God's Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible [Deluxe Edition] [Paperback]

Vaughan Roberts (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2003

Sixty-six books written by forty people over nearly 2,000 years, in two languages and several different genres. A worldwide bestseller published in countless sizes and bindings, translations and languages. Sworn by in court, fought over by religious people, quoted in arguments. The Bible is clearly no ordinary book. How can you begin to read and understand it as a whole? In this excellent overview, Vaughan Roberts gives you the big picture--showing how the different parts of the Bible fit together under the theme of the kingdom of God. He provides both the encouragement and the tools to help you read the Bible with confidence and understanding. And he points you to the Bible's supreme subject, Jesus Christ, and the salvation God offers through him.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Vaughan Roberts is rector of St. Ebbe's Church in Oxford, England, and author of God's Big Picture and Life's Big Questions. He is also a popular speaker at Spring Harvest and a founding member of "9:38" which encourages people to consider full-time gospel ministry.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books; IVP/UK Edition edition (October 15, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0851112986
• ISBN-13: 978-0830853649
• ASIN: 0830853642
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #16,544 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great overview of the whole bible, January 11, 2007

By 

Paul Miller "Grace Addict" (Dunkirk, MD) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God's Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible (Paperback)

This book provided a wonderful overview of the entire bible in one book. Not an indepth study, but it was fun to read about the bible, all 66 books in one volume. It also helped in understanding how they all fit together and that the central theme is God's redemptive plan for mankind.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Structured and Simple to Understand., December 29, 2005

By 

Michael V. Baxter ""Neutrality is a Myth!... (Jackson, MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: God's Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible (Paperback)

Having read 5 various books on this subject of the Kingdom of God, Mr. Roberts book was the most organized, structured, illustrated and understandable. It became the foundation for my own series on the Kingdom. A great first book since it lays the foundation necessary for understanding the more in depth books such as: Announcing the Kingdom and According to Plan.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Helpful Introduction to the Bible's Storyline, October 20, 2008

By 

Trevin Wax - See all my reviews

This review is from: God's Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible (Paperback)

David and Goliath. Daniel in the lion's den. Jesus' feeding of five thousand people. Too many of us know the stories in the Bible without ever understanding the Story of the Bible. Vaughan Roberts' book God's Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible (IVP 2002) provides a remedy to this problem by giving a terrific overview to the entire Bible in less than 150 pages.

Roberts interprets the Bible with "The Kingdom of God" as the central motif. Each chapter progresses through the Bible, showing how the Scriptures are united around God and His rule. Roberts takes us through Creation, Fall, Israel, the prophets, the exile, Jesus, the Church, and the coming Kingdom, all the while showing how the Bible itself tells one story - the story of our world.

This book is similar to Graeme Goldsworthy's Gospel and Kingdom, but a little more user friendly. Roberts does a good job of summarizing biblical doctrines within the overarching metanarrative that the Bible provides. Though the book traces the Bible's story at a rapid pace, there are times when the writing seems to drag. But overall, this little book is a helpful introduction to the Bible's big picture.