The Surprising Genius of Jesus: What the Gospels Reveal about the Greatest Teacher

by Peter J. Williams

How the Story of the Prodigal Son Illuminates Jesus’s Genius  When someone thinks of Jesus, “genius” is not likely the first word that comes to mind. But when studied in detail, Jesus’s teachings and interactions with others combined high levels of knowledge and insight, verbal skill, and simplicity―showing his genius.  In  The Surprising Genius of Jesus , Peter J. Williams examines the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 to show the genius, creativity, and wisdom of Jesus’s teachings. He used simple but powerful stories to confront the Pharisees and scribes of the day, drawing on his knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures to teach his audience through complex layers and themes. Williams challenges those who question whether Jesus really was the source of the parables recorded in the Gospels, pointing readers to the truth of who Jesus is and why that matters for them today. 

Genres: Christian, Theology, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction, Faith, Religion, Audiobook

144 pages, Paperback

Published October 10, 2023

About the author

Dr. Peter Williams is the current Warden of Tyndale House, Cambridge, UK. In addition, he serves as Affiliated Lecturer for the University of Cambridge and Honorary Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies at the University of Aberdeen. His research includes the early history of translation with particular focus on translation of the Bible and textual criticism. He resides in Cambridge with his wife and two children.

History:
Senior Lecturer in New Testament, University of Aberdeen, 2005-2007
Lecturer in New Testament, University of Aberdeen, 2003-2005
Research Fellow in Old Testament, Tyndale House, Cambridge, 1998-2003
Affiliated Lecturer in Hebrew and Aramaic, Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Cambridge, 1998-2003
Research Assistant, the Semantics of Ancient Hebrew Database Project, Faculty of Divinity, University of Cambridge, 1997-1998

Reviews

[Brother Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this read. In only about 100 pages, Williams does an incredible job opening up the Parable of the Prodigal Son, showing its various connections to passages in Genesis, and thereby highlighting Jesus' genius as a teacher—being able to teach a simple story that anyone could grasp, but also a story of depth that the scribes and Pharisees could meditate on and be challenged by. Williams re-ignited my passion for God's Word at a much needed time.

Williams also has two short chapters with a more apologetics bent: 'Do we know Jesus was the real author of these parables or could it have been someone else?' And, 'Is Jesus more than just an genius teacher?' Although interesting, the arguments were pretty standard. Williams is at his best when he's exegeting the parables. I recommend this book!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I’ve never questioned the genius of Jesus, I’m not sure I have adequately marveled that quality in Him either. The Surprising Genius of Jesus is a succinct and well written book which invites the reader to be awe filled at the knowledge and mastery Jesus commanded of the Old Testament by highlighting the connections, parallels, and contrasts Jesus exercised as he taught the parable of the prodigal son.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The author was not self promoting but instead walking alongside the reader marveling with them. He did not drown the reader in words intended to make himself look brilliant, but just like the parables he’s exploring, he used just enough words to make his point. Additionally, this book is readable. It’s written for the average person to be able to follow along and understand. I love this book because it fills you with fresh excitement to go read the Bible, and any book that can do that is five stars for me every time. I started this book yesterday and finished today. I couldn’t put it down, and truly, I will read it again. I cannot recommend it enough.

I’d like to thank Crossway and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Rev Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable book because it dives into the remarkable teaching of Jesus. We should all praise Jesus for the genius of His teaching and His genius in all areas of life.

[Alex Yauk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strongly recommend this short listen (or read). In it, Dr. Peter Williams takes a deep dive into Jesus's parables, specifically the parable of the prodigal son, to illuminate the different layers of meaning Jesus packs into a relatively short story as an argument for his genius. The many Old Testament connections add layers of meaning onto an already moving story, and Jesus is able to connect with multiple, different audiences at a deep level at the same time. And this is not only the case for this parable, but it is consistent across many of Jesus's teaching.

I found myself wishing at times I was reading a physical copy of the book, given all the scriptural references and urges to underline or pause and re-read. But I felt like I was still able to get most of the value out of the 3-hour audiobook.

[Justin Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I HAVE EVER READ‼️

I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Williams speak on the Story of the Lost Son early this year, and reading those ideas expanded upon in this book was incredible. This book has truly given me a greater appreciation for all of the ways Jesus ties the Old Testament and has a great overview on how we can trust the gospel parables come from Jesus.

Highly recommend!!

[Hiram · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*
A good book and I love Williams’ scholarship, but this book has the wrong title. It’s really a detailed exposition of Luke 15 and Jesus’ genius in teaching from that parable. Good stuff but more narrow than I expected.

[David Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author does an awesome job showing the connections between parables and Old Testament reference. I came away with a much greater excitement to get into the parables and pay attention to the details, knowing that they were intentional.

