Loving the Way Jesus Loves
“Five out of five stars.”—Christianity Today"As usual, Phil Ryken hides his deep scholarship behind readable prose. But thefootnotes reveal that he draws on some of the most penetrating scholarly treatments of St Paul’s text. He combines all that with pastoral experience and insight. The result is a masterful, accessible exposition of this great chapter."—Timothy J. Keller,Pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City; best-selling author,The Reason for God“It would be hard to think of a single topic more talked about, sung about, and celebrated than love. Yet—partly because of its familiarity—love is typically taken for granted and often misconstrued by the very people who talk about it most. And let’s face it: that is true even in the church. We are indebted to Phil Ryken for this wonderfully fresh, biblical analysis of what genuine love is like when we see it in perfect Christ-like purity. At once both simple and profound, this book will almost certainly challenge your presuppositions about love and help you see authentic love in a whole new light.”—John MacArthur,Pastor, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California"Through his unique design for this book, Ryken explicates Paul's Love Chapter through snapshots of Jesus and His disciples. He thereby immerses us in the luxuriant love of Jesus and enheartens us to pass it on. Let this book envelop you altogether in the fullness of the triune God's exuberant love!"—Marva J. Dawn,theologian; speaker; author,Being Well When We're Ill;In the Beginning GOD; andTalking the Walk“Phil Ryken is not only a scholar; he is a magnificent expositor of God’s Word. We already benefit from his massive commentaries on so many books of the Bible, and now he turns his attention, both as scholar and as pastor, to the message of 1 Corinthians 13. This is a gift to the entire church.”—R. Albert Mohler Jr.,President and Joseph Emerson Brown Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary“So much of following Jesus is a matter of being reminded of what we once knew. I knew that he loved me first and that his loving lay at the heart of my small ability to love others. I knew once that when my love ran out, his remained and would refill to overflowing. I knew these things, but had largely forgotten them. I will always be grateful to Phil Ryken for this profound reminder.”—Michael Card, musician; Bible Teacher; author,A Better Freedom"Jesus said, 'By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.' But what does it mean to love others? By looking at the love of Jesus in the light of 1 Corinthians 13, Phil Ryken gives us the Biblical answer.Loving the Way Jesus Lovesis surely one of the most heart searching books I have ever read. This book is must reading for all who want to grow in Christian love."—Jerry Bridges, author,The Pursuit of Holiness“Phil Ryken majors on what is truly major when he focuses on the central attribute that is supposed to distinguish those who follow Jesus—that we love one another. And the definition of love he sets forth doesn’t float abstractly in thin air but is solidly embodied by Jesus himself. I can’t think of a more timely book than this one or a message the church needs more desperately than the call to love as Jesus loved. Phil has done us all a favor by shepherding us to pursue the centerpiece of our call to be like Jesus.”—Carolyn Custis James, President, Synergy Women’s Network; author,When Life and Beliefs Collide"Another outstanding contribution by Phil Ryken that challenges me to the core of my being as a follower of Christ. If indeed it is all about love—God's love for a lost and hurting world—then the question is, as Christ follower, how well am I imitating that love? This insightful look at the Love Chapter in 1 Corinthians will make us think again if we dare think, I am loving like Christ."—Emery Lindsay, Senior Bishop, Chairman  of the Board, Church of Christ (Holiness) USA; Pastor, Christ Temple Cathedral Church of Christ, Los Angeles, California"There are many expositions of 1 Corinthians 13, the Love Chapter, but not many where at every point the preacher shows how God's love in Christ Jesus is the very best exposition and truest embodiment of love. Unpacking the love chapter through this prism, Phil Ryken lends great clarity to Paul's meditation on love and shows how such love drives us back to renewed adoration of Christ. Reflecting on how Christ, by his life and death, makes 1 Corinthians 13 leap from the page drives home the frequent lovelessness of our own lives, strips bare all notions of love that are little more than sentimental twaddle, and provides a concrete robustness to love that is part and parcel of trusting and following Christ."—D. A. Carson,Research Professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School“Loving the Way Jesus Lovesis not just another book on how to love. Rather, it explains how loveless sinners are transformed into loving worshippers because of the transforming power of God’s love in Jesus Christ. This is a biblical, practical, and helpful book.”