Paul for Everyone: Romans, Part One: Chapters 1-8

New Testament For Everyone #9

by Tom Wright, N.T. Wright

Writing in an approachable and anecdotal style, Tom Wright helps us see the great sweep of this letter. Romans has long been viewed as the book above all in which Paul puts forth the basic doctrines of the faith, and the picture of God's life for us. It is the classic setting-out of the Gospel.In this series, Tom Wright has undertaken a tremendous task: to provide guides to all the books of the New Testament and to include in them his own translation of the entire text. Each short passage is followed by a highly readable discussion, with background information, useful explanations and suggestions, and thoughts as to how the text can be relevant to our lives today. A glossary is included at the back of each book. The series is suitable for group study, personal use, or daily devotions.

Genres: Theology, Christian, Religion, Biblical Studies, Nonfiction, New Testament, Christianity

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 30, 2004

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

He also publishes under N.T. Wright.

Reviews

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think Romans is one of the great books of the New Testament, and also one of the thorniest. Tom Wright deftly blows away a lot of the smoke of various interpretations we've inherited, and puts the book solidly in its historical context. I learned so much through this commentary--points I thought for sure were clearly made by Paul got replaced by fairly different points, much more powerful. I had to think as I worked through this, but I used it mostly devotionally and found my soul nourished while my mind (and heart) were challenged. I highly recommend it!

[Jonathan Downing · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot praise this highly enough to an reformed evengelical audience. Tom Wright's style and biblical theology is a breath of fresh air over passages that have had the life preached out of them. He's easy to understand and, though at times has harsh words for the reformed community, shows Paul and his theology in a new light, restoring the first part of Romans to its original Jewish context while expositing on what that means for us today. This is a must-read for every reformed evangelical.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moving out of the gospel accounts and the book of Acts, Mr. Wright now tackles the first 8 chapters of the book of Romans in this book. Once again, Mr. Wright follows the same format as his previous books, taking a few verses and expounding upon them for 4-5 pages. Yet this books is a bit of a mix bag. Sometimes Mr. Wright's writing can be so profound as to make you think about that passage for the rest of the day or in a new way way. Other times what he is trying convey is so confusing that you wish that he had spent more pages explaining it. His particular attempt to tie the famous passage of Romans 7:13-20 with Israel's failure at its historical mission to be God's covenantal people is unconvincing. And, once again, splitting his commentary on Romans into two different books seems rather arbitrary and more a money grab by the publishers, especially when you consider that together both commentaries on Romans aren't that much longer than his single volume on Luke. However, his passage on Romans 6:6-11 is eye-opening and his concluding passages on Romans 8 are not to be missed. I still highly recommend this series to anyone who wants to delve deeper into the New Testament.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah, Wright. Short verdict: confused, but definitely Christian.

Long review: N.T. Wright is making air-waves right now and reading this book what is remarkable how little "new perspective" he brings to the text. I have often turned to Wright's commentaries in moments of frustration trying to see if he pieced together something truly new (I have done the same with John Piper's Desiring God and had an even less pleasant experience reading it cover to cover). This is the worst way to read Wright. He's got good innovations, but he is not a careful exegete. He does not explain adequately to my mind the issues relating to Pistis Christou, Diakosune, covenant membership, baptism, etc. This leads to odd and (while I like Wright as a translator, despite his overflowing Englishness) just plain ol' confused passages.

Also, worst cover ever. And don't even get me started on his facile pooh-poohing of the Reformation. His analogies are okay, but tiresome when one wants to get to the meat of his commentary.

Still, he does get a lot of things right. And there's more than enough evidence to convict him of being a from the heart Christian. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise:
"God was obliged, in virtue of being the world's creator and judge, to act decisively with sin - which means, to punish it. Here we discover a further meaning in the idea of the 'place of mercy' in the previous sentence. The smae root also refers to a 'prpoitiatory' sacrifice, that is, one which not only purifies people from sin but also turns away the wrath of God which would otherwise rightly fall on the sinner. Though, again, Paul does not spell out his meaning in any etail, there are all sorts of converging lines of thought which make it highly probably that he sees Jesus in this light as well, as the one upon whom the appropriate anger of God, directed against the sin of the world, has now fallen. ... At the heart of God's covenant justice, then, is his 'putting forth' of Jesus to take upon himself the anger of God of which Paul spoke in chapter 1. The final judgment day has been brought forward into the middle of history. God's righteous verdict against sinners has been meted out against the faithful Israelite, Israel's representative: the Messiah, Jesus." (pp. 57-58).

