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The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others
When an expert in the law of Moses asked Jesus for the greatest commandment, Jesus responded with the Shema, the ancient Jewish creed that commands Israel to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength. But the next part of Jesus' answer would change the course of history. Jesus amended the Shema, giving his followers a new creed for life: to love God with heart, soul, mind, and strength, but also to love others as themselves.
This is what Scot McKnight calls the 'Jesus Creed'. He has written this book for all Christians who want to find out how it can transform their lives - and the lives of those around them.
This is what Scot McKnight calls the 'Jesus Creed'. He has written this book for all Christians who want to find out how it can transform their lives - and the lives of those around them.
335 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
368 people are currently reading
1427 people want to read
About the author
Scot McKnight
209 books541 followersScot McKnight is a recognized authority on the New Testament, early Christianity, and the historical Jesus. McKnight, author or editor of forty books, is the Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, IL. Dr. McKnight has given interviews on radios across the nation, has appeared on television, and is regularly speaks at local churches, conferences, colleges, and seminaries in the USA and abroad. Dr. McKnight obtained his Ph.D. at the University of Nottingham (1986).
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October 1, 2013
I first read The Jesus Creed in my first class at Biblical Seminary. If you go back in my blog to that time in 2007, you'll find a much less mature blogger and, honestly, a much less spiritually mature man. I've gotten better, but I know I still have a long way to go.
I tell you this because, when I first read this book, I really didn't get it. It was a neat idea, really, to think about a new way of viewing Jesus ministry through what he noted as the two greatest commandments: love God and love others. Also, not being a biblical studies major in my undergraduate work, I didn't have a lot of the background in hermeneutics, exegesis, and all those other big seminary words that many of my classmates had. So the thrust of this book really didn't hit me. It was a nice read, and one that I recommended, but it never really took off for me.
Over time, something of that book must have sunk in and I started really thinking and looking at what it meant to be a Jesus follower and what it meant to live as he lived. And I kept coming back to those two commandments. And the theme of loving God and loving others and showing that I love God through loving others and the radical nature of that change really hit home. So, when I picked up this book again to review it for Paraclete Press, I was struck with a deeper appreciation of what this Jesus Creed looks like.
Scot McKnight (click here for his bio) writes, in this book, not a high-minded theological text describing all the history and background of the gospels and Jesus' world (although, that does play a role). Instead, Scot writes an easily accessible text peppered with those little nuggets that add clarity to the gospel story. What is the Shema? What does Jesus' love for others look like? How did Jesus, God incarnate, live out his own creed as a human among humans? How do we engage in this same creed and follow in his footsteps? How do we love God? How do we love others? And how does this change, not only our lives, but the world around us?
These questions Scot answers in his book. It is a gently written but highly inspiring book that sparks the imagination of what it really means to be, not just a Christian, but a disciple of Jesus and walking in his way. There are times when it might seem repetitive. He does repeat the emphasis of the Jesus Creed in every chapter and, if you're not in a receptive mood, it might feel like he's hitting you over the head with it. I found it helpful, though, to take note of the scripture passages at the beginning of each chapter and section and read the chapters, not as an intellectual exercise, but as a spiritually formational journey. Done like this and taken in small doses, the book walks you through Jesus world and shows you all those nuances of what it means to live out the Jesus Creed.
In my life history as a Mennonite, I had given an intellectual nod to that idea of being a Jesus centered faith and living out not just the idea of Jesus death and resurrection but all of Jesus life. But it is through this book, both back in my early days in seminary and in this re-reading, that I've come to realize what it really means to be an Anabaptist. Following Jesus means I take on the Jesus Creed. I love the Lord God with all of me, not just that little bit I give on Sunday morning, but my entirely life. And, as I do so, I realize that the best way of showing love to God is to take on the second part of the Jesus Creed and love my neighbors, whether it is the clean-shaven co-worker in the cubicle next to me, the ex-con at the recovery ministry up the street, or the homeless man begging for money outside of Philadelphia theatre. This is the Jesus Creed and I aim for it, not because I can do it myself, but because Jesus already broke the path through the deep snow in front of me so that I can walk more easily and enjoy the journey.
I reviewed a free copy of this book through the Paraclete Press blogging program. I was in no way compensated for this review and all views are solely and completely my own. I was not required to offer a positive review either through the publisher or author.
I tell you this because, when I first read this book, I really didn't get it. It was a neat idea, really, to think about a new way of viewing Jesus ministry through what he noted as the two greatest commandments: love God and love others. Also, not being a biblical studies major in my undergraduate work, I didn't have a lot of the background in hermeneutics, exegesis, and all those other big seminary words that many of my classmates had. So the thrust of this book really didn't hit me. It was a nice read, and one that I recommended, but it never really took off for me.
Over time, something of that book must have sunk in and I started really thinking and looking at what it meant to be a Jesus follower and what it meant to live as he lived. And I kept coming back to those two commandments. And the theme of loving God and loving others and showing that I love God through loving others and the radical nature of that change really hit home. So, when I picked up this book again to review it for Paraclete Press, I was struck with a deeper appreciation of what this Jesus Creed looks like.
Scot McKnight (click here for his bio) writes, in this book, not a high-minded theological text describing all the history and background of the gospels and Jesus' world (although, that does play a role). Instead, Scot writes an easily accessible text peppered with those little nuggets that add clarity to the gospel story. What is the Shema? What does Jesus' love for others look like? How did Jesus, God incarnate, live out his own creed as a human among humans? How do we engage in this same creed and follow in his footsteps? How do we love God? How do we love others? And how does this change, not only our lives, but the world around us?
These questions Scot answers in his book. It is a gently written but highly inspiring book that sparks the imagination of what it really means to be, not just a Christian, but a disciple of Jesus and walking in his way. There are times when it might seem repetitive. He does repeat the emphasis of the Jesus Creed in every chapter and, if you're not in a receptive mood, it might feel like he's hitting you over the head with it. I found it helpful, though, to take note of the scripture passages at the beginning of each chapter and section and read the chapters, not as an intellectual exercise, but as a spiritually formational journey. Done like this and taken in small doses, the book walks you through Jesus world and shows you all those nuances of what it means to live out the Jesus Creed.
In my life history as a Mennonite, I had given an intellectual nod to that idea of being a Jesus centered faith and living out not just the idea of Jesus death and resurrection but all of Jesus life. But it is through this book, both back in my early days in seminary and in this re-reading, that I've come to realize what it really means to be an Anabaptist. Following Jesus means I take on the Jesus Creed. I love the Lord God with all of me, not just that little bit I give on Sunday morning, but my entirely life. And, as I do so, I realize that the best way of showing love to God is to take on the second part of the Jesus Creed and love my neighbors, whether it is the clean-shaven co-worker in the cubicle next to me, the ex-con at the recovery ministry up the street, or the homeless man begging for money outside of Philadelphia theatre. This is the Jesus Creed and I aim for it, not because I can do it myself, but because Jesus already broke the path through the deep snow in front of me so that I can walk more easily and enjoy the journey.
I reviewed a free copy of this book through the Paraclete Press blogging program. I was in no way compensated for this review and all views are solely and completely my own. I was not required to offer a positive review either through the publisher or author.
March 19, 2022
Good, just … not great.
The first two chapters on (1) Jesus’ expansion of the Shema (through the “Two Greatest Commandments) and (2) his expansion of the Kaddish (through the Lord’s Prayer) are the highlights.
