"Christianity is unique because it is about being saved through receiving a righteousness from God, rather than offering our own righteousness to God. In Romans, Paul wants us to understand and then experience this righteousness to know its glorious release." Join Dr Timothy Keller as he opens up the first half of the book of Romans, helping you to get to grips with its meaning and showing how it transforms our hearts and lives today.
Written for people of every age and stage, from enquirers to new believers to pastors and teachers, this flexible resource is for you to:
READ: As a guide to this letter which has changed history repeatedly, showing you how being right with God changes everything.
FEED: As a daily devotional to help you grow in Christ as you read and meditate on this portion of God's word.
LEAD: As notes to aid you in explaining, illustrating and applying Romans 1 7 as you preach or lead a Bible study.
Whoever you are, and however you use it, this is ROMANS
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Timothy Keller was the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. For over twenty years he has led a diverse congregation of young professionals that has grown to a weekly attendance of over 5,000.
He was also Chairman of Redeemer City to City, which starts new churches in New York and other global cities, and publishes books and resources for faith in an urban culture. In over ten years they have helped to launch over 250 churches in 48 cities. More recently, Dr. Keller’s books, including the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God and The Prodigal God, have sold over 1 million copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Christianity Today has said, “Fifty years from now, if evangelical Christians are widely known for their love of cities, their commitment to mercy and justice, and their love of their neighbors, Tim Keller will be remembered as a pioneer of the new urban Christians.”
Dr. Keller was born and raised in Pennsylvania, and educated at Bucknell University, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Westminster Theological Seminary. He previously served as the pastor of West Hopewell Presbyterian Church in Hopewell, Virginia, Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and Director of Mercy Ministries for the Presbyterian Church in America.
John Calvin once declared regarding the Book of Romans, “When one gains a knowledge of this Epistle, he has an entrance opened to him to all the most hidden treasures of Scripture.” With that said, understanding the important biblical truths subsumed within this New Testament book is of great importance for all believers. Much has been penned throughout the centuries on Romans, with some excellent exegesis of the Apostle Paul’s message and quite frankly, some rather poor analysis and application of Paul’s words. Noted pastor and author Tim Keller has written his own examination of Romans, specifically the first seven chapters of Romans, writing a book that falls square in the middle of commentaries that are of great value to the body of Christ.
Romans 1-7 For You is just that, a commentary for the layman that does not ignore necessary elements of scholarly exegesis of Romans. The “For You” series produced by The Good Book Company are aimed at providing the believer with a popular level commentary geared towards those with “no understanding of the original Bible languages, nor a high level of biblical knowledge.” Essentially, the books in this series bring the “nerdy” down to a level everyone can appreciate while again not sacrificing excellent scholarship along the way. Books such as Romans 1-7 For You demonstrate that it is possible for books to be produced on epistles such as Romans that help the average church attendee understand some of the deeper things in God’s word.
As Keller so rightly notes, “Romans is, at its heart, a letter about the gospel.” In recognition of that fact, Keller provides an excellent discussion of what the gospel is and how the Apostle Paul outlines the message of the gospel in the first chapter of Romans. The message of the gospel is necessarily rooted and found in Christ, something Keller wonderfully demonstrates in his discussion of this topic. It was this call to share the gospel which drove Paul and something Keller notes should comprise our own call as believers. He also correctly notes the connection between faith and obedience in relation to the declaration of the gospel which should be the driving force behind the life of the believer. We share the gospel as did Paul because of our faith in Christ and more importantly, because He commanded us to share this message of deliverance.
Furthermore, Keller drives home the important point that Paul makes, namely that our righteousness comes by faith in Christ and nothing we do in and of ourselves. He comments “in the gospel, we discover that Jesus has taken us off death row and then has hung around our neck the Congressional Medal of Honor. We are received and welcomed as heroes, as if we had accomplished extraordinary deeds.” It is this realty that drives us to be obedient followers of Christ, something Keller repeatedly states in this book and rightly so.
Everyone needs to hear this message of salvation because everyone is sinful. Moreover, as Keller states, “Every human knows God, but no human glorifies God or gives thanks to Him.” What a sobering thought! We all worship something, whether that is self or God. Even the so-called “religious” need the gospel, something Keller also explores. Our penchant for self righteousness is also a rejection of God. Keller declares “When we rely on anything or anyone but Jesus to give us righteousness, we are refusing to accept the gospel.” There is no amount of works we can do that will amount to anything when it comes to restoring our relationship with God. Keller rightfully shares the sobering declaration made by Paul that we all deserve God’s wrath, regardless of our religious background or affiliation. Sin has permeated all of creation, thus the need for a Redeemer.
