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The Gospel According to Jesus: A Faith that Restores All Things
Most Christians are living a distorted Christian life. You don't have to be one of them.
Imagine a church where 84% of Christians are completely unfamiliar with the essential tenets of their faith, with a crippling misunderstanding of the word righteousness and, in turn, the gospel of Jesus.
According to a recent survey conducted by Chris Seay and Barna Research Group, this is not just speculation; it's the reality for the church today.
The Gospel According to Jesus takes an in-depth look at this research study, which examines our understanding of the command, "Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness." Most Christians define righteousness as morality . This means that what's being preached by the church is not at all the gospel Jesus intended for His followers.
Through personal stories, interviews with today's church leaders, and a detailed study of the book of Romans, Chris uncovers a staggering disconnect between the gospel according to Christians and the gospel according to Jesus--the redeeming, restorative gospel that a broken world so desperately needs. Our role, he says, is to join Jesus in restoring the world. Will you?
Imagine a church where 84% of Christians are completely unfamiliar with the essential tenets of their faith, with a crippling misunderstanding of the word righteousness and, in turn, the gospel of Jesus.
According to a recent survey conducted by Chris Seay and Barna Research Group, this is not just speculation; it's the reality for the church today.
The Gospel According to Jesus takes an in-depth look at this research study, which examines our understanding of the command, "Seek first the kingdom and His righteousness." Most Christians define righteousness as morality . This means that what's being preached by the church is not at all the gospel Jesus intended for His followers.
Through personal stories, interviews with today's church leaders, and a detailed study of the book of Romans, Chris uncovers a staggering disconnect between the gospel according to Christians and the gospel according to Jesus--the redeeming, restorative gospel that a broken world so desperately needs. Our role, he says, is to join Jesus in restoring the world. Will you?
224 pages, Hardcover
First published September 28, 2010
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65 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
July 29, 2014
What can I say... I did not find this book useful or well written. The title should read "The Gospel according to the reformed tradition with support from The Voice (the edition that the author was part of creating)". I don't believe The Voice should be used to support the claim you're making and say 'it is clear from this passage'. Unfortunately the author does not go into any significant depth when it comes to righteousness or justification by faith, the gospel or shalom. He uses a few good quotes from scholars such as N.T. Wright and John Howard Yoder but proceeds to undo them with his own commentary. The work was not well researched and lacks the depth to provide an understanding of the life changing event that is Christ's incarnation-life-death-resurrection which produces the kind of response he continually encourages the reader to have. Check out Simply Jesus by NT Wright instead. The author is most at home when he is sharing stories about his own life/community and drawing lessons from them. A bit harsh but there are different books to read if one is looking for life change.
July 14, 2016
It is no secret that Americans are not very well-versed about Christian doctrine and theology anymore, and such may shed some light about why profession of Christianity is far more prevalent than the practice thereof.
Chris Seay's particular concern, as expressed in The Gospel According to Jesus: A Faith that Restores All Things, is in regard to how people understand the concept of righteousness. His argument, expressed through his own discussion, discussion with a "who's who" list of trendy young Evangelicals, and through exposition of Genesis and Romans, is that righteousness is primarily the concept of "restorative justice," with other aspects being understood in that light.
There is much that is commendable in this book. The idea of having discussions among different people with their different perspectives is refreshing and thought-provoking. The author's emphasis on the need to live the life of faith is handled well, and the principles he establishes for right living (using the more trendy Evangelical term, shalom) are Biblically rooted and beneficial. The use of art in the middle of the book is intriguing and is probably more meaningful for people who are more inclined toward art than I am.
There were some doctrinal/theological matters in the book with which I had to wrestle, and I did appreciate the opportunity to do so. Seay advances the notion that sin (and, for that matter, righteousness) really should be understood more relationally than legalistically. He draws on Romans 7 to indicate that focus on sin leads to sin and, ultimately, not to doing righteousness. His points have some validity but are not absolutely true. There is benefit in understanding sin and righteousness in relational terms and the emphasis on the relationship with God; nevertheless, there are too many times where sin is discussed in judicial imagery for it to have nothing substantively "legalistic" about it. I was a little surprised that in a discussion about Christian focus that the author did not advance Philippians 4:8 in the discussion. While it is true that obsessively focusing on sin is ultimately destructive, never addressing the topic is no better-- the same Paul who tells believers to focus on the positive was not against explicit warning against sin (cf. Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Ephesians 5:3-5, etc.).