"'Since we have been declared to be in the right, we have' [ what? a warm glow in the heart? a sigh of relief that our sins have been forgiven? a new understanding of what it means to belong to God's people? Yes, all of those things and more, but at the centre of it all we have peace with God. ... At the centre of these promises is the establishment of a loving, welcoming personal relationship between individual humans and the creator God himself. ... When we are reconciled to the God who is our father, we discover that he wants not simply to enjoy this one-to-one relationship, but to enlist us in his service in working for his kingdom. And that will bring all kinds of pressures and problems which will require us to hang on in faith and hope even when we don't sense his presence, even when it doesn't 'feel' as though there's anything happening. We mustn't imagine that our feelings of being close to God is a true index of the reality. Emotions often deceive. Paul is summoning us to understand the reality, the solid rock beneath the shifting sands of feeling. The first two verses of chapter 5, then, celebrate our access into the very presence of God himself. We have 'the right to approach'" this is the language of hte Temple, where certain people get to come near to where God is. 'Grace' here is almost a shorthand for the presence and power of God himself. As a result of being justified by faith, we are, in the old phrase, 'in a state of grace', a status, a position where we are surrounded by God's love and generosity, invited to breathe it in as our native air. As we do so, we realize that this is what we were made for; that this is what truly human existence ought to be like; and that it is the beginning of something so big, so massive, so unimaginably beautiful and powerful, that we almost burst as we think of it. When we stand there in God's own presence, not trembling but deeply grateful, and begin to inhale his goodness, his wisdom, his power and his joy, we sense that we are being invited to go al the way, to become the true reflections-of-God, the true image-bearers, that we were made to be. Paul puts it like this: 'we celebrate the hope of the glory of God'. This is the glory that was lost through idolatry and sin (e.23). When we finally inherit this glory, the whole creation will be set free from corruption and share oru new-found freedom, the freedom to be our true selves at last (8.21)." 81-83

Also, I was happy to see some C.S. Lewis (see pages 76-77 if interested). So, I found this book surprisingly good devotional reading; just don't expect a paradigm shift, read with a grain of salt, and there is much to be gleaned from the good bishop.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think if I could choose one person in the world to sit and chat with, it would be N.T. Wright. This series of books is the next best thing to an in-person chat. It has revolutionized my personal Bible study time—I plan to happily spend the next several years going through the entire series (and then will probably start it back over again). Wright, as always, manages to explain Scripture in a way that is deep and profound, yet also approachable and understandable. What a blessing he is to any believer seeking to understand God’s Word better!

[Colleen Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved the stories that Wright told that helps readers to further understand Romans. This book was an awesome resource to read alongside Romans and felt relatively accessible to anyone looking to study Paul’s writing!

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

N.T. Wright's "For Everyone" series seeks provide quality commentaries for laypeople. Wright has done all the New Testament volumes, while John Goldingay authored the Old Testament ones. I have read several in their entirety for Bible study, and they have been consistently helpful.

In this Romans guide, Wright expounded on several important themes. God's righteousness or justice can be understood as God setting all things to rights, restoring humankind and all of creation. Jesus the Messiah is the representative of His people, fulfilling the Law and doing all the people could and did not. Believers' future hope for glory refers to one day reigning with Christ in the renewed creation, fulfilling our original task as God's image-bearers.

Wright's insights have been invaluable to me in my study, and I would highly recommend this book and the whole series.

[Esther* · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I’ve been studying the book of Romans, I have used this commentary alongside others. It covers the first eight chapters of Romans, and is written in a style to enable the user to read a short passage each time with some theological context and application to modern day life.

For this reason, I’ve been comparing it to the other commentaries I’ve been using, and while I’ve found it quite useful, and sometimes quotable, it hasn’t been as impactful as the others works by Tim Keller, Andrew Ollerton and James Edwards (reviews of those books to follow when I’ve finished the whole of Romans!).

[Rosie Gearhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this devotional series by NT Wright. Split into daily Bible readings plus commentary, it is perfect for teens or adults wanting to understand the ancient context behind the writing. I appreciate seeing the big picture to help me fight the Americanized, individualistic ways of reading I learned in childhood. This is not an academic series (as the title “For Everyone” implies). It could even work well for small group reading and discussion.

[Stinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's an excellent commentary on Romans. It's another helpful and easily understandable book from NT Wright. I look forward to reading part II on the second half of Romans.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reading this alongside an NT Wright video course I'm doing on Romans, this is the first of two books.

