I have read a number of Bird’s books and I really enjoy them. I found this one to be a bit tough to get through. The problem I had was hearing all the arguments of the liberal ‘theologians and scholars’. I wouldn’t take the books from these men if they were free. Arguing that this passage or saying isn’t authentic in order to prove their points is just foolishness, but then again some professing to be wise become fools…. Bird does a good job defending truth, I find it sad that he even has to defend truth from these folks who claim to be scholars. If you aren’t going to believe what the Lord has given us, just walk away and do your own thing without trying to destroy the truth. These men are enemies of the truth and should just be called out. Once you go down the road of deciding what truth is real, you will come to a very empty faith. The one thing the book really did was help me scoff more at intelligent fools and pray to always trust in His word, never getting to the place of these men. Bird is a good author and I look forward to reading more of his works.

The author goes to great lengths to twist the meaning of scripture. "The central idea around which everything that follows revolves is the notion that play is the essential and ultimate form of relationship with God.” After making this point, he tries to use scripture to back up his claim. "Jesus had come “eating and drinking” and they said he was a glutton and a drunkard. They rejected both and would not play with either of them.” The Pharisees wouldn’t play with Jesus? Did they forget to bring their marbles? Chapter 8 - Crucifixion as Play - I just don't have the words. Can you imagine Paul telling people this? I will finish the book just as a reminder of how badly we can twist scripture to try to prove our point. The Christian life should be one of joy, but that is different from play. "In short, the Christian focus has tended to fall upon service and work rather than play, and upon activity in general rather than rest.” Run the race, count the cost, full armor of God….maybe he is reading a different Bible. None of those sound like ‘play’ to me. Play - engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose. While we should be joyful in our service to God, it is serious and practical. People are going to hell. The gospel isn’t something we are playing with. Perhaps the author could have used a different word other than ‘play’. Brian Edgar, The God Who Plays: A Playful Approach to Theology and Spirituality (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2017), 4. Brian Edgar, The God Who Plays: A Playful Approach to Theology and Spirituality (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2017), 16. Brian Edgar, The God Who Plays: A Playful Approach to Theology and Spirituality (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2017), 1.

Only part way through the book and finding out I need to read this one carefully…this reminds me of someone I knew who was closer to God than everyone else because they were a ‘messianic believer’. Some of the authors statements I find don’t match with scripture. It makes me wonder about ’the jewish teachings’ he is passing on in the book. Not a book I would suggest to anyone. He comes off as painting a picture that Israel was such a wonderful people that God couldn’t resist them. After an investigation of all Scripture relating to Israel, it appears that the chosen people status was not awarded as a special privilege, but because the people of Israel could be trusted to preserve the Law of God Ron Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church (Baltimore, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 1996), 13. The third misconception is the idea that New Testament believers have a “better covenant” than God’s Law. Ron Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church (Baltimore, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 1996), 36. It should be noted that verses such as Mark 7:15, where it appears that Jesus is nullifying the Jewish dietary laws (when he points out the difference between physical and spiritual pollution), do not suggest that he abandoned the food laws given to all Jews. Ron Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church (Baltimore, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 1996), 38. Luke 16:16 is simply stating that the Law and the Prophets were the only Scripture in existence up to the time that John came on the scene. The implication is that God was soon to add more. Ron Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church (Baltimore, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 1996), 41. The second aspect is that God gave all nations the same possibility of becoming his people, but only Israel was willing to accept his Law, while the other nations rejected this opportunity. Ron Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church (Baltimore, MD: Messianic Jewish Publishers, 1996), 54.