Ultimately, though, I must take theological issue with the ultimate theme of the book and especially as it relates to the title (The Gospel According to Jesus). It is evident, throughout the book, that Seay is wrestling with understanding the emphases prevalent in the "emergent" or "missional" strands of modern Evangelicalism in terms of the traditions of Christianity, and particularly in the Protestant tradition. Seay's main concern is that the Protestant understanding of justification by faith alone has not received the emphasis that he feels it deserves. Much of the book-- and his exposition of Romans-- is based in this theme.
He constantly addresses or refers to Luther and seems to want to place modern discussions of faith, justice, and righteousness in terms of the "500 year discussion" that he imagines is begun by Luther.
I do not adhere to the premises of justification by faith alone or of Christ's imputed righteousness, and the author does. As to imputed righteousness, such is an unnecessary concept-- as N.T. Wright ably demonstrates, righteousness is not a gas or some transferable property. Even with a view toward "restorative justice," such ends in a standing, not a property, and thus the idea of "imputed righteousness" is unnecessary. Yes, we are reconciled to God through Christ's work on the cross, and through Jesus' redemption we are reckoned as righteous, which is far different from having righteousness imputed to us (Romans 5:6-11, etc.).
The problem is not justification by faith, which Paul most eminently demonstrates is true in Romans, Ephesians, Galatians, and the like; the problem is with justification by faith alone, which the Bible itself repudiates (James 2:24). The difficulty comes from Seay's reliance on Luther and by presuming the discussion to be 500 years old. Interestingly, one of Seay's conversation companions speaks of Luther's imbalance in many things, and this is the major downfall of the book: while the discussion over the past 500 years has been directed by Luther's and Calvin's presentations, they were continuing the discussion prompted by the Scholastics before them, who were trying to reconcile and make sense of the body of tradition and belief bestowed upon them by Greek philosophy and the Western Christian tradition as understood through the Augustinian lens, itself dominated by the presence of Augustine, who is codifying the traditions that had accrued for the 400 years before him, and often at variance with that tradition and with the understanding of, say, Eastern Christendom.
The discussion, therefore, is really 2,000 years old, and in that light, Luther's emphases stand in stark contrast with Paul's purposes in the New Testament. Luther is over-reacting to works-based Roman Catholicism, indeed; Paul is opposing an ethnically-based view of salvation. It does not surprise me that Seay never tackles Romans 6 in his examination; the same Paul who speaks of justification by faith and says that no one is saved by keeping law speaks of dying to sin in baptism and being a slave of Christ. That image of the Christian-- the slave of Christ-- is conspicuously absent, and emphasis is placed in the book on the image of Jesus as the "Liberating King," but the nature of the "liberation" is never addressed. This is too bad, considering that liberation in American understanding is antithetical to the Biblical understanding of liberation-- not freedom to, but freedom from.
In the end, The Gospel According to Jesus is not the "Gospel According to Jesus". It is an over-emphasis of one aspect of the Gospel of Christ as elaborated upon by Paul at the expense of other aspects. Seay is right to say that too many Americans accept a works-based Gospel, and too many are convinced that good people are saved by virtue of being "good" and that "bad" can be counteracted by "good," which is false. However, to set forth a Gospel that goes too far the other way, one that has never comfortably handled the tension between man's inability to save himself with God's imperative for humans to live in a holy way, is not the solution. Shane Claiborne, in one of the conversations, speaks to the need for balance, and that is appreciated-- and that is exactly what is needed when talking about the Gospel of Christ. Human beings are redeemed, not on the basis of works or anything they could have done in "righteousness," but through the grace of God manifest through the death of Christ, indeed, as Titus 3:3-5 indicates. But they are saved by the washing of regeneration of washing (baptism) and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, in order to become heirs in hope and live lives of submission to the will of God in Christ, as Paul demonstrates in Titus 3:6-8.
The result, in many aspects, is similar despite the difference in paths: believers are to conform to the will of God. But the ends do not justify the means, and we must maintain a balanced, Biblical theology. The same Paul who says that no man is justified by works also says that everyone will be judged on the basis of what they have done in the flesh and must become obedient to God in Christ and conform to Him (cf. Romans 2:5-10, 6:1-23, 12:1-2). He does not sense a contradiction there, and neither do Peter (1 Peter 1:3-9, 22), John (1 John 2:1-6, 2 John 1:6-8), the Hebrew author (Hebrews 11), James (James 2:14-26), or especially Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23)! Merely because Augustine or Luther could not reconcile the tension without finding reconciliation between faith and obedience manifest in works does not mean that there really is contradiction!
