The Jesus You Can't Ignore is a new book written by John MacArthur. In it he takes the time to go over Jesus' interactions with the religious elite of his time. MacArthur's point is to show the side that he (rightly) believes is largely ignored by Christians Jesus is not the blond, feather-haired hippie we were raised to seem, but a man who embraces conflict when it came to the sins of the religious elite of his day. MacArthur goes through each interaction in its own dedicated chapter and argues his points well. The book itself is very well written and the arguments MacArthur presents are clear logical and easy to grasp.
There is only one problem with The Jesus You Can't Ignore. MacArthur is technically correct in most of the things he says. Yes, Jesus dealt harshly with the Pharisees and Sadducees but the thrust of this book seems not to be directed at today's religious elite but rather at everyone. Yes, Jesus dealt severely with the teachers and scribes but tenderly with the rest of the people He was tender and gracious. It is here that MacArthur loses the point. MacArthur wants people to contend for the faith and stand up for truth, this is not a bad thing, but like Paul at Mars Hill, we need to know our audience and tailor our response to them. Our response to a hypocritical pastor should be different than our response to an un-believer bad mouthing Christianity. This book is great if it is read with discernment and the proper application of Proverbs 26:4-5
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Post something new ya hippie
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