—Mark Driscoll,Founding Pastor, Mars Hill Church, Seattle Washington; Founder, Resurgence; Co-founder, Acts 29; author,Death by Love “Based on careful study, steeped in Scripture, and very aware of the world we live in and of the experiences people go through, Ryken shows how we can love with the kind of love that God demonstrated to us. These qualities have made Ryken a favorite author of mine and of my wife.”—Ajith Fernando, Teaching Director, Youth for Christ, Sri Lanka“Loving the Way Jesus Lovesis deeply instructive of the nature of true Christian love, the extent of Jesus’s own expressions of that love, and the ways in which we, his followers, are to show forth his love from our lives. This study honors Christ in two ways: by putting him on display as the great lover that he is, and by calling us to emulate our Lord in living increasingly the life of love that he expressed. Meditation on the love of Christ and on loving like Jesus—that’s what this book encourages with great insight and depth.”—Bruce A. Ware,Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary“God’s unconditional love blows up all our conditional categories. It’s untamable and promiscuous. It comes our way minus our merit. It’s vertical one-wayness, though, compels horizontal expression. Love from God inevitably shows itself in love for others. And this is what Phil Ryken demonstrates so well. Writing as a pastor-scholar, Ryken makes a passionate plea for the church to rediscover what Francis Schaeffer called ‘the final apologetic’—namely, love. It’s what matters most.”—Tullian Tchividjian,Pastor, Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; author,One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World“As someone who has known the joy, experienced the discipline, and tasted the fellowship of the love of God for more than forty years, I encourage you to read this book. It is a thoughtful, insightful, and measured look at the love of God written by one who loves God and is deeply loved by him.”—James MacDonald,Pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel, Rolling Meadows, Illinois; author,Vertical Church"Love is a word that many (even in Christ) tend to use in a way that losses its potency. It is heightened though when Jesus—the ultimate lover of God and Man—is reductionistically and impotently presented as a non-confrontational, passive lover. However, peering into this work by Dr. Ryken we find the multifaceted love of Jesus displayed as the characteristic background for 1 Corinthians 13. It is also gloriously displayed most clearly in Jesus's finished work on the cross. The love of God through Jesus as presented in this book will challenge and enliven all who read it to long for the love of God in Christ and display it in ways the supersede the stereotypes of love that pervade our world."—Eric M. Mason, Lead Pastor, Epiphany Fellowship, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; President, Thriving; author,Manhood Restored“In my life there are two books that have indelibly impacted and changed the course of my life. The first book came to me in college, as I was searching for the answers to life.Basic Christianityby John Stott helped me to know Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. NowLoving the Way Jesus Lovesis teaching me how to live a victorious Christian life until, by the grace of God, I am called home. It is not only about knowing the love of God in Christ but about living the love of God. It is the most magnificent exposition on the love of God I have ever read. Read it yourself to see and to engage in the struggle to live by the grace of God. I believe it will change the world around us.”—I. Henry Koh, Coordinator of Korean Ministries, Mission to North America, Presbyterian Church in America“First Corinthians 13 is surely one of the most familiar yet widely misunderstood chapters in the entire Bible. Earnestly voiced at countless weddings, we nod along appreciatively without considering how Paul’s words might have far deeper purpose than simply matrimonial blessing. And that is exactly what Ryken has given the church—a fresh look at this challenging passage, freed from marital constraint, and laid out dramatically alongside the life of Christ. He reveals surprisingly deep insights for every believer, not simply those in rented tuxes and white gowns.”—Phil Vischer, creator, VeggieTales and What’s in the Bible?; author,Me, Myself & Bob“Here is a book I will be urging all our church's small groups to study in the near future. We know that Jesus gave us the mandate to make disciples of all nations, and we say that means we must learn from Jesus so that we might become like him. But how do we do that? Dr. Ryken has taken the Bible’s great chapter on love and shown us what love looks like practically in the life of Jesus. The book is biblical and practical—convicting and encouraging. I recommend it highly to all who long to become complete in Christ.”—Greg Waybright, Former President, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Senior Pastor, Lake Avenue Church, Pasadena, California