Romans: God's Good News for the World

John R. W. Stott is as good as it gets in unpacking the meanings and messages of scripture. Thanks to him.

Even though John Stott doesn't consider this book and its companions as commentaries, they do the trick for laypersons. There are great explanations of scripture from a conservative theological point of view meaning the Bible is considered the inerrant word of God. He brings competing interpretations into the mix and then tells you his choice and why. Great for small group Bible study leaders for students studying on their own. Best if used with his Bible Study Guides. You can't go wrong with any of his studies or "commentaries."

John R.W Stott is one of the best scholarly pastors in the world because of his academic zeal coupled with a shrewd sense of how scripture applies to our lives. This really comes through in his Romans commentary. After a brief introduction where he descrobes how the book of Romans has impacted great Christian people of faith like Martin Luther, John Wesley, and Karl Barth, he dives right into the text. He identifies Romans 1:16-17 as the main theme of the book, and he teaches the federal headship of Adam in Romans 5. He sees Romans 7 as the present experience of the struggling believer, and he sees Romans 9 as teaching God's unconditional election of certain individuals to salvation and others to specific roles in redemptive history if not salvation (Pharoah, Esau). The book is a treasure trove of good thoughts for preachers of the Romans to consider. It is highly recommended.

In non-technical but scholarly style, John Stott presents an excellent evangelical commentary on the rich and powerful letter to the Romans by the apostle Paul. Stott has great expository skills, and they are displayed here. This really isn't a traditional Bible commentary at all because it reads like a regular book, and that is one of its primary appeals to the serious but lay Bible student. I also enjoyed F.F. Bruce's Romans commentary in the Tyndale New Testatment Commentary series.

John Stott has really hit a homerun with this scholarly, yet easy-to-understand commentary. My eyes to the depth and wealth of what can be gotten out of Romans were really opened. Stott frequently relates Biblical teachings to what can be applicable to our lives today, so this is a very practical as well as theological book. By all means, GET IT!