[Ethan Preston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was not quite what I expected. It is more of an exposition of the parable of the Prodigal Son than anything else, which was still good. Williams heavily focuses on the use of the OT in the parable, and I'm not sure I agree with all the connections he draws. The fourth chapter was concerned with arguing that the parables across the three Gospels go back to Jesus himself and are not the invention of the Evangelists. I found this to be the most stimulating chapter. This is definitely a good companion book to Williams' 'Can We Trust the Gospels?'

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

The opening chapter had a deceptively straightforward opening (a solid reading of the parable of the prodigal son, building on the seminal work of Kenneth Bailey) so I thought I knew where I was… and then PW opened up depths to the genius of this parable and its links and references to so many more of the patriarchal narratives of Genesis than I had realised were layered there, and more than I would have thought possible. This is a rich treasure chest that will repay slow perusal on any number of occasions.

PW then explores more of the significance of this parable and others (not just the Lukan parables) in the light of how Jesus drew on the Old Testament in his profound, pointed and ingenious storytelling.

The last chapter was answering a question I didn’t particularly have (do the parables originate with Jesus or with the writers of the gospel texts?), and I felt that the book had become fairly diffuse by that point, with not enough space being devoted to the examples that were being flung out, some of which seemed a bit tenuous. Still, plenty of wheat and only a few bits of chaff.

[Sarah Rider · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have thoughts. I haven't articulated them yet, but when I do, I'll let you know.

[Linda White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating.

[Andrew Canavan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good! Packs a biblical reliability punch for a short book!

[Liz Feldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent little book for understanding more about Jesus and his method of teaching. Williams is attempting to show that Jesus is a genius, a description normally reserved for people who create great works of art or thought, like Michelangelo or Einstein. Williams demonstrates Jesus’ genius by highlighting the many potential Old Testament connections to the short story of the prodigal son from Luke 15. Then he shows that Jesus’ rhetorical genius extends beyond that story and the book of Luke by tracking OT connections across 14+ parables found throughout the gospels. Finally, he suggests that Jesus’ genius comes from the reality that Jesus is God himself, come to provide the ultimate sacrifice and save the world, a reversal of Genesis 3.

As a committed Christian with an M.Div., I trust Jesus as Savior, know the gospels well, and have read the story of the prodigal son probably hundreds of times. Nevertheless, from the first chapter Williams taught me much about the way Jesus used the OT. Williams is excellent at clearly and concisely proving his point, and he does so without bravado. The book is complex enough for any seminary course and yet easy to read. I can’t comment on whether skeptics would enjoy this book, but it was certainly enlightening to me and deepened my trust in Jesus as an intellectual genius.

I will say that some of the connections Williams makes feel like a bit of a stretch. For example, he connects Jesus’ use of the phrase “three seahs of flour” in the parable of the leaven (Mt. 13:33, Luke 13:20-21) to Abraham’s use of the same phrase in Gen. 18:6. It could have been an intentional connection to that story, or it could’ve been a normative Hebrew phrase to describe the amount of flour used to make cakes. Still, part of his argument there is to suggest that it was Jesus and not a later author who told the parable, so in that context, even a potential Hebrew connection would prove his point.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It deepened my understanding of Jesus’ use of parables and enriched my perspective on Old Testament connections to the New Testament. I’ve seen Williams’ talks from ELF annual conferences via YouTube and find him to be an excellent teacher and scholar. I would totally recommend this book both for the content and for the author.

I’d like to thank Crossway and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sandy Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jesus is often recognised for his compassion, courage and integrity. But not necessarily as a genius. But that's the word Peter Williams chooses to describe Jesus on the basis of his cleverness and coherence of his teaching. Williams focuses on the parables of Jesus, in particular the brilliant parable of the prodigal son, or as he prefers, the story of the two sons (Luke 15:11-32).

I have preached this parable several times, and recounted it in teaching the course, Simply Christianity many more times over. But I learned new details from his examination of the story itself, and even more from the numerous Old Testament echoes, especially from Genesis, by way of comparison or contrast or other hint. Both these sections are fascinating.

The significance of this is that Jesus' original audience for his parable were the scribes and Pharisees, who were experts in the Old Testament Law (which begins with Genesis). This audience would be more likely to hear and note the echoes, and their additional force added to the parable's moral and spiritual challenge.

He makes similar connections at shorter length with a number of other parables. He also takes time to suggest the simplest explanation for these significant features of the parables, features which span across Matthew and Mark, is that they are the product of the mind of Jesus. All this indicates Jesus' great knowledge of the Old Testament, alongside creativity and wisdom. (There is also evidence of their setting in first century Palestine, something that would not have come as naturally to Luke, as to Jesus.)