The superfluous Hebrew (and Yiddish?) words and multiple references to now-cringeworthy failed Christian leaders (or just cringeworthy celebs in general) are the negatives.
The first two chapters on (1) Jesus’ expansion of the Shema (through the “Two Greatest Commandments) and (2) his expansion of the Kaddish (through the Lord’s Prayer) are the highlights.
The superfluous Hebrew (and Yiddish?) words and multiple references to now-cringeworthy failed Christian leaders (or just cringeworthy celebs in general) are the negatives.
April 1, 2018
It really doesn't take you so long to read this book. I started to reread this book with a student throughout last semester (Fall '17), but stopped three chapters short of finishing it again. However, it was kind of cool to see that the three chapters left all dealt with what we're celebrating this week/weekend. Back when I first read this book in the summer of 2009, I was floored. I absolutely LOVED it and it quickly became one of my favorite books of all time. Scot also became arguably the author that I follow and look forward to new releases from in hopes of reading it as soon as available. I highly recommend reading this book, especially if you're interested in the subject and implementation of discipleship based upon the life and teachings of Jesus.
September 4, 2020
Beginning to think every Christian should read this book.
Quotes below:
Knowing God’s love begins when we open our hearts to Abba’s love. Opening a metaphor for vulnerability in the quietness of our hearts; trusting God’s love the way we relax on a doctor’s table, knowing she/he can heal us, but healing can’t happen until we relax in trust. We trust or become open by sitting in his presence until we are inwardly still, clearing our minds of clutter, focusing on God, and consciously opening our hearts to Abba’s love. We trust him; we abide in his presence; we surrender to his love.
Instead of his table requiring purity, his table creates purity. Jesus chooses the table to be a place of grace. Jesus heals by inviting us to the table and dispensing grace through his presence and his words.
Love is sacred because genuine love is total commitment. Love asks from us either everything or nothing. It asks for all. Lewis Smedes, In making a commitment to love another we surrender our freedom and we surrender our individuality.
God’s love transforms our speech, converts our actions, and inspires our worship.
People infer that Jesus teaches love means we are not to make moral judgments about others. Au contraire, Jesus’ love is always moral, because love is always sacred.
Love and the unity it attests to is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before hte world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father.
Love for it to work at all requires truthtelling. Telling this truth to God is how we genuinely love Abba and it creates a new beginning in life (confession)
Henri Nouwen: I am beginning now to see how radically the character of my spiritual journey will change when I no longer think of God as hiding out and making it difficult as possible for me to find him, but instead as the one who is looking for me while I am doing the hiding.
When we tell God the truth and accept responsibility for who we are and what we’ve done, we find the Jordan to be a stream of living and forgiving and empowering water, a river that washes us so we can begin all over again.
Joseph tells us (Jesus’ dad) that our reputation (what others think of us) is not as important as our identity (who we really are). Spiritual formation begins when we untangle reputation nad identity, and what God thinks of us becomes more important than what we think or others think of us.
God will not asks us, Were you like Mother Teresa or the prophet Daniel or Peter or your mother or father, but God will ask us, Were you the you I made you to be?
The magnificat is the gospel before the gospel
From now on all generations (except Protestants!) will call me blessed.
What has happened has happened, the past cannot be undone, only redeemed and made good.
Empathy creates awkwardness sometimes.
Mother Teresa shema: The fruit of silence is prayer, prayer is faith, faith is love, love is service, service is peace.
Followers of Jesus can live in the kingdom in their daily lives right now, thus a spiritually formed follower of Jesus lives the values of the kingdom now!
As they gather around a table, they learn from one another what the fellowship of Jesus is all about, family and upside down.
Jesus is concerned with restoring humans so that things are just plain right. (justice)
God isn’t in the show off business or in the convincing business. Miracles, again speaking generally, are not done to prove the truth about God or about Jesus Christ.
Miracles restore people in the Gospels. Miracles are performed by Jesus out of love and are done to restore humans to God and to others. (more about restoration/love than proving)
Because the joy Lewis found is only the effect of drinking the wine of Jesus - it is not the wine itself. Joy is a person, and his name is Jesus.
In the words of Thomas a Kempis, Practice now what you’ll have to put into practice then.
Eternity is eternal fellowship with the Father and not a theology test, then we need to get started right now in knowing this One with whom we will share the table.
The eternal kingdom is about loving fellowship with God.
Lord’s Prayer is a reminder of ongoing surrender, May your (not my) will be done
We surrender our bodies to the legitimate use of power: to God by tending to our physical health, when we jettison our yearnings for vanity, to the goodness of sexual pleasure as a gift from God and protect ourselves from temptation.
Because a disciple of jesus loves God and others, the disciple develops a disposition to forgive that is ready to release the negative emotions caused by offenses (subjective) but reconciliation is not always possible (objective)
A victim does not subjectively forgive until they recognize what the offense has done to the relationship.
In forgiveness, the victim will need to absorb injustice by accepting the offender as a human who has sinned.
Quotes below:
Knowing God’s love begins when we open our hearts to Abba’s love. Opening a metaphor for vulnerability in the quietness of our hearts; trusting God’s love the way we relax on a doctor’s table, knowing she/he can heal us, but healing can’t happen until we relax in trust. We trust or become open by sitting in his presence until we are inwardly still, clearing our minds of clutter, focusing on God, and consciously opening our hearts to Abba’s love. We trust him; we abide in his presence; we surrender to his love.
Instead of his table requiring purity, his table creates purity. Jesus chooses the table to be a place of grace. Jesus heals by inviting us to the table and dispensing grace through his presence and his words.
Love is sacred because genuine love is total commitment. Love asks from us either everything or nothing. It asks for all. Lewis Smedes, In making a commitment to love another we surrender our freedom and we surrender our individuality.
God’s love transforms our speech, converts our actions, and inspires our worship.
People infer that Jesus teaches love means we are not to make moral judgments about others. Au contraire, Jesus’ love is always moral, because love is always sacred.
Love and the unity it attests to is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before hte world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father.
Love for it to work at all requires truthtelling. Telling this truth to God is how we genuinely love Abba and it creates a new beginning in life (confession)
Henri Nouwen: I am beginning now to see how radically the character of my spiritual journey will change when I no longer think of God as hiding out and making it difficult as possible for me to find him, but instead as the one who is looking for me while I am doing the hiding.
When we tell God the truth and accept responsibility for who we are and what we’ve done, we find the Jordan to be a stream of living and forgiving and empowering water, a river that washes us so we can begin all over again.
Joseph tells us (Jesus’ dad) that our reputation (what others think of us) is not as important as our identity (who we really are). Spiritual formation begins when we untangle reputation nad identity, and what God thinks of us becomes more important than what we think or others think of us.
God will not asks us, Were you like Mother Teresa or the prophet Daniel or Peter or your mother or father, but God will ask us, Were you the you I made you to be?
The magnificat is the gospel before the gospel
From now on all generations (except Protestants!) will call me blessed.
What has happened has happened, the past cannot be undone, only redeemed and made good.
Empathy creates awkwardness sometimes.
Mother Teresa shema: The fruit of silence is prayer, prayer is faith, faith is love, love is service, service is peace.
Followers of Jesus can live in the kingdom in their daily lives right now, thus a spiritually formed follower of Jesus lives the values of the kingdom now!
As they gather around a table, they learn from one another what the fellowship of Jesus is all about, family and upside down.
