Cristo, el incomparable

by John R.W. Stott

"John Stott se adentra en la persona de Jesús mediante el estudio de su vida a través del testimonio que el Nuevo Testamento ofrece de él, a la luz de lo que la Iglesia dice y ha dicho, y, asimismo analiza la influencia que Él ha tenido en la historia, explicando finalmente como su persona nos afecta a nosotros hoy. El autor nos recuerda que Jesucristo no es solamente un personaje histórico, sino asimismo eterno y, por tanto, es también nuestro contemporáneo. Jesús desafía a cada nueva generación, siglo y milenio en sus papeles de Salvador, Señor y Juez. Este libro considera el modo en que la iglesia presenta a Cristo y asimismo la influencia de Cristo sobre la iglesia, con el trasfondo del Nuevo Testamento en general y del libro de Apocalipsis en particular."

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

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2001

About the author

John R. W. Stott is known worldwide as a preacher, evangelist, and communicator of Scripture. For many years he served as rector of All Souls Church in London, where he carried out an effective urban pastoral ministry. A leader among evangelicals in Britain, the United States and around the world, Stott was a principal framer of the landmark Lausanne Covenant (1974). His many books, including Why I Am a Christian and The Cross of Christ, have sold millions of copies around the world and in dozens of languages. Whether in the West or in the Two-Thirds World, a hallmark of Stott's ministry has been expository preaching that addresses the hearts and minds of contemporary men and women. Stott was honored by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World."

Reviews

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer]

This book is based around a series of lectures and inherits as a result a logical structure. The book is divided into four parts - and within each part broken down into between 10 and 14 sub-parts.

Parts I and IV look at the New Testament and what it teaches us about Jesus.

Part I starts with the gospels (and Acts as part of Luke) drawing out what the author sees as the main representation in each. The strength of this opening lies in its ability to summarise with brevity but comprehensiveness the essential picture of Jesus presented in each gospel. The book then goes on to consider groupings of other letters, again providing a summary of their major themes in so far as they relate to Jesus. This section concludes:

we have no liberty to manipulate biblical texts into an artificial harmony ..... but ... the four gospels complement each other, they do not contradict each other. Nor do Jesus and Paul. Not are Paul’s thirteen letters self contradictory. Nor do the more distinctively Jewish books .. strike a discordant note. Even Paul and James do not preach a different gospel. All the New Testament writers find their unity ...in devotion to the person of Jesus Christ - the acknowledged as continuous with the one now acknowledged as the transcendent Lord

Part IV focuses exclusively on Revelation and within Revelation on “ten Christalogical visions in the book”, for example: Christ supervising his churches on earth (an excellent survey of the letters in Revelation 2-3; Christ controlled Gaza the course of history Revelation 6-7.; Christ coming as bridegroom to claim his bride Revelation 21-22. This part serves as an excellent summary of Revelation, focusing on its essential purpose.

Parts II and III are less conventional but certainly add to the interest in the book. Both look at the witness of the church to Christ but in different ways and with a very different emphasis.

Part II looks out how he church has portrayed and presented Christ to the world over her centuries, with 12 examples ranging from the 2nd century to the 20th. The examples include: the early Church councils; St Benedict and the monastic movement; Thomas a Kempis and asceticism; Martin Luther and justification by faith; Thomas Jefferson and Christ as a human teacher; Christ as either infant or victim in a Latin American tradition (with a brief review of Pentecostalism); Liberation theology. This section is, and acknowledged to be, fairly opinionated. In particular Stott views each presentation critically to see if it reflects anything like the fullness of the New Testament Christ and in many cases finds the presentation to fall some way short, even when well intentioned.

Part III then looks instead at how the life of Christ as presented in the New Testament has inspired people and so influenced the world for good. Twelve different stages of Jesus life are considered in light of a figure they inspired, for example: The Bethlehem stable and St Francis of Assisi; the ministry of compassion and those who worked with lepers; a love for children and Thomas Bernardo; the resurrection of the body and Joni Eareckson Tada; the second coming and Lord Shaftsbury and his social reform; the final judgement and The Clapham Sect and their role in abolishing the slave trade and slavery.