This is a book that would benefit experienced readers of the Gospels. But Williams has a second audience in mind – those who are not Christian, but who are interested enough to possibly be considering his claims as an outstanding and brilliant teacher, and perhaps more!

This is my first book for 2024 and my first review on Goodreads, but I suspect it has an excellent chance of being one of my favourites of the year come December 31st!

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a phenomenal book. I read chapter one—an exposition of the parable of the two sons in Luke 15—a number of months ago to prepare for a sermon on that parable. I now wish I had read the remainder of this book at the same time. Williams' chapter showing the parallels of this parable in the OT is excellent, as is the chapter showing OT parallels in the other parables. I have benefited in three ways:

1. The commentary and OT background to the parable of the two sons is tremendous.

2. The argument of the book, that the parable is a work of genius that goes back to Jesus, is very strong. This is Williams engaging in apologetics. Skeptics may not be entirely convinced of his argument, and those who already believe that Jesus is the source of the parables may query why this argument is necessary. But at the very least it lets us appreciate the genius of Jesus. (Williams also connects his argument to the gospel in the final chapter.)

3. The book made me want to be a more careful reader of Scripture. There is such depth, and I often merely play near the surface. The last book that had a similar effect on me was Michael Morales' Exodus Old and New.

[Will O'kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. I am a huge fan of Peter Williams. He is obviously a scholar of the highest caliber, and he possesses the rare gift of being able to write books that are both technically accurate and easily understandable by a layman reader. This book wasn't necessarily what I was expecting--it was more focused on a single parable instead of looking at Jesus overall. More of a case study instead of a ten-thousand foot overview. However, the exegetical insights of the book were eye-opening, and I felt myself growing in awe at Jesus’s genius. Skeptics might not embrace all of the echoes and textual connections Williams endorses. Williams himself recognizes this. However, it's hard to deny Williams's main point: that Jesus is the surprising genius behind the intricately woven parables of the gospels.

For more Peter Williams gold, check out Can We Trust the Gospels?

[Brandon Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real good insight into the mind of Christ through the storytelling he does with the parable of the prodigal son.

Williams comments on the narrative that Jesus has given and its historical and Biblical (or Torahical?) implications were great, particularly the stuff around the similarities in wording and phrasing to the story of Jacob and Esau

[Andrew Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book that’s been on a shelf for a minute. I finally got around to it this summer. The book is an extended reflection on Luke 15 and other parables in primarily in Luke’s Gospel. If you love to see how the Bible connects from one testament to the other, you’ll love this book. I walked away wanting to read my Bible more. I don’t think you can ask much more of a biblical studies book.

[Jenicca Porter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick read with a lot of insights on Christ’s parable of the prodigal son. It definitely made me think more deeply about the story than I ever have before. I would like to spend more time doing deep dives on Christ’s parables.

[David Dominguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely phenomenal work on John 15 and many other parables. The first 2 chapters alone are worth the price of admission with this book. Probably my favorite book of 2023.

[Kelle Craft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Great work of inner biblical textuality noting the surprising connections between OT narratives and Jesus’ parables. Warmly recommend!

[L.S. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing insights into an old stroy and unexpected connections with the old Testament, especially Genesis. A richness

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting when I purchased this one, however it was a solid read.

[Thomas Brunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book edifying; I mean this in a little bit of a different way than I normally would with my other Christian reads, which is not a bad thing. Edifying, mainly in the sense of knowledge, which yes, I suppose a good bit of theology is knowledge based on some level of the conceptual, anyway. But I mean in the non practical, and intellectual sense and to me, this book is fun if you're into the linguistics, old, original language of scripture, and scripture parallels throughout the Bible. I like how Williams does a good job on showing us his expertise and use of knowledge in regards to the area of languages, and showing and unearthing some neglected riches of Christ. This area I'm referring to is, the genius of Jesus. Often in Evangelicism, the intellectual and philosophical side of Christian theology is neglected. As a Catholic Christian, I'm glad to see books like this, and Jonathan T. Pennington's "Jesus the Great Philosopher: Rediscovering the Great Wisdom Needed for the Good Life." (2020) exist! Ask anyone what word they would use to describe Jesus, and see how many use "Genius" (and you'll see my point).. But not just a mere genius..but a Divine genius! There are so many layers of great tapestry when it comes to this, and Williams does well to show us some of the hidden riches of word origins, scripture parallels etc. It also shows us God's covenantal love relationship toward Israel, and us, (the church) by pointing out His paralleling actions to Israel, and those under the New Covenant. Also, lastly and most importantly.. I appreciate, of course, how he ties things together at the end of the book by saying how Jesus is God incarnate come to save us from our sins, and NOT just a teacher. That's what he doesn't want one to come away with at the end of the book, and by saying: "The single best explanation for Jesus’s genius is found at the beginning of John’s Gospel, where the Word, later identified as Jesus Christ (John 1:14, 17), is described both as alongside God and as God himself:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

