Unto Others: Rediscovering the Golden Rule, The Lost Key to Relationships (Dave Swavely)

Unto Others

Rediscovering the Golden Rule, The Lost Key to Relationships

We have forgotten the number one lesson Jesus taught us about daily life. And we all suffer as a result.

…We need to rediscover the Golden Rule.

The Golden Rule—a central teaching from the Sermon on the Mount—is surely one of the most important things Jesus ever said. Yet it has largely disappeared from the public consciousness. And those who do remember it often misunderstand or misapply it.

In Unto Others, Dave Swavely explains why the meaning of the Golden Rule needs to be recovered today.  It is a key to our personal and collective relationships—when practiced the right way.

Remember “WWJD”? The Prayer of Jabez? Christians have always appreciated the benefit of concise maxims to help remember and apply important principles and promises from God’s Word. Sayings like that have proven helpful at times and been problematic at others, but the Golden Rule is different. It is a divinely inspired, always correct way of remembering and applying “all the law and prophets,” because that’s what it represents and summarizes, according to Jesus (Matthew 7:12).

Endorsement

“In this book Dave Swavely has explained, illustrated, and applied the truths found in a statement made by Jesus Christ as part of the greatest sermon ever preached, commonly called The Sermon on the Mount.Dave has corrected the misunderstanding and misapplication of the statement called The Golden Rule. He has clearly demonstrated its relevance and applicability to living in our present-day world.”
—Wayne Mack, DMin, author of Humility: The Forgotten Virtue and many other books

Rediscovering the Golden Rule

Despite the prominence given to the Golden Rule by Christ, and the fact that almost all Christians used to memorize and quote it frequently, this is the only modern book on the subject written from a pastoral and theological perspective. In Unto Others, Dave Swavely unravels the mystery of why this lost treasure has been neglected for so long, makes a clear case for its return to prominence in our thinking and actions, and walks us through a set of very practical steps for using it in our everyday lives.

This book will also be helpful to those interested in comparative religions and the uniqueness of Christianity. Jesus was not the first to teach unselfish living!  But our Savior pioneered a distinct version and approach to it. And those concerned with mercy ministry, social justice, and political theory will also welcome the many insights Swavely provides into the use of the Golden Rule in recent American history.

About the Author

Dave Swavely (M. Div., The Master’s Seminary) served for seven years as an assistant to Dr. John MacArthur and as a pastoral staff member at Grace Community Church in Los Angeles. Since then he has planted and pastored two churches and is currently working on a third plant.  Dave also serves as Advancement Officer for the international missions organization PAK7.

He co-authored Life in the Father’s House: A Member’s Guide to the Local Church (with Wayne Mack) and From Embers to a Flame: How God Can Revitalize Your Church (with Harry Reeder), and is the sole author of two titles that were published by P&R. He has worked as a journalist for World magazine and has three novels published by Macmillan.

Dave and his wife, Jill, have been married for more than thirty years, with seven kids and three grandkids. Together they’ve started several innovative educational programs and housed many people in need. Dave’s life journey has included many failures as well as successes, and he’s learned the most from his failures.