest revelation of who God is and thus all of scripture must be interpreted in light of Jesus.

A quote: “The Word of God is inspired, inerrant, and infallible. And when he was about eighteen years old, he grew a beard” (29)


If you’ve read the Bible, or spent any time around honest people who have, you know the questions that frequently come up:

“How could a loving God command the genocide of whole nations of people, such as in Deuteronomy 7?”

“How could a loving God allow people to own slaves? Exodus 21:20-21 says it is okay to beat your slave as long as the slave does not die. Is that really okay with God?”

“Would a loving God really command not just murder, but then command the Israelites to kidnap the surviving women to become their wives, essentially condoning rape, as Numbers 31 says?”

“How could a loving God create a cosmos where some people, probably most people if only the real and true Christians are saved, end up suffering in torture forever and ever?”

I’ve asked these questions. Further, I’ve worked in full-time campus ministry for over fifteen years and have heard students ask these questions year after year. Many students are coming from a Christian background, being away from home for the first time and experiencing freedom, are wondering if they want to continue in the faith of their parents. Some are being asked questions from friends or reading the Bible on their own for the first time.

My answers to these questions have certainly changed over the years. When I began, having grown up in the American evangelical branch of Christianity, I felt compelled to take the entirety of the Bible “literally.” The Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, was our final authority in all things. Interpreting it in this way, one answer was to fall back on “God’s ways are higher than our ways,” and affirm that we may not understand why God does things, but who are we to judge God? Another answer was to say that God had no other option but to allow (command) such things in order to get to the climax of the story, the coming of Jesus.

As I shared such answers, lingering in the background were my own doubts about what I was saying. Does genocide, violence and murder all of a sudden become a good thing when God does it? We are, supposedly, to become more like God, but it seems God is so different from us that we somehow to becoming like God is to learn to be more callous towards those who are judged/punished/massacred. I remember hearing Christians like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson say that hurricane Katrina was God’s judgment on the sin of New Orleans. I shuddered at such statements. Yet, theologically and biblically, they were more consistent than I was. God had done it before so why wouldn’t God do it again? They just had the guts to say it.

I recall I tended to focus on the argument that God had no other option but to command these things in order to get to Jesus. But this was to reduce God to employing a sort of means-to-an-end ethic. Is God really weak enough to have to work this way?

Over the years I kept reading – scripture as well as historical theology and the early church fathers. I kept praying and journaling and talking to people. I also shed some tears. The more I came to understand Jesus as the clearest revelation of who God is, the more I felt I needed to relearn how to read scripture.

As I said, I read a lot of books. Well, I wish I had had Bradley Jersak’s A More Christlike Word fifteen years ago! This book is absolutely fantastic and a must-read for any Christian trying to figure out how to read the Bible. There are lots of other helpful books out there, but I think this is the one I will recommend to people going forward. Jersak covers a lot of ground, filling the 285 pages with a ton of content. Though he is a scholar and theologian, he writes in an engaging style that any Christian could easily grasp. He answers the sort of questions people are asking and provides plenty of additional resources for further study.

Jersak echoes many of us in writing, “I did not find these BIble passages troubling because I didn’t love and trust the Bible – it was because I DID. Deeply. Still do” (45). We could see these troubling passages and walk away from faith altogether. Some did that and still do that. I empathize with this. Sadly, some well-meaning Christians scoff at those deconstructing their faith and asking questions, telling them that they are just rebels against God who want to sin or don’t take the Bible seriously enough. When I talk to students, friends or others asking these questions it is usually those who take their faith most seriously who are doing the asking, questioning and deconstructing.

Jersak’s core thesis is presented right away:

“When we stand firm on Scripture’s central revelation – that Jesus Christ, the Word-made-flesh, is what God finally says about himself – biblicism (the notion that the Bible is our final authority) presents a thousand objections in the form of contrary biblical proof texts” (21).

“Jesus is the Word of God and the Christian Scriptures faithfully testify to him. To speak of the Word of God is to proclaim Jesus Christ as the author, finisher, and final authority of Christian faith” (27).

Jersak’s previous book, A More Christlike God, argued for understanding God in this Christ-like way. For many evangelicals (and I focus on evangelicals because that’s my own background), Jesus is the means for which we get saved. The point of Jesus is his work on the cross and in the resurrection. But once salvation is taken care of and we begin to discuss what God is like, the revelation of God in Jesus is reduced to just one image of God among many. In other words, sometimes God is loving and forgiving. But at other times, and eventually at the end of time, God is vengeful and vindictive.

The point is not that Jesus did not die on the cross and rise again; the point is this is not just something to believe to get saved but instead this reveals who God always has been and ought to change everything about how we think of God!

Some Christians may accuse those of us who interpret the Bible in the way Jersak does of “picking and choosing.” Jersak brings this up at some point. When we look to the revelation of God in Jesus to say that we know God does not command genocide and murder, we’re often told we’re picking which parts of the Bible to follow. I think this is ironic, because by submitting all of scripture to Jesus we are now unable to “pick and choose” which image of God to follow. Instead, we must always understand God as revealed in the self-sacrificial love of Jesus. We are disarmed; no more vengeance or retaliation. I would argue it is those who relativize Jesus as one of many pictures of God who are able to pick and choose. When you want to choose forgiveness and love, you have a God who does this. But if you want to see vengeance done on your enemies, well you can find that too (and history shows plenty of Christians have utilized this conception of God to justify violence; heck, we had President Biden quoting scripture on wrath to justify drone attacks that ended up killing innocent children).

What does it look like to interpret the entire Bible in light of Jesus. Jersak writes:

“Read the Bible. When anything in the rest of the Bible disagrees with Jesus, listen to Jesus. When Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the Prophets) appear with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, what does Abba say? ‘This is my Son. Listen to him.’ The Law and Prophets point to Jesus. Never use them to correct him. He’s the Word of God. And they are now submissive witnesses to the Word of God, when read by the Spirit” (41).

The obvious question then is, how come the Bible includes all this offensive, violent and un-Christlike portrayals of God? Jersak cites Pete Enns who said, “because God let his children tell the story” (57). God allowed the Israelites to think, believe, say and write things about God that were not true of who God is. Jersak describes this as voices in conversation about God that ultimately leads to the revelation of the one infallible Word, Jesus. And it is not even that the scripture prior to Jesus spoke in one voice. We have the prophets, such as Jeremiah (in Jeremiah 7), speaking for God, saying it was not God who asked for sacrifice. Except, when you go back to the Law, the command for sacrifice is from God!

Its not that God changed, as if God wanted sacrifice for a while until God wanted justice and pure hearts. Instead, God has always been the same but the knowledge of God has opened up. Jersak calls this progressive illumination:

“We also see the Holy Spirit at work within that process. . . progressively removing veils for the people of God even as their story moved forward. We see divine illumination transforming their image of God all along, preparing them to see what God had revealed all along, preparing them to see what God had revealed to Abraham from the beginning: that God’s heart was to bless the whole world through his Seed (Jesus Christ)” (84).