A final word about Seay's choice of "translation," one upon which he worked, The Voice. Personally, I fail to see the need for yet another dynamic equivalent "translation" that is as much exposition as a rendering of the relevant texts into English. The challenge I continue to have with such works is that the very people who are most liable to distort and abuse such "translations" are the ones to whom they are marketed-- those who otherwise do not understand much about the Bible and its message. Perhaps we should learn from those before us who understood that you leave the text alone and explain it in conversation, preaching, and teaching so that the full dimensions of God's Word-- not just the basic meaning, but all of its flavor, implications, and even its vagaries-- can be hallowed and respected.
The Gospel According to Jesus has the right spirit-- trying to get to a better understanding of the core doctrines of Christianity and helping people recover a truly Biblical way of looking at themselves and the world-- but suffers greatly from directing that spirit toward a resurgence of a doctrine that never really squared properly with the Scriptures. Justification by faith alone is not the true Gospel but is a perversion thereof, in the same category as the "works-based" salvation message condemned as its foil. Instead, we should promote and advance God's true Gospel-- justification by a faith that in all things submits to its Author and Perfector (Romans 1:16-17, Romans 6:1-23, 8:1-10, 12:1-2, Hebrews 12:1-2)!
*-- book received as part of an early review program
Chris Seay's particular concern, as expressed in The Gospel According to Jesus: A Faith that Restores All Things, is in regard to how people understand the concept of righteousness. His argument, expressed through his own discussion, discussion with a "who's who" list of trendy young Evangelicals, and through exposition of Genesis and Romans, is that righteousness is primarily the concept of "restorative justice," with other aspects being understood in that light.
There is much that is commendable in this book. The idea of having discussions among different people with their different perspectives is refreshing and thought-provoking. The author's emphasis on the need to live the life of faith is handled well, and the principles he establishes for right living (using the more trendy Evangelical term, shalom) are Biblically rooted and beneficial. The use of art in the middle of the book is intriguing and is probably more meaningful for people who are more inclined toward art than I am.
There were some doctrinal/theological matters in the book with which I had to wrestle, and I did appreciate the opportunity to do so. Seay advances the notion that sin (and, for that matter, righteousness) really should be understood more relationally than legalistically. He draws on Romans 7 to indicate that focus on sin leads to sin and, ultimately, not to doing righteousness. His points have some validity but are not absolutely true. There is benefit in understanding sin and righteousness in relational terms and the emphasis on the relationship with God; nevertheless, there are too many times where sin is discussed in judicial imagery for it to have nothing substantively "legalistic" about it. I was a little surprised that in a discussion about Christian focus that the author did not advance Philippians 4:8 in the discussion. While it is true that obsessively focusing on sin is ultimately destructive, never addressing the topic is no better-- the same Paul who tells believers to focus on the positive was not against explicit warning against sin (cf. Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Ephesians 5:3-5, etc.).
Ultimately, though, I must take theological issue with the ultimate theme of the book and especially as it relates to the title (The Gospel According to Jesus). It is evident, throughout the book, that Seay is wrestling with understanding the emphases prevalent in the "emergent" or "missional" strands of modern Evangelicalism in terms of the traditions of Christianity, and particularly in the Protestant tradition. Seay's main concern is that the Protestant understanding of justification by faith alone has not received the emphasis that he feels it deserves. Much of the book-- and his exposition of Romans-- is based in this theme.
He constantly addresses or refers to Luther and seems to want to place modern discussions of faith, justice, and righteousness in terms of the "500 year discussion" that he imagines is begun by Luther.
I do not adhere to the premises of justification by faith alone or of Christ's imputed righteousness, and the author does. As to imputed righteousness, such is an unnecessary concept-- as N.T. Wright ably demonstrates, righteousness is not a gas or some transferable property. Even with a view toward "restorative justice," such ends in a standing, not a property, and thus the idea of "imputed righteousness" is unnecessary. Yes, we are reconciled to God through Christ's work on the cross, and through Jesus' redemption we are reckoned as righteous, which is far different from having righteousness imputed to us (Romans 5:6-11, etc.).
The problem is not justification by faith, which Paul most eminently demonstrates is true in Romans, Ephesians, Galatians, and the like; the problem is with justification by faith alone, which the Bible itself repudiates (James 2:24). The difficulty comes from Seay's reliance on Luther and by presuming the discussion to be 500 years old. Interestingly, one of Seay's conversation companions speaks of Luther's imbalance in many things, and this is the major downfall of the book: while the discussion over the past 500 years has been directed by Luther's and Calvin's presentations, they were continuing the discussion prompted by the Scholastics before them, who were trying to reconcile and make sense of the body of tradition and belief bestowed upon them by Greek philosophy and the Western Christian tradition as understood through the Augustinian lens, itself dominated by the presence of Augustine, who is codifying the traditions that had accrued for the 400 years before him, and often at variance with that tradition and with the understanding of, say, Eastern Christendom.
