This is Der Versprochene, the German edition of "By This Name."
The following is the description of the English edition:
Maybe you’ve been told, "I'm glad you've found your way to God but everyone finds him in different places and religions." So how do you share the gospel with someone who believes that God is present in all of nature? What do you say when your friend visualizes “God” as a spiritual force or energy rather than as a person? In a world where “spirituality” has become popular and a knowledge of God has all but disappeared, how do you share the good news of Jesus Christ? Even the Western world has been influenced by cultures that believe in many gods.
“By This Name” explains the Bible’s core message to people who have no knowledge about the Bible. Using the architecture of the gospel of John, the book clearly sets apart the God of the Bible from all the other gods. It establishes the authority of Scripture and gently compares the biblical worldview to eastern worldviews. It ties together key Old and New Testament stories to reveal the identity of God and the nature of sin, with the aim to answer two questions: “Who is Jesus?” and “What is the story of the cross and the tomb all about?” It helps a person understand clearly what the Bible is all about.
“By This Name” follows a similar chronological structure to “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus” but is 60 per cent different in content.
Features
- Written for adults and teens: The book is suitable for adults and teens.
- Assumptions: Assumes readers have little or no knowledge about the Bible.
- Eastern worldview: Engages a postmodern, post-Christian, secular mindset. Also addresses questions arising from polytheism, pantheism, animism, agnosticism and atheism.
- Chronological: Begins with the creation of the universe, and then progressing sequentially through key Old Testament stories, it moves into the New Testament to reveal the meaning of the cross and the tomb. The main story of the Bible is tied together into one universal, all-encompassing drama. Follows the same storyline in “The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus” but is 60 per cent different.
- Based on the gospel of John: Uses the gospel of John as a template; at the same time, provides necessary background stories to give the gospel context. It assumes the reader knows very little, if anything, about the Bible.
- Sets apart the God of the Bible: Answers the question, “What makes your sacred book better than mine?” “By This Name” addresses what makes the God of the Bible unique from all other gods or spirits.
- Peels religious tradition off the Bible: Readers are introduced to the Bible without the trappings of religion.
- Objective: The Bible is allowed to speak for itself in presenting the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no arm-twisting to believe. The message is presented objectively; the decision to believe or not to believe is left to the reader.
- Bible verses: Told as a story, 1570 Bible verses are woven throughout the text. The reader engages with the text of the Bible for himself.
- Illustrated: Over 100 drawings, maps and diagrams help explain the story.
- Designed to giveaway: The book can be passed on like a gospel tract. Readers can then learn the Bible's message on their own.