Jesus is concerned with restoring humans so that things are just plain right. (justice)
God isn’t in the show off business or in the convincing business. Miracles, again speaking generally, are not done to prove the truth about God or about Jesus Christ.
Miracles restore people in the Gospels. Miracles are performed by Jesus out of love and are done to restore humans to God and to others. (more about restoration/love than proving)
Because the joy Lewis found is only the effect of drinking the wine of Jesus - it is not the wine itself. Joy is a person, and his name is Jesus.
In the words of Thomas a Kempis, Practice now what you’ll have to put into practice then.
Eternity is eternal fellowship with the Father and not a theology test, then we need to get started right now in knowing this One with whom we will share the table.
The eternal kingdom is about loving fellowship with God.
Lord’s Prayer is a reminder of ongoing surrender, May your (not my) will be done
We surrender our bodies to the legitimate use of power: to God by tending to our physical health, when we jettison our yearnings for vanity, to the goodness of sexual pleasure as a gift from God and protect ourselves from temptation.
Because a disciple of jesus loves God and others, the disciple develops a disposition to forgive that is ready to release the negative emotions caused by offenses (subjective) but reconciliation is not always possible (objective)
A victim does not subjectively forgive until they recognize what the offense has done to the relationship.
In forgiveness, the victim will need to absorb injustice by accepting the offender as a human who has sinned.
June 22, 2013
What is the true "Good News"?
That God loves us.
What is the way to live out the Gospel?
Love God. Love others.
Could it be that simple? Yes, it can, suggests Scot McKnight. We may differ in a few minor areas of theology, but on this, Dr. McKnight and I can agree.
In this compelling book he talks about how we can not only live this, but practical ways to do so. Starting with the Jewish Shema (Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind), adding to it what Jesus added to it with "Love your neighbor as yourself", we can find a simple liturgy to repeat daily to remind us of the simplicity of what it is to follow Jesus.
This "Creed" creates an inclusive society rather than an exclusive one. A society that puts others first. All others. A society that transforms and restores. Where all can find joy. It shows us that faith is seen in action. That we are not defined by what we do, but who we are. It gives us restoration. Redemption.
It is simple. But it is powerful.
That God loves us.
What is the way to live out the Gospel?
Love God. Love others.
Could it be that simple? Yes, it can, suggests Scot McKnight. We may differ in a few minor areas of theology, but on this, Dr. McKnight and I can agree.
In this compelling book he talks about how we can not only live this, but practical ways to do so. Starting with the Jewish Shema (Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind), adding to it what Jesus added to it with "Love your neighbor as yourself", we can find a simple liturgy to repeat daily to remind us of the simplicity of what it is to follow Jesus.
This "Creed" creates an inclusive society rather than an exclusive one. A society that puts others first. All others. A society that transforms and restores. Where all can find joy. It shows us that faith is seen in action. That we are not defined by what we do, but who we are. It gives us restoration. Redemption.
It is simple. But it is powerful.
February 8, 2013
First published in 2004, The Jesus Creed by author, blogger, and New Testament Professor Scot McKnight has quickly achieved a place of prominence on many Christian “must read” lists. In The Jesus Creed McKnight attempts to articulate spiritual formation not just as a set of disciplines we practice amalgamated over the course of Church history but rather as a coherent lifestyle based upon Jesus’ own teachings. At the core of these teachings is what McKnight calls “The Jesus Creed.” The Jesus Creed is Jesus’ own adaptation of the Shema of Deuteronomy 6 coupled with the command to “love our neighbor as ourselves” found in Leviticus 19. McKnight argues that the best way to view both Jesus’ life and ministry and the Mission of the Church is through the lens of the Jesus Creed. Although I have studied both of these topics for many years in college, seminary, and on my own, through reading The Jesus Creed, I have been given a fresh perspective on my life as a Christian and have been invigorated in my desire to serve God and others in ministry.
Although the “Jesus Creed” itself is composed of the familiar “Greatest Commandment” as found in the Gospels (Matthew 22:36-40, Mark 12:28-31), McKnight devotes the entire first section of the book to carefully unpacking its importance for spiritual formation, both for the first Disciples rooted in Second Temple Judaism and for us as contemporary Christians. Of all of the chapters in this section, I most appreciated Chapter 4 in which Dr. McKnight compares the society created by followers of the Jesus Creed to a table. First century Jews were highly concerned with status. If a person were male or female, clean or unclean, Jew or Gentile, it made a considerable difference in their ability to worship in Jerusalem. The Jesus Creed, with its command to love God and others levels the playing field and allows all equal access to God’s table. I personally have a strong desire to work with marginalized communities during my ministry and was encouraged by McKnight’s inclusion of the anecdote of Alex Guinness (of Star Wars fame). The story of Guinness’ gradually opening heart to the love of God and its consequence of opening his heart to love others is a wonderful picture of the Gospel in action.
In Section Three, Dr. McKnight explains how the Jesus Creed should impact the life of the Church. Before the reader gets to the “application” stage of the work, he or she is exposed first to six “illustrations”--stories of important figures in the life and ministry of Jesus including his parents and his Disciples. Of these stories, I most appreciated McKnight’s treatment of what he calls the Apostle Peter’s “Progressive Conversion.” I grew up in a Lutheran church and my earliest theological education was distinctly Lutheran in flavor. When I was older we moved to an Assemblies of God Church that emphasized ���making a decision for Christ” and had many “altar calls.” I distinctly remember feeling routine doubts about my own salvation many times even though I had been trusting in Christ for several years at that time. I truly appreciated McKnight’s thorough treatment of Peter’s growing in the knowledge of Jesus and holiness as a more Biblical model of conversion and sanctification.
Throughout the book, Scot McKnight has included numerous quotations and stories from a wide variety of sources, both lay and clergy, from across the spectrum of the Christian Tradition. Nowhere is this more apparent and indeed helpful to the reader than in Chapters 22 and 23 about Restoration and Forgiveness. The story of Michael Green’s marriage difficulties and subsequent restoration and Philip Yancey’s confession and plea for forgiveness for previous racism were especially heart-warming. While I was reading these stories I was filled with hope and new appreciation for how the love of God inspires a believer to use that love as a catalyst to repent, reform, confess, and ultimately restore relationships to where they should be. Once again, the glory of the Gospel was on full display.
While the entire work was an encouragement to me, as I continue seeking after God in seminary, no section touched me more personally and viscerally than the last section which describes key events in the life of our Lord through the lens of the Jesus Creed. My only disappointment in the book is that this section did not precede sections three and four which concerned the life of the Church and the individual believer respectively. With this minor quibble aside, McKnight’s treatment of Jesus’ Baptism, Temptation, Transfiguration, Last Supper, Passion, and Resurrection were some of the most spiritually uplifting words I have read in some time. Throughout this section, Dr. McKnight explains the importance of Jesus’ performing these actions. Jesus repented perfectly at his baptism so that we might be able to repent, he was tempted so he could identify with our temptations, he was transfigured to give us a taste of the life to come, he suffered so he could identify with our physical pain, and he rose again to give us access anew to Paradise and Eternity. I walked away from this section with a new appreciation and ever-increasing devotion to Christ, our example, not just in his Passion, but in all aspects of life.
