My new book, Stuff Jesus Never Said , comes out today. I know what you’re thinking: Why did I write a book about things Jesus didn’t say?

The words of Jesus may be the most important words ever uttered, yet his words have been mangled in the machinery of manmade religion. For 2000 years Jesus has been misquoted so often that many of us are more familiar with the words he never said than the words he did.

“You have the words of life,” said the disciples, but for many Jesus’ mangled words have become instruments of death. Words that used to comfort and heal, are now used to inflict pain and misery.

Jesus spoke about the stuff of life. In this book I examine what he had to say on subjects ranging from divorce and guilt to depression and giving. I draw a line between the stuff Jesus never said (bad news) and the stuff he did (good news).

Stuff Jesus Never Said separates truth from tradition, sweet from sour, life from death. It strips away the mumbo-jumbo to reveal that Jesus still speaks the words of life.

Why memes?

This is a book full of paintings by the great masters and illustrations from the best Bible illustrators, and I’ve turned them all into memes.

Why memes? Because memes, for better or worse, are the dominant pop culture art form of our generation. You can’t go on Facebook or Twitter or anywhere online without encountering them. Memes are everywhere.

Just as Jesus told stories to convey truths about the kingdom, I’m using memes to say something about the gospel. It’s the ancient and eternal message in 21st-century packaging.

But it’s not just a book of memes. There are also 60 brief chapters on the good stuff Jesus did say.

Who’s it for?

I wrote this book for people who don’t go to church and those who don’t like to read. My heart is to get the gospel to those who most need to hear it.

This isn’t a heavy-handed book. There’s no jargon and it’s not packed with Bible references. This is a book you can give away without cringing.

But this is also a book for you and me. It’s a book that pushes us to examine what we believe in light of what Jesus said. My hope is that Stuff Jesus Never Said will help you rediscover the joy of Jesus’ words. It will leave you marveling in wonder at a good God who cares for you and wants the best for you.

About the book

• The book is hardcover and full color throughout. It’s square, like a coffee-table book, and has a pop-art cover unlike anything you’ll find in Christian bookstores.

• The format is new for me and, as far as I know, no author has written a book like this. I think even people who hesitate to read books will be engaged by it.

• It’s confrontational, but in a good way. It’s humorous and honest.

• This book will not be available in electronic format (Kindle, iBooks, PDF) anytime soon. Stuff Jesus Never Said is a book to be touched and shared.

Bonuses?

Stuff Jesus Never Said has been designed to be given away. Buy one from stuffjesusneversaid.com and I’ll give you another one to give away for free. Buy three, you’ll get five. Buy seven, you’ll get eleven. My hope is that you’ll order a bunch of them and distribute/sell/give away copies to your friends and colleagues. You might even want to give one to your pastor/bishop/pope/car park attendant.

Books are shipped from California, so if you live in the US, you’ll get them quick. If you live outside the US, you’ll get them too – just a little slower. Incidentally, non-US buyers can get free shipping worldwide (but no bonuses) from the Book Depository .

Don’t delay. Once this print run sells out it could be a while before we do another.

Spread the word

If you post a picture of your book online, please tag me in it or use the hashtag #stuffjesusneversaid. Here are some FB and Twitter-friendly status updates you can share:

• Paul Ellis’s new book Stuff Jesus Never Said is out today: www.bit.ly/SJNScom
• If the stuff Jesus never said is the stuff you thought he said, the stuff he did say may surprise you! www.stuffjesusneversaid.com
• Jesus still speaks about the stuff of life. Stuff Jesus Never Said out today! www.bit.ly/SJNScom