A lot of Christians have been taught a story that begins in chapter 3 of Genesis, instead of chapter 1. If your story doesn't begin in the beginning, but begins in chapter 3, then it starts with sin, and so the story becomes about dealing with the sin problem. So Jesus is seen as primarily dealing with our sins.
Rob Bell[The Bible] has to be interpreted. And if it isnโt interpreted, then it canโt be put into action. So if we are serious about following God, then we have to interpret the Bible. It is not possible to simply do what the Bible says. We must first make decisions about what it means at this time, in this place, for these people.
Rob BellEverybody is following somebody. Everybody has faith in something and somebody. We are all believers.
Rob BellAny time someone makes you feel guilty about how you are living, that is part of the old system (pre-Christ).
Rob BellSwords appear strong, but they're actually quite weak. Jesus appears weak, but he's actually quite strong.
Rob BellI would say that the powerful, revolutionary thing about Jesus' message is that he says, 'What do you do with the people that aren't like you? What do you do with the Other? What do you do with the person that's hardest to love?' . . . That's the measure of a good religion, is - you can love the people who are just like you; that's kind of easy. So what Jesus does is takes the question and talks about fruit. He's interested in what you actually produce. And that's a different discussion. How do we love the people in the world that are least like us?
Rob Bell