If the storyteller Jesus Christ is God himself, who made the world, invented language, oversaw history, and then became human to tell us about God and to rescue us from our alienation to him, then his wisdom and genius make sense. And if he is that smart and if he also loved us enough to die to save us, the only sensible thing to do is to accept him unreservedly as our teacher, guide, and Savior." He does well to state that.. FIRST and Foremost we need a savior. And God has done for us, what no man can do for himself in the person and grace of Christ. But if I have any gripes with the book I think I would say I wish He delved more into the divine quality and character of God, don't get me wrong though, the implications are still there. Overall, I found this to be a good, enlightening, edifying, educational read. And there is nothing wrong with these "educational" books that touch more on the educational, intellectual side.

[Engebret Andresen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus er historiens mest geniale historieforteller - det er poenget Peter J. Williams forsøker å forsvare i denne boka, og det ved å studere Jesu lengste og kanskje mest besøkte fortelling: lignelsen om de to sønnene.

Brorparten av boka vie han til å vise hvor mange, dype og betydningsfulle allusjoner lignelsen har til fortellinger i første Mosebok. For Jesu publikum, blant annet bestående av skriftlærde, ville disse fungere som intellektuelle utfordringer, men enda viktigere som moralske utfordringer. Dette demonstrerer han på strålende vis!

Williams har jo en ganske smal metode – å vise sammenheng mellom 1 Mos og Luk 15 – for å gjøre et ganske stort poeng – at Jesus var et geni. Det er ikke alltid jeg lar meg fascinere helt like mye som ham av hvor geniale alle koblingene er, men likevel har det hjulpet meg å anerkjenne Jesus som en virkelig kløktig forteller, og å se mange flere av nyansene i lignelsen. Oppbyggelig lesning!

I tillegg har Williams, som jo i hovedsak er en bibelforsker, et litt mer teknisk poeng han bruker slutten av boken på: å vise at den beste forklaringen på disse geniale historiene er at det er Jesus selv som fortalte dem. Det er ikke like oppbyggelig, men likevel apologetisk nyttig stoff.

[Tyler Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent and much shorter than I initially thought it would be. It is also very academic, as Williams always is, and should be read instead of listened to. There is a lot here that can easily be missed.

Williams details Jesus’s profound storytelling skills and explains His outstanding knowledge of the Old Testament, and the audience He is speaking to. The book offers some apologetics to detail how we know that Jesus is the One who actually told these stories, rather than Matthew, Mark, or Luke.

The first and second chapters are easily the best and provides some really eye-opening details into how beautiful Jesus’s parables are, particularly the Parable of the Prodigal Son, or the story of the two sons, as Williams prefers to call it.

I strongly recommend this book, at least the first half. The latter is is still good, but over 99% of Christians don’t need to know the apologetic content that Williams is covering. Still fun to know though.

[Collin Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first part of this book was excellent! Williams examines closely Jesus’ story of the two sons and shows the incredible intelligence evoked by Christ through its deeper meaning and the appeal to a wide audience. The connections Williams, and others he cites, make from the OT just in Luke 15:11-32 are fascinating.

This book was more helpful as a proof of the deity of Christ through storytelling and the supernatural nature of Scripture by emphasizing divine authorship via theological interpretation and biblical theology.

Some connections Williams makes in other parables Jesus shares are not as strong and harder to come by. Still interesting though. Appreciated this work. 3.5 stars.

I would recommend reading this and Tim Keller’s Prodigal God (as does Williams) for further insight on what is likely the greatest parable in the Bible.

[James Brixey]

So: I have listened to Peter J Williams give a talk on this content before, so nothing about this book shocked me based on that. However, the talks, when originally given, were mind blowing, so I expect a first time hearer of this content would feel blown away by what is a fascinating book.

There are a few places where some of the things observed might feel like a reach, but Peter readily acknowledges these himself. On the whole this is a very well thought through book, and I have concluded that I want to spend more time in the bible having read it, so in some ways that is a great result. I would be very interested how this would be read by a scholarly minded skeptic.

[Gareth Davies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good book that focusses on the genius of Jesus teaching. Spending most time in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, Williams helpfully pulls out details from the text that aren’t always preached on to make the story even more powerful.

[Jenna DiGirolamo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I completely nerded out over this book. If you care about the texts of the Bible in their original languages, you will really enjoy this content! I never thought to look for patterns/similarities between Jesus’s parables in the NT and the narratives in the OT. Learned a lot!