Through the story we learn then that God is not a national deity, favoring one nation over another, but that God desires to bless the world. God is not a violent death dealer, but instead God’s plan is redemption and peace for all. Further, we see these images of God in all of scripture as well. Its all mixed in together. When we go back and read it in light of Jesus we see the glimmers of who God is amidst the false pictures of God.

Importantly, Jersak demonstrates that this way of reading scripture is not some modern idea that came along because we all became soft-hearted in the last few years. This reading is rooted in the ancient way of reading scripture, which saw the literal level as just the surface, the place to begin, before we dig into the deeper levels that reveal moral truths and how it all points to Jesus:

“A literalist reading of Scripture depicts God as a moral monster, capable of constructing, committing, and commanding evils that violate any healthy human conscience. But it hasn’t always been this way. There was a richer, deeper, literal sense in the early church” (121).

This is one of the things I most appreciate about Jersak and the other modern scholars he is in line with: they root their theology and interpretation in the early church. Not just the early church, but really much of the church for the first 1,500 years and interpreters outside the west up to the present day. The way we evangelicals learned to read the Bible in the last century in America, with our emphasis on flattening out the Bible so all scriptures are the same and to be taken literally is really the new, modern idea. This way of reading, shared by fundamentalists and atheists alike, leads to all sorts of problems:

“Many disillusioned Christians, embittered ex-Evangelicals, and haughty New Atheists denigrate the Bible in the easiest possible way: they continue to read it as fundamentalist literalists – then use their misinterpretation of the sacred Scriptures against it as ammunition. Well, at least they’re reading it. But are they? If we want to move past that shallow discourse, we must remember that, for Christ and in Christ, the entire Bible is a Christian book. Therefore, our task is to always pursue and determine a Christ-centered reading of it” (138).

When we say God is love we are not compromising with culture. Instead, we are recovering views of God rooted both in scripture and our tradition.

All this said, one question that does come up is whether this is a sort of Christian appropriation of the Jewish text. Jersak’s answer to this is to recognize that our access to the Jewish scriptures is Jesus, our rabbi who was, of course, Jewish. We learn to read the scripture from Jesus which is to read it in the Emmaus way. I think this is one spot where I’d have liked a deeper dive, as the question of anti-semitism does linger in Christian history. At the very least though, following the Jesus way leads to nonviolence and repudiation of anything close to anti-Semitic.

To follow Jesus into the scriptures is to recognize that when violence is attributed to God, this reveals our human tendency to imagine God (or the gods) is like us. We are the violent ones, thinking God wants sacrifice (and I didn’t even mention the ways this shows us a nonviolent atonement, telling us it is not God who killed Jesus but humans who did! There is so much more to say!). When we read of trials, even prolonged ones, we are seeing Christ’s ultimate suffering on trial as prefigured. When we see injustice in the scriptures, we are seeing prefigured humanity’s unjust betrayal of Jesus. And when we see victory, even victory that is “dubious in its xenophobic violence” (160) we are getting a glimpse of the coming beautiful victory of Christ over death.

I have so much more to say! I haven’t even gotten into part two where Jersak talks about how noticing rhetoric and diatribe in scripture as well as anthropomorphic images of God and much more.

Overall, if you haven’t figured it out by now, I think any and every Christian could benefit from this book. Jersak will show you how to read scripture better, how to read it consistently with the revelation of God in Jesus right there at the center. To some this will come across as dishonoring the Bible and Jersak certainly puts the Bible in a sort of secondary position. But it is secondary to Jesus. Your choice is really whether you think Jesus is the inerrant and perfect word of God or do you think the Bible is? How will you answer those questions? Does your God kill and torture people? Is your God okay with, or even one who commands, slavery and rape?

Or is God revealed in Jesus and does every image and story of God bow to Jesus?

I’ll take Jesus. My prayer is more of us will. It just might save our faith.
292 reviews1 follower
August 26, 2021
A More Christlike Word is the latest book from Brad Jersak (to accompany A More Christlike God and A More Christlike Way neither of which, I confess, I have read. I picked this one up as the result of a discussion with a friend.) Up front, I appreciated the point he made at the beginning and at several points in the book. That is, “I learned to read (the Scriptures) without intimacy.” This is an important point. I understand his frustration about being forced into a wooden, academic view of Scripture that robs it of its power. I confess to being wired a little like that and must personally fight against treating it primarily as a text book instead of seeking to hear what God wants me to hear from its text. Having said that, here are several places on which I think a reader would need to wrestle with Jersak’s approach.

First, what view does he have of the nature and person of God and is it consistent with what Scripture teaches? This question raised two issues. First, his view that God’s love somehow is His preeminent attribute and all others must submit to that’s attributes sovereignty as it were: “God is love only, for every other attribute of God must ever only be a facet of that one pure diamond,” and later, “God is love. Period.” I see the subservience of all attributes of God to His love as difficult to support from Scripture and, when starting from such a point, it’s easy to get off track later. Notably, he never addresses God’s holiness at all from my reading.

This foundation leads to several other errors, in my view. He says,“a faith commitment to the goodness and love of God are (sic) required for a reading of Scripture ‘worthy’ of God’s character.” Again, notably, we evidently do not need a faith commitment to God’s holiness or any of His other attributes to properly interpret Scripture in a way “worthy” of Him. For that reason, any act or characteristic of God that doesn’t look like “goodness” and / or “love” is clearly not “worthy” of God and therefore not really God’s word. As readers continue in the book, they will see that worked out in his view of Scripture.

Other points he made in my view reflect the same off-square building from a faulty foundation: “Hosea’s schizophrenic, angry God,” and quoting St. Anthony the Great with approval, “God does not rejoice and is not angered, for joy and anger are passions.” I understand he sees anger as not “worthy” of God, but what does he do with Zephaniah 3:17, John 17:13 and the many verses like them? God rejoices over His people. Clearly. How can we read these and conclude that God has no passions?

Once the author starts down that road, he must parse Scripture very carefully to remain consistent with the foundation he laid. I’ll have more to say on this later, but related to God’s character, here’s the prime example: He emphasizes God’s mercy, and compassion and grace (which are well worth emphasizing) but the edits out the pieces of God that make him uncomfortable. He notes “The revelation of God as ‘gracious and compassionate’ comes through loud and clear early in our story with God’s preservation of Hagar and Ishmael, and in his self-disclosure to Moses (Exod 34)…(etc.).” This is quite true and a lovely thing about our God. But the passage he cites to make his point is a very familiar passage to Christians and Jews alike. And most know it continues, “…but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.” Why would the author not wrestle with this, at least with a few sentences? Why would he just edit out that part of the same sentence he cites to make his point?

Second, if we accept his view of Scriptural interpretation, what is the point of Passover and the meaning of “atonement”? He claims, “The temple establishment of ritual slaughter was never God’s heart or God’s idea. God repeatedly asks instead for justice and mercy—he has no need for a temple or sacrifices, etc.” If we accept this view, that all the Mosaic law including the sacrifices were just part of their culture at the time, does that not empty the Passover? Did they just dream the blood over the doorposts themselves? How would they have gotten that idea even from within their culture? And I assume we also must conclude that the death of all Egyptian firstborn males was not God’s work, just a story from their culture. But if that’s true, why do they need the blood on the doorpost at all? Passover is devoid of meaning if his view is true.

