Customer Reviews

The Jesus Who Never Lived: Exposing False Christs and Finding the Real Jesus

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The writer of The Jesus Who Never Lived seeks to explain who Jesus Christ really was as a real person that existed in history, exposes some of the false Messiahs (Christs) that have appeared in history, and sheds light on some of the current views of Jesus.

The book is written in such a manner that it is easy to read and understand. One does not have to be a biblical scholar to understand the language here. It is a clear and concise work that is very readable.

There are three main sections. First is `The Importance of Knowing the Real Jesus', second is `Distortions of Jesus Throughout History', and third is `Finding the Real Jesus'.

In the first section, Dr. House systematically lays out the case for who Jesus was as a figure in history. Speaking about how his family viewed him, the people around him looked at him, and even how the world at large treated him.

The importance of this section cannot be underestimated when it comes to knowing and acknowledging who Jesus is. By using biblical and extrabiblical sources we can find out about Jesus from some of his contemporaries across a wide spectrum of views and thought.

From the writers of the synoptic Gospels who walked with Jesus to Greek historians to Roman historians and Roman state officials. Each of these accounts speaks of Jesus and gives a further glimpse into who he was and what he was like.

The second section highlights the many distortions of Jesus throughout history. Detailing the false messiahs that have come before, during, and after Jesus' time, the writer also notes the various alternate Christs that have surfaced throughout history.

He also speaks about the Jesus talked about in relation to other world religions as well as the Jesus of modern day in movies, art and music.

The third and final section is the most important section in my opinion. It is all about who the real Jesus is. Dr House makes the case for the Messiah spelling out some of the promises of the law and the prophets, who the Messiah was supposed to be, and even how Jesus actually fulfilled those promises with evidence from his life.

One thing I really loved about this book was the fact that it is packed full of information. Even so, I know there is more to learn on every subject and idea put forth in this work. As such Dr House has provided footnotes at the end of the book for each of the 14 chapters.

I really appreciate the fact that any time a statement has been put forth that does not come from Dr House; he puts a footnote reference so that I can go find the source of that statement and look it up for myself.

I believe it is important to verify the accuracy of anyone's statements in context and not just blindly accept them.

As such I highly recommend this book to anyone who is seeking to know who Jesus Christ really was, is, and forever will be.

-- Jeffrey R. E. Morgan
http://www.jeffreyremorgan.com

Do you remember that movie, Catch Me If You Can? Starring Leonard DeCaprio?

He mainly did cheque forgery and eventually worked for the FBI to catch other criminals? In the movie it shows him studying the real cheques before he figured out how to make the fake ones.

So why do I bring this up?

As a Christian we need to make sure we do that, right? Study the WORD before we can pick out who is teaching false doctrine. Not just bits and pieces, but the WHOLE WORD. If we can't back it up in God's Word, and actually know it's in his Word, how can we tell who is preaching the real gospel?

The Jesus Who Never Lived by H. Wayne House encourages this train of thought. He helps by giving you the scriptures and encourages you to understand what the Bible REALLY says about Jesus.

What I like about this book:

House really gives scripture to back up his information. I mean a lot!

I like that he also provides outside sources from older doctrines that help validate his point historically and therefore more accurately. He gives the facts as opposed to his opinion and lays it out before you.

I like the layout of the book. House presents the false idea (ie. that Judas was a good guy) and than gives you the biblical resources. It is easy to read, and easy to follow (which I greatly value in apologetic books!)

House pulled out a few things that I don't think I had heard, and I appreciated that. For instance, he gives the references to Judas, and shows that Judas never actually acknowledged Jesus as God/Savior.

I think this book is a good study book, but you need to know your Bible yourself. As my pastor said, "Don't just believe! Check it against God's Word." I think it's so important to understand and know HIS WORD instead of just taking someone else's word! That being said, sometimes it is difficult to totally "get it" and it's nice to see what others say, so you can grasp a better understanding. This is one of those books that help you get a that "better understand"

The Jesus Who Never Lived has made me evaluate who has influenced my belief in Jesus, and whether or not my environment has played a big part in that, or whether I am relying on God's Word and what I learn myself about HIM.

This is a great popular-level book examining the many false ideas of who Jesus is that has been brought forth over two millenia. Examining from ancient heresies to modern culture, Dr. House has captured the invalid teachings posited and shows how the resulting descriptions are inadequate. He concludes in the final chapter by giving the biblical portrait of Jesus.

The Jesus Who Never Lived by H. Wayne House is a fantastic look at the real Jesus. I love reading apologetics, and I've read quite a few. This book stands head and shoulders above the rest with its logical approach to finding the real Jesus and it's use of layman's language for understandability. There have been multiple attacks on Jesus, and they usually surface around Christmas and Easter, just as Christians around the world prepare to celebrate his life and death. Jesus has been portrayed as a wise do-gooder, an apocalyptic zealot, and a man who took his wisdom from Buddha and other Eastern sources. Wayne's scholarship is solid and actually makes for an enjoyable as well as informative read. He discusses how Jesus was viewed in his own lifetime by the disciples, his family, and Jewish authorities, then moves on to how he was viewed shortly after his death, all the way up through how the media portrays him today in popular movies. While there was never any doubt in my mind about who Jesus really is vs how he's thought of today, I think that Wayne could win over those who are not as firm in their ideas as to who Jesus was and is. It's a perfect book for refuting those who insist that the historical Jesus is different than the Biblical Jesus, as well as for encouraging Christian's knowledge about the Man from whom they take their name.

In the book The Jesus Who Never Lived you will learn a lot about different religions and about who Jesus was and learn about his life. There is concice information, myth busting and factual accounts of Jesus. Although packed with information this book is for the layman and is easy to understand. You don't have to be a biblical scholar or theologian to get some great information from this book.
Whether you are a believer, a non-believer or on the fence, if you pick up this book you will have all the information you need to make an informed decision as the facts of these accounts are backed up with footnotes and other information.
Sure, you could simply pick up the bible and learn all you need to know, but for some this is not always clear. This book puts everything in simple easy terms and I highly recommend reading it

Wayne has done his home work on this book. This is a timely book in light for a culture who say they like Jesus but not the church. Pop culture may like to make Jesus "after their own image" but this book helps us see the true Jesus--the Son of God

H. Wayne House's "The Jesus Who Never Lived" may be a fascinating read that paints a partially true picture of Jesus, but I would recommend avoiding this book. The author certainly provides accurate information about The Savior, but he devotes many pages to the falsehoods about Christ that have led to bogus traditions in Christian churches. And I don't want to read and retain any of that information in the fear that I would recall it as truth.

You don't need to know the falsehoods to know the real Jesus. You need to know the real Jesus really well. I recently read in a Bible study that Canadian anti-counterfeit law enforcement officers are not shown counterfeit money. They are trained thoroughly with the real thing so that they will know a counterfeit when it surfaces. I believe that this practice should be the same for Christians. We should know our Lord so well, that we will be able to identify any counterfeit we come across. So, pick up your Bible instead of this book and get to know the Jesus who really lived!