It was a sad day last week when I said good-bye to some very close friends who had helped me out in ministry over the past three years. They were by my side through some rough waters. I didn’t always agree with their conclusions on matters, but I valued everything they had to say. Many in my congregation will never know the impact these friends have had not only on me but all who sat under my preaching over the last three years.
Amazingly, these close friends are some I have conversed with on a weekly basis, but have never personally met (well, I have met two of them personally, but they would not remember me).
Anyhow,it was a sad, but gratifying day last week as I packed away and shelved all of my commentaries on the book of Romans. What a pleasure to preach through the book and have such good friends to help me think through critical issues.
Here’s a list of the commentaries I have used and consulted.
Top 5 – I never missed a page of reading these each week as I studied. This is the order I would read each of them. I found Cranfield and Schreiner to be the absolute best of the lot
1. C.E.B. Cranfied, International Critical Commentary, Romans 1-8; Romans 9-16. The best on the details of the Greek Text.
2. James D. G. Dunn, Word Biblical Commentary, Romans ““ Volume 1 Volume 2 (if you want to see the New Perspective on Paul, Dunn is essential).
3. Douglas Moo, New International Commentary on the New Testament, The Epistle to the Romans. This is absolutely excellent.
4. Thomas R. Schreiner, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Romans. In addition to the keen exegetical argumentation, no one, in my estimation, better keeps in mind the context of the book as a whole and the structure of the passage in particular than Schreiner.
5. Leon Morris, Pillar New Testament Commentary, The Epistle to the Romans. Solid and thorough.
Others I used and consulted:
William Barclay, The Letter to the Romans, Daily Study Bible Series
Donald Grey Barnhouse, Romans (4 volumes) (I did not read all of Barnhouse, but these are great to see a more theological treatise of subjects addressed in Romans and how they were preached)
C.K. Barrett, The Epistle to the Romans, Black”™s NT Commentary
James M. Boice, Romans (4 volumes) (Like Barnhouse – ironically – I did not read all of Boice. But he takes a similar approach as Barnhouse).
F. F. Bruce, Romans, Tyndale NT Commentaries
Everett F. Harrison, The Expositor”™s Bible Commentary
R. Kent Hughes, Romans: Righteousness from Heaven, Preaching the Word
Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans
John F. MacArthur, Romans (Volume 1 Volume 2), TMNTC (I consulted this one for general overviews and homiletical arrangement)
Alva J. McClain, Romans: The Gospel of God”™s Grace
Sanford C. Mills, A Hebrew Christian Looks at Romans
H.C.G. Moule, The Epistle to the Romans
Robert H. Mounce, Romans, NAC (I was deeply disappointed in this one. This series normally provides a much more rich commentary. This one is simply too short, and without discussion on key issues).
John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans
Grant Osborne, Romans, IVP NT commentary Series
John Philips, Exploring Romans
Ben Witherington III, Paul”™s Letter to the Romans (very interesting in seeing the literary elements of Romans. I wanted to see more on the controversial Arminian/Calvinist issues and was a bit disappointed-not discussed in detail).