In his discussion of Romans 3, Keller does an excellent job of unpacking the concepts of justification and righteousness, two backbone principles of Romans. This chapter can be some rather heady theological material; however, Keller does a wonderful job of taking some very “nerdy” terms and breaking them down for all to understand demonstrating the pastoral tone and years of experience in the pulpit that Keller brings to bear in this book. He correctly asserts “The cross does not represent a compromise between God’s wrath and his love; it does not satisfy each halfway. Rather, it satisfies each fully and in the very same action. On the cross, the wrath and love of God were both vindicated, both demonstrated, and both expressed perfectly.” It is only in the cross that we can boast as we are unable to keep God’s law by our own efforts.
In response to the idea that because of grace, being obedient to what God commands is somehow irrelevant, Keller responds by noting “The gospel does not declare that the law does not matter, but that it matters very much. It must be kept; and, for those who have faith in Christ, it has been.” Furthermore, he elaborates on that true statement by commenting, “Only the gospel allows us to recognize and uphold the perfect standards of the law, because, we know that the law matters enough to God for it to bring death; but we also know that it no longer means our death.”
Throughout this book, Keller adeptly takes some really tough theological truths and examines them in a manner both scholars and laymen will appreciate. Romans is not an easy book to read; however, either avoiding it or manipulating its truths for our own purposes are both roads that lead to an incorrect reading and application of Scripture. Keller does a marvelous job of walking the reader through the message of the gospel found in Romans 1-7, along the way unpacking some foundational biblical truths that must be grasped by every believer. I highly recommend this book for personal Bible study as well as small group Bible study. The “Questions for Reflection” located at the end of each chapter are of great use in either scenario, whether personal study or group discussion. If you have ever wondered what exactly all the discussion about Romans 1-7 was about and how it relates to you as a believer, Keller’s Romans 1-7 For You is an excellent place to start your journey through Romans.
I received this book for free from The Good Book Company via Cross Focused Reviews for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Lei este libro en mi devocional después de estudiar Romanos 1-7 por mi cuenta y disfrute mucho de ahondar en las doctrinas de la justificación, regeneración, santificación, entre otras.
Es una buena guía y las divisiones que hace de los primeros 7 capítulos me ayudaron mucho a entender mas del contexto en el que fue escrito la carta y el impacto que tuvo en los primeros lectores (y eventualmente en mi también).
¡Que ánimo, confrontación, descanso y esperanza trae la Palabra de Dios!
“Así también vosotros, hermanos míos, habéis muerto a la ley mediante el cuerpo de Cristo, para que seáis de otro (💕), del que resucitó de los muertos, a fin de que llevemos fruto para Dios.” Romanos 7:4
This is such a warm yet convicting study on the first half of Romans. The last chapter was especially beneficial to me and encouraged me to appreciate truths that I already know in a new light. I found it really comforting in the best possible way.
This is a very nice, easy-to-read introduction to the first half of Paul's Letter to the Romans. Each passage (typically about half a chapter) is approached in 2 parts with questions at the end of each part - thus making this book ideal for personal study or for group study. I do enjoy Keller's approach and I think he brings out the basics of Romans quite well.
Also the two appendices - especially the on on idolatry was very much appreciated - a nice inclusion. As was the Bibliography!
De forma práctica pero poderosa, Romanos 1-7 es desglosado. Solemos tomar a la carta de Romanos como una obra académica, pero Timothy es capaz de aplicarla en el día a día, donde las implicaciones den Evangelio y el pecado colisionan.
Cómo me hubiera gustado leer este libro mucho antes, resume mucho de lo que me ha tomado los últimos dos años aprender de Teología Reformada con Peter, a Saber:
Doctrina de JUSTIFICACIÓN, JUSTIFICACIÓN, JUSTIFICACIÓN .
-La IMPUTACIÓN de la justicia de Cristo -La Salvación por FE y no por obras -La Salvación que NO se pierde por mí, y que el llevará a su completo terminó -La SANTIFICACIÓN y cómo está es en respuesta al amor y no para ganar el amor -La REPRESENTACIÓN DE ADÁN a la humanidad y como pecamos en El. -La Ley como señal de nuestra insuficiencia -EL MATRIMONIO como muestra de un Dios Pactual. -La justicia por medio del castigo -Fe = Confianza en su provisión salvadora -El "Tipo" de Jesús en Adán.
Etcetcetc.
