Don Carson, in his survey of New
Testament Commentaries, notes that of the making of commentaries on
Romans, there is no end. Here then, is a short list of my favourite
evangelical works beginning with technical/exegetical commentaries to more homilectical/devotional works:
Thomas Schreiner. Romans, BECNT. 1998.
This is probably my top pick for a technical commentary. Schreiner's
work combines all the best elements: it is recent, the scholarship is
first class, the interaction with other scholars is fair and plentiful,
the style is concise yet readable, and his theology stands in
the traditional evangelical stream. He is particularly good at
explaining the logical flow through Romans - a tricky task these days when one
considers the size of modern technical commentaries (this commentary
runs to nearly 1000 pages).
Douglas Moo. Epistle to the Romans, NICNT. 1996.
Moo expanded his earlier Wycliffe Exegetical commentary into this highly acclaimed 1000+ page entry in the NICNT
series. Occasionally the writing style is a little heavy but perseverance is well
rewarded for Moo is an outstanding interpreter. Particularly commendable is Moo's
assessment and critique of the New Perspective. This is a worthy volume for the
serious Bible student, and not to be missed.
James Edwards. Romans NIBC. 1992.
There
are plenty of excellent medium sized commentaries but for a handy sized work that assumes no Greek, my
preference is this straightforward volume by Edwards. He makes good use
of the space limitations of the NIBC
series, judiciously picking out the key issues and explaining difficult
passages with impressive clarity. It is one of the best commentaries in
the occasionally disappointing NIBC range.
DM Lloyd-Jones. Exposition of Romans (14 volumes). 1971-2004
Martyn
Lloyd-Jones retired before completing his sermons on Romans so this
series of transcripts ends prematurely at Rom. 14:17. Nevertheless,
this mammoth work is a classic and a must-read for pastors.
Lloyd-Jones' method entailed preaching systematically through Romans
approximately a verse at a time, leaving no stone unturned and ensuring
his audience left with a clear thought-provoking message.
James Montgomery Boice. Romans. An Expositional Commentary (4 volumes). 1995
Another outstanding expositional commentary. As with Lloyd-Jones, these are sermon transcripts but with considerable theological detail. Unlike Lloyd-Jones, Boice
covered several verses at a time, making these sermons more useful when
studying extended passages. The series is thus smaller than
Lloyd-Jones' effort but at nearly 2000 pages, it remains a
comprehensive expository commentary. Particularly praiseworthy is Boice's judgment on the inclusion or exclusion of technical exegetical material.
John Stott. The Message of Romans, BST. 1994
The
Bible Speaks Today series is rightly regarded as one of the best
evangelical expository commentaries. This effort by Stott is typically
helpful although much smaller than Boice and Lloyd-Jones at about 400 pages. The smaller size means Stott
focuses on key themes, a task he achieves with immense skill, making
this commentary ideal for small group leaders or preachers preparing
messages on larger sections on Romans. Interestingly, Stott has changed his mind on the infamous Romans 7 debate. His earlier commentary, Men Made New (Rom 5-8), identified the description as a normal born again believer. In this commentary, Stott adopts the view that Romans 7 reflects a weak, immature Christian.