Book Review: R.C. Sproul - Romans

Genre: Bible Commentary
Publisher: Crossway
Publication Date: October 31, 2009

My favorite book of the Bible is Romans, hands down. Add to that the fact that I’m a pretty solid Reformed theology nerd, and R.C. Sproul’s Romans Commentary is a clear winner with me. Containing the sermons from his series on Romans delivered to Saint Andrew’s Church in Sanford, FL, the book functions less like a traditional commentary in that it’s not as “word-by-word” as some others. Instead, it’s delivered in sermon form (the passages being discussed are bolded to help with references), with Sproul including stories, anecdotes, and other tangential thoughts to the specific scriptures. Being that it was a series of sermons, there are certain threads carried through the different chapters, so it’s more beneficial when read through and the reader can trace those threads.

I have utilized the book to help my study with my small group Bible study, which is currently going through Romans. I’ve had the privilege of leading the group a few times, and the insights I gained from this commentary were extremely helpful in that respect. Sproul does a great job of making the doctrine contained in Paul’s amazing letter to the Romans come alive and connect to real life. His analogies and examples explained the scriptures in profound and clear ways.

Being that it’s R.C. Sproul, some will clearly disagree with his treatment of chapters 9-11 of Romans. These difficult passages are in many ways the backbone of Reformed, Calvinist theology, and they are the chapters that can easily cause division. I found Sproul’s handling of these texts to be direct and truthful, but also gentle and warm. Doctrine is clearly not just an intellectual pursuit for him. He has a pastor’s heart, and it shines through here.

There are a handful of really solid Bible teachers that I look to when I have questions about what I read in scripture. I definitely count R.C. Sproul in that group. This Romans commentary is just the first in a series of expositional commentaries coming out from him (The Gospel of John has also released), and I can’t wait to add those to my library.



This book was provided for review by Crossway.