In the same vein, quoting David Goa, “Jesus…allowed himself to be crucified precisely to end the cycle of mimetic contagion.” But the idea that the Passover Lamb is not a type that Christ fills undermines Scripture through the voice or pens of Isaiah (Isaiah 53), John the Baptist (John 1:29), Paul (Romans 5:9) and Peter (I Peter 1:19), among others. And if the Passover has no content, then what are we to conclude of I Corinthians 5 where Christ, the Word, is called “our Passover Lamb”? The author interprets a couple of these passages a different way in the book, but here we are interested more in the foundation of Scripture: if there is no atonement, then Passover makes no sense and you start pulling on that thread and must unwind many, many passages and themes of Scripture to remain consistent with the idea.

Third, what other basics of theology are undermined by his argument and conclusions? I saw three other errors that emanate from the first two issues noted above: “In other words, God was never our enemy!”, “Estrangement from God is one-sided” (i.e., us from Him, not Him from us), and “the cross of Christ does not change anything in God’s orientation”. Of course there are countless places in Scripture that present a different view. The author deals with a few of these, but most he does not. The most obvious and again, a very familiar verse that he just leaves on the floor: “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son…” I wish he had at least wrestled with it some, rather than just declaring, “God was never our enemy!” Likewise, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,” (Hebrews 10:19 and ff): we could not enter before, but now we can. His view, it seems to me, negates the straightforward language of huge swaths of Hebrews and of many other Scriptures that we then must find some other way to explain.

Fourth, what happens to Scripture if we adopt his viewpoint? Though the author tries mightily to hold to and revere all of Scripture, he ends up, in my view, creating a revised “Thomas Jefferson” Bible—with the portions he doesn’t like or agree with just lopped out of the reading by attributing them to someone other than God. I made that point above where we cite God “gracious and compassionate” (true and inspired) and just drop the “but who will by no means clear the guilty…” (presumably a cultural add; he didn’t deal with the problem). How can we divide sentences into part a, “the inspired word of God” and part b, “Moses’s cultural view”? He makes the point by citing Philo and concluding, “we search the Scriptures for what is worthy of God and useful for us.” Are we not then using Scripture to create a God that fits our view of what He should be?

Ultimately, he creates a hermeneutic, in my view, that undermines Scripture altogether: “When you compare translations…the question is NOT which one best represents the first manuscripts, but which one best represents the gospel.” But how do we know the gospel apart from what is written in the manuscripts? Or, “The message of Jonah is true whether or not the story is.” But then wouldn’t the same logic and rule also apply to the resurrection? Scripture doesn’t allow us to hold that view of the resurrection. If the story is not true, the message is untrue and “we are of men most miserable.”

In the end, he seems blind to his own criticism of what he calls “literalism”: “Thus,” he accuses literalists, “any Scripture that does not agree with my (the literalists) system must either be ignored, twisted, or subordinated while other texts are privileged.” The very thing, it seems, he must do to remain consistent with his view of God.

Two other points in this already over-long review:

I regret the author’s unwillingness to wrestle with Scripture that doesn’t agree with his view. For instance, he accepts the LXX translation of “bruise / crush” in Isaiah 53:10 (God was pleased to crush (or bruise) Him, which he says is better translated “cleanse” or “purify”) to support his view. But the Hebrew word here is dakka, and every other place it is used in Hebrew Scripture means bruise, crush, destroy, beat, etc. If one goes to any other place where dakka is used in the Old Testament and try to substitute “cleanse” or “purify,” it becomes gibberish. These include one use of the word just 5 verses earlier in the same paragraph, Isaiah 53:5. “But he was pierced for our transgressions and purified? cleansed? for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and by his wounds we are healed.” It just doesn’t make sense and the LXX doesn’t translate the same word that way here. This is easily discoverable. Why would he not at least acknowledge and wrestle with it a little?

I regret the mocking tone the author often takes with “literalists”. For instance, the “alleged” or “hypothetical” original autographs of Scriptural books, implying they are some kind wishful thinking. But if we have a book, or letter written by an author, isn’t it quite reasonable to conclude there was an original copy of the work as the author wrote and intended it to be? Why would he imply this is all made up or otherwise imaginary?

Or, “reading the Bible as ‘the letter that kills,’ i.e, ‘biblical literalists’…” It’s OK to have a different view of what Scripture says or how to interpret it, but must the author label everyone who takes a different view as equivalent to the Pharisees of Jesus’ time?

Or, in his advocation for a liturgical approach to Scripture, he says, “it helps the pastor or congregation to avoid meandering off into the swamps of their pet doctrines and hobbyhorses (i.e., heresies).” Is he really saying that people who see the death of Christ as a substitutionary atonement to appease God’s wrath are heretics?

Or, “There is no problem until we squeeze their descriptions into a mold that demands that we believe the sun actually revolves around the earth because, ‘the Bible clearly says.’ Not that the church would ever be so daft. Oops. #Galileo.”

Or, finally, “In Part II, I invite you to seven specific elements of biblical interpretation. These are areas that might have been marked ‘restricted section’ of the library at Hogwarts carried books on hermeneutics, and the librarian was a biblical literalist. I’m only partly joking because in the fundamentalist wing of the Evangelical world, these topics are generally out of bounds.” I am, I suppose, what the author would call in the “fundamentalist wing” of the Evangelical world since I hold to the Bible as being inerrant and infallible. Yet I read his entire book and have tried to be respectful in my criticism. I have many friends who share my view of the Bible and don’t know a single one who wouldn’t be willing to consider what this author has to say.

I very much regret that we Christ-followers, who are supposed to be marked by love for and unity with each other can’t have a respectful conversation, even over our differences. It’s always been this way (sigh) but it also seems that the world of social media has magnified this tendency in us to mock, characterize, impute motives or otherwise belittle those with whom we disagree. It’s not just the author, of course. I’m sure he will be mocked his detractors. (Double sigh).
450 reviews5 followers
July 10, 2021
first thoughts as I read- I can see the appeal for Eastern Orthodoxy after reading this. And having friends who have left evangelical churches for EOA, this makes their choice far more logical. I don’t agree with all of this book, but I can see the value in this book. The author is not antagonistic toward those of differing views, unlike many modern texts on this topic.
Interesting premise, and well supported claims.
Tone throughout is conversational, which is both interesting and distracting at times.
OT as mirror for the sinfulness of man. Interesting idea. Not sure I’ve heard it phrased like that. Different way of thinking (non dispensationalist)
Can the Bible be both literally true and a mirror into the sinfulness of man? This author appears argues it cannot.
The chapter on inerrancy and canon would be an excellent read for people who have read books on the process of canonization from liberal scholars. Interesting counterpoint. They canonized what they recognized as pointing to Jesus-the true canon of faith
I hesitate to say I like this book, but I do like PARTS of it. I like that it made stop and think, is that what is actually what’s happening?
I think if you are of a more orthodox bent, you will greatly appreciate it. I did find much of value. But I also encountered things I disagree with. If I wasn’t so burnt out on these kind of books right now, I’d read the rest of his monographs. But I think these ideas will linger.
Profile Image for Joan.
3,860 reviews89 followers
July 30, 2021
Having read Jersak's book, here is my assessment of his strategy.

