Better Ways to Read the Bible

Transforming a Weapon of Harm into a Tool of Healing (Four New Lenses for Making Sense of Scripture)

De: Zach W. Lambert, Sarah Bessey -foreword by

Narrado por: Zach W. Lambert

Zach Lambert has seen the Bible used countless times as something far from the "Good Book"—both in his own life and in the experiences of others. He has seen the Bible weaponized to subjugate women, justify racism, bash LGBTQ+ people, cover up abuse, and exclude people who speak out against these injustices.

In Better Ways to Read the Bible, Lambert calls listeners to a more Christlike interpretation of Scripture. Lambert has created this accessible guide to help listeners dismantle four common lenses for reading Scripture that lead to harm—Literalism, Apocalypse, Moralism, and Hierarchy. Instead, he offers four new lenses—Jesus, Context, Flourishing, and Fruitfulness—that promote wholeness, inclusion, and flourishing for all people. This book transforms the Bible from a weapon that condemns, oppresses, and excludes into a tool that helps and heals.

Better Ways to Read the Bible, which includes a foreword by Beth Allison Barr, welcomes all Christians to reengage Scripture in life-giving ways.

©2025 Zach W. Lambert (P)2025 Christian Audio

10 yr old me would be appalled. Now me is humbled

Well, I just finished the second listen through of this book and I am humbled by how I used to read the Bible, how I left reading the Bible, and how this has encouraged me to restart reading the Bible not as a rule book but as a path to freedom through the person of Jesus Christ. You may know Zach W. Lambert through his Facebook reels and his Tic Toks, and have heard many people call him a heretic or a leftist woke faux pastor, but this is a sincere look at how we are to read the Bible so that it has the power to reconcile the lost and build a community of Christ-followers above Bible-idolators. This will be on my list of books to read frequently as I will need constant reminders to see that truly all scripture points to Jesus and his mission to bring fullness and fruit to the church and those longing for a place to belong. I highly recommend at least one listen through and see if you can get a clearer way to see the beauty of scripture instead of just the judgement. As Jesus said, he came into the world not to condemn the world but that the world may be saved through him. This way points to that salvation for all of the world, not just those we like. Thanks for the wake-up call Zach.

The perfect book to help me love the Bible again

Zach did an amazing job at presenting a well organized and thorough description of the various lenses we can use to read and interpret scripture. If you’ve ever been confused, scared or intimidated by the way the Bible (and faith) have been presented to you, this book will help you in every way. He intersperses real stories of real people in his own life that helped me relate to various harmful, and helpful lenses. I’ve read and listened to it twice in the last few weeks. Very thankful for this book!

Changed my life

Hung on to every word. As an evangelical reconstructing parent of a gay son, this book tied the bow on 7 years of seeking the truth. I will be forever grateful for Zach’s wise gentle, Christlike wisdom, and his zeal for Jesus and his truth.

Helpful personal stories

Easy to follow and comprehend. A great listen for laypeople to understand seminarian like concepts.

Love it

This book has given me a whole new outlook on somethings I’m currently dealing with in my own home.