Discovering Romans: Spiritual Revival for the Soul is a popular level guide by outstanding Bible teacher S. Lewis Johnson that opens up the motivating truths found in the apostle Paul's powerful letter to the Romans. Anyone hungry to grow in practical understanding of Scripture will profit from Johnson's rich teaching that stimulates both mind and emotions. This beloved pastor and professor works through the text engagingly, providing both clarifying insights and life applications along the way. Each chapter ends with reflection questions, making this volume useful not only for individual reading (or preparation for teaching) but also in small group Bible studies. John MacArthur once said, "Through the years I have listened to the preaching of S. Lewis Johnson far more than any other preacher." Reading through this volume will be a soul-reviving experience.

S. Lewis Johnson on Romans! What a delight it is to see the legacy of an exceptionally faithful Bible teacher helping us to behold the glories of Christ in Romans. Dr. Johnson's ministry is known for clarity, warm-hearted conviction, and a Christ-centeredness that resonates with pastors, scholars, and laypeople alike. Furthermore, the theological integrity of this work makes it a superb tool for discerning the difference between authentic gospel truths and vain speculations. If you are a pastor, the resource you recommend on Romans just became much easier. If you are a teacher, Discovering Romans can be your trustworthy "go to" guide. For Bible students, this book will be helpful in discovering the unfathomable riches of the gospel in Romans. I am thrilled to recommend Discovering Romans. -- Patrick Abendroth, Pastor, Omaha Bible Church It was my joy and privilege to sit under Dr. Johnson's preaching every Sunday for four years, as well as to learn from him in several courses at Dallas Seminary. For me, he has been a model of an excellent Bible expositor. I trust that his exposition of Romans will bless many. -- Thomas L. Constable, Senior Professor Emeritus of Bible Exposition, Adjunct Professor in Bible Exposition, Dallas Theological Seminary S. Lewis Johnson possessed a superb theological mind and exquisite teaching gifts. He loved Scripture and was committed to its truth. His preaching was always powerful and profound, yet lucid and easily accessible. Bible teachers of his caliber are exceedingly rare, and his manner of blending biblical exposition with rich theological instruction is fast becoming a lost art. Discovering Romans will have a prominent place on my bookshelves. -- Phil Johnson, Executive Director, Grace To You Anyone who sat in Dr. Johnson's classes or heard him preach knows that he brought to his teaching a dedication to understanding Scripture and honoring God. The opportunity for those who never had that privilege to get a glimpse of this in a book as significant as Discovering Romans is most precious. Here is a man of God handling God's Word with reverence and care. It is a wonderful combination as the power of God's message through Paul is explained by someone who walked through the Greek text and through life with listening ears. -- Darrell L. Bock, Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary S. Lewis Johnson is one of the great unsung theologians of the twentieth century. He had a brilliant mind and laid out a banquet of wit and wisdom in all his messages, both at Believers Chapel and Dallas Theological Seminary. As a professor at Dallas Seminary, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and other institutes, he taught Hebrew, Greek, and systematic theology---a true Renaissance man! His sermons were models that students at Dallas Seminary were required to listen to---an enjoyable homework assignment if ever there was one! Johnson was Reformed to the core. He was a perfectionist, not wishing to publish until he reached maturity in his views. Because of this, most of his sermons and class notes---all typed and in polished form---have never been published. I am delighted to see that Mike Abendroth has gotten permission from Johnson's heirs to publish this commentary. Just as Galatians was Luther's Katie von Bora, so Romans was Johnson's great love. In this commentary you will find clear, rich exposition of the greatest letter ever written. As Augustine was prompted to read Romans when he heard a child say, Tolle lege!, so too I commend you to take up and read this devotional yet scholarly commentary on Paul's letter to the Romans. -- Daniel B. Wallace, Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary Those who had the privilege of meeting Dr. S. Lewis Johnson Jr. knew they were in the presence of "a scholar and a gentleman." He had clearly absorbed Paul's letter to the Romans into his soul and shared Luther's view that it is "the purest gospel." Today's commentaries sometimes seem to tell us more than the biblical authors themselves could have known and are in danger of losing the reader in a forest of technicalities. Here, by contrast, is an exposition of beautiful clarity and simplicity by a master craftsman who knew scholarship intimately but wore it lightly. Discovering Romans leads us carefully through the text and is a delight to read. Anyone who loves Romans---which we all should---will love this! -- Sinclair B. Ferguson, Professor of Systematic Theology, Redeemer Seminary Having personally sat under the preaching of S. Lewis Johnson for five years at Believer's Chapel, I can strongly attest that he was a master of Scripture, a "Prince of Expositors." Few men have been so preeminent in the pulpit, so strongly committed to the biblical text, and so deeply steeped in sound doctrine. In my estimation, he is the least-known highly proficient and biblical preacher of the last half-century. All who love the truth will want to read the rich teaching of this gifted servant of the Lord. -- Steven J. Lawson, Senior Pastor, Christ Fellowship Baptist Church, Mobile, Alabama; Teaching Fellow, Ligonier Ministries I am grateful that the writings of Dr. S. Lewis Johnson are being preserved and passed into the next generation. Dr. Johnson was committed to the exegetical and expositional preaching and teaching of God's inerrant Word. I am glad to recommend the project undertaken by my friend Mike Abendroth and am pleased that Dr. Johnson's family has encouraged this pursuit. May this commentary on Romans expand minds and hearts for God through the study of his Word. -- Mark Bailey, President, Dallas Theological Seminary Dr. Johnson is at the top of my list of favorite expositors, and he is at his best in Romans. Reading this book offers a unique privilege to sit at the feet of a master teacher and theologian who exalts the sovereignty and glory of God. This book will fill your head for sure, but it will also fill your heart and your hands to gratefully serve the One who died for the many. -- Dr. Mark