Reading the Bible, Missing the Gospel: Recovering from (Shockingly Common) Ways We Get the Bible Wrong in our Everyday Lives

By Ben Connelly and Jared C. Wilson

Don’t keep asking God for forgiveness. Do judge one another. And you’re not going to heaven for all eternity!

How have we misunderstood the teachings of Jesus?  Often His message to the leaders and disciples was: You’re getting this wrong! Somewhere along the way you got confused, lost, way off track. Would He have the same assessment of us today?

In Reading the Bible, Missing the Gospel, pastor and author Ben Connelly shows us how to recover God’s original intentions in light of the story of redemption. Connelly helps us celebrate and understand how Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are truly good news for the tangible situations in our everyday lives. Biblical misunderstandings can lead to a small view of God—but truth overturns that. It expands our hearts for God and enables us to truly love others! 

Using theology, humor, and practical examples the author reveals shockingly common ways we get the Bible wrong. Connelly invites Christians to see themes and teachings with new eyes—or, rather, with old eyes—on topics like confession and forgiveness . . . what it means to be blessed or happy . . . whether we’re commanded to or prohibited from passing judgement. How does the gospel inform our understanding and answer these questions? Connelly gives readers a new gospel-focused lens that addresses common frustrations and helps them see with renewed hope, clarity, and courage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Moody Publishers
• Release date: Sep 6, 2022
• ISBN: 9780802475435

Ben Connelly

Ben Connelly is a Soto Zen teacher and Dharma heir in the Katagiri lineage. He also teaches mindfulness in a wide variety of secular contexts, including police and corporate training, correctional facilities, and addiction-recovery and wellness groups. Ben is based at Minnesota Zen Meditation Center and travels to teach across the United States. He’s the author of Inside the Grass Hut: Living Shitou’s Classic Zen Poem, Inside Vasubandhu’s Yogacara: A Practitioner’s Guide, and Mindfulness and Intimacy.

Book preview

Praise for Reading the Bible, Missing the Gospel

Hebrews 3:3 says, Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. Jesus’ story is on every page of the Bible. His love, His power, and His victory show up everywhere. People miss this if we think the star of the Bible’s story is ourselves. When we do this, we look for self-glory or self-affirmation, or complain about our role in God’s story. Both thoughts miss Jesus and the greatness He alone deserves. And both thoughts lead us to misapply the Bible in our lives. Ben, thank you for writing a book that reminds us not to be amazed by the house itself but to be amazed by the builder of the house. That’s Jesus.

SHAUN ALEXANDER, 2005 NFL MVP; author; entrepreneur; disciple of Jesus

I’m sorry to tell you this, but the book you’re holding in your hands right now is going to challenge some of your longest-held beliefs. In the best possible way. Calling readers back to Scripture, Reading the Bible, Missing the Gospel invites us to discover the good news afresh and to learn how God’s vision will always be bigger and better than what we settle for.

HANNAH ANDERSON, author of All That’s Good: Recovering the Lost Art of Discernment

Deconstruction can be a fruitful endeavor. Ben Connelly not only helps us to deconstruct how we read the Bible, but more importantly, he helps us to reconstruct the way that we read the Bible, in and through the living Word. The good news is that Scripture reads us more accurately than we read it and reveals to us our need of the Father who loves us, the Son who gives us grace, and the Spirit who empowers us to follow Christ.

JR WOODWARD, National Director, The V3 Movement; author, Creating a Missional Culture; coauthor, The Church as Movement

Ben Connelly brings years of experience as an equipper of church planters alongside his own work as a planter to the crucial question, What is the gospel? He writes with biblical depth, the wisdom of experience, and the heart of a disciple-maker. I highly recommend careful study for the sake of the kingdom of Jesus.

GERRY BRESHEARS, Professor of Theology, Western Seminary, Portland

Please read this book about THE BOOK! For a follower of Jesus, reading and knowing the Bible is everything since it is the objective source of our faith. Sadly, few read it and fewer study it, and yet when many do, they do so often studying some book or subject in the Bible disconnected from the greater whole of God’s story and the gospel. Recently, I’ve read a couple of books on reading books—which has tremendously helped me. This book will have a profound impact on how you read the Bible and the lens you see it through.