Gracias a Jesús por la Justificación por Fe,
"deja que tu amor me cautive para que ningún otro me pueda controlar" ❤️
Really enjoyed reading through this. It gets to the point and highlights the things you really need to be highlighted after studying a passage. Keller has some great anecdotes and illustrations as well. I like that it takes it small chunks at a time. Some of the charts I found in here, I'll be using for years to come, I think.
A fantastic read, though I took in significantly less of it than I wanted or intended - because I listened to it as an audio book. I think it deserves five stars but I am less willing to rate based on how I read it.
Este libro es un gran apoyo para entender Romanos y ver con más claridad las enseñanzas del apóstol Pablo. Entendible pero no simple, aprendí y disfruté mucho.
Certain parts of the Bible always give specific trouble to specific people. Paul's epistles have always been tricky spots for me--I can't seem to follow his logic on my own--but with a guide who CAN follow Paul, I gain access to his rich theological understanding. I loved Tim Keller's Galatians for You for that very reason.
To my perennial disappointment, I have never gotten out of Romans what so many Christians I admire get out of it. Once again, it has to do with not being able to follow Paul's flow--sometimes even within individual sentences! So this book was exactly the friend I needed.
Each section simply delineates and explains the argument of a certain number of verses. It's almost like listening to an expository sermon series on the book. My method of using this book as an aid to Bible study was as follows: read the verses the next section would address, shrug and go "Okay, I obviously need help here too," read Keller's explanation, and then reread Romans itself with the explanation fresh in my mind. In this way I was able to appreciate Romans and suck good from the book itself.
One sign for me that a Bible study is fruitful is when it starts affecting areas of my life that the passages do not directly address. This was the case here. The Word is living and active, and somehow studying justification motivated me to tackle toddler-rearing with fresh courage. Somehow studying Romans 6, which is not about human relationships, worked a miracle in how I approached family gatherings. Clarity and practical blessings--excellent fruit from this resource.
I love the "For You" series. I've read a lot of the books in this series, and have found they are helpful for preparing to lead Bible studies, small group discussions, preaching, or just generally learning more about a particular book of the Bible. Best of all, they are not so academically dense that I can't put them in the hands of a layperson as a resource for teaching or understanding.
Each chapter covers a block of scripture verses, typically about half of the biblical chapter. And each of those chapters is divided into a part one and part two, with questions for reflection at the end of each. I'm not always clear on why the additional division, except to make them bite-sized and accessible.
Tim Keller is solid, as usual. I've loved everything I've ever read by him.
Basically, this is a great resource. As I was laying out my sermon series on Romans, this was the first commentary i reached for to help organize the structure of the series.
Excelente libro para entender Romanos y las bases de la doctrina Cristiana y el evangelio. Timothy Keller nuevamente expone los argumentos con demasiada claridad y simplicidad. Este libro es útil para cristianos experimentados pero también para personas que se están acercando a la fe; es perfectamente posible usarlo como material de discipulado a través de lecciones en grupos pequeños.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading the For You series and look forward to it branching out to other books of the Bible. Keller who I believe is a magnificent writer who communicates the deep things of God clearly. It is a good read to understand the basic meaning of Romans. It is not a critical commentary of the text but more of a sermon based commentary.
I appreciate Tim Keller's careful exegesis as well as his commitment to a Christ-centered approach to theology. This is one of those books I needed to take my time with, so I could think carefully through the commentary. Highly recommended.
Excelente recurso para el estudio de esta carta tan profunda y esencial para la fe cristiana. Keller no sólo logra una clara explicación teológica, sino también llegar al corazón con las imágenes y aplicaciones del mensaje. Ahora estoy leyendo el segundo tomo.
Initially just picked up this book to check his commentary on Romans 5 which I was reading and confused by, and then could not stop. SO good.
I generally find it tricky to follow Paul’s arguments when I read Romans by myself, but Keller does an amazing job of breaking it down and guiding you through it step by step with great technical and pastoral insight. I wish I read this a long time ago. Can’t wait to read the next one on Romans 8-16:)
Hard to review a book like this I listened to on Audible (it was in the no-credit-needed plus catalogue)
But it was good to be encouraged as I did the dishes / chores. And the discussion questions at the end even to reflect on my own. I enjoyed how he targeted the heart lots (e.g. how does this truth help you praise God?)
Our church has been working its way through the book of Romans and so I have been pulling my Romans commentaries off the shelf and trying to do some behind the scenes heavy lifting. Keller is good here and goes only where the text leads him, though he is illustration and story heavy here, the exegesis is good and not running off into the weeds as some are prone to do these days.
does a great job at explaining the context and the bigger picture to the verses in the beginning of Roman’s. got a bit redundant at times but overall I think it could be for anyone who wants to learn more about books of the Bible.