Although not written as a scholarly tome, The Jesus Creed is fully referenced and provides a full bibliography and suggestions for further study. Many of the works cited throughout the book are classic works of spiritual formation and Christian discipleship. I have no doubt that McKnight’s The Jesus Creed will one day be considered one of these classic works. No other work on Jesus’ life and teachings has left me with such a passion to get out and serve others in grateful thanksgiving for God loving me first than Scot McKnight’s The Jesus Creed. When and if I find myself in a position of ministry, I will encourage all those in my charge to read this book with open mind and heart.
December 19, 2022
I’m many respects a very good book. I was surprised but appreciated it’s popular-level, devotional style. I enjoyed most the final section which, especially in its first few chapters, explored such concepts as recapitulation and identification with Christ, which are admittedly some of my favorites in all of Biblical Theology (used in a non-technical sense).
There were moments I felt the emphasis might have been placed more heavily on certain aspects, especially New Creation life, and the ending seemed a bit hasty. A final summarizing and concluding chapter would have served the whole book better I think.
There were moments I felt the emphasis might have been placed more heavily on certain aspects, especially New Creation life, and the ending seemed a bit hasty. A final summarizing and concluding chapter would have served the whole book better I think.
May 11, 2020
Summary: Explores how reciting, reflecting upon, and living the Greatest Command can transform the lives of disciples.
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one,
Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind and with all your strength."
The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
There is no commandment greater than these.
Scot McKnight proposes that this response by Jesus to a teacher of the law regarding what was the greatest commandment was not merely a response of Jesus, but reflected the creed Jesus recited. Certainly the first part, drawn from the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), was a creed every devout Jew recited and professed. Jesus response did something revolutionary. He added Leviticus 19:18 concerning love of neighbor. Jesus sums up the spiritual life, and all the teaching of the law as love of God and neighbor.
McKnight, who came from a non-credal background, made this a personal creed, reciting it morning and evening. In this work, McKnight offers a series of reflections on a life lived around the Jesus Creed, a life lived around loving God and others. After encouraging the use of this creed in prayer, McKnight explores the God we are to love and the powerful truth that we address Abba, the Father who first loves us, even when we were prodigals. The table he invites us to is an open table, a place where a new society is created. This sacred love, exemplified by John Woolman, manifests in transformed worship and transformed relationships.
In the second of four parts, McKnight leads us in reflecting on stories of people in the New Testament transformed by their embrace of Jesus and his creed: John the Baptist, Joseph, Mary, Peter, John, and the women around Jesus. I was particularly taken by his treatment of Joseph as a righteous man, who in taking Mary as his wife when she was pregnant with Jesus, lost his righteous reputation with a woman perceived as adulterous, and with an illegitimate child. McKnight observes that in his decision to love God and Mary and the baby, he loses his reputation and gains an identity as the husband of Mary and the Father of Jesus.
The third part explores a vision of the society of the Jesus Creed, It is a society that transforms life in the now. It is a mustard seed society in which small beginnings have far-reaching results. It is a society for justice, one devoted to setting things to rights. It is a society of restoration, that tears down walls of protection to spread the infectious purity of Jesus. It is a society of joy, where yearnings met by glimpses of joy become the full-blown joy of feasting with God and each other. It is a society of perspective, where we discover that "the end is the beginning," where our communion now with God in scripture and in prayer in Christian community is shaped by what we expect to be our eternal destiny.
Finally, McKnight considers what it means for us to live the Jesus Creed. He summarizes this as:
*Believing in Jesus
*Abiding in Jesus
*Surrendering in Jesus
*Restoring in Jesus
*Forgiving in Jesus
*Reaching Out in Jesus
All of these were challenging chapters, and certainly the challenge to forgive is one many of us wrestle with. Another, that I do not hear much of these days, is that of surrender. McKnight speaks of surrendering both mind and body and gets very specific about each. Here is part of what he says about physical surrender:
A disciple of Jesus recognizes the significance of what is physical. As Dallas Willard makes clear in several of his books, "the body lies right at the center of the spiritual life." The challenge for spiritual formation is for our bodies to love God and others so that they "honor God." While some people need to discipline the body more than others, the extravagances of some forms of monasticism, however well intended, express a fundamental misconception of the proper place of the body in spiritual formation. Having said that, however, the disciplines of the Christian life are "body acts of love" and cannot be set aside if we are being spiritually formed. In fact, the body cries for the opportunity to surrender itself to the Jesus Creed (p. 207).
No gnosticism here. McKnight explores how our bodily love for God and others works out in everything from our use of power to our quest for agelessness to our acceptance of the gift of our sexuality, while guarding from the misuse of this gift.
McKnight's book is so valuable in calling us back to the heart of following Jesus. When asked about what we believe, at best we often stumble to offer theological, explanations, or at our worst, declare all the things we are against. McKnight invites us to reflect, and by saying this creed morning and evening, to center our lives on what Jesus thought most important. I suspect that we often get distracted from loving God and neighbor because it is simply hard. On the one hand, this is uncompromisingly simple--love God with all you are, and when you find a neighbor--love that person as you would be loved. On the other hand, it is hard, and that, I think is why we turn to other things. It is scary to give ourselves wholeheartedly to God. And we worry what will become of us if we give ourselves wholeheartedly to the neighbor. But does this not take us into the place of surrender, of trusting the love of Abba-Father, as we day by day pray the Jesus Creed?
"Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one,
Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind and with all your strength."
The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
There is no commandment greater than these.
Scot McKnight proposes that this response by Jesus to a teacher of the law regarding what was the greatest commandment was not merely a response of Jesus, but reflected the creed Jesus recited. Certainly the first part, drawn from the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), was a creed every devout Jew recited and professed. Jesus response did something revolutionary. He added Leviticus 19:18 concerning love of neighbor. Jesus sums up the spiritual life, and all the teaching of the law as love of God and neighbor.
McKnight, who came from a non-credal background, made this a personal creed, reciting it morning and evening. In this work, McKnight offers a series of reflections on a life lived around the Jesus Creed, a life lived around loving God and others. After encouraging the use of this creed in prayer, McKnight explores the God we are to love and the powerful truth that we address Abba, the Father who first loves us, even when we were prodigals. The table he invites us to is an open table, a place where a new society is created. This sacred love, exemplified by John Woolman, manifests in transformed worship and transformed relationships.
In the second of four parts, McKnight leads us in reflecting on stories of people in the New Testament transformed by their embrace of Jesus and his creed: John the Baptist, Joseph, Mary, Peter, John, and the women around Jesus. I was particularly taken by his treatment of Joseph as a righteous man, who in taking Mary as his wife when she was pregnant with Jesus, lost his righteous reputation with a woman perceived as adulterous, and with an illegitimate child. McKnight observes that in his decision to love God and Mary and the baby, he loses his reputation and gains an identity as the husband of Mary and the Father of Jesus.
The third part explores a vision of the society of the Jesus Creed, It is a society that transforms life in the now. It is a mustard seed society in which small beginnings have far-reaching results. It is a society for justice, one devoted to setting things to rights. It is a society of restoration, that tears down walls of protection to spread the infectious purity of Jesus. It is a society of joy, where yearnings met by glimpses of joy become the full-blown joy of feasting with God and each other. It is a society of perspective, where we discover that "the end is the beginning," where our communion now with God in scripture and in prayer in Christian community is shaped by what we expect to be our eternal destiny.