Principle 1: God is Love – period. (293/5776) God is love only. (968/5776) All other attributes are subservient. “There is no divine anger, judgment, or wrath as over against God's love.” (968/5776)

Principle 2: Jesus is the full revelation of the Father. “...Jesus revealed the fullness of God in the incarnation and, thus, he – not the Bible – is the only divine Word and our final authority for theology, faith, and Christian practice.” (4321/5776) “Everything said in the Bible about God submits to his revelation of the Father.” ((304/5776)

Principle 3: When reading the Bible, passages that portray God in a different way than as love and as revealed by Jesus must be understood as really something else, such as an allegory or an expression of anthropomorphism or just the rant of a cranky prophet.

I see some problems with Jersak's strategy. Regarding principle 1, who defines what the love God is looks like? If it is a human, such as Jersak, then other descriptions of God and records of His acts are being submitted to a human view. As Jersak writes, if God's essential nature is love (Jersak's definition of love), then the necessity of eternal torment, the wrath of God, etc., fall. (927/5776 )

Regarding principle 2, yes, Jesus fully embodied God. Does that mean there is nothing we can learn about God outside of Jesus' life? Is Jesus' revelation about God the same as all we can know about God or is Jesus' revelation a subset of all that can be known about God? And, how can we know what is said about Jesus in the gospels is accurate? If what Old Testament historians and prophets wrote can be designated as allegories or anthropomorphisms by Jersak, then how do we know what the gospel writers said aren't really made up stories and dialogue to promote their agenda? How do I know that when Jesus said He and the Father were one He was not speaking allegorically?

Regarding principle 3, what prevents me from arguing the reverse? Suppose I argue that God as portrayed in the Old Testament is a superior revelation to the gospel accounts and that the gospels must be read in that light? If I am encouraged to reconsider reading the Bible (specifically the Old Testament), shouldn't I also reconsider the gospels and what they say about Jesus? Jersak references rabbi Philo of Alexandria teaching that brutal descriptions of God, anywhere God is not described as good and merciful, must be anthropomorphic. (1840/5776) But who defines what is good and what is merciful? Me? Jersak? Also, in Luke 24, Jesus explained what was said in all the Scriptures about Himself. (2268/5776) He did not say He was all the Scriptures talked about. (I could say I explained what is said in all the books concerning weather. That does not mean all books written are about weather.) And there is no consistency in Jersak saying the resurrection is fact because it reflects eye witness testimony (2541/5776) yet discounting Old Testament historical accounts not to his liking as “fictitious history” even though recorded by eye witnesses like Isaiah. (2650/5776) That Jersak would absolutely trust the gospel writers to accurately portray Jesus yet question the accuracy of the rest of the Scripture writers is mind boggling.

Jersak has some ideas that are worth considering. One is our devotion to the Bible to the extent that it displaces Jesus and becomes our authority rather than Jesus. Jersak is critical of penal substitutionary atonement. While I did not find his argument compelling, it is worth reading. He also has an insightful exploration of translators and translations and what it means to read the Bible in its literary form.

Jersak admits that we all read the Bible with our own predispositions. (2382/5776) He just wants to convince you his predispositions are the best. I suggest reading the Bible will always be a fallible task as we are humans with limited intellect trying to understand communication from God with infinite intellect.

This is a good book for readers who desire the Bible portray God as a God with whom we can feel comfortable: kind, loving, good, gentle, etc. Readers who are willing to live with the Bible portraying God in all His wild, holy, consuming fire, non human understanding majesty, may find this book less than satisfying.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.
Profile Image for Nathan Rupp.
11 reviews
November 9, 2021
In this book Brad Jersak attempts to unconfuse the common misconceptions about what the Bible is and who Jesus is, and he does it well. It opens with Brad’s own journey of the shifting understanding of scripture in his life as it became harder for him to hold to the recent Protestant inventions of Biblical infallibility and inerrancy. I say recent because neither early Christians nor the Judaic traditions have ever claimed this about scripture. In fact, Jewish tradition seems more aware and embracing of its discrepancies and contradictions than possibly anyone else.

Nevertheless, his main point becomes that for Christians there is an infallible Word of God that the New Testament writers point to, but his name is Jesus. From this point Brad puts the Bible back into its context as a liturgical text shared and interpreted by its community, especially in terms of how it points to God. Brad shows how the whole of scripture according to the early Christian traditions was seen as an unfolding drama of redemption. Yet, it itself is being told through the messiness and brokenness of human lives and it constantly reflects that.

What changes is when Christ claimed that all of scripture always testified about himself, which is what Brad calls the Emmaus Way of reading the Bible. He convincingly argues that Christians are not being disingenuous when reinterpreting the whole text through Jesus. Just as every Judaic interpretation comes from one of many rabbinic schools of tradition, so Christianity comes from its own rabbinic Jesus-tradition. This tradition reveals Jesus as the plot twist that makes us have to rethink and reinterpret everything that came before it.

So, if you have ever found yourself disturbed and confused over the Bible’s many tensions, good. You were paying attention. This book will be a helpful resource for reorienting you toward what to do with that trouble. In essence, it is okay for the Bible to be a text in travail because it is a saga that is going somewhere. But, as Brad contends, it is one that points toward the unpredictability and incomprehensibility of an infinitely merciful, redemptive and Christlike God.
2 reviews
March 1, 2024
An absolutely brilliant work! It is as if the myopic glasses that had been relentlessly pounded into my reading of the Bible had been removed. The portions of the old and new testament that for so long(50+years)never matched up with the testimony of Christ, now fall into natural order. I am left very saddened at the realization that the vast majority of the American Protestant church is truly in a legalistic theological cage of their own making. Taking the beautiful good news of God’s Word and twisting it into a cage of man-made rules that almost completely mirrors the religious leaders of Christ’s incarnation timeframe. It is of little wonder that the church is only truly making a worldly impact. All praise to Lord Jesus for letting me see this work. I highly recommend this book for all. It is not a simple book to read for anyone without a theological background, but it is more than worth the effort.
1 review
October 8, 2021
In a More Christ-like Word, Brad Jersak brings to light the Christotelic way of reading the scripture (where Christ is the pinnacle of revelation and every word must finally submit to him) Brad calls this the Emmaus Way. His excellent scholarship, wit, and personal insight will challenge the reader to read the Bible w
ith an eye on the Word (the Logos), showing how all scripture is subservient to Christ. If you struggle with how to reconcile some of the violent passages found in the bible with a loving God, this is the book you'll want to read. Scholarly but highly readable.
48 reviews8 followers
September 6, 2021
I liked this book, which I wasn’t expecting to do. I like where Matt Lynch’s influence appears beneath the surface. Jersak’s work on the New Testament is really lovely as well, and although I’m not an Enns fan by any means some of the real gems of his work show up here as well. I appreciate the desire for brevity, but I also really wished this could have been longer. Would love to see appendixes/more information/a longer argument.
Profile Image for Tim Otto.
Author 3 books13 followers
April 19, 2022
Although Peter Enns is great at helping people see the Bible in all its complexity, Jersak comes from a very conservative background and does a better job at helping others from that background make their way to a more truthful view of scripture. It is unfortunate that Jersak has Enns open the book since his own story is a much more compelling open and Enns' theological foreword isn't the most inviting. That aside, this is the best book I know of right now that illuminates the challenge of reading scripture though the eyes of faith, believing that Jesus is ultimately the word that is inerrant and infallible.
August 13, 2021
“For all of you who find the Bible heavy-lifting, either because you don’t know where to begin or because you’ve been given such a heavy interpretive, defensive load to bear on behalf of a good news about Jesus, rather than finding yourselves carried by Jesus, the incarnate Word himself, and his indescribably good gospel of love, from Genesis to Revelation, then this book is for you. It will invite you to move from simply reading verses through an unexamined lens to always listening for the revelation of Christ, by Christ, who reveals what is true concerning the relentless, renewing love of God, our Father, and thus what is true about us as his beloved ones.
Brad Jersak invites us to read all of Scripture so as to hear, see, and know Christ, our Living Good News, and to know ourselves through Christ.