BOB ROBERTS JR., founder, Glocal.net and Multi-Faith Neighbors Network; Senior Global Pastor, Northwood Church

Far too many people have been reading the Bible visually impaired, missing the beauty of the expansive landscape of the good news of Jesus Christ. Sadly, they either burden themselves with a crushing load of guilt, shame, or performance-driven expectations, or they walk away never having taken in the life-giving beauty of Jesus when they consider key themes of Scripture. Ben’s work reveals the reason so many remain blind to the beauty, while providing a means to begin seeing clearly the treasures of Jesus Christ found in every page of the Bible.

JEFF VANDERSTELT, Executive Director of Saturate and author of Saturate, Gospel Fluency, and Making Space

Among the morass of books written to help us read the Bible, this one stands out. Its prose is clear, and illustrations are compelling. It helpfully exposes common errors in Bible reading and guides readers into more faithful interpretation. It also avoids complicated hermeneutical discussions while handing the reader the ultimate interpretive lens—the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here is a theologically rich yet eminently practical way to read the Bible with Jesus!

JONATHAN DODSON, Lead Pastor, City Life Church; author, Gospel-Centered Discipleship and The Unwavering Pastor

Reading the Bible, Missing the Gospel is a wonderful resource to help believers see the Scriptures as they are meant to be seen—as one unified story that points to Jesus, our source of life. Ben Connelly helps us see that this vision correction of a gospel lens of reading the Bible brings the pages of Scriptures to life! No longer is the Bible simply a book of rules, or quick bits of encouragement, or random truths about God, but it is the story of God in which Jesus is the Hero and we are joy-filled participants. If you’re looking to better understand the relevance of the Bible and the person of Jesus for everyday life, get this book. It is challenging yet winsome, theological yet accessible—a great addition to the bookshelves of clergy and laity alike.

DOUG LOGAN JR., President of Grimké Seminary; Vice President for Advancement of the Acts 29 Network; author of On the Block: Developing a Biblical Picture for Missional Engagement

Practical, theologically deep, and clarifying, this book will challenge your entire approach to the Bible if you—like so many (including me)—just find yourself reading it all wrong sometimes. Ben is a gift to the church in today’s climate, where we have more Bibles than ever but not always a clear understanding of what it is actually all about. Get this book, and give it to a friend or three!

MARK CLARK, Teaching Pastor, Bayside Church (CA); Founding Pastor, Village Church (BC)

It is not enough to read the Bible. One must know how to read the Bible rightly. With pastoral care and a humorous heart, Ben speaks to each of us, gently showing us where we have misstepped in our reading, both culturally and religiously. He does not, however, abandon us. Instead, he points us hopefully toward a brighter and more holistic path. He leads us further up and further into the great Story, making us better readers and, in the end, better participants in remaking the world. Highly recommended.

Steve Bezner, Senior Pastor, Houston Northwest Church; adjunct instructor, Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University

© 2022 by BEN CONNELLY

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, represented by Tyndale House Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (GNT) are from the Good News Translation in Today’s English Version- Second Edition Copyright © 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.

All emphasis in Scripture has been added.

Published in association with the literary agency of The Gates Group.

Edited by Pamela J. Pugh

Cover and interior design: Erik M. Peterson

Cover illustration of glasses copyright © 2018 by cveiv / iStock Photos (1003883462). All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Connelly, Ben (Pastor), author.

Title: Reading the Bible, missing the Gospel : recovering from (shockingly common) ways we get the Bible wrong in our everyday lives / Ben Connelly.

