Better Ways to Read the Bible by Zach Lambert Book Review

About the Book:

As a pastor for more than ten years, Zach Lambert has seen the Bible used countless times as something far from the "Good Book"--both in his own life and in the experiences of others. He has seen the Bible weaponized to subjugate women, justify racism, bash LGBTQ+ people, cover up abuse, and exclude people who speak out against these injustices.

If you've been hurt by harmful interpretations or feel disconnected from Scripture, this book offers a path forward to reclaim the Bible's life-giving message. This accessible resource will help you

● break free from harmful interpretations that distort Scripture's true message,
● develop Christ-centered reading practices,
● renew your relationship with Scripture,
● apply new frameworks to challenging Bible passages that have historically been misused to cause harm, and
● connect with Christians who embrace Scripture's call to abundant life for everyone.

In this compassionate guide, Lambert dismantles four common lenses for reading the Bible that lead to harm, then offers four new lenses that promote healing and wholeness. This book welcomes all Christians--regardless of background, doubts, or wounds--to reengage Scripture in life-giving ways.

My Review:

Lambert asks us to honestly wrestle with the Bible. He has seen the Bible used to harm others. He has seen places where it is not safe to question the literal interpretation of a passage. He suggests there are better ways to read the Bible, to see the Good News as not just getting to heaven but also good news for people now, the poor, the disadvantaged, etc.

He identifies lenses through which we read the Bible such as literalism, morality (Bible as a rule book), apocalyptic (all about end times). He would rather we read it through the lens of Jesus, exhibiting a Jesus centered faith rather than a Bible centered faith.. He encourages us to ask if our belief is Christ-like rather than “biblical.” After all, genocide and slavery are “biblical.” (122)

His emphasis is on unconditional love and radical acceptance. His example of thee woman caught in adultery was insightful. He suggests Jesus told her to go and sin no more, “...not so that he could love her but because he already loved her.” (91) He wanted her to leave behind the things that were hurting her.

Lambert advocates for universal reconciliation through Christ. (78) I cannot agree with him on that issue. I do, however, recommend this book as one that jolted me out of my usual way of reading the Bible. It has given me a new lens through which to see the words and work of Jesus, one that encourages me to better love God and others.

Here is a quote I really liked: “As the saying goes, I can do all things through a verse taken out of context.” (135)

About the Author:

Zach W. Lambert is the lead pastor and founder of Restore, a church in Austin, Texas. Under his leadership, Restore has grown from a launch team of five people in 2015 to more than one thousand members today. He holds a master of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary and is pursuing his doctorate at Duke Divinity School.

Zach is the cofounder of the Post-Evangelical Collective and serves on the boards of the Austin Church Planting Network and the Multi-Faith Neighbors Network. Zach and his wife, Amy, met each other in the sixth grade, fell in love at seventeen, and got married at twenty-one. They love watching live music, discovering local Mexican food places, and playing with their two boys.

Brazos Press, 216 pages.