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

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!

Helpful personal stories

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

This book is 100% worth reading (listening to)!

Read this book!! If you have even an inkling of curiosity about its contents, please do not hesitate to grab a copy.

Listening to this book felt like meeting someone and instantly becoming best friends. Zach wrote (much more cohesively and with more evidence to back things up) everything that I have come to learn and believe during my faith journey over the past 4 years. While I don’t share all Zach’s experiences, I felt my soul saying, “Amen!,” over and over again to the truths being shared about the Bible (I feel like I probably highlighted my entire Kindle copy).

I have been feeling like a wanderer these past few years, trying to find spiritual community in places where the Bible is still read through some harmful lenses. This book reminded me that finding Christians I can feel at home with isn’t too far-fetched an idea and that community is important.

While I was familiar with most of the concepts in this book, I still learned a lot while reading it. The pages of this book are full of real life examples, facts and academic research, and words of wisdom from authors, teachers, and pastors. Even if you disagree with Zach’s (and my) viewpoints, there is plenty to think about and look into deeper. Even if your beliefs remain unchanged after reading, it may help you understand a friend or family member’s beliefs. If your interpretation of the Bible has helped you justify causing harm towards others, you may find that this book lives up to its name. If you are open to it, you may walk away with better ways to read the Bible.

In his closing, Zach says that he hopes the book is a balm for others. It certainly was for me.

Refreshing Perspective.

I rolled right through this audiobook in just one day! I really enjoyed Zach’s clear and honest perspective and storytelling. It is sad to me that so many in the Christian world that treat inclusivity as the 8th deadly sin.

Wonderful!

Jesus loves us all, without exception. Zach Lambert presents a heartfelt pastoral message that reflects the truly radical love of Jesus. This is a powerful book and message we so desperately need in this divided world we live in. Highly recommended.

Unweaponizing the Bible...

...and restoring individuals to Christ, regardless of who they are and what they've been told the Bible says about them.

Insightful, engaging, and a great lens on the Bible

I’ve read a number of books in this genre, and this might be my favorite.

The easy to follow framework of the 4 harmful and 4 healing lenses that can be applied to the Bible makes a ton of sense and keeps it digestible.

The personal stories of his life and those he serves really bring it to life. I found it moving and motivating to be more engaged in the way of Jesus and hope this reaches many ears.

Much Needed

This was a wonderful book that offered a much needed perspective to approaching Scripture. Often used as a tool to divide and diminish, Pastor Zach offers a fresh approach to engage with the Bible. This perspective allows the Scriptures to take on new life in today's contentious climate

What a truly awesome book!

This is a truly remarkable book. It is for everyone and particularly those who have been harmed by people using the Bible deliberately or inadvertently as a weapon. Which is most of us really. That you for writing it.

Transforms the way, I look at the Bible.

Better Ways to Read the Bible is one of the most powerful and transformative books on Scripture I have ever read. Growing up in churches that often weaponized Scripture or bent it to fit their own agendas, I developed a complicated relationship with the Bible. This book has completely changed that.

It offers a fresh, life-giving perspective on how to approach God’s Word—one that has reignited my desire to read the Bible again. The author’s message about “changing your lenses” is incredibly powerful. It helped me see Scripture in an entirely new light, free from the distortions and misuse I had experienced before.

I can’t overstate how impactful this book has been for me. It’s not just informative—it’s freeing, healing, and deeply spiritual. Truly one of the best books I’ve ever read.