Sunday, December 30, 2012

Great thoughts on Mark's Gospel


Dr. R.C. Sproul’s Commentary on Mark is a 430 Page devotional style commentary that seeks to expound each section of the Gospel of Mark. The commentary doesn’t go through and discuss each verse individually but rather comments on chunks or sections of the text.

Dr. Sproul has a style of teaching and preaching that at times can be scholarly and technical and at other times easy to understand and accessible for the layman. His commentary on Mark: Saint Andrews Expositional Commentary is not a technical commentary bogged down with lots of theological jargon, text critical notes, or discussions of theological debates but instead is written in a clear and easy to understand style with lots of illustrations that anyone can read and understand.

            The style of the commentary is due to the fact that it’s based on his sermons that he preached at St. Andrew’s.

What you hold in your hand, then, is a written record of my preaching

labors amid my beloved Sanford congregation. The dear saints who sit

under my preaching encouraged me to give my sermons a broader hearing.

To that end, the chapters that follow were adapted from a sermon series I

preached at St. Andrew’s.”(Taken from the series Preface)

Dr. Sproul is a Reformed theologian and so some of his interpretations and conclusions are focused in that direction so you may find times in the commentary where you disagree with his theology as I did but on the whole this is a great devotional commentary that has wonderful insights.

If you are the type of person who enjoys reading technical commentaries only this one isn’t for you. I should also mention that just because it’s easy and not overly technical to read doesn’t mean Dr. Sproul makes wild assertions or that this is simply a commentary full of fluff and no substance. Quite the opposite is true.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a simple devotional commentary on the Gospel of Mark.

You can buy this book Here or Here.

 
 

Disclosure of Material: I received this book free from Reformed Trust Publishing’s book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”