Finally, McKnight considers what it means for us to live the Jesus Creed. He summarizes this as:
*Believing in Jesus
*Abiding in Jesus
*Surrendering in Jesus
*Restoring in Jesus
*Forgiving in Jesus
*Reaching Out in Jesus
All of these were challenging chapters, and certainly the challenge to forgive is one many of us wrestle with. Another, that I do not hear much of these days, is that of surrender. McKnight speaks of surrendering both mind and body and gets very specific about each. Here is part of what he says about physical surrender:
A disciple of Jesus recognizes the significance of what is physical. As Dallas Willard makes clear in several of his books, "the body lies right at the center of the spiritual life." The challenge for spiritual formation is for our bodies to love God and others so that they "honor God." While some people need to discipline the body more than others, the extravagances of some forms of monasticism, however well intended, express a fundamental misconception of the proper place of the body in spiritual formation. Having said that, however, the disciplines of the Christian life are "body acts of love" and cannot be set aside if we are being spiritually formed. In fact, the body cries for the opportunity to surrender itself to the Jesus Creed (p. 207).
No gnosticism here. McKnight explores how our bodily love for God and others works out in everything from our use of power to our quest for agelessness to our acceptance of the gift of our sexuality, while guarding from the misuse of this gift.
McKnight's book is so valuable in calling us back to the heart of following Jesus. When asked about what we believe, at best we often stumble to offer theological, explanations, or at our worst, declare all the things we are against. McKnight invites us to reflect, and by saying this creed morning and evening, to center our lives on what Jesus thought most important. I suspect that we often get distracted from loving God and neighbor because it is simply hard. On the one hand, this is uncompromisingly simple--love God with all you are, and when you find a neighbor--love that person as you would be loved. On the other hand, it is hard, and that, I think is why we turn to other things. It is scary to give ourselves wholeheartedly to God. And we worry what will become of us if we give ourselves wholeheartedly to the neighbor. But does this not take us into the place of surrender, of trusting the love of Abba-Father, as we day by day pray the Jesus Creed?
December 30, 2019
Great book!! I would highly recommend this to any Christian who is looking for a way to connect the Real Jesus and his mission to their everyday life. Made me look at the Jesus in a beautiful new way and look at my life as an opportunity to follow him.
March 7, 2022
Loved it. Added to my “favorites” list. Highly recommend, particularly for the Christian who feels weary or scattered, to be challenged and strengthened by the core message of Jesus.
April 26, 2024
it was fine. definitely didn’t need 300+ pages for it
September 19, 2015
Within the Christian faith, there are a slew of creeds that exist. Perhaps the most famous of all are the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed. But, little do we know that Jesus himself established His own creed. This creed is known as the Jesus Creed.
But, before explaining the Jesus Creed, there is a bit of background information that must be addressed first. Before Christ was born, Jews all throughout the known world had their own creed. This creed is better known as the Shema (Sh'ma) and is still professed by millions of Jews today. The Shema is taken from a passage in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 which reads:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
This is the shortened version of the Shema and the one most often cited by Jews. Daily, when awakening and retiring for the night, observant Jews recited this creed aloud. Every Jew knew this sacred creed and repeated it quite often. It was also the greatest commandment and was to be followed very obediently with no other exceptions. Anyone who did not follow or recite this creed was known as an "Am ha-aretz", loosely defined as a country bumpkin with no education.
Now, fast forward many years later to the days of Jesus’ ministry when He was asked what is the greatest commandment of all:
"And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.'” (Mark 12:28-31)
The Scribes were expecting only one response. Note the singularity of the question in verse 28? But, Jesus responds not only with the Shema, but adds something additional to this historic creed. Jesus amends the Shema with, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In other words, Jesus personalizes the Shema from a Love-God only Shema to a Love-God-and-Love-Others Shema. And, we all know Jesus certainly demonstrated this in His love for other people.
But, the story doesn’t end there...
Jesus is once again put to the test with yet another trick question regarding this new creed. What precisely does Jesus mean by “neighbor” in this equation? If a person is not my neighbor, am I still obligated to love him?
"But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:29-37)
So, the bottom line is this. We are to love God and love others. This is the Jesus Creed. Our neighbors, are anyone with whom God places onto our path. It’s easy to claim we love God. Anyone can make this claim. But, it’s a bit more challenging to truly love people; ALL people no matter their background; even if they may not love us back. This applies to those that are hard to love or whom we may deem our "enemy". America certainly has it's enemies, but as Christians, are these too our enemies? Loving others is an outflowing of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. It will also likely be a reason many people may ask us, why do you love me? Why do you care?
Francis Schaeffer, in his book, "The Mark of a Christian" summarizes this love of neighbor very succinctly. He writes:
"Love, and the unity it attests to, is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father." (page 59)
But, before explaining the Jesus Creed, there is a bit of background information that must be addressed first. Before Christ was born, Jews all throughout the known world had their own creed. This creed is better known as the Shema (Sh'ma) and is still professed by millions of Jews today. The Shema is taken from a passage in Deuteronomy 6:4-5 which reads:
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
This is the shortened version of the Shema and the one most often cited by Jews. Daily, when awakening and retiring for the night, observant Jews recited this creed aloud. Every Jew knew this sacred creed and repeated it quite often. It was also the greatest commandment and was to be followed very obediently with no other exceptions. Anyone who did not follow or recite this creed was known as an "Am ha-aretz", loosely defined as a country bumpkin with no education.
Now, fast forward many years later to the days of Jesus’ ministry when He was asked what is the greatest commandment of all:
"And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.'” (Mark 12:28-31)
The Scribes were expecting only one response. Note the singularity of the question in verse 28? But, Jesus responds not only with the Shema, but adds something additional to this historic creed. Jesus amends the Shema with, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” In other words, Jesus personalizes the Shema from a Love-God only Shema to a Love-God-and-Love-Others Shema. And, we all know Jesus certainly demonstrated this in His love for other people.
But, the story doesn’t end there...
Jesus is once again put to the test with yet another trick question regarding this new creed. What precisely does Jesus mean by “neighbor” in this equation? If a person is not my neighbor, am I still obligated to love him?
"But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” (Luke 10:29-37)
So, the bottom line is this. We are to love God and love others. This is the Jesus Creed. Our neighbors, are anyone with whom God places onto our path. It’s easy to claim we love God. Anyone can make this claim. But, it’s a bit more challenging to truly love people; ALL people no matter their background; even if they may not love us back. This applies to those that are hard to love or whom we may deem our "enemy". America certainly has it's enemies, but as Christians, are these too our enemies? Loving others is an outflowing of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us. It will also likely be a reason many people may ask us, why do you love me? Why do you care?
Francis Schaeffer, in his book, "The Mark of a Christian" summarizes this love of neighbor very succinctly. He writes:
"Love, and the unity it attests to, is the mark Christ gave Christians to wear before the world. Only with this mark may the world know that Christians are indeed Christians and that Jesus was sent by the Father." (page 59)
July 8, 2018
Picked up this book with a lot of anticipation and excitement. Have heard a lot of good things about Scot McKnight from professors and his commentaries are often well received. The beginning starts off with a bang and you feel he has grasped an imcredibly important concept, yet I felt throughout the book he did not bring to fruition the promise of his work.
Maybe I had unfair expectations. In some ways I thought this might break free from the typical American evangelical formula, but throughout when he seems on the precipice of something innovative he seems to slip back into the same rhetoric and outlook of a broader evangelical sentiment. That is not to say he is your typical evangelical author, far from it, but it feels as though he is constrained. However, maybe I desire that he conforms more to my own tradition and all of these critiques could be unfair.
