Douglas Moo, Romans: The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2000).
Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1996).
Moo is a solid Bible-believing scholar. His research into Romans is incredibly deep—even for an academic commentary. However, we repeatedly found ourselves at odds with Moo’s treatment of sanctification in Romans 5-8, and his strong Reformed interpretation of Romans 11.
Robert H. Mounce, Romans, vol. 27, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995).
Mounce’s commentary was insightful, pastorally minded, and quotable. We hold a very similar interpretation of sanctification in Romans 5-8, and he also holds to a non-Calvinistic reading of Romans 9-11. He holds to a Lordship perspective on salvation which becomes a repeated theme in his commentary. Overall, we enjoyed his commentary.
Francis A. Schaeffer, The Finished Work of Christ: The Truth of Romans 1-8 (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1998).
I read this book in 2007 (or 2008?). If memory serves, these were transcribed teachings from Schaeffer on Romans from his informal lectures to students at L’Abri. Schaeffer’s keen insights and illustrations into the content and message of the letter are still very memorable—even though this is not a rigorous commentary. We highly recommend this classic book.
Timothy Keller, Romans 1-7 For You (The Good Book Co., 2014).
Timothy Keller, Romans 8-16 For You (The Good Book Co., 2015).
Keller is an insightful expositor, a strong author, and a practitioner. We found ourselves in surprising agreement on his treatment of Paul’s sanctification material in Romans 5-8. Keller really stresses our identity with Christ, which was quite good. Of course, we found ourselves in disagreement over his Reformed reading of Romans 9-11. Overall, these books were good treatments of the letter.
Everett F. Harrison, “Romans,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Romans through Galatians, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 10 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1976).
Harrison’s commentary is a short and terse commentary on Romans. This was a good commentary for readers who are first studying this letter.
Grant R. Osborne, Romans, The IVP New Testament Commentary Series (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2004).
Osborne’s commentary is a short and terse commentary on Romans as well. With a letter like Romans, readers most likely want further depth than this. Osborne holds to an Arminian reading of Romans 9-11, which may interest non-Reformed readers. At the same time, his treatment was so light that it might not add much to the discussion.
F.F. Bruce, Romans: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 6, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1985).
Bruce was an expert historian and classicist, and his work in these fields is still invaluable. However, his work as a commentator didn’t match his historical work. His commentary on Romans wasn’t very insightful.
James is an elder at Dwell Community Church, where he teaches classes in theology, apologetics, and weekly Bible studies.