Tom Wright's style is easy to read, full of anecdotes, and insightful.

He makes Romans come alive. However, I wouldn't give it 5 stars as I think he overemphasises and over-repeats his thoughts about God's covenant faithfulness and its connection to righteousness, and how Paul is thinking of Israel's story as a backdrop to his teaching. Sometimes I think, "OK, OK, I get it, you don't need to explain that again".

But overall it's great.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since we are going through Romans at our Bible study at church, I wanted to interact with Wright's interpretations. The commentary is written at the popular level, but it's not at all shallow. Wright continually draws the reader's attention to the big picture of both Romans as a whole and of God's redemptive plan, pointing back to creation, the covenant with Abraham, and His purposes for Israel. His setting of the pieces of Romans in their context makes for an exhilarating read.

I could see why some are confused about Wright's view of justification, since it wasn't entirely clear to me, either. It's clear that he believes in justification by faith, though, and I wonder if part of the reason that it's not as clear is that he doesn't make individual justification the centerpiece of his interpretation. Instead, he focuses on the big picture of God's redemption of His people and of creation as well as the new life that we are to live in Christ.

One final thing: Wright doesn't capitalize Father, Son, or Holy Spirit when referring to the persons of the Trinity. I had never seen that before: is it a British thing?

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again N.T. Wright brings his unique insights and deep knowledge of Christian history and theological clarity to focus on St. Paul's great letter to the Romans. Some of St. Paul's most famous work, quotes and theological framework are contained in these first 8 chapters, and N.T. Wright walks the reader through each paragraph with incredible skills and with a perspective on what these famous words mean for Christian life in the 21st century. Like all his books in this series, Wright makes 'big and heavy' theological constructs and implications plain and understandable for all readers. Even more, he is able to make connections to the challenges of faithful daily discipleship today.

I use these books as a source for daily devotional reflection. But they are also great sources of study, growth and exploration. No one has made the pages of Scripture more accessible and clear than the pen of N.T. Wright. This book is a great addition and resource to the library of any serious Christian disciple.

[Frank Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

N. T. Wright is someone whose writing I am drawn to, in spite of the fact that I rarely rate them highly. Why? Because Wright’s books typically have sections that are either confusing, or else superficial; both of which are annoying. In this Bible study guide on the first part of Romans, Wright demonstrates that he is actually capable of writing to everyone! I did not believe this was possible before reading the book. Unfortunately, by writing to everyone, he does leave in a few superficial sections which were a bit depressing. In fact, in light of books by Forster and Marston, I was very interested in what Wright would say about that key passage in Romans 8. Instead Wright glossed over the passage and said nothing about it, at all! This was highly disappointing. Nevertheless the books are really good, and are in the same category as the NIV application commentary series. I will purchase more.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had not read any NT Wright in a while and I always wanted to check out some of his "for everyone" books so I picked up this. Wright's commentary on Romans is very approachable for any reader, I could see this being used in local church small group studies and discussions. He writes as a pastor, beginning each chapter in the commentary with an illustration as if he were preaching. Of course, for those in the know, Wright's "New Perspective" views come through. What I always appreciate about Wright is that he sets the New Testament texts in the context of the entire story of Israel from creation on through Abraham, the Law, David, the prophets and the exile. If you are a pastor looking for an academic commentary, this is not for you. But it could be a good help in preparing to teach on Romans.

[Del Herman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hands down, N.T. Wright is the most original, compelling, and brilliant theologian alive today. The first half of his guide to St. Paul's Letter to the Romans (covering Chapters 1 to 8) is superb. Wright's discussion of Romans really inspired a newfound appreciation in me for this letter, which as Wright notes is St. Paul's masterpiece (and hence the first masterpiece of Christian theology). Wright also notes how influential Romans has been on Christendom and by default, Western civilization (Augustine, Luther, Wesley, and Barth were all inspired by Romans and developed new and original takes on the letter). However, what really compelled me was how Wright took apart the text, scrutinizing each word and bringing out the whole line of thought that the letter points out. Can't wait to read Part 2 (on 9-16)!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! Not as easy reading as some of Wright's other "for everyone" commentaries, but the material is golden. Wright follows the logic of Paul's argument through Romans in a way that few others can, showing its consistency and linearity, while being faithful to its context. Wright never cops out by suggesting that Paul has gone on a digression, to avoid having to connect one section to what came before it. Wright's argument makes sense of the entire work as a continuous argument in a way that genuinely challenges the readings of many other scholars. Some may be ruffled by his interpretation of the book (because someone is always ruffled by someone else's interpretation of Romans), but Wright is on point and deserves to be taken seriously.