Yet what I find most frustrating is the simplicity with which the topic is discussed. Very rarely does he dive into the complexity of human life and when he does it feels that he is trying to squeeze the positivity out of every situation. I think this is also present in his treatment of the New Testament texts and their context. I've seen more recent scholarship call into question the hard and fast characterizations of 1st century Judaism that McKnight leans upon in this book. If this is the case, then the exegetical fuel is really undercut. Either way I feel he overstates his case, yet again neglecting the potential complexity present. I certainly would recommend this above a litany of other theological, biblical, and spiritual books written for non-academic audiences, but it just felt as though he didn't reach the heights he was aiming for.
Maybe I had unfair expectations. In some ways I thought this might break free from the typical American evangelical formula, but throughout when he seems on the precipice of something innovative he seems to slip back into the same rhetoric and outlook of a broader evangelical sentiment. That is not to say he is your typical evangelical author, far from it, but it feels as though he is constrained. However, maybe I desire that he conforms more to my own tradition and all of these critiques could be unfair.
Yet what I find most frustrating is the simplicity with which the topic is discussed. Very rarely does he dive into the complexity of human life and when he does it feels that he is trying to squeeze the positivity out of every situation. I think this is also present in his treatment of the New Testament texts and their context. I've seen more recent scholarship call into question the hard and fast characterizations of 1st century Judaism that McKnight leans upon in this book. If this is the case, then the exegetical fuel is really undercut. Either way I feel he overstates his case, yet again neglecting the potential complexity present. I certainly would recommend this above a litany of other theological, biblical, and spiritual books written for non-academic audiences, but it just felt as though he didn't reach the heights he was aiming for.
February 17, 2013
Yes! McKnight nails it. Jesus Creed is about how following Jesus, in every way, is about loving God and loving people. While this is a very simple premise, McKnight approaches this topic with power and penetrating insight.
The Change: Much of the book is about the changes Jesus brought to the Jewish faith. THis is where McKnight really shines. His knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures and Jewish tradition shines as he examines the prayers, stories, and creeds of Jesus and their Jewish roots. Scot reveals how the Jewish faith focused on loving God, then Jesus broadens this to included loving our neighbors as well. His use of Scripture and history is masterful.
The Jesus Creed attempts to break following Jesus down to it's most basic elements. While the thought is far from new, McKnight's approach his fresh and contemporary. I certainly agree with him, that modern Christians (myself included) have a ways to go to love our neighbors the way the New Testament instructs. This book is a timely help.
The Change: Much of the book is about the changes Jesus brought to the Jewish faith. THis is where McKnight really shines. His knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures and Jewish tradition shines as he examines the prayers, stories, and creeds of Jesus and their Jewish roots. Scot reveals how the Jewish faith focused on loving God, then Jesus broadens this to included loving our neighbors as well. His use of Scripture and history is masterful.
The Jesus Creed attempts to break following Jesus down to it's most basic elements. While the thought is far from new, McKnight's approach his fresh and contemporary. I certainly agree with him, that modern Christians (myself included) have a ways to go to love our neighbors the way the New Testament instructs. This book is a timely help.
June 12, 2017
If you're a Christian, Jesus' greatest commandment is probably not a foreign concept to you. "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." While these may not be words always put into practice, they are words that are often talked about in churches and among Christians.
Scot McKnight in his book The Jesus Creed approaches this commandment from a slightly different angle than most churches. He views this statement as Jesus's creed, or formal statement of faith. In McKnight's approach, Jesus is taking the often used Shema of the Jewish faith, which would have been the faith Jesus had come out of, and is adding to it. Instead of only focusing on love of God, Jesus is added a dimension to loving others.
After developing this idea for a few chapters, his focus is then on having us live out this creed in our lives. To act upon our love of God and love of others, instead of just holding it as a belief in our mind. He does this by focusing on various stories and passages from the gospels and how they exemplify living out the Jesus Creed and encourage us to do the same.
Personally, I found this to be a great book for focusing on our call to both love God and to love others. I thought that McKnight does a great job on fleshing out the Jewish background of Jesus, something I feel that is often missed by many Christians today, at least Christians in the United States. He also does this while keeping the book accessible to readers. His writing style is fairly accessible. He also marks words that are more unfamiliar and has a glossary of these words at the back of the book, another sign that he is intentional about making this book accessible.
While I did enjoy the book quite a bit, it does have a few minor flaws, in my opinion. Nothing that I felt was worth docking it a star, but things I felt I should mention. The first is the size. The Jesus Creed is a fairly long book. It's about 300 pages of reading (not including all the end notes and everything like that). This could make it appear intimidating to some who view longer theological books as scholarly or inaccessible to an everyday Christian. This long length also makes the book feel a bit repetitive at times (which didn't really bother me, but it is there).
Overall, though I felt that The Jesus Creed is a book that points us to the heart of the Christian faith, the commandment that Jesus himself said was most important. It's a bit long, maybe a little repetitive, but I found myself being both encouraged and challenged as I went through the book. I would definitely recommend it to others.
Scot McKnight in his book The Jesus Creed approaches this commandment from a slightly different angle than most churches. He views this statement as Jesus's creed, or formal statement of faith. In McKnight's approach, Jesus is taking the often used Shema of the Jewish faith, which would have been the faith Jesus had come out of, and is adding to it. Instead of only focusing on love of God, Jesus is added a dimension to loving others.
After developing this idea for a few chapters, his focus is then on having us live out this creed in our lives. To act upon our love of God and love of others, instead of just holding it as a belief in our mind. He does this by focusing on various stories and passages from the gospels and how they exemplify living out the Jesus Creed and encourage us to do the same.
Personally, I found this to be a great book for focusing on our call to both love God and to love others. I thought that McKnight does a great job on fleshing out the Jewish background of Jesus, something I feel that is often missed by many Christians today, at least Christians in the United States. He also does this while keeping the book accessible to readers. His writing style is fairly accessible. He also marks words that are more unfamiliar and has a glossary of these words at the back of the book, another sign that he is intentional about making this book accessible.
While I did enjoy the book quite a bit, it does have a few minor flaws, in my opinion. Nothing that I felt was worth docking it a star, but things I felt I should mention. The first is the size. The Jesus Creed is a fairly long book. It's about 300 pages of reading (not including all the end notes and everything like that). This could make it appear intimidating to some who view longer theological books as scholarly or inaccessible to an everyday Christian. This long length also makes the book feel a bit repetitive at times (which didn't really bother me, but it is there).
Overall, though I felt that The Jesus Creed is a book that points us to the heart of the Christian faith, the commandment that Jesus himself said was most important. It's a bit long, maybe a little repetitive, but I found myself being both encouraged and challenged as I went through the book. I would definitely recommend it to others.
July 3, 2021
Quarantine-Book #46:
I just finished "The Jesus Creed: Loving God and Loving Others," by Scot X. McKnight.
Just some thoughts as I go:
I have been wanting to get into this one since "Kingdom Conspiracy." I have to say that at my first stop (p 35) this is really approachable; this is written pewward (again (C) I made that word, you can use it for a slight fee). An academic who writes for any and all audiences
is a gift to the Church.
"For Jesus the table was to embody the Jesus Creed: To love God and to love others means to invite all to the table," p 35.