The discussion, therefore, is really 2,000 years old, and in that light, Luther's emphases stand in stark contrast with Paul's purposes in the New Testament. Luther is over-reacting to works-based Roman Catholicism, indeed; Paul is opposing an ethnically-based view of salvation. It does not surprise me that Seay never tackles Romans 6 in his examination; the same Paul who speaks of justification by faith and says that no one is saved by keeping law speaks of dying to sin in baptism and being a slave of Christ. That image of the Christian-- the slave of Christ-- is conspicuously absent, and emphasis is placed in the book on the image of Jesus as the "Liberating King," but the nature of the "liberation" is never addressed. This is too bad, considering that liberation in American understanding is antithetical to the Biblical understanding of liberation-- not freedom to, but freedom from.
In the end, The Gospel According to Jesus is not the "Gospel According to Jesus". It is an over-emphasis of one aspect of the Gospel of Christ as elaborated upon by Paul at the expense of other aspects. Seay is right to say that too many Americans accept a works-based Gospel, and too many are convinced that good people are saved by virtue of being "good" and that "bad" can be counteracted by "good," which is false. However, to set forth a Gospel that goes too far the other way, one that has never comfortably handled the tension between man's inability to save himself with God's imperative for humans to live in a holy way, is not the solution. Shane Claiborne, in one of the conversations, speaks to the need for balance, and that is appreciated-- and that is exactly what is needed when talking about the Gospel of Christ. Human beings are redeemed, not on the basis of works or anything they could have done in "righteousness," but through the grace of God manifest through the death of Christ, indeed, as Titus 3:3-5 indicates. But they are saved by the washing of regeneration of washing (baptism) and the renewal of the Holy Spirit, in order to become heirs in hope and live lives of submission to the will of God in Christ, as Paul demonstrates in Titus 3:6-8.
The result, in many aspects, is similar despite the difference in paths: believers are to conform to the will of God. But the ends do not justify the means, and we must maintain a balanced, Biblical theology. The same Paul who says that no man is justified by works also says that everyone will be judged on the basis of what they have done in the flesh and must become obedient to God in Christ and conform to Him (cf. Romans 2:5-10, 6:1-23, 12:1-2). He does not sense a contradiction there, and neither do Peter (1 Peter 1:3-9, 22), John (1 John 2:1-6, 2 John 1:6-8), the Hebrew author (Hebrews 11), James (James 2:14-26), or especially Jesus (Matthew 7:13-14, 21-23)! Merely because Augustine or Luther could not reconcile the tension without finding reconciliation between faith and obedience manifest in works does not mean that there really is contradiction!
A final word about Seay's choice of "translation," one upon which he worked, The Voice. Personally, I fail to see the need for yet another dynamic equivalent "translation" that is as much exposition as a rendering of the relevant texts into English. The challenge I continue to have with such works is that the very people who are most liable to distort and abuse such "translations" are the ones to whom they are marketed-- those who otherwise do not understand much about the Bible and its message. Perhaps we should learn from those before us who understood that you leave the text alone and explain it in conversation, preaching, and teaching so that the full dimensions of God's Word-- not just the basic meaning, but all of its flavor, implications, and even its vagaries-- can be hallowed and respected.
The Gospel According to Jesus has the right spirit-- trying to get to a better understanding of the core doctrines of Christianity and helping people recover a truly Biblical way of looking at themselves and the world-- but suffers greatly from directing that spirit toward a resurgence of a doctrine that never really squared properly with the Scriptures. Justification by faith alone is not the true Gospel but is a perversion thereof, in the same category as the "works-based" salvation message condemned as its foil. Instead, we should promote and advance God's true Gospel-- justification by a faith that in all things submits to its Author and Perfector (Romans 1:16-17, Romans 6:1-23, 8:1-10, 12:1-2, Hebrews 12:1-2)!
*-- book received as part of an early review program
January 14, 2022
This book uses Barna research to show that Christians don’t correctly understand what righteousness means, so the purpose of this book is to correct that misunderstanding. There were several good examples and I learned some things, but it was not the book I was expecting. I can’t remember where I picked up the recommendation for this book, but I was expecting a more academic tome, such as a Tim Keller or NT Wright. What I got is more of an extended sermon, such as a Louis Giglio or Max Lucado book. I might have rated it higher if I had lower expectations going in!
