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Book Review – Eat Like Jesus by Andrew Hoy

Eat Like Jesus by Andrew HoySometimes a really good idea is posed by a book. But the book fails to deliver.

That is exactly the case with Eat Like Jesus, by Andrew Hoy. The premise is fascinating. If Jesus came and fulfilled the entire Law, found in the Old Covenant, then would that have included the dietary portions of the Law? The answer is yes. But if so, then what did Jesus eat, how did he view food, and what are we to do about it?

These are the questions posed by the idea that Jesus fulfilled Old Testament dietary laws. But these questions are either ignored, or grossly misinterpreted in Eat Like Jesus.

First of all, Hoy seems to accept the King James version as his prime source of biblical authority. While there are many who would agree with this, the fact remains that many of the earliest manuscripts were undiscovered when the KJV was translated in 1611. Consequently, it was based upon much later texts, many of which are far more reliable than the Latin Vulgate available at the time.

Second, Hoy takes passages completely out of context, and then claims that the most traditional translations of those passages are, in fact, the ones that are interpreted out of context. For example, he examines Mark 7, where Jesus speaks about food, and Peter’s vision from heaven in Acts 10. He claims both of these actually have nothing to do with clean or unclean foods. And while there are layers of meanings available in both of these passages, the most traditional interpretations all equate these passages with food.

Hoy also looks at the Genesis passages of the Garden of Eden, from Genesis 2. He claims that animals were given to Adam and Eve to eat as food, and that this has been mistranslated and misinterpreted for generations. However, if Adam and Eve were able to kill and eat animals with the breath of life (chay nephesh), this presents a problem for the doctrine of sin and the Fall of man in Genesis 3. Hoy’s interpretation allows for death before death entered the scene as a consequence of sin. In fact, man was given permission to eat meat only after Noah’s flood, although this isn’t to say that some didn’t before that.

Eat Like Jesus promises to be interesting and enlightening. However, it fails to be so. It’s full of misinterpretations, pulls many passages on food out of context, and even states that the Bible means exactly the opposite of what it says. I was greatly disappointed in the book, and frustrated that it so blatantly took a low view of God’s Word.

To top it all off, the book is written in a superfluous and verbose manner, making it difficult to follow. Having a large vocabulary is a wonderful thing, but using it exclusively adds nothing to the book. It simply makes it sound overly pretentious.

Even though the foundational ideas behind the book are intriguing, Eat Like Jesus doesn’t answer those questions, and leaves more confusion in its wake than clarification.

If this is an area that you find interesting, you would be better served to search around for other books on the subject. And if you find one, leave a comment here. I’d be interested in reading it. Eat Like Jesus, however, isn’t really worth your time.

Have you ever considered what Jesus may or may not have eaten? What questions do you have on the subject? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.“

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Coffee Break – 02.10.2014

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Bulletproof Coffee – I’ve been hearing the term “bulletproof coffee” thrown around a lot recently. I decided to look around, find a recipe that I like and give it a go. This is the best taste I’ve found so far. I have several bottles of sunflower seed oil around. I wonder if that would taste any different?

Reflections – Tom Hussey has created a series of photographs of elderly people standing in front of a mirror. The reflection in the mirror, however, is of their younger selves. This is extremely creative and thought provoking.

The Search For The Lost Marines Of Tarawa – During WWII, more than 500 Marines died on the tiny Pacific island of Tarawa. Most of them are still there, buried in unidentified locations. Mark Noah has made it his life mission to find and bring home those men who gave their lives for their country so far away from home. This article is very inspiring.

When To Hold Your Tongue – Although this is found on the True Woman website, the principles here are applicable to either gender. And probably should be required reading for most of us…

Bible Translations And Bible Reading – One of the discussions I have a lot centers around how close the English Bible is to the original languages. Some are very literal (NASB), others are more of a loose paraphrase (NLT). So how do I know which one would be the best to read? This post gives some insight into that question, and provides a helpful flowchart of Bible translations.

5 Reasons We Should Preach Expositional Messages – This brief post is simply the notes from a lecture by Hershael York. While I wish the post went into more details about each point, this is good food for thought.

How To Be A Great Dad – I never expected to get fatherly advice from the Huffington Post, but this article does just that. It gives several different ways dads have been great dads, inspiring you and I to do the same for our kids.

Like farmers we need to learn that we cannot sow and reap the same day. – Anonymous

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Memorize Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:13-14

So far, in 2 Timothy 1, Paul has encouraged Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God, and to join with him in suffering for the gospel. However, this isn’t enough. Paul has further instruction for Timothy to pay attention to.

You can see if for yourself in 2 Timothy 1:13-14:

2 Timothy 1:13-14

Paul now tells Timothy that he must keep in the forefront of his mind the apostolic pattern, the standard, of sound teaching as he teaches others.

A couple of insights into the phrases Paul uses may be helpful.

  • Sound teaching – This term conveys the idea of “healthy” teaching, and parallels with 1 Timothy 1:10.
  • Pattern – This is a term used to signify an outline, a sketch, much like an architectural draft.

The point that Paul is making is that Timothy preach and spread the same message that he received from Paul. Paul’s concern here is valid, because just like a photo copier, a copy of a copy of a copy soon looks nothing like the original. Paul wants the message of the gospel to endure with little or no change.

This alludes to the doctrine of inerrancy. This is the idea that the Scriptures contain God’s message to man, and in its original manuscripts, contains no errors and is completely accurate. Closely aligned with that is the idea of infallability, what the Bible says regarding matters of faith is wholly useful and true, again without error.