A really good perception of John the Baptist: John was on the far side of the Jordan River baptising. The view here is a new start just like when leaving Egypt and crossing into a new land. Likewise the baptized would enter on the" Egyptian side" and exit on the side of the promised land to a new life.
McKnights chapter on Mary was really good. Her male children's names correspond to the children of Israel or Jacob. Also, things that are sung by Mary and that she embodies are major themes in the ministry of Jesus. Excellent thoughts here.
Speaking to conversion McKnight likens many peoples perception to seeing it as a birth certificate. The Jesus Creed sees conversion more like a driver's license: privelage to practice. (My comparable analogy to birth certificate conversion is a tattoo "thank goodness I got that; that's done.") Then he asks in which of the following Peter-events is Peter converted (birth certificate)? Wonderfully he says that Peter isn't Paul--Paul who has a bomb-drop, birth certificate getting, Jesus-moment--and some people will have Peter-events and others Paul-events; traditions need take note.
"The Jesus Creed is not for someone who believed, in the past, but someone who believes. Christians are called believers not believeders," p 185.
"[L]ove is not about perfection but about relationship," p 212.
This is good. Playing off of the above, which side of the river John was on and where the baptized emerged (into the holy land), Jesus did the opposite: out into the desert he went. While there he passes the tests that Israel failed. McKnight ties this (baptism and temptation) into a substitution model; I'm thinking it over. The interesting part to consider here is where a Joshua lead a failed Isreal over the Jordan an successful Jesus (Joshua) crossed the Jordan for Israel.
This was a really good book. I'm really glad to have finally had a chance to read it. Get this and live the Jesus Creed: love God, follow Jesus, love others.
#JesusCreed #ScotMcKnight #PoplarSpringsLifeGroup
I just finished "The Jesus Creed: Loving God and Loving Others," by Scot X. McKnight.
Just some thoughts as I go:
I have been wanting to get into this one since "Kingdom Conspiracy." I have to say that at my first stop (p 35) this is really approachable; this is written pewward (again (C) I made that word, you can use it for a slight fee). An academic who writes for any and all audiences
is a gift to the Church.
"For Jesus the table was to embody the Jesus Creed: To love God and to love others means to invite all to the table," p 35.
A really good perception of John the Baptist: John was on the far side of the Jordan River baptising. The view here is a new start just like when leaving Egypt and crossing into a new land. Likewise the baptized would enter on the" Egyptian side" and exit on the side of the promised land to a new life.
McKnights chapter on Mary was really good. Her male children's names correspond to the children of Israel or Jacob. Also, things that are sung by Mary and that she embodies are major themes in the ministry of Jesus. Excellent thoughts here.
Speaking to conversion McKnight likens many peoples perception to seeing it as a birth certificate. The Jesus Creed sees conversion more like a driver's license: privelage to practice. (My comparable analogy to birth certificate conversion is a tattoo "thank goodness I got that; that's done.") Then he asks in which of the following Peter-events is Peter converted (birth certificate)? Wonderfully he says that Peter isn't Paul--Paul who has a bomb-drop, birth certificate getting, Jesus-moment--and some people will have Peter-events and others Paul-events; traditions need take note.
"The Jesus Creed is not for someone who believed, in the past, but someone who believes. Christians are called believers not believeders," p 185.
"[L]ove is not about perfection but about relationship," p 212.
This is good. Playing off of the above, which side of the river John was on and where the baptized emerged (into the holy land), Jesus did the opposite: out into the desert he went. While there he passes the tests that Israel failed. McKnight ties this (baptism and temptation) into a substitution model; I'm thinking it over. The interesting part to consider here is where a Joshua lead a failed Isreal over the Jordan an successful Jesus (Joshua) crossed the Jordan for Israel.
This was a really good book. I'm really glad to have finally had a chance to read it. Get this and live the Jesus Creed: love God, follow Jesus, love others.
#JesusCreed #ScotMcKnight #PoplarSpringsLifeGroup
August 11, 2023
What does it mean to follow Jesus? This is the issue explored in McKnight's book. In the opening chapters, he examines two crucial passages of Scripture: Jesus' use of the shema in Mark 12, and his instructions on prayer in Matthew 6. It really is simple as what he terms the "Jesus Creed," to love God and love others. It's simple, but the scope is broad.
Following the discussion of the importance of the Jesus Creed, McKnight goes on to depict how the Jesus Creed is lived out in the lives of others in Scripture, and concluding on its impact on our life in the here and now.
McKnight is so well read. And he always has an abundance of "real life" stories to provide clarity and colour to his teaching. For those who feel as if they are "deconstructing" (an unfortunate word; there are better descriptors), the reminder of loving God and loving others is a lifeline to hang on to. McKnight even discusses his own process of faith evaluation. He was "deconstructing" before "deconstructing" was cool.
Other than J.I. Packer, McKnight is the theologian who has made the greatest impact on me. He is worth listening to.
Following the discussion of the importance of the Jesus Creed, McKnight goes on to depict how the Jesus Creed is lived out in the lives of others in Scripture, and concluding on its impact on our life in the here and now.
McKnight is so well read. And he always has an abundance of "real life" stories to provide clarity and colour to his teaching. For those who feel as if they are "deconstructing" (an unfortunate word; there are better descriptors), the reminder of loving God and loving others is a lifeline to hang on to. McKnight even discusses his own process of faith evaluation. He was "deconstructing" before "deconstructing" was cool.
Other than J.I. Packer, McKnight is the theologian who has made the greatest impact on me. He is worth listening to.
March 13, 2021
Idk something about this book, it uses a lot of words to say not much at all. I feel like McKnight would make stretching assumptions without building up why he was saying what he was saying. It also seemed to have a pseudo-academic feel to it, for example he would have the Hebrew word for something with a star telling you to look up the definition in the back. You flip to the page and then the definition is “see this other word” so you’d flip back a few pages to find it. It got annoying quickly because he would keep using that word over and over and if you forgot what it meant you’d have to keep looking in the back.
Overall the premise of the book is great. I’d give the first part of the book 5 starts where he defines what the Jesus creed is and why it matters. The other 3 parts aren’t that great.
Overall the premise of the book is great. I’d give the first part of the book 5 starts where he defines what the Jesus creed is and why it matters. The other 3 parts aren’t that great.
February 22, 2019
The Jesus Creed is not a book to breeze through in one sitting. Instead, it should be read slowly and with some thought put into it. McKnight breaks up the chapters into small, manageable chunks, as well as combining chapters into particular groups. This allows for easy reading and organization. How much one gets out of the book is really up to them. If carefully read, the information can apply to all of our lives, even if just in subtle ways.
A beautiful tone is used throughout the book and it is one that is quite genuine. McKnight comes across as an honest, and loving individual, which is necessary of course when writing about love. He captures the poignant stories of the gospel in a different light, with everything being directed towards loving God and others. While this concept is not new and Jesus uses this phrase himself, the complexity and theological density of the Bible can at times seem to interfere with its main premise of love.
McKnight not only uses the stories of Jesus to convey how we can all love others but uses them to show the different types of love. Compassion, justice, forgiveness, faith and more are all explored, and how love encompasses each of these important attributes.
I only have two minor complaints. However, they are relevant nonetheless. McKnight says that Jesus amended the Shema. While he did add on to the Shema to include loving others, I wish McKnight would have specified that the addition was simply to the exact phrase. The Bible, both old and new testament, commands us to love God and others. McKnight perhaps should have more thoroughly explained that Jesus did not add on new laws, but fulfilled them and placed love as the supreme law. This holds true for both before and after Jesus. One other small issue is that as the book progresses the writing becomes wordier and all over the place. It seems as though near the end this produces a lack of cohesiveness and connectivity to the central theme.
