Tim Keller’s new expositional commentary, Romans 1-7 for You, should not go by without mention. As you would expect from Keller, his expositions are marked by informed clarity, simplicity, and contemporary relevance. This is not a careful, verse-by-verse, clause-by-clause commentary but sermonic expositions eminently useful for layman and pastor alike. In the back of the book Keller provides a glossary of terms that will be helpful for the layman, and in an appendix he states his conclusions regarding the “new perspective on Paul” which will be of interest to pastors and other more advanced readers. Keller’s well-known emphasis on sin as idolatry recurs here and there throughout his expositions, and in a second appendix he provides a helpful exposition of this always-relevant subject. Each exposition is followed by a few “Questions for Reflection” that lend to the book’s use in group as well as individual study. Keller does not get bogged down with technical matters of exegesis — that’s not what this book is about. But such considerations obviously inform his work, and he models faithful pastoral exposition, each sermon-chapter rapidly advancing our way through Paul’s argument clearly.
Fred Zaspel
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Romans 1-7 For You