[James Mayfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Romans is so dense and the logical argument can be pretty complicated so NT Wright had his work cut out for him in trying explain what Paul was addressing without using your typical Christian terms. He did a good job and I liked some of his insights into the cultural context and they way he continually kept the big picture in my mind. Personally I am fine with his view/understanding on justification.
I know this contrary to NT Wright's aim but I would have liked it if he would have gone at least into a little more detail especially on his understanding on some of the more controversial verses/subjects.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

From one difficult-to-read author about another

Romans will always be one of the frustrating of Paul’s letters, and that’s saying a lot. Writing in the first century, as a Jew steeped in religious tradition and thoughtful knowledge, Paul can seem to be impenetrable. N. T. Wright wades in and actually makes Paul more accessible. However, Wright himself can be perplexingly opaque. He seems to enjoy stringing compound sentences together with parenthetical comments and should-be footnotes into what-the—paragraphs. Still, if you spend the time and reread as necessarily, he does eventually unlock the mysteries of the ancient brain of Paul.

[David Holford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to read this, just like the title says

Tom Wright's easy style and personal anecdotes draw the reader into each section. Wright then hits some highlights, but one can't expect anything else from this type of commentary.

He provides an excellent introduction to Paul's sometimes difficult concepts. He also gently untangles some of the misconceptions that have been passed down through Evangelical circles.

What better guide could there be to Paul's masterpiece than the most significant Pauline scholar of our time, who can write in a way everyone can read?

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good, and revolutionary, as Romans Part 1. Tom Wright has given me whole new eyes to read the Hebrew Bible (OT). I now grasp Paul's understanding of salvation history in a way I just had snatches and snippets before, which helps me interpret almost everything I'm reading in the Psalms and prophets--things which formerly seemed like deep dark mysteries. Thank you, Tom, for this very clear, super readable, yet profound commentary. It has been daily food for my soul for the past month.

[Ann Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quit reading the book of Romans through the Reformational argument of works vs. righteousness, and get to the heart of what the author's message was more likely expounding upon, God's chosen people, who they are and why they are.

A tip: Download some Wright lectures to first allow yourself to become accustomed to where he is coming from before picking up one of his books. To hear him is to love him.

[Andrea Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tremendous, forthright, lucid translation of one of the New Testament's most "meaty" books ... combined with direct, simple without being simplistic, commentary ... Wright studiously avoids those worn-out, heavily weighted, religious bits of jargon, such as "righteousness", "Justification", "election", etc. ... an admirable book ... I was so surprised when I reached the end ... but, of course, there's Part II ...

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a commentary on Romans. Not exactly casual reading, but as far commentaries go, quite engaging. I love Tom Wright's writing style. I think this book has something to offer new students of the Bible as well as experienced theology students. It's written in clear language and gave me some new perspectives on Paul's letter.

[Tim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wright's short devotional on Romans is wonderful on its own and as a simple overview of his ideas on the meaning of the epistle generally for justification, grace, and law. My only complaint is that the publishers have divided it in two (and currently the second volume does not appear to be available on Amazon).

[james spellman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paul for everyone, Romans chapter 1-8

Dr Wright has written this series with the intention that the explanation of verses contain within would enlighten our understanding of difficult scripture. In this respect he is successful. Dr Wright is insightful and his writings relevant. His books are critical to contemporary interpretation.

[Amber Fernie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started to read this along with my Bible study group, but the study of it gradually fizzled out. NT Wright goes into a lot of detail, and this is an informative entry, but maybe not as accessible as intended. He also tends to play with language a bit to suit his viewpoints, and often comes to conclusions I don’t feel are foregone.

[Frank Peters · Rating 4 out of 5]

These “for everyone” commentaries meet up to their title. Wright does a really nice job of digging into the different scriptural passages and communicating to the reader. I will continue to purchase and read these.

[Michael D'Offay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this very accessible book and keen to get stuck into the second book of his commentary on Romans. Wright has wonderful ability to keep the big picture and themes of Romans in mind when diving into the difficult texts.

[Dave TN · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent. This is my first step in reading N.T. Wright's commentary on the New Testament. This book covers the first half of Romans. I'm looking forward to Part Two, and the other books of the New Testament over the coming months/years.