Hard Sayings of Jesus

Want a REAL look at JESUS of NAZERETH? These sayings give us an insight as to WHO HE IS.ALL GOOD and FORGIVING!! these are TRUTH,LIFE,LOVE. something we can REALLY sink our teeth into.GOD of ALL CREATION.

"The Hard Sayings of Jesus" is a well written & edited volume that is an enjoyable, if not slightly flawed, book. It is a nice gateway to begin the journey into the more difficult teachings of Jesus, from those with confusing meanings due to linguistic, historical, and cultural barriers to those with all to clear of meanings that challenge our own comforts. While Jesus and his teachings are the focal point of the New Testament it must be noted with a touch of irony that the sayings of Jesus are not only the most challenging texts to follow as a disciple but can also be the most difficult ones to properly interpret. "The Hard Sayings of Jesus" by the late F.F. Bruce addresses both of these issues by introducing the reader to a host of problematic passages, providing a concise survey of the major points of debate, and then offers his best suggestion(s) to resolve the issue(s). The format of the book is excellent and engaging, selecting 70 sayings almost exclusively from the Synoptic Gospels in roughly chronological order. The chapters average about three and a half pages so they are quite digestible, leaving you time to ponder and debate what you just read or squeeze in one... or two or three!... more chapters. Between the breadth of knowledge Bruce brings into his surveys, the intrigue of the sayings of Jesus, and the format of the book I found this short tome difficult to put down. The strength of the book is Bruce did an ample job of surveying the most commonly acknowledged difficult or divisive sayings and concisely touches on a number of issues surrounding the saying before offering his own take on the issue--which are frequently quite good. While the format of the book is to be praised it would have been helpful to the reader if each chapter ended with a bibliography of current research to continue further study. While it is unfair to demerit the excellent format of the volume the audience, which seems to be aimed at serious Bible students and undergraduate Seminarians, would have benefited significantly if the volume was presented as a gateway to deeper study. Bruce is obviously well versed in all the relevant material and is a master on the topic, an extended bibliography for further study would have been an excellent addition. As it stands, the current volume finds itself as a meager gateway to engaging the topics at a superficial level and left to hunt down the relevant works in other resources. The target audience is confusing. Above I noted that it appears to be aimed at serious students of the Bible and undergraduate Bible students. Bruce does not hesitate to dialogue on issues like Gospel Source Theories (Q and the like), reference the Aramaic background of Jesus' sayings, and [infrequently] engage liberal-critical scholarship about the "originality" of certain sayings. Yet, due to the format, this is all done at a fairly superficial level--which is begging for thorough documentation. Yet the current format is a dead end in thi

I have used this book as the basis for more than one study on personal commitment to Christ. This is where "the rubber meets the road." Are you willing to accept Jesus' way of living, or are you content to offer him lip service and slog along in the muck of worldliness? As Bruce says, "Any attempt to soften the meaning of Christ's words is probably wrong" (my paraphrase). My only problem with the book is that it brings me up against myself,...and I am often found wanting.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It would be useful for the layperson who has question or the Sunday School teacher preparing a lesson or a pator or even a seminary student. Bruce takes many of the hardest sayings of Christ and gives a good interpertaion in just a few pages. If you want in depth coverage of a text then look somewhere else, but if you want a quick overview and solid answer this is the book to do it. If nothing else its a good reference book to have on your self, especially since its so affordable.

F.F. Bruce is very often quoted by some of my favourite authors; now I know why. I found this book to be most helpful to me in gaining a deeper understanding of many of the things that Jesus said......and as a result am able to apply them to my life in the appropriate way. There are 70 short chapters in this book!! A couple of examples: "Taking Up The Cross" and "Not Peace But A Sword". Excellent.