Julian’s Books
So far, I have written two books, which are introduced below. Both of them are available for
purchase through this website. Details for purchase are at the bottom of this page.
God’s Story - A Bible Overview
This is a very helpful book giving a historical overview through the whole Bible, from creation to the end of the first century AD. It helps people see the overall message of the Bible, showing where many of the familiar stories belong in God’s great plan of salvation. It is particularly designed for people who want increase their understanding of the Bible, and is an ideal resource for those who plan to commence formal study of the Bible.
The book begins with a summary of God’s plan of salvation from creation, through the fall, the death and resurrection of Jesus to his second coming. This gives a helpful framework for a biblical world-view.
The Old Testament section focusses on the main characters and events in the history of Israel. A chapter is devoted to each of the major periods of Old Testament history, describing the main events and characters in Israel, some of the major theological developments, and how Israel interacted with her neighbouring nations. Each of the books are set into the original place in history. The message of each of prophets is described at their most probable time in the history of Israel or Judah.
The first part of the the New Testament section looks first at the life and ministry of Jesus, describing relevant aspects of Jewish religion and culture, the main events of his ministry and his teaching on the kingdom of God. The second part looks at the spread of the Gospel through the first century, describing Paul’s missionary journeys and summarising his letters, as well as noting the major challenges faced by the church. The message of each of the books is summarised, and each are set into their original historical context.
Many people have found this book a very useful tool in their Bible reading, to give them the “big-picture” - how all the Bible stories and events fit together into one great and continuing story.
The Lion and The Lamb
- A Guide to the Inspiring Book of Revelation
This guide has the aims of encouraging people to read and study the amazing and inspiring Book of Revelation for themselves, to take away some of the fear and confusion, and to focus on the victorious risen Lord Jesus and our promised place with him in glory.
It begins with two introductory sections before giving an explanation of the text. The first section is a helpful guide to the whole area of eschatology (the study of the events surrounding the second coming of Christ and the final judgement). This includes a description of the different millennial views and a practical guide to the study of passages which describe the second coming of Christ. The second introductory section is more specifically for the Book of Revelation, looking at apocalyptic literature and its symbolism, as well as the historical setting of the seven churches in the first century, and the structure of the book. It also gives an explanation of the four main approaches to the book.
The explanation of the text takes each section in turn, noting important points, with a special focus on seeking its meaning to the believers in the first century facing imminent persecution. There is also a consistent intention to find application of the text for all time. The approach is to seek to observe the text carefully to see what it actually says, as well as noting the remarkable contrasts in the descriptions of the major characters. Interpretations are suggested for the symbolism, looking for explanations and themes in the text, and their Old Testament background.
The attitude is to avoid being dogmatic, and to consider different interpretations, allowing the reader to come to their own conclusions. Practical guidance is also given for the reader’s own study. The aim is to find the message of the Book of Revelation to its original readers in the seven cities of Asia, and from that, to determine a relevant message for today.
The book concludes with an inspiring study on Jesus as the Lamb of God, which is the major theological theme of the book, seeing what we learn about the person and work of Jesus from the use of that title. The book also includes an extensive bibliography, and a selection of historical appendices.
Purchasing details:
Each book is available in two different formats:
1. Electronic copy sent by email. Each book costs £4.
The electronic copies are in .pdf format, which can be read using Adobe Acrobat.
Please note that this is copyrighted material which should not be copied in any form.
2. Hard copy sent by post. Each book costs £10, including postage to the U.K.
Please send me an email first to find out the cost of postage to addresses outside the U.K.
There are two ways to pay for them:
1. If you have a Paypal account, you can send me the money through our email address
family_spriggs@yahoo.co.uk (there is an underscore between the "family" and the "spriggs").
Please put a note on the payment request to say which book you are sending money for.
2. Using the Contact Julian link, you can send me an email to request a book. We can then arrange how to process the payment.
On receipt of payment, I will send the book to you.