Publisher's Synopsis
This book is the product of a lifetime of questioning and probing the language and concepts of the Christian New Testament. It explores one of the most neglected parts of the mission and message of Jesus. He devoted most of his teaching to the creation of new life in persons. But, we seldom spend that much of our time trying to discover how he went about doing so. We will probe this new life idea and attempt to construct a model from the ideas taught and revealed by Jesus. We want to be able to understand and identify what kind of life he brought. We want to know how to find this life for ourselves. Keys to these understandings are specific words Jesus used in his message. In many cases, the English words selected by translators to be used to translate the original Greek words have obscured some of the meaning we are seeking. We will search for meaning and find words to convey those meanings. You are going to be inspired by what we have discovered. Jesus actually said many things that we have not understood. The New Testament story is filled with simple, understandable teachings about how to find and experience an overflowing life. Historically, many of these teachings have been understood in theological terms rather than life related ones. Well intentioned theologians have translated the Greek text into English from their theological viewpoints rather than from the vantage of the person on the street. Jesus was constantly speaking to the people in the streets. He did so with the language they understood, without theological or philosophical overtones. He was all about life and it's living.
