The Jesus You Really Didn’t Know: Rediscovering the Teaching Ministry of Jesus - Softcover

Angel, Andy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1532644922 ISBN 13: 9781532644924

Publisher: Cascade Books, 2019

Synopsis

The problem with too much Christianity today is that we replace the person of Jesus with a doctrine of grace. Living in denial of Jesus’ teaching on judgment and holiness, too many Christians take refuge from the sayings of Jesus in doctrines of forgiveness that they hope will bolster up their sense of self-worth before God. Andy Angel tackles this dysfunctional spirituality head-on, opening up the journey of learning and love into which the living Lord Jesus invites us all. Unpacking the Gospel of Matthew, he encourages us to rediscover the teaching ministry of Jesus in our own lives, and in doing so, to recover the riches and freshness of the gospel message and to rediscover the depths of love Jesus has for each one of us.

About this title

About the Author:

Andy Angel is the Vicar of St Andrew's Church, Burgess Hill, UK and was formerly a lecturer in New Testament. He is the author of Playing with Dragons: Living with Suffering and God (2014) and Intimate Jesus: The Sexuality of God Incarnate (2017).

Review:

"Every once in a while, it's good to take a fresh look at some of our well-worn assumptions about what Jesus is recorded as saying in the gospels. Sometimes this involves scraping off the interpretive layers we may have been using to cover up things we wish weren't there. Andy Angel does just that by exposing afresh Jesus' words about judgment and obedience, allowing them to question--and deepen--our understanding of the God-with-us of grace and love. Working his way thoroughly and systematically through the gospel of Matthew, Angel explores what kind of teacher Jesus really was. He challenges readers to reexamine their attitude to five 'dirty words' that are central to Jesus' teaching: authority, teaching, obey, command, and judgment. Taking these words seriously requires communities of believers to exercise humility, kindness, gentleness, and forgiveness with a new resolve. They give a Spirit-propelled momentum and energy to following Christ in the way of holiness that is good news because it is a way that changes lives. Read this book and allow your relationship with Jesus to be challenged and deepened." --Eeva John, Enabling Officer for the Conversations on the Teaching Document on Human Sexuality for the House of Bishops of the Church of England

"This fresh, provocative book argues powerfully that the popular understanding of Jesus as one who welcomes us with open arms and expects little change from us is deeply and fatally flawed. Not only that, this view of Jesus is dangerous to people's lives and their standing with God. Dr. Andy Angel leads us thoughtfully through Matthew's Gospel to see why this is so, and what the real Jesus is like--a Lord who teaches, encourages, and supports believers to walk with him and be transformed as they follow him humbly and obediently. Read and act on it!" --Steve Walton, Professor of New Testament, Trinity College, Bristol

About this edition

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1532644922
• ISBN 13: 9781532644924
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 166