It’s only a slight exaggeration to say that if you understand Paul’s letter to the Romans you understand the Bible. Said otherwise, the person with no knowledge of the rich truths of Romans will necessarily have a weak understanding of the Christian faith. Conversely, the person with extensive knowledge of it will have a much enhanced understanding of the Christian faith. It truly has that central a place in the Scriptures. Thankfully, we are well resourced when it comes to Romans. Some of the greatest books and richest commentaries are meant to guide Christians in their understanding of it. And new to the field is an especially helpful resource by Andy Naselli. Romans: A Concise Guide to the Greatest Letter Ever Written provides verse-by-verse commentary that is especially intended to help the reader trace the argument Paul is making throughout it—an argument Naselli summarizes as “the gospel reveals how God is righteously righteousing (i.e., justifying) unrighteous individuals—both Jews and Gentiles—at this stage in the history of salvation.” Though it’s not my custom to copy and paste a book’s table of contents, in this case I think it is helpful as it shows how Naselli divides the book thematically around the theme of God’s righteousness. As he goes he provides concise verse-by-verse (or perhaps, better, several-verse-by-several-verse) commentary. He often pauses to offer expanded explanations of key concepts and disputed texts. He also provides thorough and often extended annotations. At the end he suggests introductory and advanced resources to study Romans in greater depth and offers a … Continue reading A Concise Guide to the Greatest Letter Ever Written