Yet despite these complaints, McKnight addresses a prominent part of scripture with grace. While the church currently has divisions, McKnight seeks to unite us through the love of Christ and how we can project this love upon others. Through scripture and theology, he is able to show us that we can apply the law of love to our daily lives, no matter who we are. Even more importantly, he demonstrates that the entire life of Jesus was dedicated to love and how we can grow closer to him daily, both through his life and becoming more like him.
A beautiful tone is used throughout the book and it is one that is quite genuine. McKnight comes across as an honest, and loving individual, which is necessary of course when writing about love. He captures the poignant stories of the gospel in a different light, with everything being directed towards loving God and others. While this concept is not new and Jesus uses this phrase himself, the complexity and theological density of the Bible can at times seem to interfere with its main premise of love.
McKnight not only uses the stories of Jesus to convey how we can all love others but uses them to show the different types of love. Compassion, justice, forgiveness, faith and more are all explored, and how love encompasses each of these important attributes.
I only have two minor complaints. However, they are relevant nonetheless. McKnight says that Jesus amended the Shema. While he did add on to the Shema to include loving others, I wish McKnight would have specified that the addition was simply to the exact phrase. The Bible, both old and new testament, commands us to love God and others. McKnight perhaps should have more thoroughly explained that Jesus did not add on new laws, but fulfilled them and placed love as the supreme law. This holds true for both before and after Jesus. One other small issue is that as the book progresses the writing becomes wordier and all over the place. It seems as though near the end this produces a lack of cohesiveness and connectivity to the central theme.
Yet despite these complaints, McKnight addresses a prominent part of scripture with grace. While the church currently has divisions, McKnight seeks to unite us through the love of Christ and how we can project this love upon others. Through scripture and theology, he is able to show us that we can apply the law of love to our daily lives, no matter who we are. Even more importantly, he demonstrates that the entire life of Jesus was dedicated to love and how we can grow closer to him daily, both through his life and becoming more like him.
September 6, 2019
It was a good read, more like a timely read. Gave me a fresh perspectives on, Jesus rethinking and extending the Jewish rhythms and liturgy in the light of who He is, about the many people that Jesus interacted with during his time, stories of people who have impacted by him... to name a few All these perspectives were then put forth as a framework for spiritual formation, which is something I have come think a little more intentionally in this season. So yes it was a timely read for me.
That said, I wish the chapters were a little more coherent in its ideas, though has important points to make it lacks the continuity from chapter to chapter, then I guess a meditative style of writing would miss that.
So overall, it's worth a read :)
That said, I wish the chapters were a little more coherent in its ideas, though has important points to make it lacks the continuity from chapter to chapter, then I guess a meditative style of writing would miss that.
So overall, it's worth a read :)
November 11, 2016
This book proved to be a good discussion starter for a small group study. McKnight's application of the "Jesus Creed" (Love God, love your neighbor) finds many ways. I found some chapters were much better than others, so the application was uneven; profound in some ways, a stretch in others. Overall I enjoyed reading the book very much. I don't understand why they removed the whole last section of chapters from the 10th anniversary edition of this book. I thought those were some of the best. I recommend that readers stick with this edition.
March 1, 2020
A simple and excellent guide to how to follow Jesus
The Jesus Creed is a simple guide to following Jesus leading to spiritual formation. McKnight does a excellent job of explaining this simple way of becoming more like Jesus in everyday life. He uses scripture and story telling to back up all his points in a compelling way. I look forward to seeing how my life changes as I continue to recite the Jesus Creed daily.
The Jesus Creed is a simple guide to following Jesus leading to spiritual formation. McKnight does a excellent job of explaining this simple way of becoming more like Jesus in everyday life. He uses scripture and story telling to back up all his points in a compelling way. I look forward to seeing how my life changes as I continue to recite the Jesus Creed daily.
November 5, 2020
While I really loved what Scot was saying throughout this book, I found it a little challenging to read. His writing style is quite choppy. I'm sure it is written the way he talks, but I would have to pause and re-read at times to understand him. However, if you put that aside, his call to live like Jesus - by loving God and loving others is something we constantly need to be reminded - particularly in a year that feels extra difficult for so many in the world.
November 19, 2020
The main premise of the book is great and the first few chapters were insightful and worth reading. But the next few were a little less compelling, and next few less still. And so on till the end of the book pretty much.
McKnight has a really broad knowledge of church history and draws from many different Christian traditions, which I loved. At times his writing is funny and hooked me, but at times it was a little all over the place which kind of made my head spin.
McKnight has a really broad knowledge of church history and draws from many different Christian traditions, which I loved. At times his writing is funny and hooked me, but at times it was a little all over the place which kind of made my head spin.
July 26, 2021
The chapters in this book are repetitive. While the content is good, I felt like the amount of material would have been better left as articles or converted into a shorter book/pamphlet.
The main message is, use the updated shema thatJesus gives (Love the Lord your God with all your heart, souls, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself) as a centering prayer throughout your day to keep yourself reminded to love God and others in all you do.
The main message is, use the updated shema thatJesus gives (Love the Lord your God with all your heart, souls, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself) as a centering prayer throughout your day to keep yourself reminded to love God and others in all you do.
June 20, 2022
McKnight offers a profound and provocative take on Christ’s “creed.” McKnight draws from the Jesus Creed to discuss a plethora of Christian perspectives, theological principles and guides—quite effectively.
Overall, the book acts as a good manifesto for the Christian journey of Spiritual Formation. It could work well as a devotional as McKnight includes key reference verses for reading at the beginning of each chapter.
Overall, the book acts as a good manifesto for the Christian journey of Spiritual Formation. It could work well as a devotional as McKnight includes key reference verses for reading at the beginning of each chapter.
February 20, 2023
I read this book because it was recommended by Tim Mackey of the Bible Project. It was worth it! The Jesus Creed outlines how Jesus taught us to love God and love others by using the Jewish Shema (Hear Oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength) and adding "love others as yourself" to it to form the Jesus Creed. I loved all of it and highly recommend it.
September 9, 2020
I struggled getting through this book. Not sure if it is just not written well or if the disjointed, short chapters just make for a difficult read. Some good thoughts about the Kingdom of God and relationship vs. perfection, but overall the focus of the book is cloudy. Each chapter ties back to Love God, Love Others, but sometimes in a roundabout way. Wouldn’t recommend it.
September 22, 2022
Excellent, and convicting. We too often make the Christian walk too complicated, when it’s actually very simple: Love God, Love others. But like so many things in life, simple does not translate to easy. The church does not exist for people who already attend, it exists for those who don’t attend yet.
October 16, 2023
⭐⭐ - OK
McKnight talks about the central creed of the Christian faith. The Jesus Creed is built on top of the daily Jewish prayer, the Shema, but Jesus adds Leviticus 19:18, to love your neighbor as yourself. I love the Jesus Creed and there were some good bits in this book, but it just read slowly to me.
McKnight talks about the central creed of the Christian faith. The Jesus Creed is built on top of the daily Jewish prayer, the Shema, but Jesus adds Leviticus 19:18, to love your neighbor as yourself. I love the Jesus Creed and there were some good bits in this book, but it just read slowly to me.
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