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IVP New Testament Commentary #6
Romans: A Commentary on the New Testament (Volume 6)
Few individual books of the Bible have changed the course of church history the way Paul's letter to the Romans has. Whether one thinks of Augustine's conversion in the fourth century, Luther's recovery of justification by faith in the sixteenth or Barth's challenge to recover theological exegesis of the Bible in the twentieth, Romans has been the catalyst to personal spiritual renewal and the recapturing of gospel basics. Paul, in seeking to bring unity and understanding between Jews and Gentiles in Rome, sets forth in Romans his most profound explication of the gospel and its meaning for the church. The letter's relevance is as great today as it was in the first century. Throughout this commentary, Grant R. Osborne explains what the letter meant to its original hearers and its application for us today.
447 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2004
38 people want to read
About the author
Grant R. Osborne
76 books20 followersGrant R. Osborne was an American theologian and New Testament scholar. He was Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 7, 2017
I looked forward to reviewing this book. I’d heard several complementary things said about it, but I wanted to see for myself. Just like is advertised about the IVPNT series, this book is aimed at the church instead of the seminary. There’s plenty of scholarly information given, but great care is taken in the accessibility of the presentation. Pastors, Sunday School teachers, and anyone doing in-depth studies will benefit from using this book. The author, Grant Osborne, is also the editor of this series and produced a well thought out volume here himself.
The Introduction given here on Romans is short, but is not superficial. In discussing authorship, he agrees with the scholarly consensus that it was written by Paul somewhere between A.D. 54 and 58. He does not believe that Peter or Paul founded the church at Rome, but that it originated when Claudius expelled the Jews and Christians and A.D. 49 during a time of conflict between the Jews and Christians. In his section, Genre, Purposes and Themes of the Letter, he succinctly summarizes what has been thought about the point the book of Romans is trying to make. He feels that Paul saw the church at Rome as the ideal sending church to reach that area much too far from Antioch. He states that Paul is not writing a systematic theology in the book of Romans, but that questions raised required much theological discussion.
After an interesting outline, Osborne is off and running on the commentary itself by page 27. I found his commentary at once thoughtful and helpful. I had read some Calvinistic reviewers say that he was the fairest writer against their position out there, and his respectful tone is clearly evident. In fact, he faithfully shares their arguments and then raises some great ones of his own that might be difficult for them to answer.
This book will give you much help while providing deep reflection for your studies without some of the more esoteric discussions that major exegetical commentaries can at times drown in. I highly recommend this volume.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
The Introduction given here on Romans is short, but is not superficial. In discussing authorship, he agrees with the scholarly consensus that it was written by Paul somewhere between A.D. 54 and 58. He does not believe that Peter or Paul founded the church at Rome, but that it originated when Claudius expelled the Jews and Christians and A.D. 49 during a time of conflict between the Jews and Christians. In his section, Genre, Purposes and Themes of the Letter, he succinctly summarizes what has been thought about the point the book of Romans is trying to make. He feels that Paul saw the church at Rome as the ideal sending church to reach that area much too far from Antioch. He states that Paul is not writing a systematic theology in the book of Romans, but that questions raised required much theological discussion.
After an interesting outline, Osborne is off and running on the commentary itself by page 27. I found his commentary at once thoughtful and helpful. I had read some Calvinistic reviewers say that he was the fairest writer against their position out there, and his respectful tone is clearly evident. In fact, he faithfully shares their arguments and then raises some great ones of his own that might be difficult for them to answer.
This book will give you much help while providing deep reflection for your studies without some of the more esoteric discussions that major exegetical commentaries can at times drown in. I highly recommend this volume.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
July 3, 2014
This is the conclusion from my full review here: http://wp.me/p2YKx0-1gb
If one has Schreiner or Moo, I doubt there will be much “new” here, except for where he differs on broader Arminian concerns. If one is after an Arminian alternative on Romans, or to read alongside Calvinist commentators and serve as a “foil” for, then this is certainly recommended. Osborne presents very nuanced and balanced argumentation for his conclusions, which all deserve to be heard. This would serve nicely as a slightly less-academic, more devotional, and Arminian alternative to Schreiner or Moo; however, the very little difference in terms of actual exegesis and frustrations in the format of the series itself lessen its overall value in comparison.
[Many thanks to IVP UK for providing a copy in exchange for a fair review.]
If one has Schreiner or Moo, I doubt there will be much “new” here, except for where he differs on broader Arminian concerns. If one is after an Arminian alternative on Romans, or to read alongside Calvinist commentators and serve as a “foil” for, then this is certainly recommended. Osborne presents very nuanced and balanced argumentation for his conclusions, which all deserve to be heard. This would serve nicely as a slightly less-academic, more devotional, and Arminian alternative to Schreiner or Moo; however, the very little difference in terms of actual exegesis and frustrations in the format of the series itself lessen its overall value in comparison.
[Many thanks to IVP UK for providing a copy in exchange for a fair review.]
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews