Thursday, July 21, 2011

On the Road With Jesus: Birth and Ministry by Ben Witherington III



book cover

On the Road With Jesus:
Birth and Ministry
by Ben Witherington III


ISBN-13: 9781426712159
Trade Paperback: 80 pages
Publisher: Abingdon Press
Released: July 2011


Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
Travel to the Holy Land with New Testament scholar Ben Witherington and experience the birth and ministry of Jesus. With the help of Dr. Witherington's knowledge and perspective, you will visit the places Jesus walked and ministered. You will learn about places such as Bethlehem, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, the Jordan River, and more.

My Review:
On the Road With Jesus is a Bible background book which discussed how the Jews of Jesus' time would have viewed Jesus and the events surrounding his birth, baptism, calling of his disciples, and early ministry. The author did give some insightful historical background information, some of which isn't frequently found in other books.

However, he did make some theological comments without spending much time defending his doctrinal position. So people from some denominations might be offended by his seemingly breezy dismissal of a doctrine held by them.

While most of the historical information he gave wasn't controversial, he did spend a lot of time arguing that Lazarus was the true author of the gospel of John. His argument was built on a lot of speculation rather than actual, solid evidence, and I found his argument highly unconvincing. Overall, I felt like the DVD by the same title would appeal to a wider audience as it didn't get sidetracked into controversial issues.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.

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