Timothy Keller. Romans 1-7 For You. Purcellville, VA: The Good Book Company, 2014. 208 pp. $17.85.
I loved Judges For You by Tim Keller, and was very excited to get my hands on a copy of Romans 1-7 for You as soon as it came out. In no way was I disappointed. Tim Keller is a pastor who is well-respected for thinking big thoughts and communicating those big thoughts in very clear, very understandable, very impactful ways. Keller does this kind of thinking and communicating well in this latest work.
In this brief look at Romans 1-7, Keller speaks with depth and clarity. This book is not a scholarly commentary and thus does not bog its readers down with tons of Greek phrases or textual criticism. However, this book is also not a fluffy little modern Bible study. Keller goes deep. He makes powerful application. In short, he does exactly what I would want the author of a popular text walking us through Romans to do.
There are far too many high points in this work to share in a brief review. I will say that Keller’s handling of the concept of propitiation was very helpful. He helped his readers to understand that, because God’s wrath is perfectly satisfied in Christ, he need no longer punish those who are under the grace of Christ. This concept alone would be worth the purchase price of the book for readers who do not understand it already—and many believers do not think deeply enough about this issue.
Keller also does a great job of handling difficult passages in Romans 1-7. When there are questions of interpretation or even translation, he does not shy away from them. Keller is honest, but not cowardly. He will clearly state what he believes a passage to mean. But he is also fair, often explaining that others interpret a passage in a different way.
After reading Romans 1-7 for You, I eagerly await Keller’s finishing of the Book of Romans. I heartily recommend this volume to any Christian who would like to understand the Book of Romans better. This book would make a fine expository Bible study for home groups or classes that are looking for a 3 month study.
I received a free audio copy of this work from ChristianAudio.com as a part of their reviewers program. The audio and reading quality was very good, as I expect from this fine company. Christianaudio does not influence the content of any of these reviews, but simply asks for an honest review of works they publish.
Pastor Travis Peterson 