December 21, 2024
I did find this book somewhat insightful, but at times contradictory. I'm still not sure exactly what Chris Seay thinks about good works because he said at least three very different things. He also kept talking about "shalom" without ever defining it or saying what he meant by it. I liked the "conversation with..." sections between the chapters. It was nice to see some other perspectives.
August 9, 2017
A great book on the distractions in Christianity and our call to be righteous as His children, by His grace. The interviews were distracting to me and I felt the book flowed best for me without reading them, so I started skipping them. Great insightfulness.
January 10, 2011
I just finished reading The Gospel According to Jesus by Chris Seay and I thought it was fantastic. Tackling issues that face the Church and Christians today; surveys indicate that 84 percent of Christians have a misunderstanding of the true meaning of the word righteousness. Referring to God's restoration of our sinfulness and not personal piety or some code of moral purity, pastor Chris Seay offers that Jesus came to breathe life and light into the depths of all darkness.
Chris starts out the book with Chapter 1 called Righteousness or Righteousness? Digging into Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you too" Chris unpacks what "His righteousness" means as well as, through research from the Barna Group, what our culture today views as "His righteousness". I thought this was great and also challenging as I took time to really think about what how I would define "His righteousness".
The next chapter, Kingdom Without a King, he challenges us to really examine what "kingdoms" we are surrounding ourselves with and who is the King of those kingdoms.
Chapter 3: What Is the Gospel? Chris examines that question, what is the gospel? Once we know what the gospel is, he then asks, what do we do now?
Chapter 4: Imago Dei. In this chapter, Chris looks at how we are all made in the image of God. Knowing that, he asks how are we living in community with each other...with others who are also made in God's image.
Chapter 5: We Fell, but Can We Get Up? I thought this chapter was excellent. Chris talks about how, a lot of us have an obsession with sin avoidance and how that has not actually helped us avoid sin. He does a great job of unpacking how we, as Christians, should reflect the image of God and compared it to holding up a mirror. Because of sin, that mirror becomes bent and distorted and we end up not reflecting God but we end up looking at ourselves...selfishly. He also does a great job of explaining how we should shift of focus from sin avoidance to recenter ourselves on Christ!
Chapter 6: Set Your Heart, this chapter continues on and unpacks worship and bringing Jesus back to the center.
Chapter 7: Justification: Rise or Fall? This chapter digs into justification and righteousness
Chapter 8: Shalom, the Fruit of Justice. This chapter starts to unpack what it might look like to live out righteousness, to live a life through a restored, liberated heart made possible through Jesus.
Chapter 9: The Ten Commandments of a Shalom Life, Chris wraps up the book with 10 practical ways to start applying in my own life. This is a great conclusion to an outstanding book. He unpacks what practices have worked for him and how we can live for God's kingdom and His righteousness.
Another thing that I really enjoyed about this book happened at the end of each chapter. Each chapter concluded with a conversation with people in Chris Seay's life, other authors, pastors, etc. and they discussed the topics addressed in the chapter. It was a great insight to how these different topics can and have been applied. He talks with Gabe Lyons, Shane Claiborne, Rick McKinley, Alan Hirsch, Mark Batterson and Dan Kimball and through these conversations I think it helps to see the gospel according to Jesus more clearly.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. Through the Biblical references, through his own stories and through his conversations with others, he really got me thinking about what the message and gospel of Jesus really means and does that message shape my daily life.
Chris starts out the book with Chapter 1 called Righteousness or Righteousness? Digging into Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then all these things will be given to you too" Chris unpacks what "His righteousness" means as well as, through research from the Barna Group, what our culture today views as "His righteousness". I thought this was great and also challenging as I took time to really think about what how I would define "His righteousness".
The next chapter, Kingdom Without a King, he challenges us to really examine what "kingdoms" we are surrounding ourselves with and who is the King of those kingdoms.
Chapter 3: What Is the Gospel? Chris examines that question, what is the gospel? Once we know what the gospel is, he then asks, what do we do now?
Chapter 4: Imago Dei. In this chapter, Chris looks at how we are all made in the image of God. Knowing that, he asks how are we living in community with each other...with others who are also made in God's image.
Chapter 5: We Fell, but Can We Get Up? I thought this chapter was excellent. Chris talks about how, a lot of us have an obsession with sin avoidance and how that has not actually helped us avoid sin. He does a great job of unpacking how we, as Christians, should reflect the image of God and compared it to holding up a mirror. Because of sin, that mirror becomes bent and distorted and we end up not reflecting God but we end up looking at ourselves...selfishly. He also does a great job of explaining how we should shift of focus from sin avoidance to recenter ourselves on Christ!