Description: Chicago : Moody Publishers, 2022. | Includes bibliographical references. | Summary: In Reading the Bible, Missing the Gospel, pastor and author Ben Connelly shows us how to recover God’s original intentions in light of the story of redemption. Connelly helps us celebrate and understand how Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are truly good news for the tangible situations in our everyday lives. Biblical misunderstandings can lead to a small view of God-but truth overturns that. It expands our hearts for God and enables us to truly love others!-- Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2022007919 (print) | LCCN 2022007920 (ebook) | ISBN 9780802428493 (paperback) | ISBN 9780802475435 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Classification: LCC BS511.3 .C6545 2022 (print) | LCC BS511.3 (ebook) | DDC 220.6--dc23/eng/20220506

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022007919

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2022007920

Originally delivered by fleets of horse-drawn wagons, the affordable paperbacks from D. L. Moody ’s publishing house resourced the church and served everyday people. Now, after more than 125 years of publishing and ministry, Moody Publishers’ mission remains the same—even if our delivery systems have changed a bit. For more information on other books (and resources) created from a biblical perspective, go to www.moodypublishers.com or write to:

Moody Publishers

820 N. LaSalle Boulevard

Chicago, IL 60610

To my parents, Dennis and Becky— for displaying the good news of Jesus consistently, and for never settling in your pursuit of God and His truth in your everyday lives.

Foreword

Prelude: Eye Surgery

PART ONE: A SPIRITUAL EYE EXAM

1. Symptoms: Reading the Bible, Wrong

2. Diagnosis: Missing the Gospel

3. Remedy: The Right Lens for Our Everyday Lives

PART TWO: LEARNING TO SEE CLEARLY

4. A Gospel-Centered Gospel

5. Don’t Ask God for Forgiveness

6. The House of the Lord?

7. #Blessed

8. Who Are You to Judge Me?

9. Heaven Is Not Our Forever Home

Postlude: Sight to the Blind

Afterword: For Church Leaders

Acknowledgments

Notes

Friend,

Thank you for choosing to read this Moody Publishers title. It is our hope and prayer that this book will help you to know Jesus Christ more personally and love Him more deeply.

The proceeds from your purchase help pay the tuition of students attending Moody Bible Institute. These students come from around the globe and graduate better equipped to impact our world for Christ.

Other Moody Ministries that may be of interest to you include Moody Radio and Moody Distance Learning. To learn more visit www.moodyradio.org and www.moody.edu/distance-learning.

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The Moody Publishers Team

In John 8, we find a fascinating exchange between Jesus and some religious leaders that reveals a lot about the nature of belief and about the nature of Jesus Himself. Now, the four gospels record numerous run-ins with the theological-industrial complex of the day, but in John 8:48–59, the leaders come out swinging. They basically accuse Jesus of being demon-possessed.

Jesus, of course, denies the charge. And then He begins to thwart their presumed authority by asserting His own—not just as a spiritual guru or as a theologian or even as a pillar of moral example, but as the center of the God-blessed universe. He tells them, first of all, that God is invested in Jesus’ glory. He tells them that if they believe in His word, they won’t die. He tells them that Abraham envisioned His ministry. And He tells them, in fact, that before Abraham was, Jesus is.

This is a series of staggering claims all neatly stacked on top of one another, and what they amount to is a claim of divine authority, of divine self-revelation. Jesus is obviously claiming to be God.

Naturally, the leaders are unsettled by this. In their mind, Jesus is blaspheming. So they take up stones to execute Him.

The spiritual import of this scene should be revealing to everyone who reads it. Jesus has revealed the vital, life-giving truth about Himself, and He is rejected. More than that, He is despised. And the religious leaders want to kill Him. And then something extraordinary—if we have the eyes to see it—happens. In verse 59, we read that as they picked up stones to throw at Him, Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

What do you suppose that means, He hid himself?

Did Jesus run away? Did He jump behind a nearby pillar? Did He pull one of those Hey look over there, guys! ruses and hide when they were distracted?

It is difficult to say, but this looks like it could be a miraculous obscuring. It’s possible that Jesus became, effectively, invisible. There is a similar incident in Luke 4 where an angry crowd has pushed Jesus to the edge of a cliff to throw Him off, and He just walks right through them. Ever wonder how He managed that?

But I don’t think this is just some neat trick. Whether Jesus literally hid Himself behind something in order to sneak away or He supernaturally veiled himself in some way, the point either way is heartbreaking. They can’t see Him.

The theological importance of this reality is perhaps the primary point of the entire scene. Disbelief blinds us. These guys are looking right at