To walk the Emmaus Way is enter into a wonderful, costly exchange of sorts: To exchange fear—of not understanding everything, of not knowing what you will or won’t find, of proof-texting to defend God (or a fear of God himself, and thus defending your heart against Scripture’s challenges)—for fearlessness and joyful freedom in the company of our Lord and the full communion of saints throughout the ages. Jersak has walked this Emmaus Way ahead of us, in the company of some of these saints, including the wise ancients of the early church and some current wise ones. Thus, he is a good, gracious and careful guide, who tells his own journey into a renewed love of Scripture that witnesses to the love of God for us in Christ Jesus, and invites us along with humility and humor, with open hand and heart, and with a deep awareness of the costliness of this exchange and the priceless gift given in Christ himself, the Good Way, who gives us both courage and capacity to hear, read, and see him, the Word made flesh, in both Testaments. Receive this book as kind companion for the journey."
Profile Image for John W. Bullock.
Author 1 book2 followers
September 30, 2021
What a tease that Emmaus conversation was! "Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, [Jesus] interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures" (Luke 24:27). But that comprehensive interpretation by Jesus is never recorded! The disciples' eyes were opened while mine remained frustratingly shut to his revelation.
This book explains why. Rather than seeing the collection of books that we call the Bible as a multi-flavored anthology of genres, personalities, and rhetorical styles carrying a golden thread of truth and revelation of God (which Jesus revealed incarnate) throughout, I had been taught to read as literally as possible, weighting all the words as equally revelatory, whether or not they were poetic or metaphorical; whether or not the author was venting (like David), worshiping, prophesying, or teaching. That golden thread of revelation concerning Jesus and his Father was lost in my lack of discernment in what I was reading and how I should hear. Without Jesus there can be no revelation of the true nature of God. He is the first, only, and last Word.
This book is excellent as it examines how the earliest disciples understood scripture. It is a call to the light. It is not for the faint of heart who are comfortable being wrapped in their familiar dogmas. But if you dare to see your eyes will be opened, your hearts, too, will burn within you with hope and joy.
Profile Image for Felicia Murrell.
Author 14 books18 followers
August 13, 2021
For years, I kept believing there was more to God than what I was being exposed to but I didn’t know how to find Him. How does one chart a course into the way of Love without a map? Enter Brad Jersak... Brad is a mapmaker and A More Christlike Word: Reading Scripture The Emmaus Way is an atlas of sorts, a trusty guide for the journey ahead. Suffice it to say, this is a necessary book for today’s time when so many are experiencing crises of faith. For anyone who loves the Triune God but has found the Bible problematic, this book feels like utter redemption. Through the pages of this book, Brad weaves his lived experience with his scholastic knowledge in a way that calls hearts back to Jesus and steers weary sojourners who have found themselves waning from the fire, frustrated by the melee, or ready to topple the pillars of certitude back onto the path of Love. In A More Christlike Word you’ll find an invitation to engage the written word through the Living Word. And, you’ll unapologetically find Jesus, the inerrant, infallible Word of God.
Profile Image for Daniel Pandolph.
26 reviews7 followers
July 23, 2022
This one is a mixed bag. There are some REALLY helpful parts and I agree with the authors desire to recover an ancient hermeneutic. His material dealing with the Old Testament I found helpful and his chapter on the four voices of Scripture is truly excellent.

However, the author’s pre-commitment to saying wrath should be understood as punishment turning in on us, rather than God’s wrath against us leads him, in my opinion, to force the text to do odd things.

Paul was very cautious what he predicated about the divine, so to say he is using rhetoric just feels…off. Does Paul use rhetoric? Yes! Is he using rhetoric when talking about God’s wrath? Ehhhh.

The author also has the habit of cutting of key parts of context. Three examples:

1) In his discussion of Wisdom of Solomon and Romans 5, he is insistent that “the wrath” be read in light of Wisdom where it is understood as “the destroyer” or “satan.” Fine, I don’t disagree that Paul is citing WoS. But when you read the context of WoS and the story that WoS is drawing from (Phineas) it is clear from the surrounding context that God is the one orchestrating the punishment.

2) In his discussion of Romans 1-2, he states (drawing from Campbell) that Romans 2:1 Paul is addressing a hypothetical opponent. So v1 should be read as Paul, vs. 2 as the opponent and vs. 3-4 as Paul. Again, that’s fine. I don’t have any issue with that. But what do we do with verse 5? There is no clear rhetorical marker in vs. 5 that would lead us to think that the voice has shifted, and yet vs. 5 sounds more like the opponent in vs. 2. I imagine the author would say it is the opponent, but again, there seems to be no rhetorical device to show that.

To be fair, that is beyond the scope of his book. But the author raises the complexity of diatribe and then gives an overly small sample.

3) In his discussion on 1 Corinthians 11 and Paul’s thinking, he again suggests that Paul undoes the argument of vs. 5-10. This isn’t persuasive to me. First, what do we do with verse 4 where Paul is clearly speaking and setting up the discussion on verses 5-10. It seems unworkable.


My last complaint is perhaps the most serious.

But first, let me be clear—the author is clearly well read and brilliant. So I guess I found is disconcerting how selectively he chooses to use the church father’s theology. God’s impassibility is utilized when talking about wrath, but not God’s love. The fathers were clear that impassibility is applied to all of God’s attributes.

What about the fact that God has no parts? In this sense the church fathers understood you couldn’t isolate any attribute of God and remove it from the others. God’s righteousness and justice aren’t separated from his love and vice versa.

(I understand this gets into the territory of essential vs non-essential attributes of God and that wrath would fall under a non-essential attribute.)

The reality is that the church fathers (who would have quickly picked up on the Greek rhetoric of Paul) didn’t see his language about God’s wrath as rhetoric. I wish the author would have leaned more heavily into the Classical Theism of the fathers he (and I) love.