Hitchcock, Senior Pastor, Faith Bible Church, Edmond, Oklahoma S. Lewis Johnson Jr., my mentor and friend, was a gracious Christian gentleman, humble scholar, and lover of God's Word. His fondness for Romans was most evident in his teaching and preaching on the doctrine of imputation---the basis for substitutionary atonement; indeed for salvation itself! Much could be said about his sound, contextual exegesis, but I want to emphasize the clarion call he continued to trumpet for the vitally important doctrine of imputation, especially on the meaning of the final clause of Romans 5:12, "because all sinned." As Johnson has said, that single phrase "has been one of the major battlegrounds of the systems of theology." There are so many important truths pertaining to the representative headship of the first and last Adam and of God's justice, love, mercy, and grace in the messages propounded in this book that I can only say, "Read it! Ponder it! And embrace the truth! It is doctrinally sound, heart-warming, and spiritually nourishing." -- Gary D. Long, Th.D, Faculty President, Providence Theological Seminary, Colorado Springs, CO I am one of those privileged to have some history with Dr. S. Lewis Johnson. It began when I was a student at Dallas Seminary as well as a member of Believers Chapel, where he preached for many years. Later, I was blessed to be able to preach alongside him, under the giant shadow he cast. When we left Believers Chapel to start a new work (with the encouragement and assistance of the elders) our daughters were still young, so they never got to know Dr. Johnson. Years later, our whole family returned to Believers Chapel for the funeral of a good friend. As Dr. Johnson was delivering the message, one of my daughters leaned over and whispered in my ear, "I don't know who this guy is, but he's good!" I couldn't agree more. Like my daughter, you might not have been privileged to get to know Dr. Johnson personally, but as you read his brilliant treatment of Romans, I'm certain that you will agree that he is a marvelous teacher of the Word. And even more, I'm convinced that his teaching will fix your eyes on Jesus, who is infinitely better. -- Robert Deffinbaugh, Pastor-Teacher I first encountered Dr. S. Lewis Johnson Jr. in the beginning of my seminary education some twenty years back. Lost in the vast maze of my theological education, I was struggling to find the balance between scholarship and pastoral ministry---a balance that plagues so many of us who take up the task of preaching. Someone mercifully pointed me to the preaching ministry of Dr. Johnson. I recall the first moment I heard the stately southern gentlemen expound the Word of God. It was his exposition of Romans. It was at that moment that I first encountered what I did not think was possible. A deep and intensive exegesis of God's Word was combined with an equally deep compassion and love for God's people. I heard what it sounds like to study at the level of a scholar and communicate at the level of a friend. In my humble opinion, no modern preacher has proven to be his equal in the rare alchemy of knowledge and grace. The volume you hold in your hand was taken from the sermons that changed the course of that young preacher's life and ministry. I am beyond grateful it has been put into print. -- Byron Yawn, Pastor, Community Bible Church, Nashville, Tennessee With that remarkable and admirable combination of a deeply and widely learned theological mind and an always keen exegetical eye, S. Lewis Johnson was known as a scholar of rare abilities. This was coupled with a heart warmly fervent for the gospel; he was always a treat to hear and to read, and I cherish every memory of him. He loved Paul's letter to the Romans, and he wrote, taught, and preached from it many times, always to distinct profit and blessing. Mike Abendroth, an avid student of Johnson, has done us a great service in collating Johnson's thoughts on this greatest of Paul's epistles. -- Fred G. Zaspel, Pastor, Reformed Baptist Church, Franconia, PA; Professor of Theology, Calvary Baptist Seminary; Editor, Books At a Glance By the grace of God, S. Lewis Johnson played an instrumental role in the recovery of and concern for a solid biblical theology in the ranks of twentieth-century evangelicalism. I still treasure the memory of his teaching in this regard. It is a personal joy, then, to recommend Discovering Romans, which is of immense value in the ongoing struggle to maintain a truly evangelical theology that is deeply rooted in the Scriptures. -- Michael A. G. Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary S. Lewis Johnson was a premiere theologian and careful expositor of God's Word whose influence was widespread in the late twentieth century. His work on Romans is another example of the gift this man was to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. You will find this book to be a valuable addition to your library. -- Daniel L. Akin, President, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC As I read the words of this commentary, I can't help but hear in my head the voice of S. Lewis Johnson Jr. I count it as an immeasurable blessing to have sat in the presence and under his influence as he preached through Paul's greatest epistle. His remarkable exegetical and theological insights, combined with a pastor's heart and a love for God's people, made that a genuinely life-changing experience. I am indescribably grateful for the efforts of Mike Abendroth in making this volume available. No one should undertake a study of Romans without Johnson at his side. Highly recommended! -- Sam Storms, Pastor

About the Author
Dr. S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., was a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM, ThD), where he taught, as well as at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He also spent fifty years in pastoral ministry, concluding it as teaching elder at Believers Chapel of Dallas. He was a careful student of the Scriptures with unusually superior abilities in the original languages. He was passionate for the gospel, and his heart was always hot for Christ. His teaching can be accessed at http://www.sljinstitute.net/ Dr. Mike Abendroth is pastor of Bethlehem Bible Church, West Boylston, Massachusetts, and adjunct instructor at Southern Seminary and European Bible Training Seminar. He earned a DMin from Southern Seminary and a MDiv from Master's Seminary. He is host of the daily talk radio program No Compromise Radio. His books include Jesus Christ the Prince of Preachers, The Supremacy and Sovereignty of King Jesus, and Things that Go Bump in the Church.


Book Information
ISBN 9780310515425
Author S. Lewis Johnson
Format Paperback
Page Count 272
Imprint Zondervan Academic
Publisher Zondervan
Weight(grams) 299g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 19mm