Hard Sayings of Jesus

by F.F. Bruce

Like his original hearers many people today find Jesus' sayings hard. Some sayings are hard because they are difficult to understand, others because the demands they make on us are only too clear. F. F. Bruce examines seventy of the hard sayings of Jesus to clear away the cultural and historical difficulties which keep us from grappling with the real challenge of Jesus' message. Evident in each chapter is Bruce's keen evangelical scholarship and pastoral insight.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction, Christianity, Religion, New Testament, Reference

266 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1983

About the author

Frederick Fyvie Bruce FBA was a Biblical scholar who supported the historical reliability of the New Testament. His first book, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (1943), was voted by the American evangelical periodical Christianity Today in 2006 as one of the top 50 books "which had shaped evangelicals".

Reviews

[E · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard book to rate; eventually arrived at two stars because ultimately the work is so unsatisfying. At times I felt like I was reading an exercise in beating around the bush. Furthermore, Bruce has a way of making his point as obscurely as possible. This could have been a great book! Think, seventy of the toughest declarations of our Savior, explained and applied in a helpful yet scholarly way. Instead, again and again I found myself thinking, "Wait, the chapter's over? Did he ever say what he thinks the hard saying means?"

Another major distraction was his insistence again and again and again on trying to ascertain what the "actual" or "original" statement of Jesus was, whether in Aramaic or before the Evangelists mucked it up or jerked it into a new context. This got very tiring. I'd much rather deal with the text as we have it, but Bruce takes for granted that the Gospel writers cannot be trusted to give us Christ's original statements. This added a level of discussion and obfuscation that was entirely unnecessary.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

As our society becomes more and more oriented toward the soundbite and internet chatter, we're quickly losing the ability to read truly important, enduring books with any depth. But F.F. Bruce—with a gift for succinctly explaining historical context and rhetorical technique—gives us an invaluable and detailed map through what has, with relative suddenness, become difficult territory for the modern reader. I can't imagine studying the gospels without this book.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

How many of us have ever read one of Jesus' sayings in the Gospels and said, "I wonder what that means?" or "Wow! That's extreme." I have read or heard the words of Jesus all of my life--so much so, that I often forget to be shocked at many of the things He says. What did Jesus mean when He said, "unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (Jn 6:53)? Or why did He say that whoever says "You fool!" merits hell? How are we to understand Jesus' statements about divorce and remarriage? Or the cry of dereliction "My God! My God, why have you forsaken me?"

Here, the late evangelical scholar F.F. Bruce has helpfully worked through 70 of these hard sayings in the chronological order in which they are found in the Gospels. The chapters are usually 2-3 pages, which makes it suitable as a tool for daily devotional reading. On the whole, lay people should be able to read this with ease, though Bruce does occasionally foray into the world of Biblical criticism. People not familiar with ideas such as Q or "pillar sayings" may need to do a bit of research to better understand his insights, but most of the chapters would not require this. There is minimal work with Greek or Aramaic. The little he does use, he explains well. So, I would feel comfortable recommending this book to educated laity.

I enjoyed many of the insights Bruce brought to the table. The scholar in me often wanted him to go further and deeper in his explanations, but he gave sufficient evidence for his statements in most cases. 4 out of 5 stars.

[Chrisanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some fascinating insights. Relies a bit too much on other scholars when I would prefer mostly historical context/ tradition/ language.

I also was interested in the comparisons between what some people think are hard versus what I think is a hard saying. Brilliant idea for a book, though.

[James Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

The format of the book that presented the hard sayings of Jesus allowed for the book to be easily used as an accompaniment to daily devotions. The 70 sayings were in small sections and provided good information. The examination of these sayings allowed for a better understanding although some sections remained difficult and would require additional study for a fuller comprehension of the original meaning.

[Tim Baumgartner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first got exposed to this book when I went to ECB (Evangelical Church of Bangkok) after arriving in Thailand nearly THIRTEEN years ago!!! But, I never started reading this book until this year.

It started after a conversation I had with two non-Christian students from my school who were processing the recent Chapel message that happened during Mother's Day week.

