What Jesus Meant Audiobook By Dr. Paul Timothy Penley cover art

What Jesus Meant

How Ancient Conversations Redefine Jesus’ Message

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What Jesus Meant

By: Dr. Paul Timothy Penley
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About this listen

 The reason we misunderstand what Jesus meant is because we make assumptions. We assume Jesus taught universal truths to a timeless audience instantly understood in any culture or language today. We assume our translated Bible verses make the meaning of anything Jesus said plain and simple to understand.

But Jesus didn’t teach in a timeless vacuum. The minds and hearts of his first-century audience were already full of ideas and ambitions and stories shaped by their historical moment. Rabbis and rebel leaders, Greeks and Romans, apocalyptic priests and the wealthy elite had already been arguing about who God is and how we were meant to live.

Jesus entered into those contemporary conversations. The words he used had already been defined by the discussions people had before he appeared. As soon as Jesus said he was the Messiah, he had to redefine everyone’s assumptions about the Messiah. When he talked about coming “judgment” or “heaven and earth passing away” or his “yoke,” he had to distinguish himself from competing voices shouting the same words. Those expressions all had a long list of possible meanings hammered out by rabbinic schools and apocalyptic antagonists.

If we do not hear these other voices in the conversation, we will not understand what Jesus taught. Why? Because Jesus was not just making points. He was making counterpoints. He was responding to a host of other proposals about what God was up to.

If Jesus’ words are heard with modern assumptions rather than rooted in Ancient Near Eastern debates, then we'll miss his meaning. So let's explore each ancient conversation to uncover What Jesus Meant when he said:
  • “Do not judge so that you will not be judged”
  • “Heaven and earth will pass away”
  • “Woe to you who are rich”
  • “Seek first the kingdom and his righteousness”
  • “The Gates of Hades will not overpower it”
  • “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life”
  • “Take my yoke upon you… and you will find rest for your souls”
  • “The Gospel must be preached in all the world, and then the end will come”
  • “They will see the Son of Man coming in clouds”
  • “One will be left and the other taken”

What Jesus Meant puts each one-liner in the right first-century context. How? Ancient texts have become more accessible today than ever before. We can actually hear what other people were saying before Jesus entered the conversation.

As you digest each short chapter about a different saying of Jesus, you will feel the despair of the powerless and the arrogance of priests. You will see the economic corruption in Israel. You will experience the cannibalistic rituals and astronomical legends of competing Greek religions. You will tour the ancient Temple in Jerusalem and hear how Rabbis battled Jesus for the right to define God’s reputation on earth. All five senses will be engaged on this journey to discover What Jesus Meant.

The book includes stories about 16 different ministries doing today what Jesus taught back then. When these contemporary examples are combined with the 3 questions for discussion at the end of each chapter, inquisitive readers and study groups will be able to discover poignant instructions for concrete situations today long lost in translation over the years.

Correcting misperceptions of Jesus through careful study of cultural artifacts and ancient texts, geographical dynamics and linguistic insights, can be uncomfortable at first. But exerting the energy to hear Jesus’ unique message in his world rather than fitting him into ours is worth it. Enjoy the journey of hearing Jesus like you never have before. Bible Study Bibles & Bible Study Christianity New Testament
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well put together and strategically written ! Every Pastor and biblical teacher should listen and build off this author perspective. I don't agree with all his insight but at least 80% is all I need to teach a college class.
Rev Michael Mcduffie

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