Interestingly at the conclusion of the book Stott says

Church history’s extraordinary variety of Jesuses, some of them bearing little resemblance to the authentic Jesus of the apostolic witness, constitutes a healthy warning to us today. By all means let us add to Part III, for there is no limit to the ways in which the New Testament Jesus can inspire and influence us. But let us not add to Part II yet more Jesuses, unless we are confident that they can be justified by reference to the New Testament Jesus himself.

Overall an excellent, varied and readable book.

[Shelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. Best book I've read in awhile. Second favorite Stott book.

[Shaun Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the hundreds, if not thousands of books I have read, this has got to be one of the finest. I first chanced upon a daily devotional (written by a certain John Stott) that was donated to my school library. As the part-time librarian, I skimmed through a few pages to size up if the book should be put into circulation or sold. The result? I was so mightily impressed by the overall biblical theological format and the theological richness in the individual pages, that I ordered one copy for my personal use. The book? Through the Bible, Through the Year: Daily Reflections from Genesis to Revelation (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...)

Stott (and his editorial team) have married brevity with brilliant scholarship. The Incomparable Christ is made up of 4 sections, all of which pack so much substance into so very little (number of) pages. Stott somehow managed to keep me intellectually engaged and emotionally excited to continue reading when three quarters of the book contain topics that I naturally do not find much interest in. In sections 2 (church history) and 3 ("fathers of the faith"), I was continually reflecting about and even inspired by the content.

While not one of my favourite books of the bible, I have had to study parts of the book of Revelation extensively for the purposes of completing course requirements (and have also twice listened to D A Carson's 26 lectures on Revelation). I have found that most of the top scholars who have written commentaries on Revelation to be extremely difficult to understand; I often found myself wondering why did they have to make the commentary so complicated and cryptic. In section 4, Stott on the other hand, has taken a lifetime of research and study, conveying just the the cream of (probably after years of painful deliberation on the many conflicting views) his positions in a concise, highly accessible format.

While easily comprehensible, such a wide-breadth-ed book on the incomparable Christ calls us to read it many times over. It would be a pity to just leave it on our shelves. Thank you Pastor John, for leaving this most wonderful labour of love for generations to be challenged with and blessed by. I'd imagine that laypeople, scholars, and pastors all should find something from the book that they would be able to take away. For me, it was the majesty of the matchless Christ who lovingly calls me to come and die and follow him.

I received this book from InterVarsity Press for the purposes of providing an unbiased review. All views are my own.

[Byron Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excelente recurso pero difícil de seguir. Es complejo en algunos puntos y necesita interpretación minuciosa

[Austin Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

From one of my favorite authors comes one my favorite books. A book in four parts that allows the New Testament to literally bookend the middle two parts of church history. A great read for a quick overview of how the church has looked toward Jesus throughout the ages. Part 1 shows Jesus from the vantage points of the early letters that make up the New Testament (except John's Revelation. Wait for it... ). Part 2 takes the long look of theologians and what they highlight about Jesus. Part 3 takes the portraits of Jesus's life, death, resurrection, ascension and return and how one of these informed the life and work of a particular believer. Part 4 deals exclusively with John's Revelation of Jesus Christ. It is so worth the wait!
I'd probably recommend it for part 4 alone. If your interest in the book of Revelation revolves around scary visions and prophetic date setting, Stott's approach will be a challenging (and in the end, comforting) read. If, on the other hand, you lack interest in John's Revelation because of the mishandling it has received, you need not fear. Stott's breakdown is simple enough and (correctly) revolves around what it reveals about Jesus. I know that's shocking since, in the original Greek, as Stott explains, the first three words translate to "The apocalypse (or revelation) of Jesus Christ". Interpretation has gone very wrong indeed if what we see first and foremost from John's Revelation is not the incomparable Christ!