In Chapel, Luke 14:26 was mentioned ("If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother... he cannot be my disciple."), which is a portion of a Mother's Day message that I have NEVER heard before! It led to a GREAT conversation that I pray will lead to great fruit!

So, obviously, at first hearing, this verse seems like it reads. However, upon further examination, as stated in this book (along with biblical commentaries), the diligent student of Scripture will realize the word "hate" refers to an idiom of antiquity that means "to love less." This could be identified when a person may love their family more than God, and make decisions that prevents them from actually connecting with the God that made them.

This is NOT a violation of the FIFTH Commandments (loving one's parents), nor is it living out an initial reading of Deuteronomy 21:15 (IF one has two wives, they love one and hate the other). No, it simply means to love one less. The author also responsibly brought up Mark 10:29-30; 1 Corinthians 9:5; and 1 Timothy 5:8 to keep in mind as well.

And, as the author of this book, Dr FF Bruce, who, although he died in 2007, as the world's leading authority on textual criticism (strives to discern the original wording of Scriptures, in this case, the Bible by comparing the manuscripts available throughout history in order to see if it has changed at any times in history) said:

"Because of the natural resistance on the part of the [original] hearers to accepting this necessity with literal seriousness, he insisted on it in the most arresting and challenging language at his command" (121).

So, all in all, the book was actually extraordinary overall in giving insights into EIGHTY biblical verses; however, I struggled occasionally (not too often though) with just the WAY it was written at times with seemingly unnecessary vocabulary terms, over-explaining things and just a kind of "funky" way of wording certain explanations of texts. But I think it can be used as a devotional that you can use to read in conjunction with our Bibles in order to add notes and references here and there to further illuminate the text in both our current and future studies of the Book of Books! And, IF you come across a passage that you REALLY struggle to accept, it's likely it is covered in this book. So, get it as a resource--I guarantee it will be a blessing to you (and others)!

[J. R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential reading for anyone who seriously wants to consider who Jesus is and what he claims. As Bruce says, most of us construct a mental picture of Jesus that is so conventional no one would bother to crucify him (cf. introduction). Jesus said things that make us think (not a task we're always happy to do). This is not a book intended to resolve all our questions; rather, it is intended to present the hardness of Jesus' sayings in ways that help us better wrestle with what his claim on our lives really is. I recommend daily readings of short chapters, giving readers time throughout the day to consider the topic and issues. I began to do this part way through this (my second) reading, and I have now begun a third reading at a slower, more thoughtful pace.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some interesting nuggets and some dry interpretations. It's a nice book to have as a resource, but it's not the most exciting read. In covering 70 passages, Bruce only gives a few pages to each, so he rarely pushes deep and he's not often too surprising. It probably works better as a devotional or a read-with-breakfast sort of thing rather than a book to just sit down and read straight through.

[Jacques · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite FF Bruce so far, I much preferred The New Testament Documents. There are 70 hard sayings in the book. Some he clears up beautifully, some he doesn't. Probably should be used as a reference book rather than a read-through.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unlike other things I have read by F F Bruce the discussions about the many passages are very brief and superficial. I can’t recommend this book. Nor are they really hard sayings as the title implies. It might be better to title this “ Often Misunderstood Passages”

[Scott Pollard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great handling of the topic/s. F.F. Bruce is a great theologian. I used the book for a sermon series on the hard sayings of Jesus at a campground. It got us through the summer and really helped me deal with many issues most enjoyed learning about.

[Suzanne Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK, but answered only a few of the problems is a satisfactory way.

[Troy Nevitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard sayings have many interpretations. Bruce is helpful thinking through the tough texts that Jesus say. It's worth a read.

[David Espeut · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work functions best as a supplement to Bible commentaries for pastors.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

F.F. Is a good historian but is NOT a good Christian theologian. His views are not right.

[Glenn Hopp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seventy chapters, each on a different saying. Some of them are hard to understand, some simply hard to live by. F.F. Bruce is open-minded and reasonable in his comments.

[C.J. Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has proven and will continue to prove a helpful book. Love the short chapters on dozens of difficult verses.