Chapter 6: Set Your Heart, this chapter continues on and unpacks worship and bringing Jesus back to the center.
Chapter 7: Justification: Rise or Fall? This chapter digs into justification and righteousness
Chapter 8: Shalom, the Fruit of Justice. This chapter starts to unpack what it might look like to live out righteousness, to live a life through a restored, liberated heart made possible through Jesus.
Chapter 9: The Ten Commandments of a Shalom Life, Chris wraps up the book with 10 practical ways to start applying in my own life. This is a great conclusion to an outstanding book. He unpacks what practices have worked for him and how we can live for God's kingdom and His righteousness.
Another thing that I really enjoyed about this book happened at the end of each chapter. Each chapter concluded with a conversation with people in Chris Seay's life, other authors, pastors, etc. and they discussed the topics addressed in the chapter. It was a great insight to how these different topics can and have been applied. He talks with Gabe Lyons, Shane Claiborne, Rick McKinley, Alan Hirsch, Mark Batterson and Dan Kimball and through these conversations I think it helps to see the gospel according to Jesus more clearly.
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. Through the Biblical references, through his own stories and through his conversations with others, he really got me thinking about what the message and gospel of Jesus really means and does that message shape my daily life.
September 24, 2010
The Gospel According to Jesus by Chris Seay
Chris Seay in The Gospel According to Jesus explores the meaning of righteousness among American churchgoers and attempts to provide a proper perspective on the theology of righteousness. Seay commissioned a Barna research study that finds that most churchgoers have definitional issues around the word righteousness and focus on behavior and actions viewing righteousness as acting moral. Seay attempts to knock down this preconception and turns to Jesus for an example of what righteousness truly is. He paints a picture of righteousness based on relationships with our Savior and with other people and as a quality that brings justice to a broken world. Each chapter is followed by a prayer and interviews with other thinkers such as Mark Batterson and Rick McKinley for review.
The Gospel According to Jesus is a challenging book. And honestly that’s a good thing. Seay pushes his reader to move beyond acting right, putting up an impression of goodness and behaving as expected by our fellowships. Seay urges us to be honest, care for those in need and model Jesus in interactions with others. He sees the righteousness of the saved leading to actions that bring restorative justice to the world. That is a challenge not every reader will be open to! Quoted scripture is taken from The Voice translation, a translation that Seay is deeply involved in but some readers will find alien. This could be uncomfortable to readers unfamiliar with the style and language used by The Voice team, for example the use of the phrase The Eternal for God may simply seem too” new age” and lead to a decreased comfort level for readers. On a personal note, Seay an Astros fan makes jabs at the Chicago Cubs that lead me to reject any credibility Seay has as an author. Sadly, the Cubs refusal to actually beat the Astros this year may prove his points and return to him his authoritative voice. Though seriously, Seay’s personal illustrations successfully aid his arguments by showing how he and others have attempted to live out righteousness as he describes it.
Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson
Chris Seay in The Gospel According to Jesus explores the meaning of righteousness among American churchgoers and attempts to provide a proper perspective on the theology of righteousness. Seay commissioned a Barna research study that finds that most churchgoers have definitional issues around the word righteousness and focus on behavior and actions viewing righteousness as acting moral. Seay attempts to knock down this preconception and turns to Jesus for an example of what righteousness truly is. He paints a picture of righteousness based on relationships with our Savior and with other people and as a quality that brings justice to a broken world. Each chapter is followed by a prayer and interviews with other thinkers such as Mark Batterson and Rick McKinley for review.
The Gospel According to Jesus is a challenging book. And honestly that’s a good thing. Seay pushes his reader to move beyond acting right, putting up an impression of goodness and behaving as expected by our fellowships. Seay urges us to be honest, care for those in need and model Jesus in interactions with others. He sees the righteousness of the saved leading to actions that bring restorative justice to the world. That is a challenge not every reader will be open to! Quoted scripture is taken from The Voice translation, a translation that Seay is deeply involved in but some readers will find alien. This could be uncomfortable to readers unfamiliar with the style and language used by The Voice team, for example the use of the phrase The Eternal for God may simply seem too” new age” and lead to a decreased comfort level for readers. On a personal note, Seay an Astros fan makes jabs at the Chicago Cubs that lead me to reject any credibility Seay has as an author. Sadly, the Cubs refusal to actually beat the Astros this year may prove his points and return to him his authoritative voice. Though seriously, Seay’s personal illustrations successfully aid his arguments by showing how he and others have attempted to live out righteousness as he describes it.