[Carlos A. Ramírez N. · Rating 5 out of 5]

El libro presenta una perspectiva de Jesús desde su vida, enseñanzas y doctrinas desde el Jesús original que presenta los evangelios y las epístolas, luego pasando el Jesús Eclesiástico donde se presenta en base a como es presentado en las corrientes religiosas cristianas, luego a el Jesús Influyente, que presenta una análisis de cómo influyo y en qué influyo en personajes, en algunas ideas políticas y sociales, y termina con el Jesús Eterno, haciendo todo una aplicación de lo que expresa el libro de Apocalipsis sobre Jesucristo, la gran victoria, el mensaje a las siete iglesias, mostrando y la boda.

Un excelente libro que da claridad sobre la persona de Jesús!

Nos veremos en Las Controversias de Jesús, autoría de John Stott.

😃😃

[Josiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting, but still an enjoyable read. The book is broken into 4 sections. 1) portrait of Jesus from the NT, 2) how the church has presented Jesus throughout history, 3) how Jesus has inspired people, and 4) a portrait of Jesus in Revelation.

For me, section 1 was information overload, section 2 was fascinating, section 3 and 4 I really enjoyed. Section 4 especially gave me a greater appreciation of the person Jesus Christ - John Stott does a great job at explaining metaphors and themes.

Worth a read, I think, especially for sections 3-4.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a masterful book by John Stott. In short chapters (2-4 pages long), he unpacks Jesus Christ as revealed in the New Testament, and Christ’s influence in the world.

Stott, as always, writes clearly and winsomely. His aim to showcase Christ in all His beauty and incomparableness is clearly seen throughout the book.

A book that is sure to benefit both the new and old Christian. Highly recommended.

[Daniela Ruas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really precious view of Jesus, the one the Bible tells us about, who has been misunderstood across history and who has deeply influenced history. It is quite dense in its content and scholastic, but worth the read.

[Lucas Gustavo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Um livro muito interessante sobre a visão de Cristo, sinto ainda que a parte dois do capítulo fica bem extensa e a parte três um pouco curta, de resto eu acho que é um livro bom e bem introdutório a uma pessoa como a mim que ainda está recentemente tendo um caminho “estável” com Cristo!!!

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fine; PTL. A Study of Jesus in 4 parts: I - NT witnesses. II - Various presentations of Jesus by church leaders in history. III - Jesus’ inspiration to people. IV - Jesus’ revelation.

[Stuart Samuels · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought the first chapter was great with to different views of the gospel. After that however he didn't keep the momentum going.

[Ryan Jankowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light reading - reads more like a devotional. I quite enjoyed.

[Juan Pablo Espinosa Melendez · Rating 5 out of 5]

John sin duda deja plasmada en este libro la devoción con la cual ha estudiado a Jesús en la biblia, primeramente, pero también en la historia misma.

[Lori · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a person who was not raised in a church community, I was lost through most of this book.

[Royce · Rating 5 out of 5]

PART I: The Original Jesus
...I find it helpful to detect in the four Evangelists four dimensions of the saving purpose of God: its length, depth, breadth and height. Matthew reveals its length, for he depicts the Christ of Scripture who looks back over long centuries of expectation. Mark emphasizes its depth, for he depicts the Suffering Servant who looks down to the depths of the humiliation he endured. In Luke it is the breadth of God's purpose that emerges, for he depicts the Savior of the world who looks round in mercy to the broadest possible spectrum of human beings. Then John reveals its height, for he depicts the Word made flesh who looks up to the heights from which he came and to which he intesnds to raise us.

Galatians (A polemical letter) - Presents Christ as the liberator
1-2 Thessalonians (The early letters) - Presents Christ as the coming judge
1-2 Corinthians + Romans (The major letters) - Presents Christ as the savior
Ephesians + Philippians + Colossians + Philemon (The prison letters) - Presents Christ as the supreme Lord
1-2 Timothy + Titus (A polemical letter) - Presents Christ as the head of the church
James - Presents Christ as the moral teacher
Hebrews - Presents Christ as our great high priest
1-2 Peter - Presents Christ as the exemplary sufferer

PART II: The Ecclesiastical Jesus
What I am concerned with in this second part is rather the ways in which the church has presented him down the ages and with the sad face that it has often imprisoned him in its own prejudices and traditions.