[Jamie Pennington · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have fond memories of this series from many years ago. It was nice to read these.

[Greg D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of those who listened to Jesus during His earthly ministry and those who read His words in the Gospels today find many of His teachings hard to understand and difficult to live by. Jesus taught many things that ran against the grain of society and were counter to the culture of His day. His teachings truly were radical. He made no provisions in offending those who were in authority, and was often found praising those who were considered the trash heap of society. All of His teachings make both the hearer and reader think, not only about their own lives, but how they are to live amongst and interact with others. In his book, “The Hard Sayings of Jesus” F.F. Bruce explores many of these difficult teachings and exposits them in a way which allows the student of the Bible to better understand what Jesus taught on these more difficult subjects.

The reading of, “The Hard Sayings of Jesus” by F.F. Bruce was instrumental in helping me gain a better understanding to some of the more challenging passages found throughout the Gospels, particularly certain teachings of Christ. Jesus often used spiritual allegory, parables, and symbolic illustrations to help teach certain truths to His disciples. However, Jesus also employed the use of literal teachings absent of any illustrations or allegory, proclaiming truths for all of us to live by that are pertinent to us today. How does the student of the Bible distinguish between spiritual allegory and literal interpretation? I believe Bruce clearly differentiated the two throughout his book and clearly articulated what is to be taken as symbolic versus literal.

From a personal level, this book helped me understand some of the teachings of Christ that I myself struggled with. For example, in the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21), Jesus explains that certain things will occur within “this generation”. Was He speaking to the generation of the disciples, or was He speaking of a future generation? I believe Bruce cleared up this matter very clearly. I also struggled with the passage concerning Jesus’ instructions for His disciples to purchase two swords (see Luke 22:36). Why would Jesus who taught peace and non-violence contradict himself and do such a thing? Again, Bruce cleared up this matter very well in that the swords are not literal, but a figurative understanding of what the disciples will soon experience.

Lastly, understanding some of these more difficult passages will better equip me, as a missionary, to communicate the true meaning of Jesus’ teachings to a people group who do not yet know Him. As a part of my ministry serving amongst the Roma people of Albania, I will be conducting Bible studies to non-believers as a tool for evangelism. Furthermore, I will be conducting Bible studies to new believers and will help disciple them into mature and faithful followers of Jesus Christ. Imparting the truth behind some of these more difficult teachings of Christ to both the non-believers and believers alike will certainly help them truly understand who Jesus is.

[Zacarias Rivera, Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever struggled trying to decipher the statements/teachings of Jesus found in the Gospels? Bruce does a phenomenal job in unpacking and interpreting 70 sayings of Jesus that are considered difficult to understand. He focuses on the synoptic gospels, many times parallel teachings found in two or all three of the synoptic. He looks at the linguistic and historical contexts to help clarify the significance of the statements.

[Jacob Savage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bruce's writing is easy to follow and understand, which makes his book interesting. He seeks to take many of the sayings of Jesus which are often difficult to understand, and he seeks to give meaning to them. Although his writing is simplistic and has a lack of depth, this book would be good for someone seeking to get a brief overview of one of Jesus' teachings.

[Joshua Lawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy the scholars for all the historical and theological nuggets they afford which you won't find in popular works. This book is no exception; however, what it encompasses in breadth it lacks in depth. Bruce reviews seventy "hard sayings" of Jesus from the gospels, and, as such, can only afford to give each passage one or two pages. Even still, a worthwhile read.

[Ian Rees · Rating 3 out of 5]

I confess I wasn't always sure from some of the chapters whether Bruce wasn't giving too much ground to liberal scholars in his interpretation of these sayings, but generally he tackles them head on and gives useful insight into the difficulties they present and how we might understand them.

[Royce Ratterman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most books are rated related to their usefulness and contributions to my research.
Overall, a good book for the researcher and enthusiast.
Read for personal research
- found this book's contents helpful and inspiring - number rating relates to the book's contribution to my needs.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short but very good book about the hard sayings of Jesus in the Gospels. Worth reading and profitable to have on your shelf for reference.