The Jesus Paradigm

Book Review- The Jesus Paradigm, David Alan Black, Energion Publishers, 2009.

First off, I must apologize for taking such an incredibly long time to read and review this book. In order to get an advance copy, I told the publisher I would read it, write a review, and publish it on my blog. Well that was over a year ago, I think, and here I am, finally getting around to it. Before I get to the review proper, I want to say a little bit about why now, after so many months, did I finally read this relatively short book. In a nutshell, the Lord has been teaching me a great deal lately about the need to be a radical follower of Jesus. I listened to some very influential sermons by folks like Paul Washer, Bob Jennings, and others, on the need to be totally devoted to Christ. Also, I have been convicted of the need to live out the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture. We as Evangelicals like to say a lot about the innerancy of Scripture, but not much is ever mentioned about the sufficiency of Scripture. I have come to believe more and more that the Bible speaks just as clearly to how we are to live and order our lives as it does to what we are to believe. So, as I was thinking of these things, mainly the question, “How do we work out the sufficiency of Scripture as radical followers of Jesus in 21st century America?” I remembered The Jesus Paradigm, sitting in my office gathering dust, addressed many of these issues. I picked it up last Wednesday evening and decided to read it during my day off. Now I know the reason I never got around to reading it last year was due to the simple fact that I was not ready for the contents on these pages. God had not yet brought me to the place where I saw my great need to be totally and completely different than the world around me. I had yet to embrace the need to be radically different than even most “Christians.” Enter The Jesus Paradigm.
The main theme of the book is the sufficiency of Scripture to order every aspect of our lives. Every chapter seeks to bring to bear the sufficiency of Scripture on a particular topic. I genuinely appreciate the way in which brother Dave continually seeks to call his reader back to his need to decide whether or not the Bible will be his ultimate authority. Several times in the course of the book, Dave points out that the church is at a cross roads: business as usual or radical adherence to the New Testament. If the main theme of the book is the sufficiency of Scripture, the main question is, “How does one follow Jesus unreservedly in the twenty-first century?” (p.15) The solution one finds fleshed out in the various topics addressed through the course of the book is rather simple; in short, by restoring the Scriptures to their proper place in our lives and by following the example of Jesus, the humble, suffering Christ.
Subsequently, in each chapter Dave seeks to address some key areas in which this answer must be implemented in order to see true change in our churches and culture. First, we must return to the eminency of the local church. We can no longer play at church. We must really be the church like the writers of the New Testament and our Savior command us to be. “The church is simply a group of radical Jesus-followers ministering to each other sacrificially and reaching the community about them with the Gospel in word and deed.” (18)
Second, we must make a clean break with Christendom and churchianity in order to follow Christ. Believers today must decide if they are going to follow the Word wherever it leads them or only some places. The church needs to be restored to the New Testament. Will we do what it takes? Or will we be shackled to denominational tradition? On this point Dave utilizes the help of the Anabaptists to show us how this can practically be done. “The Anabaptists greatest gift to the church…was their ability to cut to the core of our problem as Christians: our refusal to repudiate churchianity and to be radically committed to Jesus as Lord.” (21)
Third, we must implement New Testament patterns of body life into our local assemblies. Dave points out the correlation between the majority of American’s abdication of responsibility and husbands’ abdication of their roles as leaders and fathers. Simply put, every member is a minister, but men have systematically abandoned their responsibilities to the pastors, and so we’re left with top heavy, entertainment driven organizations where people come to get felt needs met rather than to function as the body of Christ. What the church needs is a fresh realization that “God’s call to salvation and his call to mission are one and the same.” (75)
Fourth, Dave explains how the church must begin taking leadership cues from Christ and the Bible rather than from denominational tradition and the world. One-anothering and plural, equal eldership are necessities. Because Jesus is the only senior pastor, all church leadership must be non-hierarchical. We are all brothers in Christ and there are no second rate brothers.
Fifth, Christians need to return to the politics of Jesus. Jesus wasn’t anti-political, He was apolitical. He never took sides with any of the ruling parties of his day, never tried to bring about His kingdom on earth, never gave undue priority to kings or magistrates. Instead, He placed all priority on the Kingdom of Heaven, which is not of this world. We too ought to do likewise, “Christians today must maintain an ultimate commitment to Christ and eschew loyalty to a political party—any political party.” (106)
Sixth, by focusing on missions, giving our all to God, and loving our neighbors, we will take the Jesus paradigm to the ends of the earth. In his final chapter, brother Dave makes a heart-felt appeal to believers to be about missions, taking the gospel to those who need it most. Are we going to be Great Commission churches? families? individuals? What will we be known as? Dave’s words are convicting, “Fundamentally, my wife and I want to be known as ‘Great Commission Christians,’ people burdened by the needs all around us, including the ‘ends of the earth.’” (133)
Finally, the book concludes with an afterwards on the future of theological education. In this section Dave briefly states the need for biblical education to be returned to the local church and for local congregations to become the primary training center for pastor-teachers, and the primary sending agency of missionaries. He ends with a challenging word, “Let us confess and cooperate with God by throwing out the stuff that is displeasing to him and recommitting ourselves to a Gospel- and kingdom-driven lifestyle.” (143) I pray the Lord will give me the strength to do this!
On the whole, this is a tremendous book, and I’ve already recommended it to several folks since reading it. I am so thankful for Dave’s emphasis on the sufficiency of Scripture and the priority of the local church. These are two things that have been on my heart lately, and it leapt within me in agreement many times while I read. I also appreciated the candid nature and down to earth writing style Dave employs (there are so many quotable one liners!!)
But, the book is not without its faults. Unfortunately, the entire book has an undercurrent of criticism of the Bush administration and Iraq war that pop up in the most unexpected places and seem to color a fair portion of the discussion. Because of this, the section on the Politics of Jesus is very muddled and difficult to read without getting a bit annoyed. Not that I even necessarily disagree with Dave, but his biases shine through so clearly that you have a hard time believing he’s adopted the apolitical mindset he seems to be advocating. Aside from this, I have no other criticisms.
In sum, The Jesus Paradigm is a timely book that will really challenge you in all the right ways. Are we going to continue to seek success in manner in which the world suggests? Or, will we travel the downward path to Jesus and embrace the better way of Scripture and suffering. The choice is left up to the reader, but one thing is clear: upon reading The Jesus Paradigm, a choice must be made.