The Jesus scandals

why he shocked his contemporaries (and still shocks today)

Plot

How Jesus offered revolutionary insights into challenging ethical dilemmas Although Western culture has been shaped for centuries by Christian teaching, a closer study of the Bible reveals that we routinely ignore the uncomfortable heart of New Testament ethics. It's too extreme, too confrontational. Even Christians pander to the world's way of thinking, making the astonishing bland. In The Jesus Scandals, Dr. David Instone-Brewer identifies thirty areas where Jesus challenged the assumptions and practices of His contemporaries with insights that provoked shrill opposition and that continue to generate debate today. Some of these issues are familiar to us, such as the killing of unwanted children. But Jesus also taught His disciples humility--to take lowly titles, to consider themselves less; the New Testament church soon chose to ignore that teaching, just as we continue to do today. For each of these areas, Instone-Brewer challenges readers to apply these ethical ideas in our modern culture while remaining faithful to the text. Using easy-to-understand language and first-rate scholarship, The Jesus Scandals makes New Testament ethics accessible to any Christian.