Review Copy Provided by Thomas Nelson
February 12, 2025
I received this book from Thomas Nelson as part of their Booksneeze program. Seay sets out to combat what he sees as a misunderstanding of Jesus and a dangerous focus on tallying up our rights and wrongs. I must admit before I started going to church that's what I thought Christianity was all about. I was fortunate that my introduction to church in my early twenties was at a church and with a group of people that had really grasped the grace of God and knew what it was to live it. I guess that's what grabbed my attention in the first place.
Chris Seay writes in an easy to understand style and covers quite a few important areas over the course of the book as he looks into the question, what does it mean to seek God's righteousness. These include the difference between relying on our own good works instead of God's work in us. Our tendency to label people and things as good and bad instead of admitting their brokenness and God's ability to redeem them. And also what it means to be human and created in the image of God. I felt some of the chapters finished just as things were getting interesting but I guess that leaves some room for further thought and study.
One little thing, I did feel the title is a bit presumptuous, my Hubby walked past while I was reading and commented "What does Jesus have to say". There were a couple bits where I think he pushed his point a little too far. At one point he concludes that the world is such a mess because the church is ignorant when it comes to justice and righteousness. For me that's just a little too close to the secular utopian view that most of our mess is caused by ignorance. That being said, I definitely agree that the church as a whole and the world in general would be in a much better shape if we understood and cooperated more fully with God's redemptive plans.
Chris Seay writes in an easy to understand style and covers quite a few important areas over the course of the book as he looks into the question, what does it mean to seek God's righteousness. These include the difference between relying on our own good works instead of God's work in us. Our tendency to label people and things as good and bad instead of admitting their brokenness and God's ability to redeem them. And also what it means to be human and created in the image of God. I felt some of the chapters finished just as things were getting interesting but I guess that leaves some room for further thought and study.
One little thing, I did feel the title is a bit presumptuous, my Hubby walked past while I was reading and commented "What does Jesus have to say". There were a couple bits where I think he pushed his point a little too far. At one point he concludes that the world is such a mess because the church is ignorant when it comes to justice and righteousness. For me that's just a little too close to the secular utopian view that most of our mess is caused by ignorance. That being said, I definitely agree that the church as a whole and the world in general would be in a much better shape if we understood and cooperated more fully with God's redemptive plans.
November 8, 2010
The Gospel According to Jesus, by Chris Seay, is a very thought-provoking book. It's a slim read, barely 200 pages, but it packs a lot in its easy-to-read prose.
The premise of the book is that Seay is concerned with how American Christians fail to understand key terms to the faith, like "righteousness" or "justice." A survey was commissioned that gave dismal results that Seay's concerns are justified. The rest of the book deals with this issue.
On the surface, this idea does not intrigue me in the least bit. Definitions are relatively fickle things, and one may have a different idea of what "righteousness" means than Seay or the study. Still, as I progressed through the book, I found myself captivated by what I was reading.
Seay has a heart that longs for Christ. He wants this feeling to shine through all who claim to follow Jesus, and the book largely deals with this. How would Jesus treat the poor? The sick? The environment? The greedy? Jesus would show them all a loving, compassionate side that we are unfamiliar with, and Seay makes his points well.
I read this book with a pencil in hand, underlining sentences that struck a chord. Looking back, there were plenty. Seay has a way with allegories or metaphors that really make sense of what he's trying to say, as well as what Scripture is saying.
There were a few things in the book that I was a bit wishy-washy on, but on the whole, The Gospel According to Jesus is an excellent read for the critically-thinking Christian. Its ideas are things that should be taken to heart and pondered on.
The premise of the book is that Seay is concerned with how American Christians fail to understand key terms to the faith, like "righteousness" or "justice." A survey was commissioned that gave dismal results that Seay's concerns are justified. The rest of the book deals with this issue.
On the surface, this idea does not intrigue me in the least bit. Definitions are relatively fickle things, and one may have a different idea of what "righteousness" means than Seay or the study. Still, as I progressed through the book, I found myself captivated by what I was reading.
Seay has a heart that longs for Christ. He wants this feeling to shine through all who claim to follow Jesus, and the book largely deals with this. How would Jesus treat the poor? The sick? The environment? The greedy? Jesus would show them all a loving, compassionate side that we are unfamiliar with, and Seay makes his points well.