THAT said, I enjoyed this book. Jersak is sharp and a challenging read. I’ll be using some of his insights into my own thinking. For what it’s worth, I think this book is far superior to Greg Boyd’s newest on inerrancy. Glad I read it!
Profile Image for Andrew Lewis.
13 reviews
December 12, 2021
I’ve been meaning to read Bradley Jersak for awhile now. As someone who grew up in White American Evangelicalism and has since transitioned to a more open, progressive understanding of the Bible, Jersak’s name frequently comes up in various books I read. A More Christlike Word opens with Jersak summarizing his own faith journey from fundamental biblicism (what many “Bible-believing” churches refer to as literalism) to where he currently sits: understanding the infallible Word of God as Jesus Christ, not as the written words of the Bible. As I read Jersak’s story, I thought “Yes, this is me. But now what? What’s next?”

This shift in thinking, which stems from studying the scriptures, as well as early church fathers, fosters a Christocentric or Christotelic hermeneutic approach. Essentially, every word of the Bible must be looked at through the lens of the Word, Logos, Jesus Christ.

While this approach to Biblical study isn’t new, Jersak does an admirable job of surveying topics such as rhetorical strategies, ancient genres, translations, and objections to a Christotelic hermeneutic, all infused with many sources and quotes from ancient Christians.

Like any book that covers such a wide topic, some chapters are more helpful than others. Overall, I’ll fault the book on some pacing issues. Some topics that warrant deeper discussion are only briefly mentioned, while at times the length of exposition on another topic seems unnecessary. Rather than a cohesive whole, A More Christlike Word feels a bit disjointed and somewhat thrown together from previous blog posts, essays, sermons, and conversations. Jersak admits this in his preface, writing that he “realized quickly that no amount of editing could massage these chapters into a uniform tone or style,”(p.23). While Jersak playfully says to “Think of it as an exercise in nimble reading,”(p.23) I found it less than ideal.

I still think the book is an excellent companion for trying to read the Bible without needing everything to be literal, but at times the main message seemed cloudy. I’ve read books by Peter Enns (who wrote the forward for this book), that were more focused and clear in their messages. That being said, however, I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who has engaged with Peter Enns’ work but wants to take the next step into something more academic.

Admittedly, A More Christlike Word is the final of a trilogy of “A More Christlike” series by Bradley Jersak. I haven’t read the other two in this series, and as I mentioned earlier, came into this book completely new to Jersak. I took many notes, highlighted plenty of sections, and will likely return to A More Christlike Word in the future as I continue to study the scriptures. However, for someone who is just starting to deconstruct how they were taught to read the Bible I would recommend something by Peter Enns first. Once someone is more comfortable with the idea that not everything written in the Bible must be read literally, then give them A More Christlike Word so they can dive deeper.


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Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publisher through the Speakeasy blogging review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
139 reviews3 followers
August 7, 2021
This book is the third in a trilogy by Bradley Jersak. I had read the first—“A More Christlike God”—and had eagerly anticipated this third volume. Disclaimer: I received this book free from the author and/or publisher through the Speakeasy blogging book review network. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

I have blogged an extensive book summary elsewhere , and will make this post much briefer and more of a review.

Part 1, entitled “Jesus Is the Word of God,” forms the basis of the book. Part 2, “Scripture as Epic Saga,” could possibly have been made into appendices, albeit rather long ones, to the core of Jersak’s theology in Part 1. Part 2 intentionally mixes its genres, as the Bible itself does.

I should also say that the theology is not Jersak’s per se, but the experience and belief of many theologians and scholars, individuals and communities, from ancient to modern times. Jersak merely repackages an interpretation of the Bible he calls “The Emmaus Way,” based on the gospel story of Luke 24. That interpretive method is developed at length throughout the book.

Jersak’s assertion, stated early and repeatedly, is that Jesus was, and is, the Word (capital “W”) of God, over and above the Bible (lower case “w” word of God). The Bible is an inspired witness to the Word, but cannot be conflated with it. Where Jesus’ example and imaging of God conflicts with the Bible, we are to believe Jesus.

I thought “A More Christlike God” was a seminal book, as Jersak added his voice to a growing number of Christians (including Evangelicals) who are learning a new (actually, ancient) way of interpreting the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. But I thought “A More Christlike Word” is even more important.

Coincidentally reading this book alongside another book on biblical interpretation made me appreciate Jersak’s analysis all the more. Really, why should it be heretical to preach and teach a God of love and not of wrath, a God revealed through Jesus in self-giving, kenotic love, a good news gospel?

I like that Jersak comes at this interpretation so humbly and yet with an urgent tone. I like that Jersak does not make this his own interpretation, or a modern interpretation, but a return to the early church and early church Fathers and Mothers. I like that Jersak developed this theology over time, and sought the wisdom of mentors past and present, near and far.

For someone like myself who has serious triggers when it comes to reading the Bible (God’s word, not God’s Word), this book gives me hope that I can learn to read it again in a new way, with a new lens, and share this way with others who have either abandoned the Bible altogether, or have not yet caught a glimpse of a more Christlike God; a more beautiful gospel.
Profile Image for Michelle Bruin.
Author 6 books439 followers
August 12, 2021
This book is a more scholarly read, beyond the scope of a self-help book or devotional writing. The author relies on terms he learned from another author such as “Genre-calibration,” “Christotelic,” “Incarnational,” “Ecumenical,” and “Pilgrimage.” These words form the framework for the theme of the book. The message Bradley Jersak is sharing in A More Christlike Word is the idea that Jesus is separate from the written word of Scriptures, standing independently as a real, living person. His thoughts will challenge the principles that Scripture is the inerrant Word of God. The author gives some reasons why this might not be completely accurate.

Here are a few quotes from the book to help understand the flow of the author’s thoughts. This one comes from chapter 2: “Read the Bible. When anything in the rest of the Bible disagrees with Jesus, listen to Jesus. When Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the Prophets) appear with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, what does Abba say? ‘This is my Son. Listen to him.’ The Law and the Prophets point to Jesus. Never use them to correct him. He’s the Word of God.”

These are two quotes from chapter 4: “I need not sour the Bible. Indeed, since I can distinguish it as a “friend of the Bridegroom,” rather than the Bridegroom himself, and am learning to read Scripture as life-giving gospel rather than literalistic law, it is as precious to me as it ever was.” And, “When we behold Christ in the Bible by the Spirit, the Spirit removes the veil from our hearts so we can see how the entire message has always been pointing to life and reconciliation. Instead of progressive revelation (stacking bricks), we have progressive illumination (removing veils).”

In these times in which we live, I’m on the lookout for theologians who can support me in traditional, conservative interpretation of the Bible. It appears to me that I could rely on Bradley Jersak to assist with this. He isn’t necessarily a reformed, Calvinist theologian, but his perspectives do not deviate far enough from it to contend with reformed doctrine. His book gives pastors and teachers a fresh way of viewing the canon we know as the Holy Scriptures, and may even help in finding reconciliation between what Scripture says and the ways God’s word actually plays out in our lives.