And, thanks to God’s involvement, the Scriptures we have today reflect very few errors or mistakes compared to the earliest manuscripts found to date. There may be the occasional copyist error, but these are almost all found in incidental texts, and rarely in any passage that is foundational for any doctrine.

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Book Review – Romans 1-7 For You by Timothy Keller

Romans 1-7 For YouI have always been slightly intimidated by Paul’s letter to the Romans.

This is one of Paul’s longer letters, and frankly, it’s deep. It’s one of those books in the Bible that you have to read very carefully, or else you’ll miss something. And the chances are good that you’ll miss something anyway.

I have several commentaries on my shelf on the book of Romans for this very reason. Tow of my favorites are the College Press commentary on Romans, by Jack Cottrell, and the IVP commentary by Leon Morris. Both of these have helped me immensely as I strive to understand Romans.

But now, there is a third favorite on my shelf. Romans 1-7 For You by Timothy Keller is an incredible resource. Rather than just breaking down the text, like a commentary does, this series gives you the opportunity to really dig in and understand what this passage is saying, and then gives several ways to fit this into my life today.

The Good Book Company has started releasing several of the commentaries in this series. So far, I’ve read Galatians For You and Judges For You, both also by Keller. And Romans 1-7 For You continues the standard of excellence found in the rest of the series.

Although only covering the first half of the letter to the Romans, Keller takes a book that conveys the deep, theological truths of the faith, and explains it in a fashion that almost anyone can understand. That makes this series a great resource for not just ministers, but for teachers, for youth leaders, and for those just doing an individual study of the Bible.

Romans 1-7 For You is another excellent resource, full of easy to understand explanations of some of the deepest passages of the New Testament. I jumped at the chance to add this to my shelf,and can’t wait for the other half to be released.

I highly recommend that you grab a copy of Romans 1-7 For You. It doesn’t matter if you use it as a sermon resource, or for personal study, you will benefit greatly from this incredibly helpful resource.

Question: What is your favorite book of the New Testament? Which book of the New Testament do you find hardest to understand? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

I highly recommend that you read Romans 1-7 For You, by Timothy Keller. You can purchase it at Amazon.com in print or for Kindle. You can also purchase the additional study guide to go along with it, assisting you in your study.

I received this book free from Cross Focused Media as part of their Cross Focused Reviews blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

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Book Review – How God Makes Men by Patrick Morley

How God Makes Men by Patrick MorleyOne of my favorite topics to read about is how to grow, as a man, in my relationship with God. Becoming the man, and the husband, and the father that God desires me to be is a passion that burns inside of me.

So when I hear of a good book written for men to grow in their faith, I try to grab a copy and read it. Over the years, I’ve discovered that Patrick Morley has written several excellent books on the subject of biblical manhood.

The first book I ever read by Morley was The Man In The Mirror. That book forever changed me, and created in me the desire to grow into the man God created me to be. In fact, I reread portions of that book annually, simply to keep my focus on the areas that I know I need in place in my life to grow properly.

One of Patrick Morley’s newest books came across my desk late last year. During the month of January, I dug in and digested this book, spending only a couple of nights reading it completely.

However, after I finished, I realized that I needed to go back for a deeper and closer look at How God Makes Men.

In this book, Morley takes a close look at ten different men from the Bible, both the Old and the New Testaments, to see how God worked in and through their lives to make them into the men that they needed to be, for their personal growth, for their families, and for their times.

Taking the principles that Morley identifies from these ten lives, he applies them to men today, in twenty-first century America, to help them grow into the reality that God desires for them.

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Coffee Break – 02.03.2014

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The Best Time To Drink Coffee – I posted a link to another article like this a couple of weeks ago. This one is in infographic form, and gives a nice little timeline at the end.

Where Did We Get That Word? – Ever wonder that? This series of maps shows the origin of several common words. It’s fascinating to see where our words come from. The funny thing for my family is that my wife is of Norwegian descent. Our five year old son mispronounces “church.” Guess how he says it? Look at the map and find Norway to find out.

Maps Showing Bizarre Facts Of Our World – Since we’re looking at maps, take a look at these interesting maps. The coffee consumption map is my favorite. Which one is yours?

Three Reasons To Get Some Sleep – At the risk of sounding lazy, I have to admit it: I like sleep. I try to snag a nap as often as I can. It doesn’t have to be every day, but I find that when I can take half an hour and rest, the rest of my day is more productive. For most of us, though, we simply do not get enough rest each day. This article offers some great insight into a biblical view of sleep.

Husband And Wife Relationships – Marriage is hard. Anyone who tells you otherwise is deceived or delusional. It’s hard, and it requires work. It’s worth it, definitely. But it’s hard. Sometimes we don’t even know what we’re doing to hurt our spouse, but we do. Ron Edmondson offers these two articles to help us be more aware of what we’re doing, both how a husband hurts his wife, and how a wife hurts her husband. Worth a look.

7 Do’s And Don’t Of Welcoming Guests To Your Congregation – As a lead minister, connecting with new faces each Sunday is a key part of my morning. And it’s key to have the right people in place to greet these new faces and show them where they need to be, or offer assistance as needed. This article is great advice to making that work every week.

Preaching Verse By Verse – Expositional preaching can be difficult. And committing to preach through a book of the Bible, verse by verse, can be daunting. This article shows several benefits of doing this, both for yourself and for your hearers. Most of them make good sense, but I disagree that this method would cut down prep time. In fact, it may increase the need for preparation in order to know the text well enough to teach it accurately. Still a good article though.

How we spend our days is how we spend our lives. – Annie Dillard