Paul’s letter to the Romans is one of the most influential texts for the Christian church, ancient and modern. This epistle had a deep impact on such figures as Augustine, Martin Luther, John Wesley and Karl Barth.
Much of protestant theology is shaped by Romans but the epistle is not easy to understand. Students of the Bible have struggled with it for centuries.
When I taught a course on Romans for Tyndale University College, I decided to go with Romans: The NIV Application Commentary by Douglas Moo. Moo has a larger, more academic commentary, but I decided to go with this one.
I was very pleased with this commentary. In general, I have appreciated the NIV Application Commentary series. It does a great job of investigating the original context and meaning but also is able to bridge to our modern context.
Moo is a top rate scholar who is able to present material that is scholarly but understandable. Moo is upfront that his interpretations fall on the Calvinist side but he respectful of other views.
If you are looking to study Romans and don’t know where to start, I would suggest Romans: The NIV Application Commentary. It will give you a solid foundation upon which to do further studies.