I read this book with a pencil in hand, underlining sentences that struck a chord. Looking back, there were plenty. Seay has a way with allegories or metaphors that really make sense of what he's trying to say, as well as what Scripture is saying.
There were a few things in the book that I was a bit wishy-washy on, but on the whole, The Gospel According to Jesus is an excellent read for the critically-thinking Christian. Its ideas are things that should be taken to heart and pondered on.
September 20, 2012
The best thing about this book is the redefinition of "righteousness" from the paradigm of personal morality to that of restorative justice. Seay passionately defends justification by faith as if defending against critics who accuse him of Catholic-leaning teachings, although I haven't heard or seen any to that effect.
In full disclosure, I attend Ecclesia, where Seay is lead pastor and elder, here in Houston, TX. I enjoy the preeminent Christ-centered focus of the worship, preaching, and prayer amid the very native witness within the community. The focus of this book is this call of Jesus, the liberating King, to lead us into a life of righteousness beyond the paradigms of us-vs-them theology of much of evangelical life. This would include seeing and restoring the image of God in all creation, not just the 'sacred' parts of religious sub-culture. So the church is heavily engaged in humanitarian efforts globally and locally, along with a bridging the divide in the community with art exhibits, a coffee shop location open every day, heavy support of musical artists, multi-sensory liturgy, and various mission projects.
In full disclosure, I attend Ecclesia, where Seay is lead pastor and elder, here in Houston, TX. I enjoy the preeminent Christ-centered focus of the worship, preaching, and prayer amid the very native witness within the community. The focus of this book is this call of Jesus, the liberating King, to lead us into a life of righteousness beyond the paradigms of us-vs-them theology of much of evangelical life. This would include seeing and restoring the image of God in all creation, not just the 'sacred' parts of religious sub-culture. So the church is heavily engaged in humanitarian efforts globally and locally, along with a bridging the divide in the community with art exhibits, a coffee shop location open every day, heavy support of musical artists, multi-sensory liturgy, and various mission projects.
December 19, 2011
What is the gospel? I had a hard time coming to terms with this question posed by Chris Seay. It is a question that sent me on a year and a half long journey and nearly cost me my ability to stay connected in the flux of my momentary sanity. The book tells of a Gospel that speaks to individuals broken from a rebellion from God, to a place of reconciliation. This place of reconciliation will be a place where a holy people can regain a peaceful relationship with God.
The Gospel According to Jesus, in short, is a brilliant investigation into the Gospel and a stepping stone to a personal journey and revelation into authentic Christianity. He has provided us fellow pilgrims a resource for our Christian Walk.
What I liked about the book:
* The book was a pleasure to read.
* Good resources were provided in the book. I loved the prayers.
* It kindles a search into Jesus and the Gospels and makes you want to dig deeper.
What I didn’t like about the book:
* As a primary guide it falls short in Christian Theology because it is works based.
The Gospel According to Jesus, in short, is a brilliant investigation into the Gospel and a stepping stone to a personal journey and revelation into authentic Christianity. He has provided us fellow pilgrims a resource for our Christian Walk.
What I liked about the book:
* The book was a pleasure to read.
* Good resources were provided in the book. I loved the prayers.
* It kindles a search into Jesus and the Gospels and makes you want to dig deeper.
What I didn’t like about the book:
* As a primary guide it falls short in Christian Theology because it is works based.
November 14, 2010
Chris Seay wrote this book as a response to a survey which showed that 84% of Christians are unfamiliar with the basic foundations of the faith. He emphasizes the importance of a relationship with Jesus, rather than a checklist of rules. The book explores the true meaning of words such as "righteousness", "shalom", and "justice", as well as the nature of sin. I highly recommend this book for any Christian or non-Christian who wishes to understand the faith more deeply, and plan to read the book again.
August 28, 2014
Good food for thought, but not super challenging. It was not what I was expecting - I suppose I was expecting something more like Red Letter Christians (Claiborne & Campolo). Again it was okay, kinda basic. There were a few chapters that I didn't finish since they were rather repetitive - the author would make his point and then simply circle it instead of broadening the topic and expanding upon a challenge
June 4, 2015
Honest reflection on the one's misunderstanding of righteousness. Seay uses the intention of Jesus' words alongside the words of Paul in Romans. Righteousness is one's standing in relationship with God.
January 1, 2013
This is a truly eye opening book. I taught it to an adult Sunday School class. I would recommend it highly.
April 27, 2016
Book says the same thing in several different ways. Maybe I missed something, but I did not take anything away from this book, although the LOVE the author when he speaks.
October 21, 2012
Best book I've read in a while.
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