I found this book to be a powerful and efficient tool for quick reference regarding any specific topic of study. The indexes are thorough, the verses re-written under each category where they fit (so you aren't told to go and see another page # to save from printing the Lord's statements multiple times when they apply to multiple topics).
There are two reasons I would suggest using discernment when giving this book as a gift to others. First, in the forward written by Gary Smalley, this book is promoted as an potential tool for outreach to non-believers:
He [the author] has written short chapter introductions that are extremely enlightening and compelling to non-Christians. Steve said he did this so he could give the book to skeptical friends who have no interest in church or religion. His goal is to enable them to take a fresh look at the person of Christ, judging Him not on what anyone else has said or done, but solely on what Christ said. So many people have misconceptions about Jesus that when they simply read what He said, those misconceptions are eliminated.
Secondly, I feel that the lack of context provided within this book makes it appropriate and suitable for use by believers, but less than ideal for unbelievers. If someone doesn't have the Holy Spirit to help them interpret the words and teachings of Christ (which He clearly stated many will hear but not understand), then how can we anticipate that reading Jesus' statements in an isolated manner will diffuse misconceptions and misunderstandings about Christ, rather than fuel them? If someone is already skeptical, in disagreement with, or biased against Christ for one reason or another, then taking His statements away from the context which provides so many additional clues as to the heart, motive, Lordship, character and holiness of Jesus is not going to help. Just as our words taken out of context can be used against us, the same is certainly true of the Lord's. (Think back to the accusations made prior to His crucifixion.) Ultimately, non-Christians need to hear the Gospel. The whole Gospel, not just parts. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) Imagine Jesus's ministry on earth as a full-length movie. Do you want to give someone the whole Script that is available to you (the New Testament), or just let them read only the main character's lines with a handful of interactions with others? (If you are looking for a book, aside from the Holy Bible, to give to a non-Christian that presents the Gospel in a readable format, check out "One Perfect Life," by John MacArthur.)
Content All of the statements of Christ, in red letters, with very minimal context only where deemed necessary by the author. For example, if Jesus' statement was a direct response to a question someone asked him, the verse (printed in black) including the question would precede Jesus's answer. Most of the verses are the New International Version (NIV), although some are from the New King James Version (NKJV) and the New American Standard Bible (NASB). However, the verses are not in any way labeled or identified according to what version they are within this book. Also, the author has written short introductions (less than 5 pages each) at the beginning of each of the 9 chapters. Occasionally there is a one paragraph introduction by the author under a subtopic heading, but the authors words are always in black and lack verse references so there should be no confusion when you are reading Scripture and when you're reading the author's own insight and suggestions. | Organization The back of the book contains 2 indexes, one by subject, and one by Scripture verse, so you could look up the subject of divorce or you could look up what page(s) John 3:10-13 are on. Let's say you wanted to find everything Jesus said about divorce. In the subject index, you will find the page range for the topic and when you turn to those pages, you will find the topic heading of "Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage" followed by all the statements of Christ in red letters regarding those matters. Let's say you looked up John 3:10-13; you would find 4 different page numbers listed after it. Following the page numbers, you would discover John 3:10 is included under the topics of "Claims Jesus Made about Himself," "Jesus' Eternal Existence," "Jesus Identity," and "Heaven." |