I admit, I may be a bit biased since I have been sitting in Dr. Hellerman (Pastor Joe)'s pews for over a year now, but to be fair, I have been saying a lot of the same stuff (in person and in writing) long before I met the man or read the book.
His thesis is absolutely right; we as a church are meant to be like a family, where there is love (actual love, not meaningless Christian "love") and forgiveness (actual forgiveness, not meaningless Christian "forgiveness) and where everyone cares about each other in word and deed. The Bible even goes as far as to say "If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen" (NASB, 1 John 4:20). So, it's kind of important...
Now, he not only uses the Bible well, but he also goes from an angle I had never considered, one which makes the biblical text all the more powerful: the family metaphor is used quite a bit in the Bible, and the family in the ancient near east was a far different animal from what we typically think of in the west today. We all know we're called brothers and sisters etc. But what would that have meant to the people who first heard the message, who the metaphor was applied to? Hellerman makes the case that, in near eastern culture of the time, two things were true. First of all, the society was far less individualistic than modern western society. People, just as a matter of conditioning, saw the well-being of the group as more paramount to their own. Their very concept of identity was wrapped up not in whom they were, but what group they belonged to. This was all the more true of the family. The family was, in many ways, not X number of individuals, but one inseparable unit. That is how the church should be. Secondly (and I would say even more importantly), the family relationship back then was far closer and tighter than it often is in the west today (which makes sense, given their group mentality). In the west, some people are really close to their siblings, and some are not. In Jesus' time, it was pretty much a given that the sibling relationship was the most (emotionally) intimate relationship a person would have (even more so than marriage). He gives extensive (but easy to understand) historical evidence for this. The bond which by nature is quite strong was all the tighter in that culture and context. To say that someone is your brother wasn't just a phrase we throw about all willy-nilly to speak of close friends or even just people of the same race or sports team. Your brothers and sisters were a part of who you were. So to then say that as Christians we are therefore brothers and sisters to one another is incredibly powerful
The book is a good mix of scripture and history. As I said above, taking account the historical context explains what the things said in scripture mean, and knowing how the early Christians practiced them gives additional insight.
There is also a discussion about the benefits of plurality of elders (as opposed to a church with one senior pastor). It is only partly related to the main points, but I think he makes a good case, and he ties it together well enough.
One final thing I really loved about the book was that, in true pastoral fashion, the facts and data are brought to life by unusually intimate looks at aspects of Hellerman's own heart and life. Though written by a professor with abundant research and evidence, this book isn't written from an ivy tower. It isn't just logically coherent arguments that accurately make a point. This is Pastor Joe, a child of God and part of the family of God who has accepted the challenge and honor of teaching God's word leading those who are willing. Since the book is about the church as family, knowing that this is a real person and not just a mind behind the words you read makes it all the more powerful.
CONS:
As my 5-start rating would indicate, there aren't a lot of them. The only thing I'd say to watch out for is the beginning. It isn't dangerous or anything, but it gives somewhat of a different impression of what the book is going to be about than is reality. It comes across more like he's arguing that more group-focused societies are in and of themselves better than western society by virtue of being group-centered, whether or not God is in the picture. I don't think that that is his t his point at all. Remember, the whole thesis is that the ancient near eastern family very close and group-centered, and that since the ancient near-eastern Jesus and his ancient near-eastern apostles were explicitly saying the church is to be just like a family, the Christians should likewise be close knit and loving and forgiving and caring of one another and should more about the church and their brothers than themselves. In the beginning he goes on so much about how other societies are less focused on the individual and some of the pluses of that because later on he's going to be using those two things to make his case about the church. For the church, we should be more like a communal society than the one around us. It's not an argument that we should always submit to the will of the family as would happen in near-eastern culture. In fact, one of the things he argues later is that the family of God, our fellow believers, should in fact take precedence over biological family (which sounds insane, but ultimately makes sense, as in Christ we are bound to and by something greater than our DNA). So, the beginning can be a little bit muddled, as it sounds like it came from a book called "why Americans should emulate more group-centered culture." After all, people without Jesus are people without Jesus, no matter how much of a community they are a part of. In context, however, it fits right in.
CONCLUSION:
If you sincerely follow Jesus, read this book.
Add Prime
to get Fast, Free delivery
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now
Frequently bought together
This item: When the Church Was a Family: Recapturing Jesus' Vision for Authentic Christian Community
$16.57
Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 3
In Stock
+
$17.27
Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 3
In Stock
+
$49.86
Get it as soon as Thursday, Apr 3
Only 1 left in stock - order soon.
Total price: $00
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
More items to explore
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the brand
-
Shop Bibles
-
Shop Bibles
-
Shop Bible Studies
-
Shop Bible Studies
-
Shop Devotionals
-
Shop Kids’ Books
-
Shop Kids’ Books
-
About the author
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2012
- Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2010
- Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2024
Top reviews from other countries
- Kindle CustomerReviewed in Germany on August 29, 2023
A classic book on building a genuine Christian church
- MIchelle NunnReviewed in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2015
A challenging read for those of us raised in the West and submerged in individualism.
- Johnny MarkinReviewed in Canada on August 16, 2017
Great historic and culture resource
- LorrieReviewed in Canada on October 24, 2014
Mixed feelings on this one - it gave me a ...
