GOD WITH US The Story of Jesus

"GOD WITH US: The Story of Jesus" is a faithful retelling, in order, of all of the events recorded about the Son of God in the Four Gospels. The story is told as a series of brief stories in epic free verse for ease of reading. Every beautiful phrase is given its own line, so that each thought is expressed clearly, showing the framework of even the most profound spiritual teachings. This poetic format makes every speaker distinct, bringing the words of these ancient figures to life in modern English expression. Special attention is even given to the divine pronouns referring to Jesus, again, so that the reader has no doubt about when the text refers to Him or to some other. Issues between Gospel Scriptures are harmonized with a faithful belief in the Word of God.

"GOD WITH US" is intended as an aid for Bible study, one that is a pleasure both to read and to hear.

The Forward describes something of the methods and intention of the author.

The Table of Contents provides a list of the enumerated vignettes that comprise the story, with Scripture citations and page numbers.

The Vignettes are the individual stories, with Scriptures cited again for ease of study. Each phrase receives its own line, with the speech of individuals indented to help the reader see better who is speaking. When a speaker quotes another speaker, the quoted speech is likewise indented again. The speech of angels and quotations from the Old Testament are italicized. Speech of demons is given a different font for further differentiation. Each Vignette is enumerated, like a chapter in a book of the Bible, but verses are not enumerated as the reader is encouraged to turn directly to the cited Scriptures for further study.

When helpful to the understanding of the reader, the author paraphrases the language, and converts the measures and currencies, into modern American expressions. While concordances, dictionaries, commentaries, and various translations were consulted, the work remains grounded in the King James Version of the Holy Bible. It is the author's belief that the KJV translation did much to crystalize the structure of English language and so, felt this paraphrase might be most effective resting upon that historic foundation.

The work concludes with various End Notes, including citations for the Gospel Harmony, a Gospel Harmony chart of Scriptures, and explanations for particular decisions involving the paraphrasing of 43 out of the 280 Vignettes.

"GOD WITH US" is offered as a work for those who "love to tell the story, of Jesus and His love", both for "those who know it best", and for those who hunger to hear it for the first time!

Robert W. Gardner has served as an ordained minister in the Southern Baptist Convention since 2001. In 2020 he began service with "The Word & The Way Gospel Fellowship". He is the devoted husband of Melissa, who is a writer and a teacher of writing. Robert's experience in broadcasting and theatre has enlivened his readings of Scripture, and he wanted to help others with reading aloud the story of Jesus with the work you hold in your hands.