Rating: 
Summary: Yancey again writes a profound book that hits the heart
Review: I have read many of Yancey's books, and "The Bible Jesus Read" may be my favorite. Yancey's ability to combine hard thinking, with practical implication, has never been better. He is not afraid to ask the hard questions about life, pain, suffering, the Bible, and God. As I read this book I felt that I had a soul-mate in my journey. Thanks Yancey for summarizing issues in such a way that I can ask deep questions, and still come away deeper in my faith. I will recommend this book highly, and return to it often myself.
Rating: 
Summary: Good commentary
Review: I'm a big fan of Yancey's writing style and clarity, and I really enjoyed this work. That said, if you're new to this author, I'd suggest starting with either The Jesus I Never Knew, or What's so Amazing about Grace (or perhaps one of his books that deal with the issues of pain).
If you're not new to Yancey, and are wondering what kind of book this is, here's my take:
It's not really a scholary look at the Old Testament, like who wrote what, when and why. It's more of an over view of why the Old Testament is still important to us today, and how it relates directly to our Christianity.
Yancey tackles the questions of why life sometimes stinks and is seemingly unfair (an age old question asked in some of the oldest writings of men).
Yancey writes about how Jesus answers the nagging thoughts about whether or not an individual matters to God, questions that where asked over and over in the Old Testament, not only by individuals, but by the early Hebrews through the glory period of the Jewish nation on to the time of Christ when it seemed that Israel would be perhaps be destroyed forever as a nation.
If you are new to Christain books (or new to Christianity) I suggest reading the other Yancey books first, then if you feel, as I do, that he's a really wonderful writer, you'll naturally come back to this one. I only gave this book less than five stars because I felt it was a bit too short, and just not quite as good as some of the others, not because I don't highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: answers
Review: If you've been into Christian studies for very long, then you know Philip Yancey is a name to pay attention to, and this is no exception. Some Christians find themselves engaged in arguments with other believers who think only the New Testament is important. Once they read this book they will be able to win the argument, that the Old Testament is as much Jesus' story as the New, and that the Old Testament is relevant for today's people. Although I was disappointed that Mr Yancy did not discuss the earlier Septuagint translation that Jesus would have read, as opposed to the Massoretic we read, nonetheless, I found it an instructive book. It is well complemented by the accompanying study guide and video set. His lessons are laid out in a logical order that is easy to follow, but it is not dumbed down either.
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Summary: The Mindset and Relevance of the Scriptures
Review: In The Bible Jesus Read, the main focus of the book is to attempt to show the great value of books such as Job, Deuteronomy, Ecclesiastes, the prophets, etc., books which are largely overlooked or misunderstood by modern Christians. Yancey tries to establish the importance of each book by explaining that Jesus Himself spent time in these books. Yancey also explains what he believes are the best mindsets to understand the purpose of the Psalms, Proverbs, and other previously mentioned books, so that we can better understand our God. For example, I found his summary of the Psalms particularly helpful as he explained how the Psalms were not purposed for doctrines and decrees, but they reveal the joy, anguish, worry in human authors who were pursuing the heart of God. (He does not deny that they are God-inspired works; some Psalms are prophetic whether the authors realized it at the time or not) I did find some minor faults in Yancey's book: he lightly ridiculed unnammed ministers who misunderstood a prophecy of the ten horns in the book of Daniel, and made it sound as though we shouldn't take Bible prophecy seriously, because we can't truly understand it. I don't think he found the true worth of the prophecies of the Bible. He also presented a very "Prince of Egypty-type Moses", with a speculative and somewhat inaccurate scenario. If you overlook some of these occasional wishy-washy accounts, and focus on understanding the purpose of the Old Testament books, you can come away from "The Bible Jesus Read" with new insight and interest in books that you previously found complicated, boring, or confusing. I give thanks for a new outlook on the Psalms, Job, and Ecclesiastes.
Rating: 
Summary: Too much rambling and musing.
