Romans: A Theological and Pastoral Commentary

Gorman once again does a spectacular job of bringing together the academic world and the church world. This commentary is perfect for pastors, laypeople, and academics alike. Deep, yet down to earth. I recommend this for EVERYONE and ANYONE doing any study or reading in Romans. Do yourself a favor and put this on your bookshelf. And while you're at it, buy one for your pastor; they'll thank you.

Dr. Gorman now has his own Romerbrief, a milestone for any scholar or theologian. While thereis some reference to Barth, the greater inspiration appears to be Bonhoeffer, with the notion ofcostly grace as opposed to cheap grace. Gorman has now put into written form my favorite Scripturecourse, with another 16+ years to form his reflections.He begins with context for St. Paul in general and the letter to the Romans in particular, whichis covered more extensively in other books such as Apostle of the Crucified Lord. He is writingprimarily for pastors and laypeople in pastoral ministry, although it's for everyone, includingfellow scholars. He is not mainly responding to other scholars, but N.T. Wright is certainly aninfluence, with his massive study Paul and the Faithfulness of God. Gorman's method emphasizeswhat should be an obvious point, that Romans is Christian Scripture. It has an original audience,but it is for all Christians or believers, including for ourselves. He doesn't go verse by verse, butin units about a chapter long, while not always corresponding to the traditional chapters. Thisbroad method is summarized in his wonderful dedication: "For the Church".The larger units are basically chapters 1-4, 5-8, 9-11, and 12-14, with brief discussion of 15 and16. Both Jews and Gentiles are guilty and in need of salvation and justification. The discussion ofjustification in chapter 3 includes the debate on "the faith of Jesus Christ" instead of "faith inJesus Christ". Sin is capitalized, "Sin", because it is not an individual act, but a pervasive realityakin to slavery or addiction. Addiction is not a sin, but Sin is like addiction. Chapters 5 to 8 arethe deep theological reflection on life in Christ and the Spirit. Familiar Gorman themes areemphasized like participation "in Christ", transformation, mission, justice and nonviolence.An important emphasis is on the obedience of faith, so that faith is not just belief or trustbut requires actual obedience. The famous chapter 7 with the analysis of the "I" strugglingwith sinful behavior is relevant as always.Chapters 9-11 show that the Gentiles have no reason to boast or to feel superior. Gormanapplies this multicultural challenge of ancient Rome to the tasks of ecumenism and interfaithdialogue. Chapters 12 on are not anticlimactic, but are the point of the letter. Just as theGospel of John is the Gospel of Life, Romans is the Epistle of Life. There are discussions ofthe controversial chapter 13 on the government, where believers are to be subversive ofthe powers that be, but not revolutionary because nonviolent. There is also a thoughtfulanalysis of chapter 1, where the discussion in modernity is focused on sexuality, but thatis not the main point.

I am a lead pastor and worked on a PhD in Pauline Theology. I own probably 20 commentaries on Romans. Gorman's is not only the best commentary on Romans that I've ever read; it's the best commentary I've ever read. Period. He does such an excellent job of reading the text theologically, of covering important details without getting mired down in them, and of guiding the reader through the text in order to understand it more deeply. It's a beautiful piece of scholarship. One of only two commentaries I've read that are genuine page turners. The other is Richard Hays' commentary on 1 Corinthians.

This is the thirtieth commentary on Romans in my library and quickly went to the front row. Opened my eyes to deeper insight through the author’s scholarship and focusing on what the original writer meant according to the language usage and thought customs back in his day. Amazing how the Holy Spirit is always renewing my mind through books like this