Just Words: Understanding the Fullness of the Gospel

By Jacob A.O. Preus

Just Words explains the language used by the Bible's writers to describe and convey what it is that God has done for us in Christ. It helps the reader see the wonderful variety, rich texture, and clear doctrine with which God communicates His Good News. It is an excellent source of information about the way God has made His Word relevant to us.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0570053781
• ISBN13: 9780570053781
• Release Date: August 2000
• Publisher: Commerce Communication
• Length: 235 Pages
• Weight: 1.09 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Variety of ways to communicate God's Love

As part of his research Jacob Preus, president of Concordia University (Irvine, California) has written a very practical book showing a variety of metaphors the Holy Bible uses to convey the Gospel--the Good News that Jesus Christ has died for the forgiveness of your sins. He begins by introducing the literary device that is metaphor, includeing its strengths, weaknesses, and a helpful analysis that metaphors are best used in using familiar terms to explain something very unfamiliar. The main part of the book details over twenty metaphors used in the Holy Scripture to describe the Gospel. Each new metaphor is introduced by a story, shown through Bible verses, and analyzed. Also in each Gospel metaphor is helpful advice about how to preach/communicate that metaphor and an analysis of what kind of person might be especially helped by such a communication. In the final part of the book, Preus takes up the issue of practical theology: now that you more fully understand the ways in which the Bible communicates the Gospel, how will you use that knowledge. This part is extremely helpful as it addresses teaching, preaching, evangelism, and missionary work. With short chapters, a fluid writing style, and an emphasis on both exegesis and practical theology, Preus provides a book that will both inspire the imagination, challenge the Christian (no matter her level of Spiritual Maturity), and better equip the Christian to spread the Good News of Salvation...or Rebirth...or Adoption...or a number of other metaphors. Highly Recommended.

Excellent Resource To Keep Preaching Fresh

Preus in this excellently written book shows the rich variety of language the Bible provides preachers to proclaim the precious, saving Gospel of Christ Jesus.First, he ties the words of Gospel to the Word Incarnate. Then he proceeds to show the wonderful landscape of biblical word pictures which convey what God has done for us in Christ crucified. Importantly in this task, Preus affirms "This Gospel stands over the church as the criterion of the church's authenticity. It is the judge of what is truly the church and what is not." And, also: "The Gospel stands under the church as its only firm foundation."It well relates how the failure to understand and utilize the fullness of every Gospel word, phrase and idea can and has led to errors concerning the doctrine of justification. Thus, the book's goal: "not to reduce the Gospel to one of its words, but to proclaim it in its fulness, to use all of its ways of being said."Two that especially enlightened and envigorated by desire to use Scripture's Gospel fullness were "peace" and "adoption." Writing on adoption: "His search ended, however, when he discovered that, through faith in Christ, he had been adopted by his loving heavenly Father. Through Baptism, God has gathered His disparate creatures and brought them into His household. He had adopted us, declared us to be His children. Now we know who we are because we know whose we are. Now we are cherished, wanted, desired, acknowledged by our Father. Now we have the full rights of children. No longer are we slaves of an evil taskmaster, objects of wrath. Now we know that God loves us. Because we know this, we may now live as children of God, as those born of God."Using six main methaphor categories (creation, commerce, legal, personal, sacrifice, deliverance) Preus applies the variety of twenty-seven other metaphorical usages.Well done, even that interested layperson can use this book to great advantage.