Picturing the Gospel: Tapping the Power of the Bible's Imagery [Paperback]

Neil Livingstone (Author), Brian McLaren (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 14, 2007

In our image-based culture, people need to visualize something to understand it. This has never been more true about our communication of the gospel. But sometimes our understanding of the gospel gets stuck in a rut, and all we know is a particular outline or one-size-fits-all formula. While we hold to only one gospel, the New Testament uses a wealth of dynamic, compelling images for explaining the good news of Jesus, each of which connects with different people at different points of need. Neil Livingstone provides a guided tour of biblical images of the gospel and shows how each offers fresh insight into God's saving work. Walking through Scripture's gallery of pictures of salvation from new life to deliverance, from justification to adoption, Livingstone invites us to deepen our understanding of the gospel. By letting the truth and power of each permeate our lives, we will be better able to articluate the life-changing gospel of Christ to a world that needs to taste--and see--that the Lord is good.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"How can the lives of Christ's followers become gospel tapestries? Neil Livingstone weaves the life-struggles of contemporary Americans together with biblical images of salvation in order to exemplify what it means to incarnate the good news. Readers will be challenged not only to know about the life-transforming power of the gospel but genuinely to embody it." (Joel B. Green, professor of New Testament interpretation, Asbury Theological Seminary, and author of Recovering the Scandal of the Cross )

"Too often we limit the gospel to one aspect of life. Neil Livingstone walks us through a number of the Bible's powerful portraits of God's work in a way that enriches our life and witness." (Tremper Longman III, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College, and author of Reading the Bible with Heart and Mind )

"Since the early church first began to present the gospel as an apologetic that corresponded to the philosophical categories of Greek thought, we have tried to reduce biblical truths to constructs. Our earliest creeds necessarily followed this approach. But such constructs do not always capture the heart or move us deeper into the journey of faith. Though this approach was not entirely wrong we missed a whole range of biblical meanings that corresponded more closely with the imagery actually employed by the biblical writers themselves. Neil Livingstone gives us a thrilling book that shows us practically how to expand the way we present the gospel, first to ourselves and then to outsiders. This is an inspiring and fruitful book that will foster a needed rethinking of how we share Christ. I heartily commend it." (John H. Armstrong, president, ACT 3, Carol Stream, Illinois )

"The gospel is never less; it's always more. By expanding the metaphors and rationalities with which we understand and explain the gospel, Neil Livingstone does the church (and the world) a great service. Without disparaging propositional truth, he adds a layer of aesthetic truth, and in so doing, exhibits the beauty of the good news." (Tony Jones, national coordinator of Emergent Village (www.emergentvillage.com), and author of The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life )

Product Details

• Paperback: 183 pages
• Publisher: IVP Books (February 14, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830833706
• ISBN-13: 978-0830833702
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,336,742 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a helpful addition to current debate about the gospel, September 4, 2008

By 

J. S. Cook "J. Cook" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Picturing the Gospel: Tapping the Power of the Bible's Imagery (Paperback)

Picturing the Gospel is an incredibly helpful book for anyone who wants to get a more complete picture of the gospel. Livingstone's blend of anecdotes, humor, vulnerability, theological analysis, biblical cohesiveness, and practical insight is right on.

As I have been listening to different voices in the current evangelical debate over the gospel, I was struck that, unlike some in Emergent, Livingstone doesn't get rid of the law court image and penal substitution; he just won't use the latter term as a shibboleth the way some in T4G/Reformed/New Reformed circles might want.

I felt so refreshed after reading this book and I plan to use it again as a devotional guide-of-sorts, except when it's not being passed around to friends.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars full picture of the gospel, August 27, 2008

By 

Kathleen Smith - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Picturing the Gospel: Tapping the Power of the Bible's Imagery (Paperback)

Picturing the Gospel gives a really full, well-rounded look at the gospel and the many images Scripture uses to describe Christ's work on the cross. And the author uses a great mix of stories and exposition to flesh these out. A helpful resource for Christians to grow in their own faith as well as in sharing their faith. I particularly love the appendices - they're really practical!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly helpful book!, August 8, 2008

By 

Elizabeth Joyal - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Picturing the Gospel: Tapping the Power of the Bible's Imagery (Paperback)

Picturing the Gospel touched me on a personal level, helping me to gain a greater appreciation for God' work in my own life.

But beyond that, as someone in ministry, I found this to be one of the most helpful resources that I've ever come across. It helps navigate one of the hardest tensions I've wrestled with-- the fact that the gospel is deeply rich and full of meaning and good news that could be explored and discovered for infinity YET needs to be explained in ways that are simple enough to understand. The images in Picturing the gospel strike a wonderful balance. The7 present the gospel in simple and easily-explained ways without losing its fullness and mystery; and conversely the images together present an infinitely rich and deep gospel without making it too complicated to understand or communicate. I've come back to this gem time and again in my work, and highly recommend it!