RE: Councils of Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus, Chalcedon It was a complex development, often marred by unseemly displays of anger jealousy, malice and political intrigue. Yet at the same time one can detect the patient work of the Holy Spirit, who was enabling the church to get its mind clear on its Christology.

How can we present Jesus Christ to the world in a way that is simultaneously authentic and relevant? A double discipline seems to be needed, negative and positive. The negative is to rid our minds of all preconceptions and prejudices and resolutely to renounce any attempt to force Jesus into our predetermined mold... The positive counterpart follows. We have to open our minds and hearts to whatever the biblical text gives us and to listen to the witness of the whole [Bible] to Christ.

PART III: The Influential Jesus
Stott shares a personal statement of Toyohiko Kagawa, one of the Christian leaders of Japan in the early 20th century. An advocate for the solidarity of workers and abolishing the slums, a prisoner for promoting peace instead of war during WWII, and an evangelism zealot. I am grateful for Shinto, for Buddhism, and for Confucianism. I owe much to these faiths.... Yet these three faith utterly failed to minister to my heart's deepest need.... Buddhism teaches great compassion.... But since the beginning of time, who has declared, "this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many unto remission of sins?"

Jesus' act of washing the feet of his apostles during his last evening with them was rich in symbolism and significance.... So he got up from the meal, as he had risen from his throne. He took off his outer clothing, as he had laid aside his glory. Hewrapped a towel around his waist, as he had taken the nature of a servant. Hepoured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, as he had humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross. Then,when he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place as he was about to return to the Father.

PART IV: The Eternal Jesus
....

[Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Stott and many of his works. This was also a good book, but the last part had some amillenial, annihilationist, and allegorical interpretations of Revelation that were highly questionable.

[Max Oliveira · Rating 4 out of 5]

John Stott é tipo um nome lendário no pensamento Cristão contemporâneo, e isso é por uma razão.

Ele escreve com muita destreza e articula interpretações bíblicas e pensamentos de maneira maestral, daquele tipo que da até gosto de ler e entender. E 'O Incomparável Cristo' é um exemplo claro disso, as ideias ficam bem explicitas, os exemplos bem selecionados e o leitor teólogo apologético regozija.

O único link fraco na corrente é o último capitulo quando o autor se aventura por Apocalipse. Francamente eu posso está sendo um pouco injusto, considerando a monumentalidade da tarefa que é interpretar o livro de Apocalipse, mas não consegui deixar de notar uma vontade profunda do autor de encaixar o texto Apocalíptico em algumas narrativas e retoricas pessoais. O que de fato não tiram muito do mérito do livro em si.

Em vista disso, recomendo especialmente para quem está pensando em dar os primeiro passos em teologia.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this book. Scripture is cited for every point made in this book and it creates an amazing picture of Christ and His influence on society and what is yet to come. It also gives a brief primer on the book of Revelation which may be helpful to those who struggle with it but don't have much time to really dig deep (although, you'll want to after you read it).

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was an excellent summation of the Person of Christ. I came away with a great appreciation of His complexity, and a better understanding of how He was presented both in the Bible and through history.

[Nic · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough examination of the history of Jesus Christ and his influence on people in history. Stott could have veered towards the factual, but he grounds facts in heart truths. The book isn't too academic that the layman can't read it, but rather it is relevant to the Christian faith today.

[Susanna]

Recommended by Kathy. Read at Easter.

[Zorin Muller]

Quite a way to learn Him

[Michael D'Offay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book lived up to its title and Stott describes the Lord Jesus in all his humanity and glory. I enjoyed the way he references scripture but also history in showing how others have viewed Christ.

[Kingsley Layton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really helpful and resourceful book. Not for the hard of thinking.

[Sandy Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for lent.