Surprised by Suffering - Hardcover

Sproul, R.C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1567691846 ISBN 13: 9781567691849

Publisher: Ligonier Ministries, 2009

Synopsis

Suffering often seems to catch us by surprise. One day we are healthy, comfortable, and happy. The next we find ourselves ill or injured, struggling, and distraught. The pain that invades our lives may come from our own suffering or that of a loved one. But no matter the source, we didn’t see it coming. All too often, our perplexity prompts us to suspect God of wrongdoing.

In this classic book, republished in a revised and expanded edition, Dr. R.C. Sproul argues that we should not be surprised by suffering; instead, we should expect pain and sorrow in this life. Some are actually called to a “vocation” of suffering, and all of us are called to undergo the ultimate suffering of death. God promises in His Word that difficult times will come upon us, but He also promises that He allows suffering for our good and His glory, and He will never give us more than we can bear with His help.

Dr. Sproul offers solid biblical counsel and comfort for those undergoing suffering and for those who minister to the suffering, counsel that helps believers stand in times of trial with faith in a God who is both loving and good.

About this title

About the Author

Dr. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) was founder of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian discipleship organization located near Orlando, Fla. He was also founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., first president of Reformation Bible College, and executive editor of Tabletalk magazine. His radio program, Renewing Your Mind, is still broadcast daily on hundreds of radio stations around the world and can also be heard online. Dr. Sproul contributed dozens of articles to national evangelical publications, spoke at conferences, churches, colleges, and seminaries around the world, and wrote more than one hundred books, including The Holiness of God, Chosen by God, and Everyone’s a Theologian. He also served as general editor of the Reformation Study Bible.

Review

“It’s a real gift to the church when a seasoned theologian, with insights gained from years of personal experience and biblical study, handles a tough topic like suffering. Here you will find the wisdom of biblical perspective combined with the eternal hope of the gospel leading you to greater rest in your Savior, even in times of trouble. I am thankful for the new edition of this book.”

-- Paul David Tripp

“As an oncologist, I have the privilege of caring for people as they ‘walk through the valley of the shadow of death.’ In such times, people of faith find themselves faced with the most troubling questions of human existence, namely those raised by suffering and death. In Surprised by Suffering, R.C. Sproul concisely and sensitively affirms what I believe to be the three critical truths we need to grasp in order to persevere through suffering and death. First, the inevitable and vocational nature of death/suffering; second, God’s sovereign redemptive purposes in suffering; and finally, the certainty of eternal life in perfect fellowship with Him and our fellow believers. I was delighted to learn of this book’s republication, and my reading of the manuscript reaffirmed why we do not grieve as those who have no hope.”

-- James W. Lynch Jr., MD

“In Surprised by Suffering, John Calvin meets Florence Nightingale. This is a rare work, a melding of the theologian and the pastor—a book that looks straightforwardly at suffering and teaches, explains, confronts, and comforts. Buy a dozen, as you will be giving this one away to someone who is hurting in the world around you.”

-- John P. Sartelle Sr.

Edition details

• Publisher: Ligonier Ministries
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 1567691846
• ISBN 13: 9781567691849
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 156