I would recommend this book for people in professional ministry. It is an academic read with a vocabulary used in the writing meant for a person with a certain level of education.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All views expressed are my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Brooks.
129 reviews6 followers
August 11, 2021
I’m not going to lie, when I read the description of this book I thought this would be an easy fast read. As I read the book, I found myself struggling with relating to the feelings of the author. In my experience of Christianity, I couldn’t understand how he viewed others or even himself as he studied the Bible. I had to ask the Holy Spirit to guide me through this book so I could understand where he was coming from, and discern what I was reading. This is not to say that I disagree with what the author wrote, in fact I wholeheartedly agree. I’ve always read the Bible the “Emmaus Way” knowing that Jesus is the living Word and that everything points to Gods love and our redemption through Jesus. I struggled in this book with the fact that even though I may have had open eyes to see the truth of the message, I still struggled with the rejection of the light and I wallowed in my brokenness for a bit. In a broken world, sometimes our hearts need healed to accept that gift of love Jesus offers. A great chapter by the way. But isn’t that the point of the Word – Jesus, is that God loved us so much that He sent His son to save us by grace. He is always knocking on our hearts and asking us to come home.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who teaches the Bible to others, as it opens your mind to other points of view that you may not have previously thought of when you are guiding others through the Bible Study. Sometimes though, I think this journey is something the Holy Spirit needs to illuminate, as He heals and opens your heart as you become more intimate with Him (as you said in the book the heart is deep and He knows it best). This book was a great reminder of how Jesus invites us all on a journey to follow Him, empowered by the Holy Spirit to learn to live our lives from our “Rabbi Jesus” – as we study the words of Jesus (this includes the Word as it points to Him and redemption), imitate the ways of Jesus, are transformed by grace and love, and partner with Him on His mission to invite others to do the same.

A Word whose voice we hear saying, “Come follow me. There’s a place at my Father’s table for everyone. Even you.”
Profile Image for Deana Dick.
2,710 reviews109 followers
August 1, 2021
I have found as a reviewer that there are many different views on subjects which I may not always agree on. When doing a review I am honest and find something good about each book. This book was a challenge for me because it was very wordy, has some opinions I don’t agree with and it was quite confusing at times. When I read this statement from the book, “ We Baptists claim to have a “high view” of Scripture. I still do.” I became uncomfortable. That is a very bold statement to make and I was a bit offended by it. Is it possible for one belief to understand scripture better than someone else?

One thing that really stuck out to me was how the author was using scriptures and interpreting them into his own belief. I am one of those people that don’t like the Bible misquoted. In this world we have people who teach the Bible straightforward. There are also those that twist the Word ever so slightly that some may not notice it. Does Jesus correct the Bible in scripture? According to the author He does. My I am so confused the more I read this book. I appreciate that the author is adamant in his study even though I don’t agree with him.

I don’t want to go through each point where I disagree with the author. The best thing I can do as a reviewer is give you my opinion and let you decide for yourselves. Just like there are many interpretations of the Bible, there are many people who see scriptures differently. I can not recommend this book but I can suggest that if you read it, do it with eyes open and heart ready to discern what God says in His Word.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.
Profile Image for Randi Sampson.
1,072 reviews43 followers
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August 6, 2021
I have found that as a reviewer, it is really difficult to review Biblical study type books. This is for a few reasons. For one, I must say that I can never claim to be an authority on the theological topics. I read my Bible, I try to understand it to the best of my ability and ask questions where my own understandings fail, but I'm human and admit there is much that I don't understand. Beyond that, there are just so many varying beliefs even within the Christian religion that it can be hard to find books that I agree with 100%. The same can be said with this one... there were some interesting ideas brought up that made me think... and others that I'm not so certain that I really agreed with. There were also parts that I must admit I found to be a bit confusing and perhaps a bit above my understanding...or at least my concentration at the time of reading, anyway... if I'm being honest!

That being said, it was a well written book and I could tell that the author had put a lot of time and thought into the ideas he put forth in the book. While I might personally have agreed with all of them, those whose personal beliefs line up more with the authors certainly might get a lot more out of them. I also think there is something to be gained from learning a variety of perspectives as well.

With any type of book like this, I think it is important to go in with an open mind and start with a prayer, always consider what you are reading and how it holds up to scripture. If you do so, you might just take away something great from this unique read!

**I received a complimentary copy of this book for consideration. All thoughts are my own.
13 reviews
August 26, 2021
Jersak's opening contention is that Jesus Christ, not the Bible, is the authoritative/inerrant/infallible "Word of God." He is God’s "special revelation" and any other word that claims to be from God must submit to and be corrected by Him and the revelation of God He brought. This alone is worth the price of admission.

Beyond that starting point, the book has highs and lows. The high points generally involve Jersak exploring different frameworks of Biblical interpretation (the breakdown between literal, moral, and spiritual readings is good, as is his noting the symbolic nature of Jesus's miracles, which I hadn't thought of before).

The low points involve Jersak desperately trying to force "all of Scripture" to align with his presupposition in a "non-violent God" who not only is love but is ONLY love. This involves some extremely questionable readings, at times arguing that a passage teaches the exact opposite of what it explicitly says, and Jersak openly declares that he cares less about reading/translating a text accurately than he does about making it fit his view of the gospel. Though nearly all of these are matters of interpretation (however tenuous), there are a couple places where Jersak's is simply dishonest in his explanation of Paul's teaching. These latter points are deeply disappointing.

The issue, as I see it, is that some parts of Scripture are simply NOT "Christlike," and while Jersak is to be applauded for declaring that Christ Himself is the authoritative/inerrant Word of God who trumps those passages, he stumbles in trying to forcibly make the passages more Christlike then they are.
Profile Image for Mary Ann.
Author 2 books289 followers
July 30, 2021
In this treatise, the author asks readers to abandon their former view of God and His Word and rethink truth. Although I can agree with some of his statements, I find much of his theology troubling and as contradictory as he claims the Bible to be. For example, he embraces a view shared by Socrates, who was speaking of Greek gods, that our conception of the divine needs to be worthy of God, who is only Good. Jersak teaches that men forced God into their own image as they penned the Scriptures and it does not paint an accurate portrait of His true nature—especially the Old Testament. He believes we must have a proper orientation of God as goodness and love in order to read the Bible properly, in a manner “‘worthy’ of God’s character.” You can tell the author is well educated and has put years of study into his theological standards, but I caution readers to explore it carefully and cautiously, seeking guidance from the Holy Spirit, who reveals all truth. I do appreciate the emphasis on Jesus Christ as central in Scripture and that all of it points to Him. Considering Bible verses that use “the Word” as pointing to Him rather than the written Word is something I plan to study more fully. The material is well-documented so you can check his sources and find material for further study. Because of the spiritual concepts touted as infallible as others claim the truths he disagrees with, I cannot in good conscience give this book a higher rating. I received a copy from Celebrate Lit. All opinions are my own.
1 review1 follower
August 15, 2021
I have been reading several books a month for years and can't recall a time I felt so compelled to reach out to the author to thank them for making the space and time to write it. A More Christlike Word is that type of book!

