Why Didn't Jesus Write Any Books?

Where the true New Testament is found.

When I was a college student, I wondered about different churches and so before I graduated, I decided to visit a different church every Sunday. I did this by going through the Yellow Pages and every week I visited a church and would cross it out of my phone book. Some churches I visited more than once and other churches I never wanted to go back again. The experience, however, left me a bit confused and disillusioned with the Christian Church.

My journey showed me that most churches I visited originally started over some division in the past. In fact, most Christian denominations started over their interpretation of “God’s Word.” The spectrum of interpretation runs from those who believe the 1611 version of the English Bible was the only true version of God’s Word all the way to other groups who didn’t really care about the Bible at all. Non-denominational churches I visited were no different. They are just newer. I will add, however, in the non-denominational churches, I found there was no accountability beyond the people standing up front preaching. With no accountability there is no responsibility to the truth, and sadly, no real way for the average person to know what is really being taught. And no one really knows what goes on behind closed doors until the scandal breaks. 

Today, Christianity seems more fractured than ever. I also believe that is exactly what the enemies of God wants to happen, that is, to destroy the church from within. You see, the more division in the church the more confusion sits at the front door of Christianity. It’s literally a war of divide and conquer from the inside out. But St. Paul did warn the Church about this reality when he wrote to the church elders at Ephesus in Act 20:29, “For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” Even the Bible itself has not been exempt as every year new versions of the Bible are churned out for profit by publishers.

So I understand the attack against the Church, but still, my journey did leave me somewhat disheartened with some questions, “Was this Jesus’ original intent for the Church? Did Jesus know the Church would end up so fractured, divided, and confused? Did he just leave it all up to our own interpretation?” I eventually boiled my question down to one: “I can only imagine what Jesus would think about the Church today, so how then could we stay as close as possible to his original intent? I mean, after all, if we think about it, Jesus never wrote anything down that we know about. For a man who changed the world so much, it is incredible to think that he actually never wrote anything down on paper. But wait; maybe that is exactly the point.

Jesus never wrote anything down on paper, and instead, he left it all to a loaf of unleavened bread and a cup of wine lifted in thanksgiving as the fullest expression of the Christian Church in worship, and her acts of love as the truest expression of her devotion to God. You see, people can debate the words written down in the Bible until the cows come home, but in the end, none of it matters. Jesus gave us the example in living color that the true New Testament is found in a cup shared between disciples and a hand stretched out in love to each other. Before one word of the New Testament was ever written down, Jesus lifted a cup, gave thanks, and said, “This cup is the new testament.” Just wow. Before one disciple ever wrote a word down in a book, Jesus said the new testament was a cup lifted in thanksgiving (Eucharist) to God. To me, that is amazing. I hope it is to you as well. 

God’s blessings to you!

Pastor Rob Taylor