Review: It fascinates me how fundamentalist Bible-thumping literalists can believe that THIS Old Testament GOD is an unconditionally loving, forgiving, God for me to love and worship:God gives power to Samson to kill 30 men for their clothing, to give as a party prize for answering the riddle at his party. Judges 14:11-19. This is like kids killing their peers for their Nikes. 70,000 died for David's sins of not taking the census in a manner pleasing to God. I Chron. 21:14. Uzza touches the ark in order to steady it when the oxen pulling it stumbled, for which the impatient God kills him. I Chron 13:9-11. God delights in dashing to death, childrens' heads against the pavement (Psalm 137.9, Isaiah 13:5-19, 13:3, 13:18) The O.T. is full of instances where God was the biggest violator of his own commandments. To this, Yancy writes, "These were the "sometimes shocking, often cryptic divine writings, baffling, even offensive to the modern mind" (words from the jacket). I was hoping The Bible Jesus Read would explain the type of God who had the behavior of Hitler or Saddam Hussein, the vengeful, jealous, murderous, angry, temper-tantrum, chosen people, tribal, war-monger God, who sprays his RAID on his creation. I was very disappointed, Yancy wrote in his preface, "With some regret (yes with this reviewer's also), I will avoid discussing many of the difficulties and stumbling blocks people encounter in the Old Testament. For example, it contains some six hundred pages of explicit violence, many of them linked directly to God himself. How do we reconcile that with the nonviolence preached by God's Son Jesus? I am tempted to drop everything and deal with these issues, but that would make for a very different book. This is not a book of argument or apology, rather, one of self-discovery. Besides, many authors far more qualified have taken up these issues in great detail." Yancy does deal with some of the ungracefulness of the God in the O.T. in his What's So Amazing About Grace, but who are these authors he speaks of? Can anyone tell me? It took me about 3 months to get through The Bible Jesus Read, while I found What's So Amazing About Grace, and Yancy's other books far more captivating and enlightening, I am still trying to figure out why this one wasn't. Perhaps even Yancy can't make the O.T. less boring and relevant for me. Maybe because much of the book is filled with musings and ramblings such as "We may never figure out the toes and horns of Daniel's beasts, or the intricacies of Revelation 12. But if only we could believe that our struggle really is against principalities and powers, if only we could believe that God will prove himself trustworthy and set right all that is wrong, if only we could demonstrate God's passion for justice and truth in this world...." P. 195. "The psalms started to sound boring and repetitious. Why, I wondered, did the Bible need 150 psalms? Wouldn't fifteen suffice to cover the basic content? I struggled through..." p. 111. Yes, I STRUGGLED through his STRUGGLINGS. Yancy was being honest with his musings, but I found such passages hard to get through, they didn't enlighten me more about the O.T. and he rambled and rambled. Maybe I am too impatient, just like the O.T. God was with his "sinners", his "UNchosen people", and his "Uzza's".
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Summary: Yancey Continues To Ask The Hard Questions
Review: It is refreshing to read Philip Yancey; he's not afraid to ask the hard questions. Many contemporary Christian authors/pastors/speakers tend to shy away from the subjects tackled in his books. Yancey, however, puts them in black and white, for all the world to see. His vulnerability is a call for Christians to be authentic in their belief and faith. "The Bible Jesus Read" is a welcome addition to my library. A word to the wise: it is not for those who are content in their comfort; it is for the searcher in all of us. It tends to offer more questions than answers. If you have the guts to look at God the way He really is (and not just the way you want to see Him), this book is the book for you.
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Summary: Yancey helps explain relevance of the Old Testament
Review: Like others have noted, the title for this book is slightly misleading. It does not really talk about how the Old Testament was read when Jesus walked the earth. Instead, the author focuses on a handful of books from the Old Testament to show their relevance, and what they can teach us. As expected, Yancey's writing is excellent, but the results are slightly mixed. The two strongest chapters are on the book of Job, and the Psalms. The chapter about Deuteronomy is misplaced, in that it does not fit well with the other chapters. The style is much different, and it is more heavy on drama, than with substance. The two chapters which are good, but not great cover the book of Ecclesiastes and the Old Testament Prophets. The thing I enjoy most about Phil Yancey's writings is that he is honest, and makes me take a harder look at my own Christian walk, and the questions/challenges that I face. Given that fact, I recommend this book for anyone looking for a contemporary look at the some books of the Old Testament. This first half of the Bible is often overlooked by many Christians, and is full of many books which give you a much deeper view of who God is, what he thinks of us (His creation), and what His plans are for this world. Those facts alone should prompt us to read His word, all of it.
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Summary: Excellent Modern Christian Look @ Old Testament
Review: Many Christians today (me included!!) forget that the Old Testament is what Jesus, the disciples, and all other Jews at the time were familiar with. The Old Testament books were the writings that people used to get closer to God, measure their worthiness as believers and show respect to his Word: until Christ came, as God's ultimate gift and salvation for man. I know a lot of Christians that think it's hard to get really excited about the Old Testament and it can be hard to pull a lot of relavence from it; especially with the beauty and wonder of the New Testament books and letters. A read through Yancey's "The Bible That Jesus Read" helps you position it in your mind and get you fired up to dive into the OT. I gave this book as a gift to my grandfather and he found many new insights and takes on the Old Testament. It even led him to spend more time with it! This is a man who has been in the Bible for 50 years, and it means that we can all learn more. Peace!
Rating:
Summary: Good Yancey
Review: Once again Philip Yancey did an excellent job looking at the bible, and theology from a reporter's perspective, giving life to the Old Testament, the "Bible Jesus Read." This book really gave me a renewed interest into the Old Testament, and why it is so vital for any person interested in Christianity to read. Yancey explains how he struggled with the Old Testament when he was younger, and how he re-gained an interest in it once again. Right along with the author I discovered a new interest in the OT, and it really helped me at a time when I was going through the entire bible in six months. Sometimes when you read through the OT, it can get a bit dry, but Yancey, through this work, can inspire you, as he did me, to have an interest in what Jesus studied as a child, the Old Testament.
Rating:
Summary: Good Yancey
Review: Once again Philip Yancey did an excellent job looking at the bible, and theology from a reporter's perspective, giving life to the Old Testament, the "Bible Jesus Read." This book really gave me a renewed interest into the Old Testament, and why it is so vital for any person interested in Christianity to read. Yancey explains how he struggled with the Old Testament when he was younger, and how he re-gained an interest in it once again. Right along with the author I discovered a new interest in the OT, and it really helped me at a time when I was going through the entire bible in six months. Sometimes when you read through the OT, it can get a bit dry, but Yancey, through this work, can inspire you, as he did me, to have an interest in what Jesus studied as a child, the Old Testament.
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