It’s hard to explain the tears, joy, excitement, challenge, and emotions I felt as I made my way through this brilliant book. It seemed to elicit such a deep resonance within my soul and a stirring up of my spirit.

If you are like me, coming from a western evangelical background, some of your presuppositions will be thoughtfully and respectfully challenged. Brad draws upon ample historical, biblical, extra-biblical, the church fathers, the larger community of faith, grammatical evidence, and more to support his claims for Christ-centered biblical interpretation (It's thorough and comprehensive). Yet, he communicates it with grace, respect, vulnerability, and transparency making it easier to "hear" what he is saying if you are open to understanding.

Furthermore, it was also encouraging for me to discover "The Emmaus Way" of reading the Scriptures, is not a new modern-day way of interpretation. Brad clearly cites respected resources and gives numerous examples to the contrary.

Brad's book appropriately brings to light topics that are helpful to discuss and re-address in the current climate of the Community of Faith (particularly western Christianity). I can imagine it will trigger some, but I will not be surprised if it’s viewed many years from now as a significant influence that helped usher in a great western reformation!
Profile Image for Connie Hill.
1,671 reviews41 followers
August 7, 2021
A More Christlike Word is a Biblical Study book that is written by Bradley Jersak. I am a Non-Denominational Christian. This book is geared more towards an Orthodox Religion. I found myself a little lost with some of the terminology and use of words that I was not familiar with. The author seems to be very knowledgeable in his studies.

This book is broken up into two parts. The first part is entitled Jesus is the Word of God. There are 12 chapters with this part. The chapter recaps a lot of his upbringing and his story. The author uses Bible Verses to drive his point home. I personally interpret some of the verses he chose differently, but that is just how God speaks to me. I personally like to go through different versions of the Bible and see how they speak to me.

The second part of the book Scripture as an Epic Saga. This part has 8 chapters. I again found myself lost in some of the wording and unpacking of the scriptures. I appreciate the author having a lot of knowledge of the Scriptures, I would appreciate a little more broken down version to those not as familiar with such terms.

I received a copy of this book through the Celebrate Lit Blogging Program, All thoughts are my own.

1,538 reviews
August 12, 2021
As with any Biblical book concentrating on theological ideas, I found my mind wandering away from the topics being discussed. I believe the author possesses a wealth of knowledge, but I feel like his words may go over many people's heads.

The author divides the book into two sections - the first section entitled "Jesus is the Word of God", drives home in my mind the idea that the words in the Bible came directly from God. The second section entitled "Scripture as an Epic Saga", contains a demonstration of the author's time spent studying. I believe it could still be more in-depth than many people want to read.

I feel those with a high level of theological knowledge will appreciate this book more than those who are just beginning their walk with God. I also feel preparing to study this book in-depth rather than skimming it will lead to greater understanding. So check it out for yourself.

I received a complimentary copy of this book, but it in no way influenced my review. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Ashley Dawn.
Author 12 books81 followers
August 6, 2021
I review a lot of books and I always try to look for the good in them, but am always going to give my honest opinion. This book is no different. The author feels very strongly about his beliefs and is passionate about that. It comes through in his writing and you can tell.

That being said, I didn't like or agree with a lot in this book. The scriptures that were quoted, I felt were sometimes taken out of context to agree with his point. I believe God is more than just love. He is so so much more, including our judge on judgement day. I do believe he is love also, but more than that. There are several other points I disagree on, but basically I believe the author and I have completely different views and beliefs.

2/5

Thank you to the author/publisher for the review copy of this book via Celebrate Lit. I received this book in exchange for an honest review and the opinions stated above are 100% mine.
Profile Image for peter.
108 reviews5 followers
March 28, 2022
For long periods of my childhood and teen years, I was deeply committed to my "daily devotions". These moments would often consist of flipping the Bible open to some random page and trying to puzzle out what it wanted me to do. I was very serious, and very literal, about it. If the Bible said it, I was meant to do it. This created innumerable binds and confusing moments, a problem for which my inerrantist environment provided no relief. Should I hate my father and mother? Should I poke my eye out or chop off my hand? Was I a sheep or a goat? Should I be casting mountains into the sea? What to do about Revelation and the Prophets?

I've spent much of my adult life attempting to unwind myself from the baggage and confusion left by life in that environment. It's only recently that I've begun to find another way, which is expressed in powerful and clear ways in this book. For those with a story similar to mine, this book is a gift.
5,755 reviews
July 19, 2021
A More Christlike Word: Reading Scripture the Emmaus Way is an interesting read by Bradley Jersak. I have to admit, it was a little harder book to grasp but I was fascinated by the author’s interpretation of God’s word. It is broken down into two parts:
1 Jesus is the Word of God
2 Scripture as Epic Saga
Each chapter includes inspirational quotes, author’s thoughts, experiences and stories, and scripture. He, also, thoroughly, provides references after each chapter.

A More Christlike Word: Reading Scripture the Emmaus Way is getting three and a half stars from me. I would be interested in more by Bradley Jersak to see more of his insights on Biblical scripture.

I received a digital copy of A More Christlike Word: Reading Scripture the Emmaus Way from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
Profile Image for Kelly-Ann ~ Sassy Bookish Mama.
563 reviews66 followers
August 9, 2021
Although this was not a book I would typically pick up and I did not agree with the author's point of view in scriptures most of the time. I thought he did an overall good job for this type of book. I can see how this would be of interest to some. I did like that the author is not antagonistic towards people who like me don't agree with this point of view. I think it's important to learn to agree to disagree and move on.

Each chapter in this book has inspirational quotes, experiences, stories, and scripture. He also does a great job at providing references in his chapters.

Overall I thought the book was okay. You can tell he is passionate of what he believes in.

I received a copy of this book through Celebrate Lit. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion
Profile Image for Amanda  H.
712 reviews40 followers
August 2, 2021
I have mixed thoughts about this book. While I can appreciate that Jersak has called readers to go to God for discernment of the Scriptures, I don't agree with him on several points that he makes. I think that he is over simplifying God when he says that God is love and that is all. We like to try to put God in box, but He is justice, mercy, love all rolled into one. Mercy cannot rob justice.

I can say that I appreciate his thoughts on reading the Bible through the lens of Jesus Christ and praying for discernment when it comes to what we read.

Overall though, I cannot recommend this book because I don't agree with that author.

I received this book from Celebrate Lit. This is my honest review.
Profile Image for Peter.
369 reviews4 followers
November 3, 2021
What a great book, I just resonate so much with Brad Jersak’s thinking about God, Jesus and Scripture! First he demonstrates that Jesus is the Word of God not the Bible. He explores a non-violent way to read and understand the scriptures. He demonstrates how the Bible is best understood through the lens of Jesus. He digs into ways of examining scripture categories such as true myth, allegory, etc. He deals with common questions that come up often, how to avoid literalism, how to hear the voice of Jesus through the polyphony of authors voices. He digs into diatribe and rhetoric as authors tools. He ends by imploring readers to not dump the Bible, church and faith but rather re-examine a more Christlike God, way & word. Excellent!
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